Inspired by growing up in Asia and training with master chefs from around the world, Owner and Chef Allen Yap’s concept at OM Modern Asian Kitchen marries the flavors and essences of China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Malaysia.
For Allen, appreciation for food was infused at a young age with family dinners and generations-old recipes. Then, upon migrating from Malaysia to Tucson in 1991, the close-knit Yap family started Seri Melaka, where Allen spent hours cooking alongside his mother and father. Allen took over the back of the house operations at Seri Melaka as Executive Chef at the age of 17 while pursuing a double-degree in Accounting and Management Information Systems at the University of Arizona.
In 2005, the Yap family opened Neo of Melaka—offering contemporary Malaysian and Chinese cuisine. Yet again, Allen was appointed to lead Neo’s dedicated culinary team and manage the restaurant’s overall operations. Allen’s innovative approach to modern Asian cuisine and his passion as a restaurateur led to the opening of OM.
In its first year, OM received many accolades, including Arizona Foothills Magazine’s 2011 award for Tucson’s Best Asian and Sushi Restaurant.
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