PITAK SRICHAN

Head chef, Pachaylen

The weirdest dish I’ve ever made was a spicy snake tom yum soup. This request came from a guest back when I was working in Thailand. Taste-wise snake meat is very similar to chicken. However, cooking snake was a first for me.

Cooking Thai food takes time in order for the spices to flavour the dish, but the longest preparation needed is for the Massaman lamb curry. The lamb takes three hours and you also need to prepare the curry mix, but the result is worth it.

The dish I’m most proud of creating is the spicy raw tuna salad with toasted rice powder. Toasted rice powder is commonly used in dishes from Northeast Thailand and adds a smoky aroma to the dish. I could eat it every day.

My food philosophy is to cook from the heart. If you do something with passion, it can only be felt when it is tasted.

When I am not cooking in Pachaylen I enjoy a very simple dish at home: instant noodles. It’s my guilty pleasure.

My favourite flavour is chilli. If I don’t have it, I’m not happy. I really could not live without it.

I like to exercise during my free time. I am always surrounded by food, so I need to keep in shape.

Eastern Mangroves Hotel And Spa By Anantara, Al Markaziyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 7pm to 11pm. Tel: (02) 6561000. Taxi: Eastern Mangroves. abudhabi.anantara.com