I must admit that I had no idea who Chef Geoffrey Zakarian was, except that he was supposedly the winner of Food Network's "The Next Iron Chef" (Season 4). But even that show did not ring a bell to me. Sorry, not the biggest fan of cooking.
When I was invited to have an exclusive phone interview with him, I thought it was interesting. It was 8pm in Manila, 7am in New York, where he is based. I was expecting a diva, someone who has an attitude. Fortunately, I was disappointed.
.jpg)
Chef Geoffrey will be coming to Manila for the first time on March 20, to spearhead a 5-course dinner as part of Feast of Colours, a dinner gala that benefits the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF). The event is being presented by Cignal and Colours.
During our conversation, the chef said that while he hasn't been to the Philippines, he has had the opportunity to work with several Filipinos. One of the Filipina he met actually taught him how to cook adobo. Since then, he has experimented with the dish using different vinegars (and a bit of coriander, too). Wonder how that tastes!
“Cooking starts with understanding what it is you want to make. You look at your repertoire, you see what people like, what needs to be modified. I've been doing this for so long, it's second nature to me,” he told me on the phone.
I appreciate the fact that we was very open discussing how his diet is on a normal day. Apparently, he eats just about anything in moderation. If he wants pizza or burger, he'll either go to his favorite restaurants or he'll make it himself. He could whip up ice cream, too, so dessert was never a probem.
“What I don't eat is fastfood. I never had. I live healthy, s everything fresh, I eat. I don't eat processed or fried food. Grilled meat and fish are preferred,” he said.
He even dished out on the contents of his fridge at home. In there are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; coconut water; cheeses; some fish; and lots of fresh farm eggs. He was delighted when I told him there are lots of fresh coconuts here.
Before winning the cooking show “The Next Iron Chef” (Season 4), Chef Geoffrey had already established himself as one of the most creative chefs in the world. His passion for fine cuisine started at Le Cirque, where in just a few years, he worked his way up from Pastry Sous Chef to Chef de Cuisine.
Over the years, he had made the rounds in various prestigious establishments like the legendary 21Club, 44 at the Royalton Hotel, and the Blue Door at the Delano Hotel in Miami. But it wasn't until 2001 when the chef opened his first restaurant, Town. Then came, Country, that paired the Chef’s passion for quality food and wine. He had since opened several other food establishments—The Lambs Club; The National; and Gastro-Café, House.
“I had to learn the art of running a business—marketing, branding. It gets pretty challenging when you have a brand. You have to reach out and connect with lots of people. But when you see that everything is going smoothly, you feel a certain kind of pride and happiness,” he said.
It isn't always gourmet day for the chef. He still goes out all the time. First because he loves doing so. Secondly, because, as ca chef, he understands he needs to see restaurants from the dining room perspective—not just from the kitchen.
Chef Geoffrey said: “Over the course of the year, as I've gotten older and wiser, I've tried to keep the ingredients I use in the things I prepare as simple as possible. I think we're gonna see lots of classics come back—classics being reinvented.”
I can't say I know Chef Geoffrey very well, based on the 15 minutes we talked. But now I have a rather solid idea about him and his amazing talents. I do look forward to seeing him in person when he does arrive in Manila. Until then, chao! :)
Feast of Colours dinner gala tickets are available online at www.ticketnet.com.ph (or at any Ticketnet outlet). For more info, call 911-5555.
No comments:
Post a Comment