‘The next generation should remember me as a chef, and when I’m not here they should take the legacy forward’

 It’s been 20 years of fusion food for chef Pradip Rozario and he shows no sign of stopping yet. We sat down with him for a conversation to learn more about his journey and what inspires him on a daily basis.

What got you into cooking, and when?

When I was in college, my ambition was to become a Chartered Accountant. But I ended up getting into hotel management. I was determined to make a name for myself and be the best at what I could do. After passing out of the hotel management institution, I moved to Mumbai to work with the Taj group of hotels. At the Taj, I began with butchery and then moved on to the coffee shop. Eventually, the coffee shop was closed and an Italian restaurant, Trattoria was was opened. I was sent to Italy for training. I came back and ran Trattoria as Chef de partie.

Why fusion, and why not specialize in any one cuisine?

I didn’t intend for fusion to be my style when I opened my first restaurant Kurry Klub. It all came about when this one gentleman who came in for lunch and asked for Bengali khichdi and fried with along with it. I served him what he’d asked for but with a twist. I gave him a side of schezwan sauce as a condiment. He lapped it up and told me how he’d loved it. That’s when fusion happened.

How have you evolved as a chef?

I started off as a trainee in butchery, and ended my 15-year tenure as the executive chef. Even after I have opened my own restaurant, I consider myself a chef and not the managing director, chairman or the owner, because I want to continue learning and evolving. And the next generation should remember me as a chef, and when I’m not here they should take the legacy forward.

What are the two most unusual ingredients you have cooked with and has turned out to be a hit?

That would be lentils and schezwan peppers. There’s Italian food everywhere these days, but you can’t make it spicy. By sprinkling some schezwan pepper on risotto, it gives the dish a lovely fragrance.

You’ve been doing this for 20 years now. What inspires you to cook every single day?

People who love food inspire me. It’s very important to me to make people happy. And I believe I can do that by doing something new all the time.

Tell me something about your new restaurant Mio Amore.

Mio Amore is a casual dining restaurant and the name means “My love” or “My beloved.” I’ve been asked about the name, and it’s because of love. I love the restaurant, I love my staff, and I love what I do.

If you were to start off all over again as a 20 year old just out of college, which restaurant would you work for, or which chef would you train under?

I’d still work with the Taj group of hotels. And the chefs I’d want to work with or train under would be chef Arvind Saraswat and chef Jimmys in the UK. They are extremely innovative, disciplined and creative chefs.

What is the one thing you think the restaurant industry lacks or needs to pay more attention to?

I think hygiene. Hygiene doesn’t only apply to the interiors, but also waiters, kitchen, water, bathrooms everything! There are two kinds of guests – one that will tell you openly that something or some place in the restaurant is dirty and needs to be cleaned, and the other kind that are quiet about it and don’t return. That’s the dangerous kind. So instead of assuming everything is clean, we must ensure the restaurant and every square inch of it is spotless and hygienic.

What is 2016 looking like for you, and your restaurants?

My dream is to be able to serve something new everyday at my restaurant. Not with a printed menu that changes every six months or so. As of now, I’m going to be traveling and attention conventions in the US and Poland and to explore the Indian food scene there. I’d like the world to know more about home style Indian cuisine and would want them to cook Indian food at home as well.

 

 

 

 

“Once I get going, there is a momentum like a Bulldozer”

We spoke with the chef about Nicli Antica Pizzeria, Italian food, his nickname and of course, pizza.

Tell me about the Nicli Antica Pizzeria: How was it started? What was the concept?

Bill McCaig, the owner of Nicli Antica Pizzeria, was looking for a restaurant venture and noticed a huge gap in Vancouver for some really good pizza. He chose Gastown because having such a traditional style of cooking pizza, with the woodfire ovens, and even Gastown’s history, it made for a great place to open up a Neapolitan style pizzeria.

So, how did you personally get into Italian cooking?

Well, it really does start with pizza. I had a small stint with artisanal pizza when I worked at Central City. I helped open that kitchen in 2003, so while I was working there I really enjoyed the pizza aspect. A few days later, I thought “I like this industry, I want to do something that makes me happy,” so I started looking for pizzerias. I Googled two words: “Woodfire Pizza” and “Organic” and Rocky Mountain Flatbread came up. So I went there and asked for a job. I didn’t even start on the pizza station, but once I got on that station, I loved it and excelled at it just because I wanted to do it so bad.

Do you create the menu as well? What is the concept behind the menu?

The menu changes seasonally, but the thing you have to remember is it’s Neapolitan pizza. There are some things I will never change, like the Margherita or the Marinara

How many pizzas do you have on the menu?

We have 9 pizzas—my favorite floats between the Margherita and the Marinara still. There are people who know that there are more than just 9 pizzas here. You have to be really curious when it comes to looking at the menu. And there are some pizzas that have fallen off the menu but if you’ve been coming here since day one, you can still ask for them. We don’t ever promise anything but if we have the ingredients to make them for you, we will.

What’s the secret behind the dough and the sauce?

The secret behind the sauce is tomatoes and salt – and a lot people are surprised at that every time. They try our sauce and ask, “What’s in the sauce?” Honestly, it’s just tomatoes and salt. The secret is in the freshness and simplicity. A lot of times when you make the pizza sauce at home, you might want to cook it down so it gains flavor and aromatics, but then it loses its freshness.

With the dough, the secret is time. We always make it the night before, leave it to it proof and ferment overnight, then we come in in the morning and we roll it. It’s only four ingredients  (water, flour, yeast, salt), whereas other pizza doughs might use oil or other ingredients. With Neapolitan dough, you just have the four ingredients and the high temperature oven, which allows for no oil. We cook the pizza so fast that it gets a little crispy on the outside but it’s tender and moist on the inside

What are some favorite ingredients you like to use and what makes a pizza just right for you?

My favorite ingredient right now is really boring, but I love sliced red onions. A good pizza for me has a simple Margherita or Bianca base, then cooked for 90 seconds. Once you get it out of the oven, you finish it with salami, some onions, and hit it with fresh arugula.

What else do you love on the menu other than the pizza?

Every Saturday and Sunday, we feature a brunch pizza which is reminiscent of a really good omelet or a full breakfast (potatoes, bacon egg), and those are always crowd pleasers. It’s fun because I do it up two ways: I either cook an egg at the front of the oven in a pan and slide it sunny side up on the pizza or when it’s really busy I will crack and egg right on the pizza before it goes in. And we have tricks to make sure the egg on the pizza cooks properly, like don’t put toppings where the egg is, it has to be just the dough. It’s always fun as they are both very specific—they’re ready when they’re ready. You can’t tell an egg to be ready, and you can’t tell a pizza to be ready; you just pray it happens at the same time. It’s fun and it’s also scary.

What else do you make in-house? What ingredients are you most excited about?

There are a lot of ingredients that we make in-house. Our bacon that we even cure in-house, for sure, ricotta, peperonata, garlic confit, Italian sausage, the stock in the Pasta e Fagioli soup—I could go on. [I’m most excited about] local asparagus from BC because it’s amazing. And strawberries, which is more of an early summer thing.

How often do you change the menu beside the features?

We’re constantly tweaking; certain things you just fall in love with and become established on the menu. I like to make changes every season, depending on what comes in with the greens in the spring. I just wait to see what the local farmers are offering and bring that in as features or if they have abundance of it we can create a menu item for it.

We read online you have a nickname?

[Chuckles] Bulldozer Tozer. I am not a little person; let’s just say once I get going, there is a momentum like a Bulldozer.

25 Rapid-Fire Questions with Chef Matt Basile of Fidel Gastro’s

What you may not know is that Fidel Gastro’s started off as a pop up, with Matt selling street food in Toronto’s underground markets. Prior to that, Matt was working a cubicle job, far from a kitchen, where his indisputable talent would soon make a splash in the food scene.

Following the success of his pop-up events, Matt and his team launched the Fidel Gastro’s food truck, also known as “Priscilla”, which was voted Canada’s #1 food truck by Canadian Living Magazine. But they weren’t done yet – the FG team opened brick & mortar restaurant, Lisa Marie, in downtown Toronto. Matt has also hosted TV program Rebel Without A Kitchen, appeared on The Food Network’s hit show Eat Street and released his first cookbook, Street Food Diaries, in October 2014.

Favourite ingredient to cook with?

Fresh lemon but recently it’s been root beer.

Favourite Toronto restaurant?

Pai is amazing.

Ingredient you’re most afraid of?

Tofu – not my thing.

Celebrity you would love to cook for?

Larry David.

What would you make Larry?

Oh, ribs for sure.

Midnight snack?

I love a good mortadella sandwich.

Baked or fried?

Fried, always.

Hangover cure?

Eggs, any way.

Would you rather never cook again or never taste again?

Oh my god, I would never cook again – eating comes first.

Curse words you use in the kitchen?

Beside the obvious one, I say Jesus murphy a lot.

Would you rather be a waiter or a dishwasher?

Dishwasher for sure.

Food on a skewer or a tiny spoon?

Skewer.

Last meal on earth?

T-bone steak.

Soup or salad?

Soup.

Chicken breast or thigh?

Chicken thigh.

Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?

Breakfast for dinner, definitely.

Favourite season to cook?

Spring.

Chef you want to battle in a chef showdown?

Ted Reader.

Weirdest dish you’ve ever made?

Pig’s heart.

Favourite kitchen gadget?

Microplane, for shaving cheese and lemons.

Hot sauce or barbecue sauce?

Both, I would mix them together.

If you were stranded on an island with another person, who would it be?

Girlfriend.

Culinary trend you wish would die a slow and painful death?

Foam.

How many cooking scars do you have?

Oh god, permanent scars? At least 15, and I almost lost a finger using a deli machine once.

Favourite place besides Toronto?

Hong Kong – it’s amazing.

 

“I have been inside the kitchen since I was 14 years old – I am 28 now”

Chef Giorgio is constantly traveling between both restaurants where he heads lunch, dinner and dessert, all by customer request. The Zomato team recently went behind the restaurant’s doors to catch up with the Chef to get a glimpse into cooking up the classic Italian dishes in a dynamic and fast-paced country like the UAE.

How long have you lived in Abu Dhabi?

I have been here for three and a half years, going on four in April.

Where are you from?

I am originally Italian, from Genova, the city of pesto sauce and focaccia.

Where were you before coming to the UAE?

From Italy I went to work in London as a chef. That was a very different experience and I was so young, and I learned a lot from being there.

How long have you been cooking for?

I have always been passionate about cooking; it’s a part of my upbringing and lifestyle. So much so that I have been inside the kitchen since I was 14 years old – I am 28 now.

What’s your favourite dish to cook?

I always love making starters, but also I love making the real, Italian tagliatelle for those who never tried authentic Italian food before. A lot of restaurants offer this dish and a lot of people abroad have tried it, but not the true Italian tagliatelle. That comes from ancient recipes from Italy.

Can you tell us what your day looks like as a chef?

I wake up very early to go pick up fresh produce and ingredients to be used during the day in our menu. Then I go to our Khalifa Park restaurant in Abu Dhabi where I prepare the daily buffet with my staff. I change the buffet every day on the basis of the fresh ingredients I could find in the morning or else people will get bored of the same thing. Just yesterday, I was deciding what dessert to make for the buffet and I came up with a completely new chocolate whipped cake. In the afternoon, I come to the Marina Square First Clique location and interact with the customers. We have a lot of regulars here and I often take requests as to what they would like to try or what they’re in the mood for. At night is when I make my specials. Anything from dinners to desserts, this is where I get very hands on in my dishes. During the weekend Khalifa Park restaurant is closed so I spent all my time in Marina Square Reem island restaurant.

Are there any food trends you have noticed that people like here in the UAE?

Everyone loves spaghetti seafood. I would say it’s our most popular dish and people always come back for it. But people also love a good old fashion Italian pizza!

What’s the difference, if any, from cooking in Italy and then in London and now in UAE?

For me, honestly, there is no big difference. I cook with passion and don’t let the location hinder my creations. At the end of the day, it’s all about access to ingredients and most of these ingredients can be found here, in the UAE. Once I have my ingredients, my kitchen can be anywhere.

 

From the Rock Lobster kitchen to the fiery Dragon’s Den; Chef Matt Dean Pettit introduces Matty’s Seafood

He began working at the age of 13, and hasn’t looked back since. We sat down with Chef Matt Dean Pettit to talk about food, fame and facing the dragons on CBC’s hit show Dragon’s Den.

Given your success as a restaurateur, what do you look forward to the most everyday?

That’s a good question. It’s funny to say but I like seeing peoples faces when they’re coming into the restaurant. Whether they want to have the experience at Rock Lobster or perhaps want to meet me, I just like seeing people sharing, talking and laughing around food, because when I was a kid that’s the reason why I started my seafood restaurant. Going out for us was really special; for my birthday my parents would usually take me out and it was a really fun time. It was always around a celebratory thing for me, but now people go out more and more, which is why we try to make our offering really affordable. At the end of the day it’s nice to be approachable, it’s nice to be affordable for a lot of people and that’s sort of my daily motivation.

Two Rock Lobster restaurants, a best selling cookbook, a TV and web show and now Matty’s Seafood, how do you balance it all? Have you mastered the art of juggling?

I’ve always been super busy, even when I was young. It was either school or sports. I played every sport, all throughout the year. I’ve also been working since I was 13; I’ve always had a job so I’ve definitely learned how to multitask. The funny thing is I love to rest. I guess I’ve figured it out to some degree, juggling it all. You really have to surround yourself with people who are sometimes better than you. I have a great team and a great agency that represents me – it’s not just me in my corner, it’s my team.

Besides seafood, what’s your favourite ingredient to cook with?

It’s always changing. I’m on a really big turmeric phase; it’s the thing right now. Truthfully I’m always looking for ways, both at the restaurant and at home, to balance food costs. We’ve never seen food costs like this in the World right now, it’s at an all-time high and it’s like this for everything. As a chef and home cook, you have to figure out how to adapt. I’m using a lot of chickpeas, beans and legumes, because they’re like a fraction of the cost of a protein. It’s all about finding a way to balance something like those ingredients into a seafood or Canadiana dish. This year it’s all about pulses, similar to when quinoa was the super food a few years back.

How do you maintain consistency in quality, service and atmosphere with multiple restaurants?

From a consistency side, it comes down to being organized with our kitchen managers and teams. Everything is portioned and everything is weighed, any successful restaurant will have a system in place and know what their food cost is every week. Consistency comes down to training and it’s definitely a challenge these days with the talent pool. On one hand there are restaurants opening everyday, but on the other hand there are lots of young employees that don’t have much experience, this is a trend in almost every global city.

There’s an old saying and I like it a lot… “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

What were the thoughts running through your head right before you stepped out and faced the dragons?

Definitely scared, definitely nervous. Actually, scared not nervous. If you’ve been on a set it’s really hot and the lights are extremely bright, so you’re looking ahead, you’re sweating and you’re thinking “Holy cow!” Once you sort of get though that, it gets easier. The dragons were cool, once you start your pitch they start asking you questions and it sort of slows down. I think with anything it has to be a two-way conversation; you have to ask questions and get them talking. Beforehand, I wanted to make sure I watched the show and went in prepared, so I learned to not cut people off while they’re talking and such. I was purposely biting my lip to make sure I would let them finish before I would answer. Although I didn’t get a deal, I’ve had lots of success and hundreds of emails pouring in; it was definitely a great experience.

How did you take the feedback from Joe Mimran about the brand’s packaging?

You know what, his comment was the only negative one we got and I knew they were going to focus on it. The one side about TV is editing, they didn’t show me finish speaking when I told Joe, “Just so you know, we made these at 1am last night just so we could present something for the TV show. This is just a mock up.” We took the photos from the packaging on our cellphones; it was literally a sticker on the cardboard box just for the pitch. Since we shot the episode 8 months ago, we’ve made changes and had a ton of success since. On our website right away you can see the difference. So did we take his advice? Yes absolutely, we took everyone’s advice into consideration.

If you could go back and re-do your pitch at the Den, would you do or say anything differently?

I have to be honest, I ask people questions all the time and I have a lot of mentors and surrounding people I ask for feedback, but in terms of that pitch, it went really well. It wasn’t edited to make us look good, but what aired was simply a portion of the conversation. Even when we walked out, the first thing I said was “we didn’t achieve our goal, but it went well.” I was hoping something would come out of this and it really has. People are really in tune with the show and that’s where there are so many versions all over the world. I love Dragon’s Den because it’s Canadian and it has given so many Canadians inspiration.

Dragon’s Den is an amazing and powerful tool. Being associated with the show or having the ‘as seen on Dragons Den tag’, it just brings great results.

Were there any specific dragons you were hoping to partner with?

I would have definitely loved to partner with Jim; of course he’s amazing. Every dragon brought something to the table, Michele Romanow for example; she’s young and really aggressive, really great with the digital and online retail world, so she would have been a great partner. Then look at Michael, I know him and I would have had a lot of fun working together. Joe Mimran too, literally all of them provided uniqueness, but to answer that question directly, I really would have liked to work with Jim based on his background. He even said something like “I feel like you’re me 30 years ago,” which was really, really rad. It really meant something for him to say that, and we talked afterwards and he was a really nice gentleman.

Do you believe it’s important for chefs today to reinvent themselves or should they just stick to what they’re good at?

Great question. You know what, I personally think that it’s important to stay true to who you are and your style, but I think the only way to survive is you have to be able to get out and you have to innovate. If you don’t innovate, I believe you’re dead and I think you need to…you need to change, you need to diversify. I love seafood and I’m always going to cook with it but I think, and I hate the word ‘trends’ – but I think the shift in some things, getting away from ‘x’ food to ‘x’ food, chefs have to be able to balance and do that.

You’re an inspiration to many young aspiring chefs. If you had to offer them advice, something that you’ve learnt in your experiences, what would that be?

Write a plan down on a piece of paper. Honestly, I don’t write most things on a piece of paper but I write a lot of stuff in my cell phone. I write my goals, I write my plans and what I want to do, I write it all down. If you have an idea, do it. Whether you want to do it, whether it’s personal or for your professional life, you have to just do it. There’s no reason to not go for it. Whether its money or timing, there is always something that make it seems like it’s not the right time. I started the business with very little; I personally did not have a lot of money, not enough to start a real business. So what we did is we saved our money and started doing pop-up events everywhere. If you’re willing to work, you can make money. If you have a great product, people will buy that product from you and I think you just have to keep pushing.

Watch the full clip of Chef Matt Dean Pettit on Dragon’s Den here.

Photo courtesy: Brilynn Ferguson

“I think it’s a Chef’s ego to change your menu constantly”

Hailing from an impressive history working in “other people’s kitchen” and honing his creativity and technique on Top Chef, Bird always leaves his customers satisfied and impressed.

Tell us how you got started in food?

I was 15 years old and my friend got me a job at Boston Pizza. Working a line there and learning how to organize yourself and how challenging it was, [as well as] how much organization it actually takes to be a cook and to be a chef, [was how I started]. That’s the only thing I have ever done since then. I worked in a ton of restaurants until I was 18, and then I started working under an actual chef. He showed me a set custard – that blew my mind, an egg that was set then he unmolded it with lady fingers. I knew at that moment I was going to be a Chef. It was so weird, but I will always remember that moment.

What do you love about the restaurant industry?

The number of directions you can go, because they say the average career span usually lasts 8-10 years, and there are so many different routes to go in the restaurant and food industry. You can start with cooking and then get into management, owning a business, elevating your cooking into fine dining… There are so many different routes, I find that very intriguing, there are always places to grow, things to do and different experiences to have.

Do you ever find the hours difficult?

No, I don’t think the hours are too difficult because it’s kind of what you love to do. But I’m having a kid and I can definitely see the hours getting in the way of that and getting a bit difficult. But if you find what you love, it’s not a job, it’s just natural. I definitely find that being in the kitchen makes the day seem a lot shorter. I spend probably 15 – 20 hours a week, which is nothing compared to 60 hours a week that I am used to. Owning a business is great and exciting, but my true passion is being behind a stove.

What was the concept behind Fable?

I have always worked for independent restaurants my whole life. I eventually fell into a job at the Shangri-La Hotel and that was the most corporate job I have ever had – I made good money, it was easy hours, but you really lose the creativity you have, and lot of cooking is by feel and natural. So I worked there for 3 years and after that time you kind of get lost and lose your own style of cooking because there are all these parameters. I didn’t know what my style was I didn’t know what I wanted to do but all I knew was I hated that environment. But when I got on to Top Chef, it was so inspiring, because I had not been given that opportunity in 3 years to cook what I wanted. I have always really been concentrating on quality of product you get in, and knowing your farmers. I forgot all of this and was totally squashed down. I am completely inspired by local, seasonal ingredients that define Canadian Cuisine. I came up with the name for my restaurant [Fable] and was like “I know what I want to do”

I just wanted to cook my own food. That was the only thing on my plate, that’s the only vision I had for Fable

How do you train your staff?

One thing I have really learnt about reading on management… [is the] importance of having relationships with your employees and which I never realized before… I mean really establishing relationships with employees, finding out what drives and motivates them, and every employee is at a different stage [as well, but] everyone’s opinion is valid, I don’t see the same as [through] the employee’s eyes

What is your favorite dish to make and serve in the restaurant and how often have you/will you update/revise your menu?

My favourite dish right now [is] a risotto. I don’t know if it’s corny or not but I really like it – it’s all over a roasted squash the size of tennis balls and the risotto goes inside sitting on lettuce, very farm to table. It’s beautiful. I have realized over the past three and a half years of operation it is not wise to change your menu too often. I think it’s a Chef’s ego to change your menu constantly, and it creates a lot of inconsistency in your cooking. I think that our food has gotten a lot better form not changing the menu so often.

What is it like to have an open kitchen?

Couldn’t see it any other way. I enjoy it heavily. I love the interaction with guests, and love them being able to see what it is like to watch the whole process. It’s an emotional roller coaster doing service and it’s really cool, I think, for the guests to see the frustrations and the all the problems with the kitchen, it’s like dinner and a show.

What do you see as an upcoming trend in the Vancouver food scene?

We are in the midst of a peasantry Italian movement where everything is just plain, simple… Pizzas and pastas.

What does your kitchen look like at home? What do you keep stocked? Do you make your own products? What is your must kept item at home?

It’s not going to be anything too impressive but, I mean for me, the big thing about a pantry is salt like, kosher salt and lots of vinegars, white wine, red wine, balsamic and rice wine vinegars. And then late night snacks – I eat cottage cheese, a box of mixed greens. A late night salad as a snack is perfect. For junk food I like chocolate – so good, and French fries.

Have you thought about opening another Fable? Where would you open it? What concept would it be?

We have the Fable Diner opening that will be my 2nd location. It’s going to be called Fable Diner and it’s going to be a diner on Main and Broadway in Vancouver.

“Sushi is always different”: Vancouver’s very own Chef Tojo

Chef Hidekazu Tojo opened his restaurant, Tojo’s in 1988 after working as a chef in various restaurants. We sat down with him to know more about him, his zeal for Japanese cuisine and much more.

Tell us a bit about why you started a life in the world of food. Also, why do you love this industry and where did you get your breakthrough?

My mom used to cook but my dad only ate chicken sometimes, so when I had free time I would cook for my family. I came here in 1971 and there were no sushi restaurants back then. There was an old ‘Japanese’ town near Hastings and Powell by Main Street. I worked in a restaurant there called Maneki. Then in 1988, on Broadway, I opened Tojo’s and there were no Asian customers because sushi was just about becoming more popular.

How has sushi changed in Vancouver?

Sushi is now very popular. Back then, I had to make sushi that people here would like so I created the inside-out roll – California and BC Roll. People started to come often and they saw me prepare the raw fish and started to like it. There is a big problem with diabetes in North America and the Japanese diet is very clean and healthy, and people see that. Now my rolls are made everywhere, but I make sure to have the quality.

While Chef Tojo agrees that sushi has made a monumental shift from its traditional roots, he also agrees that the Japanese style of cuisine can be molded to incorporate new and exciting ingredients.

What is your inspiration? People? What drives the creativity with your food?

People don’t inspire me. New ingredients inspire me. I went to Hawaii and other places and I have always gone to farmer’s markets to see an ingredient I haven’t seen before. Of course, I try everything, and make something from it. I get very excited when I get to try and create dishes with new ingredients.

What ingredient are you most excited about to work with this year?

This year, we went to Arctic and tried Greenland shrimp. They are small and delicious. I will reach out to get the product from local suppliers because I want to serve it here.

What surprised you the most about the food in that region?

I had a little bit of seal and caribou which was very plain tasting and without seasoning. If I lived in the Arctic, I would probably like it because it is good meat but I live in a Western country and I would prefer more seasoning.

What is the crowning moment of your career?

I think when famous people like Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, Steven Tyler and Bon Jovi come to try my food, because they come from so far. 65% of the rich and famous people visiting Vancouver come here. It is because I create specials everyday that show the local flavour. My food is always high end and I know everything about it.

With over 40 years experience in the restaurant industry, Chef Tojo not only sticks to his roots in his own kitchen but works with young and aspiring chefs to help develop their careers.

What advice do you have for aspiring sushi chefs?

Each chef should offer their originality, use local ingredients, local seafood and local produce. Use 50% local and the other 50%, make it your own style.

What are you most excited about 2016?

Next spring chefs from Denmark are coming because sushi is getting popular there as well. They have heard about me and I will judge five or six chefs in a competition, here in Vancouver.

What is your area of focus this year?

I would like to get more ingredients. People who come from out of town want to eat Pacific Northwest products, and they have been coming to Tojo’s for a long time because I use local and Japanese. I will be using fugu, which is a Japanese blowfish, and is popular in the wintertime as well as king crab because there are many different types. They are a delicacy. People in today’s market are looking for seasonal fish – yellowtail, spot prawns, and ocean eels are just a few I cook with. With today’s technology being so good, you can get fresh fish, have it vacuumed it and add oxygen in the water and ship to Canada so it ends up being super fresh.

What is your favorite thing to make? To eat?

Sushi, because you can never get tired of it. Sushi is always different. I have people come three times a week, sometimes more. If it is fresh and local, you can never be tired of sushi!

‘A chef is a chef, there is no female word for it’

Pastry Chef at Marque (Surry Hills, NSW, Australia) by Mark Best, Lauren Eldridge won the Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year for 2015.

Considered to be one of the most prestigious award in the culinary world, it was given to a pastry chef for the first time. Eldridge, 25, has worked for Best for the past three years, and has been part of summits organized to celebrate some of the best female chefs in the industry. Achieving so much at such a young age, we spoke to her about her inspiration, being a lady chef in a male-dominated kitchen and the divide between the pastry and the savoury.

What has fueled your creativity?

I have been cooking professionally for about five years. After school, one often thinks that you need to go to a University and get a degree. I decided to be a chef – and the best one that I can be. So once I made my mind, everything just fell into place.
Cooking comes to me naturally. My food is inspired from the produce that I see around me. I don’t like to work with too many ingredients but I try my best to come up with techniques that make it better. You don’t have to be extravagant to make something amazing. If we take the example of a stone fruit, it would be just as beautiful to taste as it is naturally, so that’s sort of where it starts. I take a lot of inspiration from my boss, Mark Best. He has mentored me for the last three years which has not only been amazing but influential as well.

Did you ever think it was risky honing your skills to be pâtissière in such a massive industry? Or was there a fall back option?

When I first started, I had a plan B but I never intended to take it. I am passionate about pastry and desserts and that’s what I love, so I don’t feel obliged to do more, to not beat up. There is no plan B. This is it. If I do this, I have to work hard and do it well. I could have decided to do anything, this is what I have picked and I am going to make it work.

Being a such a young chef in the kitchen, how do you make your stand in an otherwise dominating male and skillful set-up?

Being a young female has its set-backs. Women are a minority in the kitchen. People don’t take me seriously often. But they learn to not underestimate me. My boss is very respectful and I am the head chef. Kitchens work in a hierarchy. If they don’t listen, then they don’t stay. It is very much about respect as well. I think you have to be very head strong. And you have to believe in what you are doing and in yourself.

Kitchens work in a hierarchy. If they don’t listen, then they don’t stay.

This is a very male dominated field. It is a very intense environment with long hours. I think people believe that if you have family, you can’t do it. Women are considered to be very emotional. You can’t be overly emotional in a kitchen when you have to get your job done. So we get stereotyped. A chef is a chef, there is no female word for it. If you do your job well then it doesn’t matter. When you work hard in the kitchen, it is not about being one of the boys. I just have to be myself and they need to learn to respect that.

In the kitchen, is there a divide between the savoury and the pastry?

In restaurants, there is often a divide between the pastry and savoury. Personally, I feel that the gap is closing. When you look at patisserie around the world, there are some chefs that are given the highest accolades. Another thing is that most people fear pastry and think that this is really difficult. Programs like MasterChef helps in getting some respect for pastry chefs. I often get this: “Oh you are not a real chef”. I say no no, I am a chef. It is how you handle it. The fact that I was awarded shows that the gap is closing.

Given that you have achieved success at a such a young age, are you encouraging younger talent to do the same?

If people ask, I am happy to assist and help them. The most important thing for young chefs (so strange to call them that, since I myself am young) is that you need to be really enthusiastic, you really need to put your foot down in the kitchen. People will help you, they will train you, that’s the nature of being in hospitality. For Chefs, that’s our nature, we want to help people. We want to teach them.

Chef Lauren Eldridge was in New Delhi as a part of the Creative Services Support Group (CSSG) initiative.

‘Quality and consistency are the reasons that customers return’

Chef Tom Lawson is the co-owner and the Head Chef at Rafters in Sheffield, England. At the age of 23, he has many accolades to his credit including the 30 under 30 Acorn Award (2015) and Youngest Chef of the Year award by the Craft Guild (2014).

There is a lot on his plate as he dons the chef’s hat and also looks at the operational side. To get an overall understanding of all the nuances, right from cost to menu design and demand and supply dynamics.

What are the things that a newly opened restaurant should keep in mind?

The biggest thing that a restaurant needs to keep in mind is its target audience. Is there a real demand for what you want to offer? You can follow a current food trend with your menu but you need to identify if there is longevity in that. What’s trendy doesn’t necessarily mean that it will stay relevant for a sustainable period of time. Trends are often fueled by customer choices – which can be sticky or fleeting. If you feel you can’t sustain the current trend then try to see if you can re-invent it to give your customers something else that they would want. Also, always take into consideration the competitive landscape – two Italian restaurants next to each other is not the most wise decision. Stick to the skill but change the location for better business.

How can restaurants maintain cost efficiency with respect to demand and supply?

Micro management usually works best in this department. If its a lean day of business and your staff requirements are low, you need to order less food. If you are getting too busy that you are capping out every day, then put your prices up. You can increase turnover on fewer covers and then build the trade back up. We were full every Sunday and not charging a full GBP on roast beef. Instead, we put our prices up and lost 30% of our customers. We were taking the same money for less work. Then, once we built that trade up we were taking an additional 30% turnover whenever there was demand and people would pay for it.

How important is it to adopt simple techniques over complex cooking?

Every technique is important in its own way, but the thing that matters most is flavour. If the technique makes the ingredient really shine, then it doesn’t matter if its simple or complex, provided its cost efficient – after all, not everyone can afford a centrifuge in their kitchen!

Every technique is important in its own way, but the thing that matters most is flavour. If the technique makes the ingredient really shine, then it doesn’t matter if its simple or complex, provided its cost efficient – after all, not everyone can afford a centrifuge in their kitchen!

Why is it important to innovate the menu?

Customers tire of predictability. Yes, there will be some that will find comfort in familiarity and return for the same dish – but those customers are few and far between. Majority of customers want to see new things on the menu; however, this doesn’t mean that you can be random with your menu – it still needs to have a well thought through flow and structure.

Do you think there is a gastronomical shift happening for both customers as well as chefs?

Yes, the way people want to eat food is changing. They now expect some form of theatre at the table – things that they cannot achieve at home. With readily available good quality microwave meals filling the shelves of supermarkets it is allowing customers to think that they can just recreate what you get in a restaurant at home for a fraction of the price. So you have to be ahead of the game with it. Still give people an experience that exceeds what they can do themselves. There is also an influx of casual fine dining that is sweeping the country. Maybe fine dining is the wrong phrase because to me that is all encompassing – the table cloth, the napkins, the service and much more. What is important is the quality of the food and the consistency. That is the reason customers return.

How does customer relationship building help boost a restaurant business?

It helps build a restaurant business because you gain the customer’s trust which allows then to influence others through positive word-of-mouth. We look after our regular customers. If there is something they want that is not on the menu we will cook it for them. There is very little room for ego in this industry. Only a handful can have that, but look at the history of chefs – they either close their doors because people no longer want what they offer or they diversify what they are offering .

How would you summarize the current food trend in Europe?

There has been an upturn in restaurants serving food of a very high standard in a much more relaxed environment. The other thing I have seen is chefs cooking the food they want to cook because it reflects their personality on a plate. However, I often wonder – How sustainable is that? How many people can you get to trust you? Do customers really want a choice when they eat out?

When chefs decide to don a photographer’s hat

In the smartphone era, the scope of leveraging social media for personal and professional purposes has expanded and so has the fondness for food porn. As Instagram recently turned five, we took this opportunity to reveal how it has also changed the way people look at food – through filters and a square frame.

Many chefs now flaunt their skills and upload pictures of beautifully plated dishes, travel tales and sources of inspiration. Given the constant attention, we try to find out if the social media attention has brought a change in the concept of plating up food, does it act as an effective marketing tool and has it bridged the gap between the chef and the consumer.

The megapixel meals

Chefs, customers and critics have now started looking at food through the lens. The smartphone era has given a shot-in-the-arm to this practice and now the food has to not only appeal to the palate, but also add up to a pretty picture. “Food blogging started extensively around 2005-06 and now it has a defining influence on the industry. We used to have a secret code doing the rounds in the restaurant whenever a food critic or a blogger would come visiting – BFC (Big F**king Camera). In the smartphone era, even customers have started painfully documenting every single meal, which are then shared on their social media pages. So one needs to be considerate about what guests are experiencing,” says Chef Alex Sanchez from The Table, Mumbai.

But has it made the chefs more conscious about how they present food? “Presentation is definitely an important concept of dining. When you evolve as a chef, you make sure that the dishes are technically sound and the presentation is as natural as possible; because personally, I like food that is less played with,” says Chef Sanchez who has more than 5,000 followers on Instagram.

Author, TV show host and chef, Saransh Goila, adds that there is no room for error in the culinary world. “Just because people are now uploading pictures of dishes doesn’t mean that chefs were not careful about what went to the customer’s table in the good old days. So, to insinuate that social media is the reason behind neater and better presented food is grossly unfair.”

TV show host, food columnist and Chef, Ranveer Brar, who has more than 11,800 followers on Instagram seconds, “Chefs are always conscious. Picture or no picture, it doesn’t matter. The food must look and taste good.” He calls this an era of ‘instant gratification’. “I have to admit though that with immediate uploading and sharing, chefs have definitely become more enthusiastic about plating up.”

Chef Goila, who has around 6,900 followers on Instagram adds, “The concept of plating up has changed phenomenally in the last five years. Plates, cutlery and the drama grabs a lot of attention. Apart from taste, presentation also has a strong recall value. Be it chefs or amateur customers, everyone is more careful about clicking a picture the right way to make it look its best.”

One-click marketing tool called ‘upload’

While most accounts are personal, they have, by default, become a platform to spread the word about respective restaurants and grab people’s attention. Seeing what goes behind the kitchen has become a crowd puller which many use to their advantage for promotional purposes. “A study states that the brand recall value on Instagram is 45%, which is much higher compared to 20% on Facebook and 26% on Twitter. Every time you try to sell something on Instagram, the conversion is very high. When I was on my 10-city book tour, all my guests who contacted me through Instagram, were there to attend it. But we must take into consideration that not every chef is tech savvy. When it comes to a majority of restaurants, those who are deep into the kitchen are barely connected to the consumers. Mostly it is the people at the front desk who are handling these social media accounts. Thus the onus is on them to guide those working inside the kitchen basis the feedback and comments that they get.” says Goila.

“I never had an account on Instagram. But when I was suggested to open one, it was interesting to see the kind of engagement, feedback and comments that I got. Honestly, it eventually worked out as a very effective marketing tool. It was not an attempt to make it one,” says Sanchez. “Followers on my pages are often curious to find out more details of the dishes I photograph and try it out for themselves. It opens up a perfect window of opportunity to invite them over and get immediate feedback, which is a lot of interactive fun,” he adds.

Creating a consumer connect

The Instagram accounts of chefs are mostly a timeline of their journey, inspiration and experimentation. Today, an average foodie is quite intrusive about finding out the stories behind the dish served and the chef behind it. It has bridged a gap between the table and the kitchen which has led to revolutionizing the consumer connect aspect.

“My Instagram account is a personal one. It is about spontaneity and gives the people a peek into who the real Ranveer is. It helps them get an understanding about the my background and the influences and flavours in my food. Social media platforms have played an important role in reinventing the image of chefs from being the behind-the-curtain magic-workers to front-facing creators in the kitchen. This has made them more approachable, accessible and interactive,” says Chef Brar.

“It puts the customers in my shoes. They are excited to see what I get to eat as well – like burgers and sandwiches. It highlights me my food preferences and gives them a better understanding of the kind of chef I am. This platform is interactive and I mostly maintain a positive feedback on my pages (because you can delete the negative comments),” Chef Sanchez laughs. “It is a two-way street. It is no longer about hiring chefs who cook for people. Chefs are revolutionizing food and there is a dialogue on both sides. Social media platforms have helped in starting that dialogue,” he adds.

Chef Goila feels that every Instagram account has a character and tells a chef’s tale. “When I shared posts about my show ‘Sadak Chef’ which was about street food and traveling across India, it helped me to get my personality across to my followers. The audio and the visual has a much stronger impact now. On a personal level, my own posts sometimes help me chart my journey. I refer to them as a guide book to create dishes that I probably learnt at a point of time and cannot recollect anymore. The accounts give an identity to a chef as they have a character or a theme that they stick to.”

But there is a flip-side to it as well. “Unfortunately, social media doesn’t know where to draw the line. Every chef has been professionally trained for someone to challenge that. The task is now professional training vs. understanding. The entire joy of surprising the customer has gone away. Nothing is enough for them. People are ready to move on and do something new. Only few places like Indigo in Mumbai or the Big Chill Cafe in Delhi have the privilege of having the advantage of nostalgia; for everyone else, it is a tough task and they have to fight for the spot. Now chefs and restauranteurs are being forced to debate the social media vigilantes. While the pressure in the kitchen is more than enough, now there is an additional pressure of being scrutinized on social media platforms as well.”