Sam Leong is one of Asia’s most celebrated chefs, widely regarded as the pioneer of modern Chinese cuisine. Based in Singapore, he built his reputation by taking the Cantonese cooking he learned from his father and reinventing it with contemporary technique, presentation and flavour – most famously in his signature Wasabi Prawn – and became one of the region’s best-known celebrity chefs.
Warm, hard-working and deeply respectful of tradition, Leong has cooked for world leaders and royalty, run acclaimed restaurants, and helped bring Chinese fine dining to a modern, international audience.
TL;DR
- Singapore-based celebrity chef, born in 1965, of Malaysian-Chinese heritage
- Widely called the pioneer of modern Chinese cuisine
- Learned Cantonese cooking from his father and started in kitchens at 15
- Former executive and corporate chef at leading Singapore restaurants and the TungLok Group
- Creator of the famous Wasabi Prawn and founder of Forest restaurant
Sam Leong key facts
| Born | 1965 (Malaysian-Chinese heritage) |
| Based in | Singapore |
| Known for | Modern Chinese cuisine; Wasabi Prawn |
| Restaurants | Jiang-Nan Chun; TungLok; Forest |
| Style | Contemporary Cantonese and Chinese |
Learning from his father
Sam Leong’s culinary journey began in 1981, when he was just fifteen and went to work in kitchens after leaving school. His father, a Malaysian chef, taught him the foundations of Cantonese cuisine along with the discipline and values that would shape his career. Those early years, cooking traditional Chinese food from the ground up, gave him the deep technical grounding on which he would later build something new.
Modern Chinese cuisine
Leong rose quickly. In 1994, at 28, he became executive chef at Jiang-Nan Chun at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, and from 2000 to 2010 he served as corporate chef for the TungLok Group’s Chinese restaurants. It was during these years that he became known as the pioneer of modern Chinese cuisine, refreshing classic dishes with new techniques and presentation. His signature Wasabi Prawn – which he created in 1989 while cooking in Bangkok – became famous around the world, and he has cooked for figures including heads of state and royalty.
Forest and celebrity
In February 2012 Leong opened his own restaurant, Forest, at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, set within lush greenery and showcasing his contemporary Chinese cooking. Alongside his restaurants he has become one of Asia’s most recognisable celebrity chefs, appearing on television and publishing cookbooks, and passing on his craft to a new generation.
Signature style
Leong’s cooking respects the techniques and flavours of Cantonese tradition but refuses to be bound by them. He lightens, refines and modernises classic dishes, pays great attention to presentation, and is unafraid to introduce new ingredients and ideas – the approach that earned him his reputation as the face of modern Chinese cuisine.
Sam Leong in context
Leong is one of the defining figures of the Singapore dining scene, alongside other chefs featured on Pickup Table 4 who helped build the city’s reputation, such as Emmanuel Stroobant and Tetsuya Wakuda.
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Sam Leong FAQ
Who is Sam Leong?
A Singapore-based celebrity chef known as the pioneer of modern Chinese cuisine.
What is his signature dish?
The Wasabi Prawn, which he created in 1989 and which made him famous internationally.
Where did he learn to cook?
From his father, a Malaysian chef, starting in kitchens at the age of 15.
What is Forest?
His restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, opened in 2012.
What is he known for?
Modernising Cantonese and Chinese cooking and being one of Asia’s top celebrity chefs.
