About Me
Hi, I’m KP Kwan, the person behind every recipe on Taste of Asian Food.
I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Malaysia at a young age. My parents are both Cantonese, so I grew up surrounded by traditional Cantonese home cooking. Food was always an important part of daily life in our family, even though at the time I didn’t think of it as something I would later build my career around.
It wasn’t until I went to college and started living on my own that I began to explore cooking more seriously. Without home meals every day, I naturally started learning how to cook for myself. That was when I slowly discovered not only Cantonese dishes, but also other Chinese regional cuisines, Malaysian food, and later, many different dishes from around the world. Looking back, that period was the beginning of everything ….
I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Malaysia at a young age. My parents are both Cantonese, so I grew up surrounded by traditional Cantonese home cooking. Food was always an important part of daily life in our family, even though at the time I didn’t think of it as something I would later build my career around.
It wasn’t until I went to college and started living on my own that I began to explore cooking more seriously. Without home meals every day, I naturally started learning how to cook for myself. That was when I slowly discovered not only Cantonese dishes, but also other Chinese regional cuisines, Malaysian food, and later, many different dishes from around the world. Looking back, that period was the beginning of everything ….
From Pharmacist to Professional Cook
After graduating as a pharmacist, I worked in various pharmaceutical companies. Eventually, I set up my own pharmacy, which gave me a very different kind of discipline and responsibility compared to working in a kitchen. However, that same discipline has become a great asset, helping me become meticulous with every single detail after I changed my career.
Food never really left my life. My wife had already started a restaurant, and I often helped out during my free time. What started as occasional support gradually turned into something I became more and more involved in. Eventually, I found myself spending as much time in the restaurant as I did at my regular job. Running a pharmacy during the day and helping in a busy kitchen at night was not an easy balance. But it was during this period that I truly learned what professional cooking means.
It is not just about following recipes. It is about timing, consistency, speed, and delivering the same quality every single day, even under pressure.
Over time, the kitchen became more familiar to me than the pharmacy. As the restaurant grew, I eventually made a decision that changed my life completely. I sold the pharmacy and joined the restaurant full-time. That was the moment I officially entered the world of professional cooking. From that point on, my learning never stopped. Every day in the kitchen became an opportunity to refine techniques, test recipes, and understand how small details can completely change a dish.
Why I created Taste of Asian Food
After spending years in a professional kitchen, I accumulated a large collection of recipes, techniques, and practical cooking knowledge. Many of these came from long hours of daily cooking, constant testing, and refining dishes until they could consistently meet restaurant standards.
I created Taste of Asian Food because I didn’t want this knowledge to stay only within the kitchen. I wanted a place where I could document what I had learned and share it in a way that home cooks could actually follow and benefit from. My approach to recipes has always been very practical. In a restaurant, there is no room for vague instructions. Every step needs to be clear, repeatable, and reliable. I bring the same mindset into this blog.
That is also why most of my recipes are written in detail and supported by step-by-step videos. I believe seeing the process is often the easiest way to understand how a dish comes together, especially for more technical or traditional Asian cooking methods.
I created Taste of Asian Food because I didn’t want this knowledge to stay only within the kitchen. I wanted a place where I could document what I had learned and share it in a way that home cooks could actually follow and benefit from. My approach to recipes has always been very practical. In a restaurant, there is no room for vague instructions. Every step needs to be clear, repeatable, and reliable. I bring the same mindset into this blog.
That is also why most of my recipes are written in detail and supported by step-by-step videos. I believe seeing the process is often the easiest way to understand how a dish comes together, especially for more technical or traditional Asian cooking methods.
Today, I am no longer working in the restaurant. My full-time focus is now on developing new recipes, producing cooking videos, and continuing to build Taste of Asian Food as a resource for anyone who wants to cook Asian food with confidence at home.
What You’ll Find on This Blog
Beef Rendang
General Tso's Chicken
On Taste of Asian Food, you’ll find many of the authentic recipes I used when I ran my restaurant, including some of our best-selling dishes such as Beef Rendang and General Tso’s Chicken.
Nasi Briyani
Ipoh Hor Fun
You’ll also find many of Malaysia’s most popular dishes, including Nasi Lemak, Steamed Fish, Nasi Briyani, Ipoh Hor Fun, and many more.
Over the years, I’ve explored recipes from different regions of China, as well as Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and other Asian cuisines. I focus on recipes that I have personally tested, refined, and genuinely enjoy cooking. Rather than trying to cover everything, I prefer to share recipes that I know work well and am confident recommending.
Chinese
Malaysian
Vietnamese
Japanese
Indonesian
Thai
Indian
Philippines
My goal is to provide clear instructions, practical tips, and the tips I’ve learned through years of working in a kitchen. I want you to understand not only how to cook a dish, but also why each step matters, so that you can achieve the best possible results. That is why there is a video in nearly every recipe, and you can also watch it on YOUTUBE >>.
Thank you for visiting Taste of Asian Food. I hope you enjoy exploring the recipes as much as I enjoy creating them. If you have any questions, suggestions, or simply want to share your cooking experience, CLICK HERE >>, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Thank you for visiting Taste of Asian Food. I hope you enjoy exploring the recipes as much as I enjoy creating them. If you have any questions, suggestions, or simply want to share your cooking experience, CLICK HERE >>, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
My Other Passion
Besides cooking, I love traveling, especially exploring nature, history, and different cultures. About seven years ago, I began sharing my travel experiences through a travel blog and YouTube channel called Travel with Lens. Some of my most memorable trips include Antarctica, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Japan. I also enjoy discovering hidden gems throughout Malaysia.
Whether I’m creating recipes or documenting my travels, my goal is the same: to share authentic experiences that inspire others to explore, learn, and enjoy.
My goal is to provide clear instructions, practical tips, and the tips I’ve learned through years of working in a kitchen. I want you to understand not only how to cook a dish, but also why each step matters, so that you can achieve the best possible results. That is why there is a video in nearly every recipe, and you can also watch it on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting Taste of Asian Food. I hope you enjoy exploring the recipes as much as I enjoy creating them. If you have any questions, suggestions, or simply want to share your cooking experience, CLICK HERE, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Thank you for visiting Taste of Asian Food. I hope you enjoy exploring the recipes as much as I enjoy creating them. If you have any questions, suggestions, or simply want to share your cooking experience, CLICK HERE, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.