Norman Musa - Our Executive Chef

Norman Musa is the multi-talented creator of Ning restaurant and also our Executive Chef. He is self taught and mentored in his skills by his late mother who was well known for her cooking in her home town of Butterworth, Malaysia.

He is an experienced host and cook, bringing hands-on knowledge, passion, personal touches, inventive ideas and contemporary style to his native Malaysian food. Norman has successfully shaped Ning into a critically acclaimed restaurant in less than 3 years, since it's opening in 2006.

2010 has been a busy year for Norman so far. He was appointed as the Race Chef to the Lotus Racing team for the 2010 Formula One Season, the tour has seen him visit Bahrain, Valencia and Monaco amongst others and cook up a storm for guests and VIP's along the way.

He is also actively involved in the Malaysia Kitchen campaign launched this year by Gordon Ramsay, which aims to raise awareness of Malaysian food in the UK. Norman wowed visitors at this year's Taste of London festival where Taste of Malaysia was held. Click here to view the exciting photos from his cooking demonstrations.

One of his biggest achievements to date was writing and publishing his first cookbook in 2009, Malaysian Food - a collection of my favourite dishes and the inspiration behind them.Well received by both the media and cookbook enthusiasts alike, it's a fascinating collection of recipes and their inspiring stories. The book is a stylish introduction to the Malaysian cuisine and culture brought to life by stunning on location photography and Norman's unique style.

Norman hosts regular cookery classes which give him the opportunity to demonstrate his passion for this largely under represented cuisine to foodies across the UK. Norman has taught over 500 students how to cook classic Malaysian dishes like Rendang, Gulai and Murtabak and by doing so raised the profile of Malaysian food throughout the North West. He gives regular Malaysian cooking demonstrations at food festivals as well as running team building events at Ning.

His other talents include south east Asian dance, having previously performed for HM Queen Elizabeth II and other Commonwealth Heads of State, interior design and fashion (the restaurant staff uniforms being his creations), and contemporary floral arrangements that are professionally beautiful.

With his love of entertaining, Norman has also hosted well-known Malaysian singers such as Ning Baizura, Mawi and Estrella, and dignitaries including the Malaysian Deputy Finance Minister.

He regularly appears on TV, most recently on Market Kitchen as well as Malaysia's TV3,you can watch footage of Norman and Ning on Ning TV.

Norman was nominated for Chef of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards in 2009

For media enquiries on Norman Musa please contact Victoria Watson on 0845 519 28 78 or at victoria@ningcatering.com