Chef Chiong Kah Foo believes that "good food" should be healthy, well presented and taste good.

The head chef of Tong Shui Cafe has been cooking for over 20 years, and clearly relishes his role in the Hong Kong eatery. When asked why he is working for the cafe instead of venturing out on his own, he explains that he enjoys the challenge of creating dishes for the eatery and helping it to stand out from other Hong Kong cafes in Singapore. To date, he has created over 300 dishes, with his signature "8-Treasures Soup" being one of the popular favourites.

Chef Chiong also stressed the importance of humility and perseverance for wannabe chefs. One must "be able to persevere during apprenticeship, be willing to learn and be humble, have good work ethics, be creative in creating new dishes and be willing to try different cooking styles and methods", he says.

AsiaOne catches up with this busy chef who is now preparing for the upcoming dumpling festival with a series of mini-dumplings, which will be available from June 1 to 30.

Who was your biggest culinary influence?
My father, a Dim Sum Chef, was my biggest culinary influence. I was given opportunities to savour his delicious creations since young and I enjoyed it tremendously.

When did you decide you wanted to become a chef?
It was in 1970, when I was about 14 years old, I happened to see a chef sculpturing vegetables. It was amazing to see how the vegetables "come to life" under the skilful master chef's knife. What's more, the food that accompanied the vegetable sculptures was simply beautiful and tempting. That was the moment I decided to become a chef.

What was your Big Break?
My big break came when I became the owner of my restaurant. I wanted to impart my knowledge to everyone who was interested in cooking!

What makes a good chef?
To be a good chef, besides having good culinary skills, having good interpersonal skills is vital. On top of that, a good chef must manage his kitchen well, ensuring cleanliness and hygiene at all times!

How would you describe your cooking style?
I do not have a particular cooking style, because I prefer to marry different unique cooking styles to attain the taste, presentation, colour combination and aroma to appeal to the customers.

Do you have a signature dish?
It would be 8-Treasures soup which is sold at Tong Shui Cafe!

What is your most essential kitchen tool and why?
The Chinese Wok is my most essential kitchen tool. The Chinese Wok is essential in cooking delicious authentic Chinese and local dishes for my customers!

What are the must-haves in your fridge at home?
They are sauces, fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.

When you do cook at home, what do you usually cook?
I cook for my loved ones at home on my days off, especially for supper - usually a simple fare for my family, nothing elaborate.

What is your favorite local dish? Why and which stall you go to?
I love the Hainanese Chicken Rice, Teochew Fish Soup, Rojak (Toa Payoh) and Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle (Bukit Timah).

Tong Shui Cafe is located at:
54 Zion Road
417 River Valley Road
No. 1 Liang Seah Street, #01-05/06
215F/H Upper Thomson Road
Changi Airport Viewing Mall, Level 3, Terminal 2