Chef Yen has ten years of experience, including seven years in garde manger kitchens as well as a strong background in research and development. He has participated in numerous culinary competitions both locally and internationally, representing Singapore numerous times which includes being a member of the gold-winning Singapore National Teams in 2005.
He is also an active member of the Singapore Chef Association and recently won gold again as the captain of the Singapore Chef Association's culinary team. His interests extend to travel and photography, and he always seeks out unique cuisine and dining experiences. His goals include combining food technology, food science and culinary expertise to develop innovative ideas for foodservice and culinary establishments.
Experience: Chef Lai began his career by working at various Chinese cuisine establishments, from restaurants like the Crystal Jade group to clubs like Laguna Country Club and even for caterers. The varied work experiences have moulded him into the chef that he is today. Prior to joining Unilever FoodSolutions this year, Chef Lai was perfecting his Chinese cuisine expertise with the Tung Lok group as second wok chef for My Humble House, a restaurant which has received many hospitality accolades for the cuisine, service and chefs. As part of the award winning restaurant kitchen brigade, Chef Lai rose up the ranks from second replacement cook to second wok chef over a short four years. During his time there, Chef Lai served under the well-known former chefs in charge, Chef Thomas Chai, senior executive chef of My Humble House and Chef Sam Leong, corporate chef and director of kitchens - Tung Lok Group of Restaurants. Working with the high standards of these well-respected chefs, Chef Lai honed his skills and trained himself to always perform with excellence. Chef Lai is currently sous chef for Chinese and Ethnic cuisines at Unilever FoodSolutions Singapore. Now, as an expert in Cantonese-style cooking techniques, he has used his expertise to conduct trainings, guidance and sharing with the team at Unilever FoodSolutions.