Bruce Ricketts
Mecha Uma, Ooma, La Chinesca
What would your last three-course meal on earth be?
This is something that will always change through time based on what I’m into. The first would be by this chef in Kyushu, Japan. It’s his snapper sushi with radish, a Japanese herb called kinome, and some sesame seeds. It’s really simple but the way he calibrates it—it is just pure perfection. My second would be just a nicely roasted, Chinese-style duck or goose. My third would be a competition between either my wife’s arroz caldo or roast chicken.
What do you want to be known for?
Initially, for doing bold, strong, punchy flavours. As I get older, however, I also want to be remembered as someone who was craftsmanship-oriented—whether it was the craft of breaking down fish or cooking rice, and in terms of how I developed new techniques. I’d like to be known for inspiring the next generation.
Who would you most want to cook for?
That’s simple: my dad.
What is your favourite and least favourite part of the job?
Let’s say my team or I make a mistake and then I beat myself up for it. My favourite part is that after it all, the end result is that I’m still inspired. The least favourite part of the job is always have to make it up to my wife because I owe her many, many lifetimes of absences.
What is your definition of risk?
It’s making a decision in my head that I’m about to tell my wife. That’s risky! Ok…that was a joke! Risk is when I commit to something and I don’t know the result is going to be like. I know that it’s going to be good but from the moment my creation passes from me to you, how you—or anyone else—interprets it, will be different to how I do. My style of cooking is creating dishes that aren’t overly edited. It’s like a spontaneous or improv actor; one becomes good because one has been doing it repetitively for several years—your instincts become stronger. But even though you have that, each performance is high-risk.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
A professional mixed martial arts fighter or boxer.