Meet the Team

A proactive and dynamic leader, Chef Zulkifli is the Senior Executive Sous Chef at Putrajaya Marriott Hotel, specializing in Western cuisine. He began his career as a steward at Micasa All Suite Hotel back in 1997. His passion, love, and determination for cooking have driven him from the ground up, eventually leading to his role as Senior Sous Chef at Impiana KLCC Hotel & Spa, where he served for five years.

His journey in the hospitality industry has shone brightly, taking him from one place to another, including managing over two banquet halls (450 + 350 covers), 10 meeting rooms (50 covers each), Roselle ADD (300 covers), and Horizon Deck outlet (250 covers) during the pre-opening of Lexis Hibiscus, Port Dickson. Two years later, he continued his career at DoubleTree Resort, Penang, holding the same position as Executive Sous Chef. He also undertook a four-month task force assignment at Conrad Ranggali Island, Maldives.

A flexible and adaptable leader, his cooking philosophy has earned him a place as part of the Marriott International team to this day.

Chai Chuan Suing, also known as Chef James, came from humble beginnings. He has always loved the culinary arts, a talent he inherited from his parents, who were well-versed in Hakka and Teow Chew cuisines. Armed with determination and passion, he traveled to gain more experience and eventually mastered the art of merging traditional Chinese cuisine with Italian ingredients such as caviar, truffle, and foie gras, along with French styling, to create modern global cuisine with a signature presentation.

Little did he know that his approach would be widely accepted, practiced, and eventually termed modern Chinese cuisine. As the years passed, Chef James, the Executive Chinese Chef at Putrajaya Marriott Hotel, believed that to be a good leader, he must maintain positive energy, a proactive attitude, approachability, and accountability. He also feels blessed to have parents who taught him to remember where he came from, as it is a part of where he's going and something he can be proud of.