The "Masterchef" Kitchen in the making

When we got the key to our new condo 3R, we were contemplating whether to rent it out or keep it as our weekend gateaway. Of course the thought of having my own kitchen was so overwhelming that I managed to persuade my other half not to rent it out. So, decision made and I started to dig my collection of decor magazines to look for kitchen designs. I also bought the latest decor mag to see what's the latest trend.

Having done some research, we visited some of the other units in our condo in serach for a contractor. We were impressed with the workmanship of one chinese contractor who did the kitchen for one of our neighbours and asked him to do ours. We wanted to have a contemporary kitchen style, something modern with simple and clean architectural lines. The main criteria is to have an island like the masterchef kitchen seen on tv. So, we agreed to have a glass and stainless steel finishing and settled with a colour combination of grey, silver and black.

Next was to decide on the material for the top and the cabinet. Nowadays, you are spoilt with choices for as long as you have the money to spare. We decided on granite worktop since our main criteria has to be heavy duty. Although the cost is a bit expensive, it is the toughest, most durable option, water resistance, heatproof, easy to clean and impervious to scratches.

The construction took approximately two months to complete since he was doing it alone with the help of an indonesian lady. It was quite a challenge to decide on the design since the space was quite small and we have to think how best to fit in the hob, oven, fridge and the sink so it would be easier to move around while cooking.

When designing a kitchen, you have to take into account the traffic flow and the functionality and storage. Since space is our main constraint, we decided not to have a dinning table, suffice to have the island as the workstation as well as dining area. The outcome is awesome and we were satisfied with our new Masterchef Kitchen.

How did it all started?

I have not been cooking for many many years, since the birth of my second son way back in 1997. It happened when I started to have a Thai maid from Narathiwat, a place in the southern part of Thailand who naturally a great cook. Since then, my life took a sharp turn. I slowly divert myself away from the area where I use to love, the kitchen. What's the point I thought? I have a maid who is so good in cooking, why worry.

At that time, life was hectic with two kids, and the baby boy needed all the mum's attention and work became more and more challenging. The moment you returned home from work, you are occupied with the kids and you are already too tired to cook. Slowly, you started to loose your cooking skill and as the kids grew up, you tend to spend more time eating out. All those fast foods getting closer and closer to your home making it easier to grab them and the kids just love it...like McDonald, I'm Loving It.

Now, after more than 15 years and the kids have started to leave the house and stayed in boarding schools, I find myself having more time at home and more time to watch tv. I started to enjoy the AFC channel on Astro and since then have been thinking of having my own masterchef kitchen at home. We can't do much with the existing kitchen at home and it has become the maid's territory. You don't even know where your cooking utensils are stored and having challenging moments trying to look for ingredients to cook. It was only recently that we decide to buy a condo and I thought, it would be a great idea to have my very own masterchef kitchen there. That was how it all started...