Having a love for food from a young age, it’s no wonder Edmund Goh made it his career. Wafuken is shaking up the health food industry in Singapore.
What’s your story
Food has always been one of my first loves, besides my love for art. I still remember vividly the sense of satisfaction I felt when I first made something more advanced than peanut butter jelly sandwich pizza bread, which was amateurishly made with Gardenia bread, ketchup and Kraft cheese slice topped with dried rosemary. I enjoyed home economics classes in secondary school (except the sewing module) and against all odds, I managed to convince my parents that I didn’t choose the chef life but the chef life chose me. I enrolled in the Singapore Hospitality and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC) Culinary Arts course where I learned the foundations of cooking. I’ve even had a career with SIA as a Cabin Crew where I ate my way all around the world. This really broadened my knowledge of food and gave me huge insights and ideas for the F&B business.
What excites you most about your industry?
Food is everlasting! We all have to eat, three meals a day at the very least. Eating is truly one of life’s greatest pleasure and undoubtedly, a sin! That is what sparked the idea of Wafuken, a novelty concept where we provide modern cuisine that is not only good for your taste buds but also for your body. Bringing the concept alive was just as exciting as conceptualising the business. It’s still surreal to see hordes of people flocking to join our queues and even more so to have most of them returning every day for some delicious, healthy grub. To me, that is exciting.
What’s your connection to Asia?
I’m a Lion City boy born and raised in the little red dot, Singapore. A city that I truly feel is home. Not only because of our local food, which is to die for or, which I would die without. But also because this is a safe haven, a country where you can see children from different races play football together. Despite modernisation and a strong western influence in Asia, we stay true to our roots and traditions, which is what I love about our unique Singapore. At Wafuken, we serve up western Japanese food also known as Wafu Cuisine.
Read more from: http://www.asianentrepreneur.org/edmund-goh-wafuken/
