Michelle Goh, who recently received a one Michelin star for her restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, talked with New Sarawak Tribune about her journey as a chef, the hurdles she faced, and her thoughts.
The road to Michelin stardom
Growing up, Michelle Goh began honing her kitchen skills at the young age of eight, as she filled and shaped wontons alongside her grandmother. However, the dish was one of many that Goh knew how to cook. The 30-year-old recalls her early days in the kitchen, when she would prepare dinner for her family.
Recently awarded a one Michelin star for her restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, the Kuching native, along with her Thai husband, has been running Mia, a fine dining restaurant, for two years. Goh said that when they first started, she felt stressed and pressured.
“Back then, all I could think about was that if I didn’t receive a star, it meant that I wasn’t good enough, that my business would fail, and that no one would come because why would they?”
According to her, she was mentally obsessed with having a star to prove her hard work.
“When we didn’t get a star two years ago, we thought that was alright; we’d move on. Instead of focusing on getting a star, we opted to focus on making sure that every customer who visits leaves happy and satisfied.
“After I shifted my focus, I felt like everything else just fell into place. We tried not to think about it as we wanted to focus on our customers and do things that we knew we could do,” she added.
This time, the star awarded to Mia served as a motivation for not just the two chefs, but also the restaurant’s employees, as it boosted their morale.
Life in the kitchen
At the age of 30, Goh has made history as the youngest female Malaysian chef to receive a Michelin star, as well as the first Sarawakian to do so.
Goh, who has been passionate about the art of gastronomy since young, revealed that she has always wanted to be a chef.
“Growing up, I would always watch Jamie Oliver cook on television. He was one of the reasons my interest in food developed. I also tried several of his recipes when I was younger.
“Furthermore, I grew up with my grandparents, and both of my grandmothers were great cooks. They also let me help them in the kitchen every day. I was only eight years old at the time,” she said.
After graduating from secondary school, Goh honed her culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu Sydney. From there, she gained invaluable experience under the guidance of renowned chefs such as the esteemed Three-Hatted Eleven Bridge by Neil Perry in Australia, Anna Polyviou and Pollen by Jason Atherton in Singapore.
At the age of 23, Goh joined the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Suhring in Bangkok, Thailand, assuming a leadership role in the pastry section. During her time there, the restaurant not only earned its first Michelin star, but was also promoted to two stars.
When asked about the problems she experienced in the industry, Goh admitted that being a female in the field had previously put forth challenges.
“The food and beverage industry is male-dominated. In almost every kitchen where I’ve worked, the majority of the cooks were men. In many kitchens, too, I am among the youngest.”
Though working in a professional kitchen can be intimidating and daunting for Goh, her unwavering passion remains steady.
“When I first started, I had to mentally prepare for a little bullying.
“People don’t take opinions seriously and tend to talk rudely. For example, I am quite short. Only 150 centimetres. And being in the kitchen may be very labour-intensive. We have to carry a lot of heavy things and be on our feet for 12 hours a day,” she said.
Goh remembered that at one point in her career, she needed equipment that was placed at the top of the shelf. Requesting help from a colleague had not only disappointed her, but also motivated her to be more independent.
“He told me that if I wanted to work in the kitchen, I had to do everything myself as he doesn’t want to be constantly helping me just because I can’t do it myself.”
Goh revealed that she had ended up climbing the table top to get what she wanted, and had done so for the rest of her career.
“It can be unsafe, but many times I felt like asking for help was a sign of weakness because I was a girl and the youngest in the kitchen.”
The incident had pushed her to do things on her own, allowing her to become more independent. Years of experience in the kitchen have transcended and moulded Goh into the person she is now — “I no longer get nervous or anxious going into service anymore.”
Expectations vs reality
When asked if the kitchen is as rough and rowdy as it appears on television, Goh gave a resounding no. At Mia, Goh and her partner/husband Chef Pongcharn ‘Top’ Russell believe in instilling knowledge and encouragement in their employees, “so there is no yelling or throwing plates compared to what’s seen on TV as a dramatisation.”
Nevertheless, the kitchen remains a stressful place and it takes a devoted chef to create art within the limited space. Goh described it as a “hot” and “dangerous” environment, saying that there will undoubtedly be pressure and tension in a professional kitchen.
“Of course, these are the things that you’ll eventually get used to, and when you know your menu and what you need to do every day, things become easier,” she said.
Michelle’s signature dish
A trained pastry chef, Goh introduced the Mia Cereal Bowl, her signature dish at Mia. Inspired by a Malaysian favourite, Milo Jagung Shaved Ice, the dish is dear to her heart.
“My sister loves this shaved ice flavour. My Mia Cereal Bowl consists of Milo, milk and corn.
“And the way it’s made is with Milo mousse at the bottom. Then we’d have our homemade cereal mix, which is a crunchy layer made up of chocolate crumble, dehydrated milk foam, feuilletine, and candied popcorn. Then we’d have corn ice cream and cornflake-infused milk. When eaten together, it tastes similar to Milo Jagung but has the texture of cereal,” she shared.
While Goh excels at creating food, she admits that becoming a chef involves patience and sacrifice.
“There is a lot to sacrifice, including festivities and reunions like Christmas, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and other holidays that we will miss as chefs because they are our busiest days.”
Nevertheless, the effort and dedication she maintained resulted in more than one achievement. While Chef Michelle Goh is the chef patron of Mia restaurant, her accomplishments go beyond the kitchen.
She was also awarded the “Young Chef of the Year” title, and Mia received recognition for having “Best Dessert Menu” by Bk Top Tables. She has done herself proud by receiving awards for her hard work and dedication in the kitchen.
