Chef Akmal Anuar, a Michelin star chef and recipient of Bib Gourmand, has accrued over 20 years of culinary experience, both in the kitchen and in management, and has collaborated with renowned chefs like Dan Hunter, Luis Andoni Aduriz and Yasuhiro Sasajima.
Born in Singapore, he started his professional journey at an early age by helping out at his parent’s hawker stall, then went on to become the Head Chef for over seven years at the famous Iggy’s Restaurant in Singapore. While at Iggy’s, recognized in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Chef Akmal served famous dignitaries and celebrities, including the late Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father.
In 2014, Akmal moved to Dubai and joined the Starwood Hospitality Group. The business and management essentials he learned to run food and beverage operations gave him the confidence to set up White Rice Consultancy. Offering food and beverage consultation, concept creation, brand management and joint venture, the company is involved with projects now underway in the UAE and Singapore. One of these is his collaboration with Sunset Hospitality Group, a leading hospitality and management company in Dubai, to open Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori.
Chef Akmal, who has a loaded calendar these days, was kind enough to have a conversation with us recently about his life experiences and his Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori venue.
Chef Akmal, your culinary journey began at an early age, helping out in your parent’s hawker stall. What functions did you perform in the business over the years? How did your experience in the family business lead to a career in the culinary arts?
As the eldest child, I began at my parent’s company in 1992. Those days were the pre-internet era, and my experiences were sensorial. I had a hands-on experience with every aspect of the job, which helped me sharpen my mentality and allowed me to be truly dedicated. Initially, pursuing a career in culinary arts wasn’t what I intended to do. It was during my professional experience in European kitchens that my passion for cooking was ignited.
You were Head Chef for over seven years at Iggy’s Restaurant in Singapore. Tell us about your journey from a novice to Head Chef of a world-renowned restaurant.
I joined Iggy’s as a Junior Chef in 2006, and had a reporting line at the time. I was an aspiring chef and wanted to do new things. I loved reading cookbooks from famous chefs, and would often try out their recipes and inspiring techniques. I wanted to build a strong skillset and learn cooking tricks to stand out. My momentum was good, and all my focus was on creating unique dishes. My bosses were very supportive throughout my progression, and somehow gave me a platform to shine.
The owner of Iggy’s Restaurant, Ignatius Chan, had an amazing palate. He was well travelled and knew what was successful at the time. At one point, I began to create signature dishes that have never been done before, and the patrons soon realised this. Slowly, I climbed up the ranks and eventually became Head Chef. From then on, the restaurant won accolades after accolades. It was a seven-year journey filled with growth and success.
Could you give us a sense of what it’s like to be the Head Chef of a restaurant that caters to celebrities and heads of state, and how this experience has helped shape who you are today?
Celebrities and heads of state tend to visit specific places for a particular reason. Most likely, someone spoke highly of their experience, and recommended they visit. At Iggy’s, I recall them having very interesting demands, and I tried to always accommodate that. Providing this tailored approach to customers really helped our restaurant stand out. The staff were very excited too when we had such visits. As we got used to this, our confidence and motivation grew bigger. Experiences like this really build charisma.
Why did you choose to participate in culinary exhibitions and competitions over the years? How has it benefited you, and would you recommend it to aspiring chefs?
I’m typically not a competitive person, however, I did participate in one competition back in London Salon Culinaire, where I received a bronze award for the first time. I also took part in a few exhibitions in Paris with Pierre Hereme in Musee Dorsay, in addition to a presentation in San Sebastian Gastronomica in 2011, alongside great chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Grant Arcatz.
While these were great experiences, I’d say competitions generally don’t matter to me. I’m a simple man who is all about execution. To aspiring Chefs, my advice would be to focus on your own goals and execution, and the rest of the success will come along naturally.
In 2019, you set up White Rice Consultancy in Dubai. Why did you decide to move away from the kitchen and step into a managerial role?
In 2019, it was about time for me to step into a new role and take on a bigger responsibility. Being a chef is one thing, but learning to run a business is another. Having loyal staff that desired to grow really motivated me to provide them with the support to achieve that. I’m a family man too, and as my kids were growing, I needed to venture into something greater to sustain a better life for the future.
How did your collaboration with Sunset Hospitality Group to launch Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori in Dubai come about?
It was during the height of the pandemic towards the end of 2020, when I received a phone call to visit a location for a potential project. Before Goldfish was born, a Japanese restaurant was present in the same location where we were eventually given the opportunity to take over the space. After discussions with the heads of Sunset Hospitality Group, we made a swift decision to create a new Japanese concept.
Within 2 months, we opened our doors and were definitely blessed with the turnout. Today, we are in our third year of operations, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Goldfish has been recognized in the Michelin Guide under the Bib Gourmand category in 2022 and 2023 consecutively for its good quality and good value cooking, was discovered by The World’s 50 Best Discovery, and was listed in the Gault&Millau UAE 2023 Guide. Good times!
From your point of view, how does Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori stand out from other Japanese cuisine restaurants in Dubai and the Emirates?
We have a distinctive approach at Goldish. We do our own thing, bring our own quality, and do things our way. We try hard to educate our customers on our offering, but also listen closely to them and value their feedback. Goldfish is unique because we mostly cater to the local market, and have regular, loyal customers. Families and kids tend to enjoy the sushi and appreciate the warm and welcoming atmosphere.