He knows he runs the risk of being called arrogant but if he doesn’t say anything now, Wan fears things will never change.
"For the longest time I’ve asked myself why local TV stations refuse to change the format of cooking programmes. There’s more to these shows than selling soy sauce, chicken, tuna, cooking oil," he says, referring to products he has to plug because of the show sponsors.
"Also why should cooking shows be targeted at housewives only? This year, for the first time in 15 years, I haven’t done a single local TV show! The reason is I’m frustrated. I feel suffocated, I’m truly tired of the scene. I want to do so much more but our TV stations are not willing to try anything different."
He cited a recent incident when he proposed two shows — From the Garden To the Kitchen and You Are What You Eat — to a TV station. "With the two programmes, I wanted to educate children about eating vegetables; I wanted to talk about gardening, organic food and healthy lifestyle.
"The programmes would be a reminder to people that today’s lifestyle is different from that of our parents.
"You wouldn’t believe the response I got from proposing You Are What You Eat. I was told it wouldn’t work because they didn’t seem to think that diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are a problem in this country!"
With such an attitude for every time he suggests something different, it’s no wonder that Wan didn’t think twice about accepting the post of resident chef and well ... premier star for the newly-formed Asian Food Channel (AFC), a 24-hour regional food cable TV channel.
Even if he’s hosted countless international television shows, his enthusiasm about AFC is understandable. For not only will he be hosting a minimum of 10 series of 13 half-hour programmes (that’s 130 episodes a year!), Wan will also be responsible in conceptualising some of the shows.
And being the spokesperson of AFC, his face will be splashed on billboards all over Asia, from Mumbai to Dubai and Seoul to Tokyo.
Interestingly, Wan was about to give up on TV when Chris Collins, the producer of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations (aired over Discovery Travel & Adventure), told him that he’d be a refreshing addition to the New York-based American Food Network.
"I was co-hosting an episode of No Reservations with Anthony in May and throughout the filming, Chris — and I say this at the risk of sounding like a braggart — kept telling me that he didn’t understand why I haven’t gone international. He really liked my style and he thought I came across as a people’s person."
Wan was toying with the idea of going to New York when another offer came in. As it happened, AFC managing director (acquisitions and programming) Maria Brown got wind of the news and counter-offered. "All she said was ‘Chef Wan, you belong to Asia’ and I was hooked. I’m glad I went with AFC because I would get to do what I really want to do with the channel."
One of the perks of being with AFC, says Wan, is that he gets to handpick his production team. "Now that I have a lot of funds to work with, nothing can stop me. I want to make sure I have the best group of people working with me."
The first series he’s shooting for AFC is The Street Food of Asia. He says to date 19 cables have already agreed to buy the programme and filming hasn’t even started!
"What’s happening with AFC is a liberation for me. It’s also an opportunity for me to contribute to the society. I may not be in Malaysia but at least I’m still within Asia. My only regret is why can’t my own people come up with this idea? Why must the money be made by a foreign channel?" says the accountant-turned-chef who has a three-year contract with AFC and will be based in Hong Kong and Bangkok for five months out of a year.
As he prepares for his AFC debut, the indefatigable Wan also sits on the international committee of "The Flavours of Life World Media Festival", which will be held in Kuala Lumpur from April 27 to 30 next year. The prestigious annual event — the Oscars of the gastronomical world, if you will — will see our country playing host to more than 1,200 guests from around the world.
Founded by Edouard Cointreau seven years ago, the festival will not only honour the best in their respective fields — from TV producers to celebrity chefs and food writers — it will also feature round-tables and workshops with topics ranging from how to produce a TV cooking programme to how to write cookbooks.
"In the past each host country has taken its own initiative to organise it in a way that it also promotes the country’s tourism. I hope to do something like that for Malaysia too. I’m planning to organise food tours around the country. For instance when we talk about Nyonya cuisine, we will not only speak of the food but also the Nyonya custom. I want this to be the best festival they’ve ever seen."
Celebrity chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Bourdain, Alain Ducasse and Rick Stein as well as renowned cookbook authors like Claudia Rodin have already confirmed attendance, says Wan, while other VIP guests include American talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey, Japan’s answer to Martha Stewart Harumi Kurihara and actress Sophia Loren, who is likely to be presented with a special award at the festival.
"This is the first time the festival is being held in Asia. There will be about 70 TV stations from Britain, Australia, France and Korea. Imagine the kind of impact it will have on our country. I’m really excited about this project.
"I want to show the world the our forests in Pahang and Sarawak are like huge pharmacies; I want the participants to take a look at our budu-making factories, which by the way, some people tried to talk me out of because they think it’s embarrassing.
"Why should we be embarrassed? The French have their brie cheese and the Italian their gorgonzola. They’re smelly too but you don’t find the French and Italian being embarrassed about them, do you? We should be proud of our delicacies."
He adds: "And I want to take Jamie Oliver to Sarawak, dress him up in a loin cloth so people can see just how ‘naked’ he can be!"
On a more serious note, Wan says the project will only be successful if there is strong support from the government as well as corporate sectors. "We need funding and people who can work. We have less than a year to organise this and I want to do this well. I want to prove that Malaysia is just as capable of organising an international event of this stature."
For someone who had merely dreamed of starting his own food catering company when he started out in the early 90s, Wan has certainly come a long way.
The multi award-winning 49-year-old believes that his hunger for knowledge (he’d read anything he can get his hands on — history books, fashion magazines, autobiographies) has made him what he is today.
"I never thought I’d come this far. But over the years, I’ve learned that knowledge is power; that’s how you earn respect from people.
"The minute you decide that you want to learn, the door is open wide for you. I’d be the first to admit that my English is far from perfect. My grammar is still wanting but the power of communication is so great that you can express yourself in many ways."
Today, with his immense success — he has more than5,000 shows behind him — Wan is the nation’s de facto "food ambassador". Still, he doesn’t believe he’s the best.
"Food is such a subjective matter. You know what they say, one man’s meat ... I can only do my best and as honestly as I can."