restaurants

Wild Rocket : Interview with Chef Willin Low

Chef-owner Willin Low, one of Singapore’s fastest rising celebrity chefs, has been propelled to culinary stardom faster than you can say “Wild Rocket”. And don’t just take our word for it; Chef Willin has been dazzling the world’s culinary elite with his food and has had his own local TV series, “Instant Chef” on Channel U. He has been dubbed by the New York Times as one of the three chefs transforming Singapore's food culture. In the internationally-acclaimed Coco: 10 World-Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs, Chef Willin is one of just two Singaporean chefs cherry-picked by world-class chefs as an emerging culinary star. Excited yet humble about such accolades, he describes the feeling as “simply out of this world”. He has certainly come a long way—from experimental cooking while in law school, to being a private chef on weekends (he named his services “Will Cook” and even had two lawyer colleagues doubling up as his waitresses!), and finally to the acclaimed chef he is today.

Just what makes Chef Willin so special? With his distinct brand of Mod Sin (Modern Singaporean) cuisine, Chef Willin is clearly respected for remixing the concept of local food while constantly pushing the envelope of creativity and imagination. However, Chef Willin acknowledges that without his staff, “all this magic would not have happened”. In fact, to pay tribute to their hard work and support, he opened Wild Oats, Relish and most recently, Burger Bench & Bar, in order to create avenues for his staff to progress in their careers.

His respect and appreciation for them is also reflected in his decision to close the restaurant on the first day of the Chinese New Year, just so every single staff member can spend it with their families. “All our staff also need to go out on dates for a change!” he quips. But for love birds who hope to have a special Valentine’s Day at the newly-renovated Wild Rocket this year, it will be open on 12th February (Friday). A big fan of the occasion himself, Chef Willin is unabashed about deeming Wild Rocket as the “perfect romantic location”, due to its secluded locale nestled within the greenery of Mount Emily. “Couples can start with a dinner at Wild Rocket, stroll over to Wild Oats and have a drink, and finally followed by a walk at the nearby park to count the stars,” he recommends.

For those who would like to have an intimate celebration in the comfort of your own home instead, Chef Willin dispenses some great advice for whipping up a home-cooked Valentine’s day meal. Forget the extravaganza and “keep it simple!” he says. “Cook your version of something that your partner likes and always, always have ice cold champagne on hand.” And the golden question: what would be his ultimate foodie Valentine’s Day experience? “Home-made tagliatelle with lots of white truffle, a nice bottle of chardonnay from Burgundy and then TONNES of Mao Shan Wang durians,” he enthusiastically declares.