Which chef has had the most influence on you? 'When I went to work for Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, I had worked with Marco Pierre White and [Raymond Blanc] at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons [in Oxfordshire, England], but it was like starting again from fresh. [Gagnaire's] style, mentality and approach to cuisine had the strongest impact. In England, it felt very confined - if you work in a Michelin three-star restaurant [the food] has to be a certain way, there are rules. But going to Pierre Gagnaire and seeing it - it's like jazz, the ebb and flow of the cuisine is not confined, it was liberating. I took it to heart that there don't have to be rules - we impose them on ourselves. I think there's an influence about not having to confine yourself to French cuisine or Asian cuisine - you can utilise different techniques and flavours and meld them into something that's your own.'
How did you decide to become a chef? 'My father was in the British military and wanted me to follow in his footsteps. When I was 15, I went down to the recruitment office. It got to the point where they said, 'Here's the initial contract - it's for six years.' And I said, 'Six years, I'll be 21 by the time I get out - I'll be ancient!' Chinatown in London is how I learned to love food. Chinese food is the cornerstone of cuisine in my life. I grew up directly opposite Chinatown. I saw the Peking ducks in the window, the dim sum, the fishmonger where they had live fish. I was a kid, it stuck in my mind. So, when I was 15, I said, 'No [to the army]; I like cooking, I cook at home a little bit - it could be a good career.''
What inspired your promotional dishes for the Mandarin Grill (no longer available)? 'The dishes we do here are based on what we do at Corton [in New York]. I originally wanted to do veal because we do veal and tuna, but I was told that in Hong Kong, beef would be better, so we changed it to beef and tuna. The foie gras dish is one we've done successfully before. The kam-pachi dish is very tasty - I wanted something that's light and simple. You have amazing ingredients in Hong Kong.'
What advice do you give to young cooks in your kitchen? 'I work so closely with them that they don't see me as the chef; I'm more like a big brother. I say, 'You're 28 now, but let me tell you, when you turn 30, the knees start to hurt, you get grey hairs in places you never thought you'd get grey hair, you start to think a little more about life. And it comes quick. When you're young you're impatient because you want to get older. And when you're older, you think, 'I wish I had another couple of years.' Especially in the kitchen. Most chefs, as they get older, they let the kids run [the kitchen] but I'm still there. I should employ a chef de cuisine, I should be able to step back and enjoy it, but I can't.'
Would you like to open another restaurant? 'I'm not just saying it because I'm here now, but I would love to have a restaurant in Hong Kong. It's formerly British so there's a lot of similarities, but at the same time it's different. Hong Kong is the place where I would die to open a restaurant. Out of anywhere in China, Hong Kong is special, it's great. Gray Kunz opened here, Pierre opened here. There's room for chefs to come here and do something. It's such an international city, like New York. There's space for some really big restaurants.'
