"Culture will change over time and so too does our taste preferences. Modern Malaysian food evolves the classic flavours we know and love to suit a more contemporary palate. It can be something lighter and come in unexpected forms, but still have the tastes we grew up enjoying. It can even take influences from other cultures, using modern cooking techniques to create a new type of Malaysian cuisine," says Tham.

Indeed, Tham's food at Beta KL reflects his sentiment, with dishes like inverted curry puffs and chicken cooked with bentong ginger playfully reinterpreting familiar flavours in new and exciting ways.

"Our dishes highlights the flavours from Malaysia's four regions – the north, central, south and the east, drawing inspiration from these places to create our food," he adds.

For the full review on Beta KL read the August issue of Malaysia Tatler.

"Malaysian cuisine has everything to me. Each culture has their own stories to tell and flavours to contribute, making Malaysian food very colourful thanks to our diverse background. We also have unique ingredients in our country that aren't so common elsewhere, which makes it special to me," says Tham.

"I definitely love sushi. Many people might think that sushi isn't very special because it's just raw fish and rice, but the freshness and quality of the ingredients, as well as the skill needed to prepare sushi, plays an important role," explains Tham.

This jovial chef takes research trips to other countries every now and then to expand his culinary horizon, with his latest trip to Peru seeing him discover an interesting mix of Latin American fare infused with Japanese influences. 

"I tried many different types of ceviche during my time there and I ended with falling in love with one that was really sour and spicy".

"I used to live in the area and came to this part of the neighbourhood for my hair cuts. This restaurant (Roasted Chef House) was just across the street from my barber and one day I decided to take a chance and eat here," reveals Tham. "Their roast duck, roast pork and char siew is also different from other places and the chef is very passionate about his work".

"I actually love curry noodles with roast pork. I know that it's something very sinful but I have it at least once a week at the local kopitiam near my house," laughs Tham.

Due to his time spent in Europe, he is also a fan of cheeses, often eating them with nuts as his snack of choice.

"I got it from my mother and grandmother, they both love to cook. I can remember playing around my grandmother's vegetable garden when I was young, plucking cucumbers from her garden and learning how to appreciate the freshness of it," reminisces Tham.

"Many kids my age at that time might have chosen to play football or head to the playground but for me, the kitchen was my playground". 

"I actually like cempedak ice-cream. Two years ago we made a cempedak parfait at Skillet@163 because I like the aroma of the fruit as well as the creamy texture it has. It was so popular that even foreigners still ask for it," says Tham.

Catch up with these other chefs that we've featured: James Won of Enfin | Darren Chin of DC Restaurant | Carrie Scully of Tiki Taka | Jeff Ramsey of Babe