Having first fallen in love with food at age 16 over a Christmas dinner, Ng Yi Yi started his culinary career as an untrained chef whipping up meals for his guests from a private dining set-up, Chef on Wheels, back in 2012.

The young aspiring chef, and former Hwa Chong Institution graduate, then gave up his spot at the National University of Singapore, turning aside from the conventional path of his peers to study the culinary arts at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in London.

Immersed in the bustling and well-developed restaurant scene of the United Kingdom, Yi Yi took on stints with the likes of two-starred Michelin restaurants,  Le Champignon Sauvage and L’enclume. The farm-to-table experience and high levels of cooking at both restaurants furthered his interest and passion in exploring a career as a restaurant chef.

Yi Yi’s innate inclination towards  Mediterranean cuisine led him to join OLA Cocina del Mar, rising through the ranks from chef de partie to head chef. Chef-Owner Daniel Chavez’s advocacy for classical and traditional cooking amidst a crowded landscape of chefs pushing for modernist cuisine resonates with Yi Yi’s belief that great cooking should be uncomplicated and bring great joy to diners.