All About Experiences

How did you commence your journey in the industry? Was there a specific moment that influenced you?

I started my culinary journey at a very young age of 15, I was always very curious about food and cooked every night at home for my family when I was 9-10 years old. This fascination and passion for food at such was inevitably going to be my career path.

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With an experience of nearly 3 decades, how would you say your style of cooking has evolved over the years?

My food style has evolved dramatically over the past 10-15 years. As you gain confidence in your culinary identity, it gives you your own character and individual style. My Asian culinary experience, particularly in Hong Kong and Shanghai was very fast-paced and constantly evolving with food trends and demands for alternative concepts.

You are particularly drawn towards classic and contemporary French cuisine and pastries. How do you come up with new recipes? Do you follow a tried and tested approach?

I love French cuisine, both classic and contemporary. I am also very strong in Spanish, Italian and a steakhouse meat expert. French cuisine is close to my heart because the first 10 years of my career I was fortunate enough to work with some incredibly talented French chefs, which laid the foundation for my journey.

What is the most exciting thing about Indian cuisine according to you? Were you able to blend your food style, that is “Modern European” with the Indian spices and produce available here?

I have always loved Indian cuisine, intense spices and flavours; I recently did a wedding in JW Marriott Phuket where we created an Indian 11-course dinner menu for the wedding. It was a very progressive menu (like a Gagan experience) with a lot of slow-cooking and modern techniques and presentation. It was a huge success and a lot of fun to experiment with Indian flavours using modern plating.

Successful restaurants are not only about great food but also flawless teamwork. What is the best way to motivate people in the kitchen?

I have a very calm personality in the kitchen and use humour a lot of times to create a good balance of harmony. A happy team and tasty food is my motto. Talk to your team, don’t shout at them. Be patient, thorough, and encourage them to have their own creativity.

Due to work commitments, you must have travelled all around the globe. Is there a particular part of the world you love to visit?

I think living in Thailand is perfect for me, I have a good work and family life balance now. The people are lovely; food is amazing and the weather just perfect, when I was living in Hong Kong, I would often travel to Thailand to recharge and now, I am living in paradise.

Which dish that is currently on one of your menus are you most proud of?

There are great ingredients available from passionate farmers and vendors so it is hard to pick just one. We work very closely with the local crab community in Phuket and obtain live sustainable soft shell crabs and some beautiful organic poultry farms. One dish I’m really proud of is the char-grilled Caesar salad with anchovy foam, quail eggs and candied Parma ham. Another would be Passion fruit and mango Pavlova (iconic Australian dessert) using the beautiful tropical fruits of Phuket.

How often do you get to cook at home for your family? What do you like to cook for them?

I cook at home at least once or twice a week; often I cook BBQ seafood from local markets and beautiful meat from my local butcher. BBQ is a very big part of Australian culture.

Who is the person you most admire in the food industry right now?

I had the pleasure of opening Terroir Parisian in Hong Kong a few years ago with a 3-star Michelin Chef Yannick Alleno. He is incredibly talented and is successfully holding 4-5 Michelin star restaurants around the globe.

If you had to cook your last dish. What would it be and why?

The dish ‘Cassoulet de canard’ is my all-time favourite. It consists of Duck leg confit, saucisson Toulouse, saucisson Lyonnaise, smoked bacon, slow-cooked with French white beans in a tomato broth, incredible dish when done well.

What advice would you give to all the aspiring chefs and culinary artists?

I’d say don’t be scared to make mistakes, take risks and learn from them. Also, travel as much as possible, the world is an incredible place and it opens your mind the more you explore. Read cookbooks, research on the Internet to understand what is going on in the culinary world. Choose a renowned expert chef and work under the chosen chef for at least 3-4, it is important at an early part of your career to learn from a dedicated, passionate, and talented chef as this will mould you for the future. Lastly, don’t be scared to ask questions.