Private Catering Amsterdam – Interview Plated Amsterdam

A conversation with a private catering chef in Amsterdam

Job: What first inspired you to pursue a career as a chef?

Darren: I grew up in Malaysia, where food is the ultimate currency. My mother always taught me that while we could skimp on clothes and luxury, we should never “count pennies” when it comes to a meal. To me, food became my primary language of love, a way to design joy, health, and happiness on a plate. It’s not just a career. It’s my creative expression.

Job: Your background includes Sri Lankan, Malaysian and Japanese influences. How did this shape your cooking style?

Darren: Being Malaysian-born with Sri Lankan and Japanese roots gave me a massive head start in flavor theory. It’s now imprinted in my culinary DNA. I’ve spent my life intuitively balancing the delicate chemistry between complex acids, heat, and aromatics. I love fusing and engineering flavors fearlessly.

Job: Before moving to Amsterdam, you’ve lived and worked in several countries. Which place influenced you the most as a chef?

Darren: I would say Thailand and Belgium have been two of the biggest influences in my cooking journey. Thailand taught me to stop playing it safe in the kitchen. I traded memorizing recipes for discovering ingredients and exploring the techniques that bring them to taste. Belgium, conversely, grounded me in the “conservative” elegance of French technique.

Job: Was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to be a caterer in Amsterdam?

Darren: After ten years in the Brussels European Union bubble, I decided to stop feeding the system and start feeding people. I made the “now or never” leap in 2023, trading international relations for culinary experiences. Two years later, I can honestly say I’ve found my passion. I didn’t just change jobs. I found my purpose.

Job: And what was the moment you decided to establish yourself as a caterer in Amsterdam?

Darren: After doing some market research, I realized not many companies or small businesses are offering what I am doing: focusing on quality over quantity and keeping it personal and tailored for my customers.

Job: How would you describe your culinary and catering philosophy?

Darren: My philosophy is built on the belief that recipes are just maps. I combine my Malaysian-born heritage with the structural elegance of European technique to create dishes.

Job: Catering with fusion cuisine can be challenging. How do you keep dishes balanced?

Darren: As the once famous Samin Nosrat said, once you master the art of salt, fat, acid, and heat, you can make anything. And I find this art naturally imprinted in me through my exposure to different cultures and my place of birth.

Job: You describe cooking as an expression of care and love. What does that mean to you?

Darren: Growing up in Asia, the kitchen was undeniably filled with maternal energy. I have such vivid memories of my mother and aunts gathering there, a safe haven of feminine strength where they would cook, gossip, and laugh for hours. As a child, simply being in that room made me feel completely safe and loved. So when I describe cooking as an expression of care, I am trying to recreate that feeling. I cook to bring that same warmth, safety, and joy to the table that the women in my family gave to me.

Job: These are great memories to cherish! Are they still there in Malaysia, cooking together? Do you visit them?

Darren: Yes, my family is still back in Malaysia. That communal spirit of cooking together is just part of our culture. I make sure to visit yearly, and the first thing I crave the moment I land is my mom’s dishes. Because Malaysia is a country of such deep fusion, my favorite “rice table” reflects that diversity: white rice, Chinese soy chicken, Indian dhal curry, and Malay fried long beans. Some might think that is a weird combination, but I believe those different worlds are united by flavors.

Job: Now that you have merged that all in your Amsterdam catering service, what does a typical Plated Amsterdam catering service look like? You focus on dinners, correct?

Darren: Yes, fine dining at home. We typically host a seated dinner for 8 to 16 people. I will be the chef, preparing and plating the dishes. We have a waiter or waitress who will bus the dishes back and forth. Plated Amsterdam also brings everything to your home, including plates, glassware, cutlery, decorations, music, and really a “Plated Experience.” As a customer, you just have to worry about your guest list. At the end of our service, we clean up your kitchen as if nothing happened.

Job: Can you describe your style as a chef in three words?

Darren: Innovative, soulful, and nurturing.

Job: Is there an ingredient or element you almost always use?

Darren: For some reason, leeks and fennel are very often featured in my recipes. It’s not even a typical Southeast Asian vegetable.

Job: So what do you do with leeks? Stir fry with soy? Simmer with white miso?

Darren: Actually, I often make a gorgeous leek bouillon and have that as my salty base for dishes, as it’s subtle and delightfully flavorful. And it works in both Asian and European cuisines.

Job: What do you enjoy cooking most when you’re not working?

Darren: My famous 30-minute chicken rendang.

Job: OK, is that recipe similar to the rendang beef we know in the Netherlands from Indonesian cuisine?

Darren: Yes, it is. But there are differences. Malaysian rendang is more like a stew rather than dry cooked. And I improvised the chicken because no one has three hours to stew beef for themselves.

Job: Would the chicken rendang be a suitable dish to serve at a sitting dinner or maybe in a smaller portion at a walking dinner?

Darren: Yes, absolutely.

Job: Are there any underrated ingredients you love working with?

Darren: Anchovies.

Job: I only use them in pasta puttanesca. What do you use them for?

Darren: Anchovies are for the salty side of my dishes. They can be used as a gorgeous bouillon, deep fried as a side dish, my favorite way of eating or serving them, or as a delicious garnish.

Job: What has been your most challenging dish so far?

Darren: I had a customer who once requested a dinner for 12 with dishes free from garlic, onions, gluten, dairy, shellfish, and some fruits. I managed to nail it and surprised myself with how delicious my food was.

Job: WOW! That must have really felt good!

Darren: Yes, they were thrilled. But more importantly, I was thrilled that I was able to deliver this and execute it to perfection.