User:Rizal Zamani

Zaishahrizal Bin Zamani as know as Chef Rizal (born 24 April 1982) is a Malaysian Chef and Chef Lecturer, based in Taylor's University, Lake Side Campus, Subang. Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is Celebrity Chef.

Zaishahrizal Zamani or more fondly called Chef Rizal began his career when he was just 18 years old, conducting practical training at Dynasty Hotel, He then quickly developed a profound passion for cooking and landed his first job at Dynasty Hotel as a Cook 3. It was where he had the opportunity to gain great skills and knowledge of the culinary world under the guidance of some of the most experienced chefs at that time. Both together with his other relatives had their passion in food via having their own family catering for events such as weddings, ‘kenduri’, or just simply get together and cooking for each other during the weekends.

A Kuala Lumpur born Chef Rizal has had vast experience of 9 years as Jr. Sous Chef in the hotel and food industry example. Villa Danielli, Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Med @ Marche, Renaissance Hotel KL. He has also traveled around Middle East as well as Africa the world and worked in the areas of Food & Beverage, Kitchen Department and being-part of the Management Teams. He also participated in Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) 2008-2009.

Prior to joining Taylor’s University, currently completing his degree in Hospitality Management, Chef Rizal is also a Chef Lecturer at Taylor’s University, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. He teaches subjects related to culinary arts and applied sciences for food.

Inspiration: Pasta, traditional cooking methods A must have kitchen equipment: Pasta machine Other Passions: computers and his pet cat Favorite Dish to Cook at Home: Chicken Rice Hot Foods: Seafood and fresh tomatoes

This is 29 years story of my life, Zaishahrizal Zamani, born in 1982, youngest in the family and the only boy from my four siblings.

Both my parents have has their interest in food aside from their main obligation in their career. Both together with the other relative had their passion in food via having their own family catering to cater for events such as weddings, ‘kenduri’, or just simply gather together and cooking for each other during the weekends. In relation to the many occasion being held and helping one another in the food preparation, hence, started my passion for cooking and the urge of wanting to learn my family’s tradition of cooking. In other words, my parents were the ones who inspired me.

I remembered the first meal I ever cooked was “nasi goreng” at the age of five. At that time, I was crying and begging my mother to allow me to cook. However, my mom playing her role as a mother, was reluctant to allow at first as I was too small to start holding the ladle and ‘wok’, plus children was always being told to stay away from the stove. But after few attempts, she finally let me.

Once I started, I didn’t want to stop. I continued to learn making my own sandwiches, frying my own eggs and the largest achievement was when I was assisting my father cooking the rendang. This was no ordinary rendang, it was however the family traditional ‘rendang minang’. Like they say, nothing beat the family’s rendang. Till this very day, my family still continues to make the rendang every Hari Raya and there have been many orders placed for my family’s rendang.

My father has a restaurant in KL during my early school days and I never failed to be with him at the shop throughout the time. When I was 16, I used to accompany my father during the fasting month to sell “ikan bakar” in Bazaar Ramadhan in Keramat. Throughout the whole month, our stall was one of the favorites and we made quite a sum of profit.

As the years gone by, I continued my years like ordinary kids and completed my education until Form 5. I could say I wasn’t much of an achiever in school, as the school subject was pretty bore and was not much of my interest.

While waiting for my SPM results, I started working as a part-timer in Coffee Bean for about 5 months. Then, I decided to start my education career via obtaining the Certificate of Hotel Management (F&B) from Taylor’s University College School of Hospitality & Tourism.

Further thereon, I was attached with Dynasty Hotel Kuala Lumpur for two years since 2000 till 2001 as Commis 3. This was part of my practical training after obtaining my certificate. At this point in life, I realized how difficult it was working in the kitchen operation side and life was not easy as it seems. The pay was not that significant, and being in the hotel industry then was not something other people would consider in their career. However, I didn’t regret to choose the path I took as I had the passion in me since I was small.

Then I continued my Diploma in Restaurant Management (Culinary), at Food Institute of Malaysia (FIM) for two years. I could say I was doing well in college compared to school. During my final year, I was offered by the co-joint university i.e. Thames Valley University in the UK to pursue my degree and I was selected by FIM. However, financials was a concern to my family and it was something couldn’t force my parents knowing that it is a burden for them then. I took the decision positively and continued to work and educate myself locally.

I took the opportunity to work with Tabung Haji Food & Services for 4 months as the Food Supervisor to serve the pilgrims. That was my first working experience upon completion of my Diploma, although it was just for a short period. It was an honor to me to be given such opportunity and I took it as an invitation from God to be able to perform my Haj at the age of 22. During my stay in Makkah, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, I was grateful to have met Chef Wan, the master of all food. We had long conversation and he shared with me his history of his career and how the journey was not as easy as it seems. However, with his faith and commitment to succeed, he is where he is today.

Upon my return from Saudi Arabia, I was approached by a family friend, whom my family and I known. I would refer him as Dato’R. He was in the midst of opening a restaurant in Shanghai, China. As he has known my family has passion for food, he offered me to assist him in setting up the restaurant premises and to manage the food costing.

In Shanghai, I was able to gain knowledge of Chinese cuisine, and as I was promoting the Malay cuisine at the same time, I was able to combine both Malay and Chinese cuisine and turning them into fusion dishes. My stay and experience in Shanghai was not long, it was only for a short period of time i.e. two months as initial purpose was mainly to assist in the restaurant opening. Althought it was just for a while, I managed to travel to Shanghai and gained something which is beneficial to me.

Further thereon, I worked at the fine dining restaurant called ‘Med’@ Marche’ in Renaissance Hotel. Working in Marche’ gave me the passion of fine dining cuisine food. I was amazed on how simple food can look really complicated and how patient and practice makes the food presentation perfect. I wasn’t able to learn it on my own, but I had a good mentor, Chef ‘Yori, a young Chef’de Cuisine at the age of 23 from Belgium.

I was given the opportunity and trust to organize functions. Thought it was a challenge, I took them positively and I hence thereon, I was able to build my confidence to approach guests, giving food recommendations, and accepting any of my mistakes.

Chef Yori taught me well and that was how I gauge my basic of fine dining cooking. He became my inspiration to master in fine dining cuisine. However, Chef Yori was appointed as an Executive Chef in one of the resort hotel in Thailand.

I later then found an opportunity to work in Khartoum, Sudan as a Chef’de Partie’. It was a Malay cuisine restaurant to be newly set up by an O&G company to cater for their employers working near the oil rigs. I noticed that I fond to love working abroad, whether its for a short period or long term as I believe that traveling to learn at young age is what’s best to do in life.

Hence, I left Marche’ and pursued my career to Sudan. The experience in Sudan was indescribable. When I first arrived, the restaurant premise was nothing but unfinished bricks waiting to be completed. I was given the responsible to set the kitchen operation area, and the menu selection, followed by the food tasting and teaching the Sudanese how to cook. It was not an easy task to teach these Sudanese people. We all know that the Sudanese are bigger and huge like the Africans compared to our normal local Malaysian side. There was an incident that I was nearly hit by a knife by the locals due to my advice in correcting them the right way to dice onions.

I was in Sudan for a year and returned home at the age of 25. I was called to work in Vogue Coffee House in Renaissance Hotel. This was my first experience working in a coffee house and working in shifts. After nine months, I moved to Istana Hotel Taming Sari Coffee House.

Working in coffee house was just to gain knowledge and working is a different operation technics. I still had hope to move back into fine dining cuisine. It was then in 2008, I submitted my application to Villa’Danieli Italian Cuisine in Sheraton Imperial.

Upon being called for an interview by Sheraton, I was given a ‘blackbox’ challenge. In the blackbox, there was salmon fish, mushroon, breadcrumbs asparagus and carrot. It didnt take me long to decide what to cooked and I prepared pan seared herbs crusted salmon fish with mushroon timbale and carrot sauce. Nothing negative was commented by the Executive Chef and they told me to wait for them to call if I do get the job as they will be interviewing other candidates as well.

It took quite some time for Sheraton to inform me that I was given the job as Chef’de Partie. I was already at the point of giving up hope for the job in Sheraton as it is known among the hoteliers, that Sheraton Imperial coupled with other five star hotels in KL is not an easy entrance unless one has met its standard expectation.

I worked under Chef Rajesh in Villa Danieli. He is a leader and a good subordinates. I was taught well under Chef Rajesh. I didn’t have any Italian background but I showed high interest in learning and I managed to gained his trust. Working in hotel operation is a chellenge one must face especially in dealing with customer’s complaint and tolerating the staffs behaviour. I was responsible in managing the team and handling many private occassions in Villa. Throughout my time working in Villa, I have served many corporate and public figures ; naming a few is Manchester United footballer ;David May, Dato Sri Jamaluddin Jarjis, Dato Syed Hamed Alba, Syeikh Fadzil and Yang Di-Pertuan Tuanku Negeri Sembilan.

In Villa, I have given my 100% commitment of being a team player and I was promoted as Jr Sous Chef at the age of 27; after one year of being part of a team player. I managed to push and prove to myself that I too can be successful and achieve what others have achieve in the food industry.

Until the time I was asked by Sheraton to teach the students in Taylor’s University about cooking for a day. I begin to develope interest in teaching the young ones on how being in the food industry and hotel chain can be an exciting experience. How teaching the new generation can make a difference in the food industry Although my journey of being in the industry has only been 10 years, I have traveled to many placed and seen many things that has developed the deep passion of food in me.

I am young and there is still much more for me to learn, but this is the time for me to venture into sharing my knowledge and improving mine at the same time. I tend to pursue my degree in Taylor’s as I was not able to take them upon completion of my Diploma due to financial reason. Further, they are not many Chef’s profession with a Professional Degree and I wish to make a different and to grab the opportunity to learn as much on food research, theoratically and academically. Further, the perception of Chefs has now changed equivalent to a professional i.e. doctors, engineers, lawyers etc.

With the stong empasize of halal food, it is also one of the main reason I decided to leave the food operations in the hotel industry. I would like to balance my time and avoid myself of being too much exposed in the haram’ way of cooking.

Therefore, I decided to leave Sheraton although it was the toughest decision I have ever made in my career life. I wanted to explore more in life and it was not just the experience in the food operation, its the overall scope on being in the industry. I would like to write my own recipe book one day, meeting new people and explore their food preference. It has also been my dream to have my own ‘halal’ fine dining cuisine someday. Also, I would like to learn deeper on food gastronomy and sociology and how it plays an important part of everyone’s life now.

Further, I have remained close to my subordinates and peers and those who have guided and inspired me. Although it is a different path i.e. teaching, but I am teaching what I love most, cooking.

On 14 November 2011, the 21 episode of 66-part cooking show MasterChef Malaysia celebrity guest chef, He also appeared on MasterChef Malaysia and shared one of his own signature dish marking his debut TV series.

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