Martin Yan Quotes

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Martin Yan

Profession : Chef

Birth : December 22, 1948

Because normally with Western cuisine, you'll serve vegetables separate from the meat, so kids will eat the meat and never touch the vegetables.

Martin Yan

So when I do Chinese cooking, I mix everything together, then the kids have to eat their vegetables. They won't have the patience to pick them out.

Martin Yan

The hoopla, the applause, the praises have never excited me.

Martin Yan

I can represent my culture while helping not only the Chinese-American community, but also the community at large.

Martin Yan

Why is America such a great country. It is because we stand united.

Martin Yan

The problem with a lot of Chinese is that they put up divisions between Taiwanese, Hong Kong natives, mainlanders. We are never united. I really hope that the Chinese can be more united.

Martin Yan

You don't have to show people how successful you are.

Martin Yan

I think being famous is more of a hindrance, a constraint, than just letting yourself be free.

Martin Yan

When I retire or pass away, I will be able to look back and say that this has been an exciting life. That's all that matters.

Martin Yan

The only thing that counts is if you know how to prepare your ingredients. Even if with the best and freshest ingredients in the world, if your dish is tasteless or burnt, it's ruined.

Martin Yan

You can do almost anything with soup stock, it's like a strong foundation. When you have the right foundation, everything tastes good.

Martin Yan

I normally don't eat junk food.

Martin Yan

I don't like to waste anything. Any food left over from the night before is always eaten the next day.

Martin Yan

I am just a normal professional with a great job and a great life.

Martin Yan

When you have a good stock, you can make a good soup.

Martin Yan

As long as the food is well prepared and not overdone, I think it tastes good. It doesn't matter if it's Chinese, Japanese, anything.

Martin Yan

I also have a lot of preserved foods, things that will keep for a long time like dried fish, seaweed or lotus seed.

Martin Yan