Gen.T+
The chef-owner of Bistro à Table in Petaling Jaya discusses her entrepreneurial journey and gastronomic quest to elevate the country’s fine dining scene
Before Isadora Chai became a chef and restaurateur, she used to work in the pharmaceutical industry. “I love science, but I didn’t enjoy working in pharmaceuticals.” Cooking, she shares, served as her escape from her day job.
Chai’s love for food came from her late father, who taught her how to cook and hunt. They would spend hours in the kitchen together, where her father would prop her up to let her stir-fry meals. Her parents also exposed her to Western and Eastern culinary influences, which laid the foundation for her culinary style.
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Eventually, “the call of the kitchen was too great” and she made the switch. She gave herself two years to see if she could make a living as a chef. That was in 2010.
The next year, she opened her restaurant, Bistro à Table, serving modern French cuisine in Petaling Jaya. “There have been ups and downs, but it has been a rewarding experience.”
Chai draws on her deep understanding of Asian and European flavours for her dishes. “I can respect both aspects and combine them in ways that complement each other. I can imagine tastes and predict how different flavour combinations would taste.” She also finds inspiration through conversations with people she meets through work, as well as through pop culture and travelling.
With more than a decade of experience in the culinary world, Chai is keen to leave her mark. “I am at the point in my life and career where my personal and professional goals are about leaving a legacy in the culinary world and having a lasting positive impact on the people I have met in my later years.”
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