Chef Wan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yang Berbahagia Datuk Chef Wan PMW DSAP
Chef Wan in 2019
Born	Redzuawan bin Ismail (1958-01-06) 6 January 1958 (age 67) Colony of Singapore
Nationality	Malaysian citizenship
Education	California Culinary Academy
Occupation	Chef television host actor restaurateur entrepreneur
Years active	1990–present
Television	Best Wan (Asian Food Channel) Usik-usik Chef Wan (TV9) Famili Ceria (ntv7)
Spouse(s)	Norhayati binti Ayub
Children	Serina Redzuawan, Muhammad Zainudin Redzuawan (Chef Riz)
Parents	Ismail Mohd. Nor (father) Noraini Abdullah (mother)

Redzuawan bin Ismail (born January 6, 1958) is a famous Malaysian chef. He is better known by his stage name, Chef Wan. Besides being a chef, he is also a television host, actor, and businessman. He has become well-known for sharing Malaysian and other Asian foods with the world.

Chef Wan's Early Life

Chef Wan grew up in a place called Sungai Koyan Felda in Lipis, Pahang. His family was part of the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) program. This program helps people get land to farm. He came from a humble background.

Chef Wan has two children. His daughter, Serina Redzuawan, is an actress in Malaysia. His son, Muhammad Nazri Redzuawan, also known as Chef Riz, has followed in his father's footsteps and become a chef too.

Chef Wan's Career Journey

Chef Wan actually started his career as an accountant! But he soon found his true passion in cooking. He saw how popular Asian food was becoming in Western countries. This made him want to promote Malaysia and other South East Asian countries through their delicious food.

Becoming a Professional Chef

To become a professional chef, Chef Wan studied at the California Culinary Academy. He earned an associate degree in Professional Chef Training and Hotel Management. He also got a special diploma from the Ritz Escoffier in Paris, France.

In 2009, his hard work paid off. He won the Best Celebrity Television Chef award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. This award celebrates the best cookbooks and food television shows around the world.

Chef Wan as an Ambassador

Chef Wan is a culinary (cooking) ambassador for Tourism Malaysia. This means he helps promote Malaysia as a great place to visit, especially for its food. He is also a brand ambassador for AirAsia, a well-known airline.

He has appeared on international TV shows. In 2005, he was featured on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations when the host, Anthony Bourdain, visited Malaysia. In 2009, he also appeared on Rick Stein's TV series Far Eastern Odyssey on the BBC.

Restaurant Ventures

Chef Wan has also opened his own restaurants. In 2018, his restaurant called "Chef Wan's Kitchen" in Esplanade Mall closed down. He explained that the food was not being made according to his recipes, which made customers unhappy. He felt it was better to close it than to disappoint his guests.

In 2021, a famous YouTube comedian named Uncle Roger (Nigel Ng) visited Chef Wan's restaurant for a video. Chef Wan was also asked to be on a stand-up comedy show, but he decided not to. He said he prefers to be funny naturally and didn't feel confident doing stand-up comedy.

Chef Wan's Acting Roles

Besides cooking and hosting, Chef Wan has also acted in movies and TV shows.

Movies

Television Shows

Awards and Honours

Chef Wan has received several important awards and honours for his contributions.

Honours from Malaysia

•  Federal Territory (Malaysia) :
  • In 2010, he received the title Datuk. This is a special honour given to people who have done great things for their country.

•  Pahang :
  • In 2016, he received the title Dato' from the state of Pahang. This is another high honour.

In 2019, Chef Wan also received THE 2019 Felda Icon Award. This award recognized him as an important figure from the Felda community.