KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Chef Rakan Aloraifi turns his focus to one of the most pressing realities of running a professional kitchen during the latest filming session of his masterclass series with Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad: how to deliver depth of flavour while saving time, labour, and kitchen complexity. The award-winning architect of modern Saudi gastronomy used the session to show that smart, efficient cooking is not a shortcut, but one of the sharpest commercial skills an operator can build.

"Efficiency is not the enemy of quality. The best kitchens make excellent food and protect their team's time at the same time," Chef Rakan said.


"If a dish demands hours of labour to taste right, it will not survive a busy service."

To prove that high-end hospitality does not require exhausting ticket times, Chef Rakan demonstrated three distinct quick-prep meals during the masterclass. Each designed to be prepped, cooked, and plated in well under an hour. He emphasized that rapid execution like this is strictly achievable when a brigade pairs disciplined kitchen planning with strategic foundational ingredients.

"A great dish should work for you, not against you," Chef Rakan explained. "The goal is to lock in flavour early, so the kitchen runs smoother and the result is the same every time, no matter who is on the line."


During the demonstration, he highlighted how ticket times on all three dishes were significantly expedited thanks to AJI-NO-MOTO^® Umami Seasoning Powder. Rather than acting as just a final surface seasoning, building the powder into the base of the recipe accelerates the natural development of savoury depth, effectively cutting standard preparation and reduction times by half without sacrificing flavor or budgets.

For HORECA operators, this is where efficiency turns directly into profit. Labour is one of the largest and most unpredictable costs in any kitchen, and dishes that demand long, hands-on preparation strain both the team and the margin.

This is where AJINOMOTO's range of professional seasonings becomes a practical operating tool. By building a reliable Umami foundation into a dish from the start, kitchens can develop deep, satisfying flavour with fewer steps, ease pressure on the brigade during peak rush hours, and hold the same standard regardless of which staff member is working the station. The outcome is a kitchen that runs leaner and more consistently, turning everyday operational speed into a lasting commercial advantage.

Industry professionals, restaurateurs, and chefs who wish to follow the full series can register their interest now on the Ajinomoto KSA website to receive masterclass updates and secure early access as new sessions are released.