Living Food guide
Q: What’s your routine on a typical working day?
A: First, I run through the tasks I’ve assigned to my team and go on to brief them about what’s needed. I then look into the production kitchen to make sure I have enough ingredients for the day. Thereafter, I get on with my duties.
Q: Who inspired you to venture into the hospitality trade? A: My grandmother cooked for our family. Tasting her food and watching her cook inspired me to become a chef, and serve food from the heart to people.
Q: And what was your first dish?
A: Slow braised chicken thighs with Java plum sauce served with chanterelle mushrooms.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement as a chef? A: In my first job as a trainee in the hotel trade, I was named ‘Employee of the Year’ in my first year. That encouraged me to push myself to learn continuously and grow.
Q: Any memorable moments in the kitchen?
A: When I was in Abu Dhabi, I entered a cooking competition that attracted around 500 participants and ended up being selected as one of the top 20.
Q: What are the emerging trends in food and drink?
A: I feel that street food and healthy drinks are rapidly emerging trends. The use of organic and locally sourced ingredients is in demand too. Q: Would you have any advice for the home cooks amongst us? A: When following a recipe, always add something that complements it. Use your creativity and knowledge when preparing dishes – don’t put a lid on your imagination.
Q: What are your three favourite ingredients – and why?
A: These are my favourite ingredients because of their medicinal properties: cardamom lowers blood pressure and helps digestion; cloves improve liver health and kill bacteria; and star anise helps treat digestive ailments – for example, bloating, gas and indigestion.
Q: Name three favourite utensils that you can’t do without... A: My cooking pan, knife and spoon.
Q: Do you have any cookery tips or tricks that you would like to share?
A: My advice to home cooks looking to venture out and open a restaurant is that it’s important to have the mise en place ready for your recipes. By prepping and having all your ingredients ready, you can dish out food very quickly and avoid taking a long time to prepare multiple dishes.
Another tip is to read and fully understand the recipe before you begin cooking. If you skim through and leave out a few steps, and cut corners in the process, the dish will not be up to the mark.
Q: In view of your current role, what plans do you have?
A: At Isso, we’re constantly trying new styles of cooking and experimenting with different ways to prepare prawn dishes. My plan is to have at least a hundred prawn dishes from all over the world on our menu. And my personal goal is to open a signature restaurant someday.
Q: What’s your advice to aspiring chefs out there?
A: To be successful in the kitchen or in any field, there are six pillars that should stand strong throughout your career: discipline, honesty, commitment, determination, punctuality and knowledge. You can’t acquire these qualities overnight; it takes hard work and consistency to be the best in whatever you do