KUCHING: Being a chef is not only about preparing, cooking and presenting a dish; it is also a chance to express oneself through what people see on their plate or in their bowl.
Sarawakian chef Achang Libat, 31, with over a decade of experience in culinary, said cooking is more fun and meaningful when you are willing to experiment as there are no rules that you need to follow.
“I realised that cooking is about a process of creating and sharing, it is not just about (making something for) eating. It’s a way for me to express and share about myself with others; making meaningful connections.
“Therefore, I started to venture into culinary and never looked back; and it has been 13 years to date,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
For him, food is art, hence the term – culinary arts. When you put sauces, ingredients and garnishes on a dish, it’s like painting a picture on a blank canvas.
“Combining different aspects of arts with food is more like scratching an itch of curiosity. Can it be done this way? Can I change the way people see certain things? I like exploring different possibilities to elevate our Sarawak cuisine,” he said.
Achang had recently brought his Sydney culinary skills back to Kuching for six dinners inside the Hoan Gallery in La Promenade Mall, and collaborated with the gallery’s Hoan Kee Huang for the special ‘Dine with Art’ event.
Last March, he staged the highly successful ‘Dine On Clay’ dinners with Gardencraft.co, serving up food on the works of local clay‐makers and potters.
How did it start?
The mixture of Kayan and Lun Bawang chef, who was born and raised in Kuching, worked with renowned Belgian chocolate franchise, Guylian in Australia. He later joined Balcon by Tapavino, a Spanish Tapas restaurant before returning to his hometown in 2019.
Achang was invited for an event; where he did his first commercial culinary installation in 2018 at HAUS Kuching called ‘Reimagine’, an exploration of local and traditional flavours, with unconventional methods.
He later saw the opportunities in growing Sarawak cuisine, thus, he decided to return to Kuching the following year. He is now a consultant and also a nomad chef, who enjoys creating local cuisine with his own unique culinary twist.
“I would not consider myself a fine dining chef, instead, I am more of an experimental or expressive chef.
“I am bold when it comes to exploring possibilities to take our local food and unique dishes to more exciting directions and to create unforgettable dining experiences (with local dishes and ingredients),” he said.
“I do not have a specific technique or place when churning ideas. It comes when it comes. It can be influenced by a place or what I see daily. Sometimes it is just as simple as a combination of taste, sound and texture. Most of the time, it is from the people and stories,” he added.
What are the challenges?
Among the challenges he faced is to create something that justifies the inspiration and also to transfer his ideas – which can come from anything – a place, a story or to express a feeling.
“I want to make people who have tasted the dish to feel or imagine as they are in that particular moment or place,” he said.
“Although a lot of dishes are still in the research and development (R&D) stage, I’m most satisfied and proud of my tapioca leaves ice cream, Terung Asam dessert and Sarawak pesto. Besides, I love exploring and working on ideas using the Tilapia fish from Batang Ai,” he added.
What is next?
During his free time, Achang would always explore around to find new possibilities with the local produce and delicacies, including a new way or to present them to the diners.
Apart from various collaborations, he hoped to be able to organise the ‘Reimagine’ dinner series annually with different unique dishes and extraordinary dining experiences.
“It’s a curated dinner where myself and any other individual who loves to cook, get a chance to express, go nuts with no rules applied to the menu and the experience. Also, I am planning to collaborate with different sectors or our arts industry, but that is a secret for now.
“I hope that by doing this, through all, the success or any mistakes, a pathway can be made for more talented new era chefs to follow and together build up the Sarawak cuisine to a whole new level,” he added.
Achang obtained his Diploma in Hospitality, Tourism and Hotel (Culinary Arts Major) in 2013 at Taylor’s University and he also holds a Diploma and Certificate IV in Food and Beverage Services (Major in Patisserie) from Le Cordon Bleu Sydney.
