The chef in charge of a hotel’s entire food programme often started out clearing plates, and Vijayakant Shanmugam did exactly that. His career began in stewarding, in the back-of-house corners before his name appeared on a Michelin-starred kitchen’s roster.
Anyone who has climbed a hard ladder knows the tiredness of early starts, long shifts, nagging questions of whether the effort will ever be noticed. Vijay knows that grind from the bottom rung. He moved from stewarding to Commis Chef, then on to Executive Chef, and he says that route taught him respect for every role in a kitchen. It is a rare thing to hear from someone at his level, and it makes his story easy to root for.
Now, nearly three decades on, the Malaysian chef has come home. Raised in Kuala Selangor, he has been appointed Director of Culinary at Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur, overseeing every restaurant, lounge, banquet and special event under the hotel’s roof. The résumé behind the title is quite something.
He was executive sous chef at Raffles Singapore, trained in Peru in Nikkei cuisine, and ran the culinary side of Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, with 11 venues in its portfolio. Most recently he looked after 12 venues at Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford, including the one-MICHELIN-starred JAAN. He has led teams of more than 130 people and delivered events for up to 2,000 guests.
So what will that experience taste like in Kuala Lumpur? Start with Istana, which Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur describes as a room of natural light, marble interiors and a serene garden terrace. It runs from breakfast through dinner, with à la carte dishes and live culinary stations, and it is built for long, unhurried meals. For anyone who eats lunch at a desk, that alone sounds like a small act of rebellion.
Then comes the evening. Peacock Alley is designed as the hotel’s social heart, blending Art Deco character with modern elegance. Afternoon tea slips into evening cocktails, and the whole place invites you to stay a little longer than you planned. Alongside Vijay, the hotel is working with celebrated chefs Garima Arora and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, which tells you how seriously the table is being taken.
Vijay’s own words sum up the ambition well. He wants Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur to be known as a defining culinary destination, with world-class dining rooted in local flavours and refined craftsmanship. Given where he started, it is hard to doubt he means it.
