Where Chefs Eat: Long Chim’s Welly Yuan Can’t Get Enough of This Malaysian Pork Soup

Since arriving in Australia from China in 2009, Welly Yuan has worked in top kitchens across the country. Starting in Melbourne, he worked with the prolific Lucas Group, which owns venues including Hawker Hall, Chin Chin and Grill Americano. Yuan went on to join the opening team at Long Chim Melbourne in 2016.

He’s since moved to Perth, where he leads the kitchen at Long Chim at the State Buildings as head chef. Here, he shares his favourite restaurants and orders with Broadsheet.

Your favourite dish at Long Chim

“My favourite dish on the menu is our roast duck. For many Asians, eating duck is more than just a meal – it’s part of our culture. Different countries across Asia all have their own unique style and tradition when it comes to duck. At Long Chim, our roast duck beautifully combines traditional Chinese roasting techniques with bold Thai flavours. This fusion creates something truly special and unique.”

The best thing you’ve eaten in WA this year (so far)

“As a noodle lover, one dish that really impressed me in Perth this year was the kolok mee with mixed pork soup from Wang Xiang Noodle. At its core, kolok mee is a simple dish – springy egg noodles tossed with dark soy sauce and pork lard – but when done well, it’s incredibly satisfying. What makes this dish special is the combination of the noodles with a steaming bowl of mixed pork soup, filled with pork liver, intestines and sliced pork. The broth is rich and full of flavour, yet remarkably clean, without any unpleasant pork smell. Eaten together with the noodles, it makes for the perfect comforting meal during a cold Perth winter.”

A gem you think deserves more hype

“One hidden gem that I think deserves more attention is Singapore Eatz in Cockburn. It’s a small local restaurant serving some fantastic Singaporean food. The menu focuses on authentic Singaporean dishes, including laksa, a variety of delicious noodle soups, fried noodle dishes and rice dishes. It’s the kind of place that is perfect for a family meal, but it’s also great if you’re dining alone and looking for a quick, satisfying meal.

“I love places like this because they focus on good food, consistency and genuine hospitality rather than trying to be overly complicated.”

A bucket-list venue you’d love to visit

“At the moment, it’s King’s Joy in Beijing, led by chef Ku Chi-fai. Chef Ku has more than 40 years of experience in Cantonese cuisine and previously spent 15 years as executive chef at the renowned Lei Garden Restaurant Group in Hong Kong, which received multiple Michelin accolades under his leadership.

“What I admire most about Chef Ku is not only his culinary achievements, but also his willingness to share his knowledge and mentor younger chefs. He is someone I deeply respect, and dining at his restaurant would be both an inspiring and humbling experience for me.”

@longchim_perth