Nik Michael Imran. Image: Instagram/@nik9_
Nik Michael Imran of “Cooking for Love” fame was in the Philippines just recently to judge a cook-off among Filipino content creators. But the “Masterchef Malaysia” alumnus, of course, dug into Filipino cuisine himself.
Although his recent trip was his second visit to Manila, the celebrity chef said he did not pass up the chance to sample Filipino dishes anew, many of which he found to be similar to Malaysian ones.
“It’s funny because there’s a lot of similarities with Malaysian food. I’ve been really enjoying the sinigang. I think that’s one of my favorites at the moment,” Imran told INQUIRER.net at the sidelines of the “Cheesarap Cook-off Challenge” held at the activity center of Glorietta in Makati City on Saturday, July 13.
He said the dish is similar to Malaysian “singang” which also uses tamarind as the souring agent. But when asked what Filipino dish he would love to bring to Malaysia, Imran said, “Sisig Silog, with the rice and the egg, I think it’s a nice combo.”
Chef Nik Michael Imran. Image: Armin P. Adina/INQUIRER.net
The chef also shared how “Masterchef Malaysia” impacted his life’s trajectory in 2011. “It was a huge stepping stone for me to actually completely change from wanting to become a banker to getting into the food industry. I was in my final year of [university], and basically after that I just went into F&B head first,” he shared.
And now that he is in the position to change people’s lives, Imran said he approaches cooking competitions differently, based on who are competing. “If it’s a professional cooking show, then I’m gonna be a bit more focused on the technical. But for today, it’s more, something that’s edible, preferrable they’re a bit more clean in how they work in the kitchen. But ultimately it’s all about the taste,” he said.
“Cheesarap Cook-Off Challenge” judges (from left) Chef Nik Michael Imran, Erwan Heussaf, and Chef Hans Madlos. Image: Armin P. Adina/INQUIRER.net
He was joined by restaurateur and content creator Erwan Heussaf, husband of Filipino celebrity Anne Curtis, and Filipino chef Hans Madlos on the judging panel in the competition that saw three teams compete in three rounds—dessert, appetizer, and main course.
Imran also shared that he will return to TV through another collaboration with the Asian Food Network, a cooking show that will pit him against different “aunties” every episode. “It’s not out yet, it’s like auntie vs chef, basically me and an auntie in the kitchen cooking the same dish, and then seeing how different it is. Almost like a friendly competition,” he said.