Awarded by the world-renowned Michelin Guide, these stars recognise restaurants that offer outstanding cooking, taking into account criteria such as flavours, techniques, personality of the chef, and consistency across the board.
And last December, Goh’s dream came true when her Bangkok-based restaurant Mia was awarded one Michelin star, ostensibly making her the youngest female Malaysian chef and the first-ever Sarawakian to receive this honour.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle during a Zoom interview recently, the Kuching-born Goh shared her recipe for success.
Step 1: Know what you want
Goh knew early on that she wanted to pursue a culinary career. “I’ve been interested in cooking for as long as I can remember,” the 30-year-old shared.
“In primary school, I would help my grandmothers in the kitchen. Then, in high school, I took baking and cake-decorating classes.”
At one point, she even made a dramatic proclamation to her parents: “I decided I didn’t want to continue secondary school because I wanted to study cooking straight away!”
Her parents, naturally, advised her against it. After finishing Form 5, Goh left Kuching for Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, where she found herself in her element.
“In high school, I had a certain level of impatience, like I just wanted to get things over with so I could move on to the next stage of my life. It made me feel like I wasn’t the same as everyone else.
“But in culinary school, I felt like I really belonged because everyone had the same goal.”
Step 2: Don’t give up
Achieving culinary success may be delicious, but it sure isn’t easy. Apart from having to work long hours, Goh discovered that being a young female in a male-dominated industry made things challenging – and being a petite 150cm tall didn’t help!
One incident remains etched in her mind: she had asked an older, male colleague to help her place a heavy item on a top shelf.
“He told me, ‘I am not here to babysit you. It is your duty to figure out how to do things yourself, because I’m not always going to be here to help you.'”
Goh saw the silver lining: “Thanks to that situation, I wanted to work harder to prove to others that I didn’t need anyone else.”
Step 3: Aim for excellence and consistency
Over the years, Goh honed her skills at establishments such as chef Neil Perry’s Eleven Bridge in Australia, and Pollen Singapore under English chef Jason Atherton.
At Pollen, she met Pongcharn Russell – more popularly known as chef Top – who would end up becoming her husband.
In 2016, the duo moved to Thailand and Goh began work at Sühring, where, at age 23, she assumed leadership of the pastry section. During her tenure, the restaurant gained two Michelin stars.
Three years later, Goh and Top joined Mia as chefs and subsequently became shareholders of the restaurant.
Describing Mia’s dishes as “European with an Asian soul”, Goh shared that they are committed to consistently serving good food.
Their creative touch is evident throughout its menu. Mia’s Cereal Bowl, for instance, is a tantalising combination of Milo mousse, homemade cereal mix, and corn ice cream – inspired by Milo jagung, a popular ais-kacang flavour in Kuching.
Her talent and hard work have since been acknowledged through awards such as “Best Young Chef 2022” by BK Magazine. She was also listed as one of Asia’s top female pastry chefs by the Michelin Guide that year.
Step 4: Voila, enjoy!
The cherry on the cake, of course, was when Mia received the Michelin star last December, a moment Goh describes as “happy and very exciting”.
“I feel like everything happened so quickly, even though it took a long time to get here,” she said in reflection.
To aspiring chefs, Goh has these words of wisdom: “Working in F&B can be really difficult, but it can also be very rewarding. You have to stick it out, because the first few years are going to be tough.
“After that, you’re going to be able to enjoy all the opportunities that can come from this industry.”
Learn more about Mia restaurant on Facebook and Instagram.
Mia Restaurant Thailand
30 Attha Kawi 1 Alley,
Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei,
Bangkok 10110, Thailand