At 10, he received the ’thumbs up’ from his father for his first attempt at whipping up fried rice. Rui Yang’s interest in Asian cuisine continued to grow after that, with his mother and grandmother imparting cooking tips and tricks to this young man.

Rui Yang found the practical lessons in the kitchen to be the highlight of the Baking & Culinary Science course at the School of Applied Science. He has many fond memories of the Chefs who trained him. He said, “I am grateful to Chef Randy. I couldn’t have won the FHA Culinary Challenge (Gold) without his support and dedication. I truly admire his ‘kitchen discipline’. As for Chef Roger, I would like to thank him for the trust he had in me especially during events, when he put me in charge of the cooking. That trust has made me more confident in cooking and presenting food. Chef Gary was always there to help me whenever I had any questions or doubts about my culinary creations. He often talked to us about our future, and there is one piece of advice which I will never forget: If you want to be in this industry, your passion must always be there in order to succeed.”