Yo Yo Bar and Restaurant, Rosse Street, Shipley. Tel. (01274) 599880

Jeffrey Fernandez swapped boilers and pipes for ovens and sinks – and has not looked back.

A former industrial engineer, he worked for seven years in industry in his native Philippines before turning his attention to food.

Not that he woke up one morning and decided to become a chef. There was a practical reason behind the move, he explains: “My mum lived in Birmingham and invited me to join her, but she said first I needed a trade in which I could find work relatively easily. She suggested I train as a chef. I like cooking, so I thought I might as well change my career.”

It was not that easy – at first he combined both, working as an engineer during the day and picking up skills in restaurant kitchens at night.

“I worked in restaurants for free. I was exhausted, but I gained experience very quickly.”

That experience led him to follow a career path that brought him to Bradford. Now the amiable chef is wowing diners with an exciting mix of ingredients from across South-East Asia and the Far East.

Jeffrey, 33, is head chef at Yo Yo bar and restaurant in Rosse Street, Shipley. He is drawing on his experience working in that part of the world to produce a varied menu including Japanese noodles, yakitori (Japanese skewered chicken), sushi, sweet and sour vegetables, Chinese spare ribs, and vegetable Thai red (and green) curry.

Fusion dishes – a mix of Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, are a speciality. European and English dishes are also included on the lunchtime menu, One of a five-strong team, he has worked at Yo Yo since the restaurant opened two years ago.

“We put a lot of effort into planning the menu, finding dishes that people like,” he says. “We cook 70 per cent Japanese dishes, 20 per cent Thai and ten per cent Chinese.

“I like to experiment with food. I love working with the wok when cooking Chinese food, and I make all the sushi.”

His management style, he says, is “easy going” “It is a nice atmosphere. As long as everyone does their job. There is always a lot to do and when we are under pressure everyone gets stressed.”

Jeffrey lives close to the Shipley restaurant with his wife Joanna. The couple met in Leeds when Joanna, from the USA, visited the restaurant where he worked.

“She was staying with relatives and had come in for a meal. It was love at first sight.” The couple are thrilled to be expecting their first child in two months’ time.

“People keep telling me to catch up on sleep while I can,” says Jeffrey. “But that won't be easy as I am very, very busy at the moment.” He is working not only in the restaurant, but running a new venture, Yo Yo Oriental at Leeds Metropolitan University in Headingley. “I am doing noodles, soups and stir-frys, at lunchtimes during the week, for staff and students,” he says.

And on top of that, he is studying for NVQ qualifications at Bradford College. “I'm combining studying with working. In this profession there is so much to learn, you never stop.”