CELEBRITY chef Florence Tan, who is also known as the Queen of Nyonya Cuisine, has one philosophy in life and that is, “Whatever you do, you must have a good heart and be sincere”.
“It was my teacher, master chef Datuk Lim Bian Yam who taught me this,” said Tan of her mentor who is the principal of International School of Home Cookery where she studied in 1985.
Perfect pair: The Queen of Nyonya Cuisine with the King of Fruits. And having stuck to this adage has certainly boded well with Tan. At 63, she exudes a cheeriness that is infectious. Those who know her have described her as playful.
According to her best buddies, Tan has the innate ability of making everyone feel at ease. Even the most inhibited characters seem to let loose when they are in her company.
One example is how this Malacca-born nyonya got her guests to participate in dance demonstrations while waiting for the food to cook on her TV shows.
“I believe that when I am with someone, I must be at ease. This way, I believe that they will also be at ease and at their best,” said Tan of how she draws people out of their shell.
Having such a friendly disposition, it makes one wonder if she is upset by anything at all.
“Oh, I can be very serious when it comes to work. I like things to be done a certain way so when it is not carried out, I can get very cross.
“To be fair, I usually give ample time for things to be rectified. The first time something is not done right, I will issue a reminder. If it happens a second time, the person will get a warning. On the third time, I will get angry,” said Tan.
And never ever let on that you do not care about culture. This lady can be a stickler when it comes to tradition.
We found this out while window shopping at the Craft Complex, during its 11-day wedding promotion last month.
Playing dress up with friend Chef Ismail at a wedding fair. Someone had remarked if it was really necessary to go through all the hassle and incur such high costs, and Tan who was within earshot, quickly turned round and retorted, “Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat” (You may lose your child but not your customs).
“Tradition and culture is a package. It functions to form a society that is respectful, artistic and morally righteous so that we may be seen as civilised,” stressed Tan.
But apart from that, the genial Tan is really one sweet lady. So obliging is her nature that at times friends and family have commented that she runs the risk of being taken advantage of.
“I don’t like to fight. It is my nature to always find the positive side of a person. I believe that life is a service and that it is our duty to help others. I believe that when you give kindness, you will receive kindness in return,” said Tan.
Perhaps this is what endears Tan to her friends. Redzuawan bin Ismail aka Chef Wan, whom Tan has known for 23 years, remarked that one reason she is so loved is she is sincere and generous in everything she does.
Speaking of her best friends undoubtedly made Tan light up.
Some of her buddies are none other than Agnes Chang, noted Chinese cuisine TV personality, whom she has known since 1967; and Chef Ismail Ahmad, who reveals that for the past 15 years, not a day goes by without a telephone call to each other.
Typical of the celeb cook to ham it up with a dancer as she waits for her cue to go on air. “Friendship is about love, respect, understanding and putting up with each other’s weaknesses.
“It is very important to be happy with each other’s successes too. There are some cases where friends can become jealous of this and that is not good. It is important to share one’s knowledge,” said Tan.
The latest activity Tan and her ‘gang’ are still raving about is their trip to the cinema to watch Angelina Jolie in Wanted.
“Aiyoh, I tell you, I was holding to my heart because I was scared that it would jump from left to right!” exclaimed Tan when talking about the action movie.
So on Sundays, one can bet that Tan can be found in the company of this merry bunch who are most likely to poke fun at her bee hive hairdo while they are exchanging cook books or an obscure recipe.
And talking of food, Tan readily admits that she has two weaknesses: durians and Indian food.
“I used to love seeing the durians on the trees when my husband, John Tan, owned an orchard in Selandar (between Malacca and Jasin). Unfortunately, he’s sold off the orchard,” said Tan.
Other than, that Sundays are also church days for Tan, after which she will go for a lunch of chappati with vegetables and yoghurt to be washed down with teh tarik at a little known place called Maniam’s Corner beside a Petronas station along Jalan Ampang.
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