Computer Programmer to Chef

“I like to make good food,” says Yong Soon. A noble ambition, since Yong is a chef, one with an impressive background. I met Yong at the Toronto Hakka Conference in 2008 as he was giving a cooking demonstration. He came from Malaysia when his brother offered him and his parents a chance to immigrate to Canada. As a computer programmer, he yearned for a career change. When he arrived in Toronto, he enrolled at the George Brown College Chef School. He was lucky to work under Susur Lee, a rising Hong Kong chef who cooked innovative French food. Yong worked in Singapore and Hong Kong, then traveled through China exploring regional cuisine.