Chef Alan Chan

Chef Alan Chan

Head Chef, Rempapa

Chef Alan Chan was born and raised in a multi- generational household in Semabok, a kampong in Malacca, Malaysia. Since young, Alan was exposed to multi-ethnic dishes cooked with love by his late paternal grandmother. She was a great cook and would often prepare dishes from recipes shared among his friendly multi-racial “kampong-hood”. His love for food and cooking was ignited by his doting grandmother, which set his aspiration to become a successful chef at the tender age of 14.

At 18, young Alan enrolled in Taylor’s Culinary Institute in Malaysia, where he was trained in French cooking techniques. He then moved to Singapore after graduation and landed his first culinary role at Pizzeria Mozza.

After three years, budding Chef Alan joined Burnt Ends. He regards the time under the mentorship of Chef Dave Pynt the most formative years of his career. During his tenure, Chef Alan had the opportunities to partake in several overseas professional exchanges, as well as collaborating with visiting celebrated chefs in the restaurant. With the help of Chef Dave, Chef Alan took on a three-month stage in Restaurant Brae, Australia – an inspiring stint that deepened his knowledge in kitchen management.

In 2017, Chef Alan joined Cheek Bistro as a Chef de Partie and progressed to sous chef position within three years. Under the tutelage of Chef Rishi, Alan assisted in the opening of Kotuwa in 2020, where he honed his skills in Sri Lankan cuisine and flavours.

Chef Alan met Chef Damian D’Silva during one of his professional exchanges. His keen interest in Nyonya laksa led him to take on a one-on-one masterclass with the MasterChef Singapore judge. The experience, along with Chef Damian’s advocacy for preserving Singapore heritage food, deeply inspired Chef Alan. It evoked memories of his late grandmother and rekindled his love for heritage food. In 2022, Chef Alan, with more than 10 years of experience, joined Rempapa as the head chef to embark on this Singapore Culinary Heritage discourse with Chef Damian.