Chef Wan hailed as kimchi expert

Malaysian Celebrity Chef Datuk Dr. Chef Wan was proudly certified as a kimchi expert at Malaysia’s First Kimchi Festival hosted by K PLUS Food Market at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara. The distinguished chef was presented with a certificate from the Seoul Kimchi Academy following his intensive Kimchi Making Specialist Course in Seoul, South Korea.

Datuk Dr. Chef Wan was also officially announced as the first Malaysian brand ambassador of Jongga and Nongshim Farmer’s Heart at the event. He was appointed as their brand ambassador for 1 year to frontline these major brands with the intention of raising awareness among Malaysians while establishing Kimchi as a versatile component in every meal – be it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Jongga and Nongshim Farmer’s Heart are two of the most renowned brands introduced to Malaysians by KMT Jaya Sdn. Bhd., the exclusive distributor of Korean national brands.

Since becoming a Kimchi specialist, he has returned to Malaysia to introduce Korean-Malaysian fusion dishes such as the Kimchi Mee Goreng, among others, to all Malaysians. His first stint as the new brand ambassador of Jongga and Nongshim Farmer’s Heart saw him putting on a show at the Kimchi Festival to demonstrate his Kimchi making skills by preparing traditional Kimchi, Kimchi pancakes, and his creative use of Kimchi in Malaysia’s favorite dish – Mee Goreng.

Datuk Dr. Chef Wan said during the press conference, “I am sincerely delighted to have been given
this opportunity to represent both Jongga and Nongshim Farmer’s Heart as a brand ambassador.
Many people do not know how Kimchi can be integrated into a variety of both local and international dishes. After learning how to make Kimchi professionally, things have not been the same as I now have a deeper appreciation for the traditional Korean staple dish, and I have begun experimenting and incorporating it into a multitude of local dishes. With that, I look forward to sharing my profound love for Kimchi with Malaysia, so that they are able to experience Kimchi as I have.”

The Kimchi Festival was held from 20 to 27 November 2022 and located right outside of the K PLUS Food Market premises. The festival was open to the public and featured different types of kimchi, and all the imported Korean ingredients that are used to make them.

Many activities such as traditional Korean games, mouth-watering Korean food competitions, and others were organized in the spirit of commemorating the tradition of making kimchi. Classes hosted by a Korean chef to educate the public on how to prepare kimchi were also held for 40 participants on the first and last day of the Kimchi Festival.

Visitors from all walks of life were able to discover Korean traditions through a hands-on cultural experience.

Chairman and Founder of KMT Jaya Sdn. Bhd. Datuk Matthew Lee said, “It is the perfect time for
Malaysians to embrace the culture of adopting Kimchi in their daily diets. Kimchi is a nutrient-dense
food item that contains probiotics and can boost one’s immune system, hence, I genuinely recommend everyone to try it. There is no one more suitable than Datuk Dr. Chef Wan to be the face
of these Korean powerhouses, Jongga and Nongshim Farmer’s Heart with the knowledge and
experience he has in the food industry. We trust that all Malaysians are able to connect with local
food through our brilliant brand ambassador and fall in love with Kimchi too.”

KMT Group was started in 1994 as a distributor of Korean consumer products, which has diversified its business into food and beverage, beauty, home living, retail, hospitality to healthcare.