Chef Imran describes himself as a lifelong learner. Because he is always seeking new skills and experiences, his schedule is packed with engagements: private events, masterclasses, trips around the world, and of course, hours upon hours of practice honing his culinary skills. His current undertaking? Perfecting his finely lined handmade pasta, which turned him into an Instagram sensation as the world over sheltered at home during the Covid lockdown.
What began as a creative project spurred by the confines of Covid — or in his words, “the boredom of staring at walls all day” — has turned into Chef Imran’s current signature: the double-sided striped pasta. Chef Imran, though, is quick to note that he enjoys cooking across cuisines. “Every cuisine offers something exciting — be it Italian or Chinese or anything else,” Chef Imran tells us. “This is why I see cooking as a lifelong journey and curiosity.”
The thing that got me started in this profession is the artistry. I wanted to be an artist when I was younger, so I studied Multimedia and Infocomm back in poly thinking it was an artistic profession. It wasn’t until I started working as a server in a hotel at that time that I realised how artistic the food coming out of the kitchen was. A chef has to use all his senses to create a plate of artwork. It’s the only profession in the world that requires all the senses to create something, which is why I always say I’m still learning.
Pictured: Duo of Bruschetta by Chef Imran, with garlic broccoli and burrata on one and San Marzano tomatoes and balsamico on the other. Photographed on Gold Leaf Free-Form Side Plate. This is the first dish of his proposed six-course menu in our one-night only KRA Private Dining Tour.
My approach to cooking has undeniably evolved over the years. Early in my career, my dishes often reflected an ambitious intent of displaying my technical skills rather than focusing on a simple, soothing culinary experience. I tended to put too many things into a dish. As I’ve advanced in my career, I now value local and indigenous produce and refrain from overburdening a dish with excessive and unnecessary elements. It’s about how to make something elegant while retaining the essence of a dish.
When I create a dish now, the priority is to always keep the essence of what it is. You cannot deconstruct it in such a way that people don’t recognise the dish anymore. That will be a bad dish, I feel. For example, rendang should still taste like rendang, but it can look different. It’s about keeping to the basics but making it elegant.
Chef Imran’s Signature Striped Tortellini filled with crabmeat and served with a shrimp bisque. Photographed in Gold Leaf Free-Form Pasta Bowl.
I learned how to cook pasta in restaurants like Garibaldi and Jamie Oliver, but the intricacy of handcrafted pasta is something I delved into independently. I was one of four pasta makers in the world that created the lined pasta. I got in touch with these pasta makers — none of them from Italy — where we discussed how we would make the lines, and how we could refine it and make the lines even more fine. Of all the creations I have crafted, the double-sided striped pasta designs I accomplished back in 2020, stand out the most. This journey involved a stringent process of research, trials, and painstaking attention to detail that spanned across three months.
Right now, it takes a minimum of an hour to make striped pasta, but intricate variations can take up to four hours to make. The most complicated design I’ve made was the Marc Jacobs one, which was about an hour per raviolo.
Chef Imran has designed his six-course menu to highlight the Italian cuisine journey with a twist: two pasta courses instead of the typical one. (L) Photographed in Wok Hei Free-Form Pasta Bowl and (R) Gold Leaf Free-Form Pasta Bowl.
Normally, when you go for Italian fine dining, you only get one pasta course. What’s special about the menu I am offering at the upcoming private dining event is that there are two courses of handmade pasta for guests to experience something more traditional and more “atas” (high-class). The first is the pesto pasta, which is more traditional. The second is the striped tortellini that’s been an emblem of mine and even an Instagram sensation!
When asked if chefs have to exercise patience in the kitchen, Chef Imran replied, “When you work as a chef, everything needs to be cool: your ingredients, your equipment, and your temper as well."
In Italian cuisine, you spend a lot of time prepping but it’s very quick when it comes to cooking. As a chef, I would never compromise the integrity of my dishes or the quality of my ingredients. I also like to take little steps to be more responsible. For example, I like cooking with locally grown vegetables. The vegetables I get here are organic and ready-to-eat, no washing needed. Kale from overseas has gone through a selection and vetting process so there is a lot more waste. By sourcing locally, we can significantly lower waste from the farm itself.
Come meet the affable Chef Imran in person at the one-time only KRA Private Dining Food Tour on 17 August 2024, where you can taste his Signature Striped Tortellini filled with crabmeat and nestled in a shrimp bisque, among other Italian dishes. Seats are limited — get your tickets here.