At home with Kwoklyn Wan

“I HAPPILY HAVE A BOWL OF RICE FOR BREAKFAST AND AT THE MOMENT I AM THINKING ABOUT DIM SUM AND ROAST DUCK AND RICE – IT’S MAKING ME HUNGRY!”

Kwoklyn is a professional chef, author, Kung Fu instructor and has appeared on many TV shows – he is a regular on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4. In the 1950s, his grandfather emigrated to England and settled in Leicester where he opened the first Chinese restaurant. Then in 1978, his father opened his own restaurant, The Bamboo House, which was Leicester’s first Cantonese restaurant. Kwoklyn is a third-generation chef and learnt his skills by helping out the family business by washing dishes or chopping onions. He talks to Lynda Clark about how it all began, his career and his first home

Photos: Sarah Carter

FTB: Tell us about your first step on the property ladder?

KW: I was in my late 20s and wanted to buy my first home. It was quite a struggle as I have always been self-employed and it was difficult to get a mortgage. Luckily, I have a very good friend who was a broker and he helped and managed to get me a good deal. I had about £10,000 saved for the deposit and I bought a three-bedroom dormer bungalow in the village my parents lived in. I still own it today, so it was a very good long-term investment.

FTB: Where do you live now?

KW: I have recently bought a beautiful three-storey Victorian property. It needs a lot of renovation but I know a good handyman who is doing all the work. We are living there, but as the house is absolutely massive we manage to keep out of the way of the builders most of the time. The ceilings are about 11ft high and the space is perfect – I wanted a house that we could live in but also use for work as I do a great deal of filming from home for my show on Amazon Prime, Kwoklyn’s Chinese Takeaway Kitchen, so it ticked every box.

FTB: How did you career start?

KW: My grandfather and then my parents had restaurants and takeaways in Leicester and it was quite normal for me to help out. It was rather like an apprenticeship as I worked as a member of staff, and although I was only about 13 and I really had no choice, I loved it and learnt so many skills. I never wanted to be front of house so I ended up in the kitchen washing dishes or peeling vegetables. When I was older I went off and had a different career, but cooking is in my DNA and it was quite natural that I ended up being a chef.

FTB: You are also really into martial arts – can you tell us about that?

KW: I have studied Kung Fu for 45 years and over the years I’ve run a full-time Kung Fu school, put on a huge Martial Arts and Fitness Show at the NEC, written for just about every martial arts magazine there is and I am a recognised teacher in America. I really enjoy it and I am a second-generation Bruce Lee student, so it’s pretty special!

FTB: Tell us about your TV career, books you have written and your Amazon Prime show.

KW: I have written four cookery books, Chinese Takeaway Cookbook, Chinese Takeaway in 5, The Veggie Chinese Takeaway Cookbook and 10 Minute Chinese Takeaway. I have a new book launching in September called Complete Chinese which I am very excited about. I am hoping to film another series for my own TV show on Amazon Prime TV called Kwoklyn’s Chinese Takeaway Kitchen. The first series was a great success, so I am really looking forward to filming a new one. I am a regular chef on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4 and I have also appeared on ITV’s This Morning, BBC1’s Inside Out and Takeaway Secrets on Channel 5. I really enjoy presenting and spend most of my time either writing or preparing recipes for the shows. I have some exciting new projects in the pipeline so it’s a question of watch this space!

FTB: What do you think the latest food trends are?

KW: Anything East Asian-inspired is massive at the moment, and there is a big selection of restaurants on the high street to choose from which all serve great dishes. Things like Korean rice noodles are perfect if you suffer from any allergies and they are not only delicious but are very comforting food too. Growing up we always had a bowl of noodles on the go. Years ago, everyone bought Pot Noodles but we had fresh ones which are far superior – they are my “go-to” snack.

FTB: What is your favourite food?

KW: It depends on the time of year but I adore rice and happily eat it with everything. I like a typical English roast dinner but always have rice and gravy with it – there’s nothing like it! I happily have a bowl of rice for breakfast and at the moment I am thinking about Dim Sum and roast duck and rice – it’s making me hungry!

FTB: What advice do you have for first time buyers?

KW: Buying a property is the safest investment you will ever make so be aware and sensible with your money and save as much as you can for a deposit. If you buy a property now, say for £120,000, property prices are pretty much sure to go up so you might sell at £220,000 and that’s a very good profit.

“I HAD ABOUT £10,000 SAVED FOR THE DEPOSIT AND I BOUGHT A THREE- BEDROOM DORMER BUNGALOW IN THE VILLAGE MY PARENTS LIVED IN. I STILL OWN IT TODAY, SO IT WAS A VERY GOOD LONG-TERM INVESTMENT”