10 things you didn’t know about Adam Liaw

Learn a little bit more about Australia's resident chef-with-a-bun as he heads SBS Food's largest commission to date - The Cook Up.

Adam Liaw

Eating at home really is where Adam Liaw's heart is. Source: Adam Liaw's Road Trip for Good

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There's more than meets the eye with celebrated chef, SBS Food star and overall legend Adam Liaw. 


 

1. Adam was a gifted and talented student

He accelerated most of his studies, completing Year 11 at the age of 14 and enrolling in university at 16.

2. He graduated with a double degree in Science and Law

While many know of Liaw's history as a commercial lawyer, he also studied science. He often marries his scientific background with his culinary knowledge,

3. Adam is also a professional photographer

Amidst regular kitchen chaos, Adam often styles and shoots his own dishes. His trained culinary eye goes far beyond how a dish tastes and smells, and travels further into how a plate can look.
Lamb chops with lemon pepper yoghurt
Source: Adam Liaw
4. Adam is trilingual

Atop knowing English and Mandarin, Adam learned Japanese through both food and theory as a young lawyer living in Tokyo - where he worked for Disney and met his wife, Asami. In , Adam mentions that it wasn’t until he learned how to read Japanese and could buy Japanese cookbooks that he understood what it was that made the cuisine tick.
Adam Liaw
Source: Destination Flavour Japan
5. For some time, Adam held the Australian record for...

The most viewed with his Masterchef season two finale win. TV Tonight's David Knox describes it as the

6. Adam is a formally recognised social media megastar

With a combined social following of over one million (across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube), and roughly 24 million hits on YouTube, Adam is one of Australia's most followed food personalities. His witty and organic social presence is unmatched, with even writing urging others to follow suit.

7. He is a bonafide expert on Asian cuisine

Adam competed in Australia's very first in 2019, passing the first round through to the finals, where he placed (**Spoiler Alert**) third overall with his knowledge of Asian cuisine.
Celebrity Mastermind
Source: SBS On Demand
8. Contrary to his complex education and professional background full of to-do-lists and documents, Adam prefers simple, step minimal recipes

He told that 'If I see something that is, ‘Here’s my 74-page recipe that uses 300 different ingredients and 12 different elements’ – whatever an element is – to me, that’s nice to watch, but it’s not something I’ll ever, ever, ever want to make unless you put a gun to my head'. 

In 2018, he mentioned that he '[doesn't] like to over complicate it, just keep it simple and let the ingredients shine through' in an interview with

9. Adam makes his own soy sauce

When asked 'What his favourite ingredient was?' by Google's Caroline Rainsford, Adam responded with 'soy sauce'. While he clarified that he has no real favourites, he mentions how he often makes his own soy sauce with an organic soy brew and an array of flavourful additives - brown sugar, shiitake mushrooms, and kombu to name a few.
10. He is a father before anything else

On top of sharing , Adam told that an unexpected up-side to COVID-19 for him was that he was able to witness first hand all of Benji's (his third child born in August 2019) magical first moments.
Adam Liaw with children in Jordan UNICEF
"It’s easy to forget that these children have been through unspeakable horrors". Adam Liaw, left, with Ahmed, right, at a Makani centre. Source: UNICEF


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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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4 min read
Published 15 April 2021 11:33am
Updated 21 December 2023 3:02pm
By Mark Mariano


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