Chef Melvin Chou

Executive Chef, Terra Tokyo Italian – Singapore (2018–2024)

At the helm of Terra Tokyo Italian, Chef Melvin Chou crafted an exceptional dining experience where Japanese seasonality meets Italian soul. Guided by the spirit of omakase, he personally curated each multi-course menu, blending premium produce flown in daily from hand-selected Japanese farms with the discipline and generosity of Italian technique. Diners entrusted him with their palates—and he repaid that trust with dishes that felt both surprising and inevitable.

Melvin’s farm-to-table ethos took root under the mentorship of Chef Dan Hunter at The Royal Mail in Dunkeld, Australia, and matured through formative stints in some of the world’s most exacting kitchens: Saison (2 Michelin stars, San Francisco), Nihonryori Ryugin (3 stars, Tokyo), and the Waterside Inn (UK). Upon returning to Singapore, he further refined his voice at Iggy’s and Cure, before taking the reins at Terra.

Under his leadership, Terra became known for its tight-knit brigade, warm hospitality, and technical precision. Melvin’s cuisine amplified the authenticity of Italian flavours while honouring Japanese craftsmanship—a quiet yet confident dialogue between two culinary cultures. Every plate told a story. Every meal felt like home.

THE MENU

1. Iberico Pork Katsu Sando
One of the Best-Selling Dishes at Barrel & Hibiki

Learn how to make Chef Melvin’s restaurant-quality Katsu Sando from scratch, using premium Iberico pork.

A great Katsu Sando is much more than simply breading and frying pork. You’ll learn:

• Which cut of pork works best
• How to make the brine for juicy, tender and flavourful pork
• How to brine the pork correctly
• How to coat with panko evenly for a light and crispy crust
• How to fry the pork while keeping it juicy inside and beautifully crisp outside
• How to prepare the sauce and accompaniments
• How to assemble and balance everything for an incredibly delicious Katsu Sando

This is the technique behind the popular Katsu Sando served at the restaurant, taught step by step so you can recreate it at home.

2. Crispy Japanese Harumaki with Unagi, Myoga & Sansho
Light, Airy & Incredibly Crispy Japanese Spring Roll

This is not your usual spring roll. Learn Chef Melvin’s open-style Japanese harumaki technique, creating beautifully light, airy and crispy pockets filled with sweet-savoury unagi, aromatic myoga (Japanese ginger) and sansho.

The ingredients may sound sophisticated, but they are readily available in Singapore, and the technique is surprisingly approachable and very doable at home.

Once you learn the method, you can also change the fillings and create your own combinations.

3. Homemade Chitarra Pasta with Slow-Cooked Iberico Pork Ragù
Rich, Deeply Flavoured & Made with Premium Iberico Pork

This is not your everyday meat sauce.

Chef Melvin uses premium Iberico pork and several different cuts and preparations to slowly build an incredibly rich, complex ragù.

You’ll learn:

• How to make fresh pasta dough from scratch
• How to make chitarra-style pasta
• How to build a proper soffritto
• How to make homemade pork sausage
• How Iberico pork jowl, spare ribs, pork trotters, minced pork shoulder and collar each add flavour, texture and richness
• How to slowly cook and bring everything together into a deep, luxurious restaurant-style ragù

And the best part? You don’t have to make fresh pasta every time. Make this ragù at home and serve it with any pasta you love — it will still make an incredibly delicious, restaurant-worthy meal.

4. Seared Bonito with Trapanese Sauce
Fresh, Vibrant & Elegant

Beautifully seared bonito paired with a flavour-packed Sicilian-style Trapanese sauce, bringing together richness, freshness and acidity.

Learn how to prepare and sear the fish correctly while keeping the centre beautifully tender, and how to make a versatile sauce that can also be paired with other readily available fish at home.

It looks refined and restaurant-worthy, but the techniques are practical enough to become part of your own home cooking.

Limited to 20 Exclusive Seats.

This demo masterclass includes:
✅ Onsite food tasting of all dishes prepared
✅ A detailed recipe pack to recreate the dishes at home
✅ Photos and videos captured during the class, provided for you to keep

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