The first female Iron Chef and global restauranteur reveals her recipe for success in the kitchen, at home and on reality TV.
The first female Iron Chef and global restauranteur reveals her recipe for success in the kitchen, at home and on reality TV.
SENSORIALLY SPEAKING.
A big part of a tea’s seductiveness is its aroma; sometimes all one needs is a whiff of a good brew to soothe the senses. Made using over six kilos of tea per piece, TWG Tea’s new range of candles ensure that you not only drink your tea, but infuse your home with it too. Featuring the evocative scents of five tea blends, these olfactory indulgences make perfect gifts this Christmas.
TIME TO FEAST
’Tis the season to be jolly… And to eat to your heart’s content. At Pan Pacific Singapore, holiday dining spans traditional Christmas brunch and dinner, to eastern delights from restaurants Keyaki and Hai Tien Lo. Alternatively, you can take home one of the standout holiday centrepieces from Pacific Marketplace, like the novel Coconut, Honey and Cinnamon Ham or the Manjari Dark Chocolate Mousse Log Cake.
What’s the most pressurising situation you’ve been in?
It has to be cooking in France when I was apprenticing as a young chef; being the only woman in three-Michelin-starred restaurants really built my toughness and thickness of skin. Training in some of the hardest kitchens in the world prepared me for another equally pressurising experience—being on Iron Chef.
Do you think gender really plays a part in the kitchen?
It doesn’t have to; at the end of the day, it’s up to the individual to handle the heat. I don’t know what it was in me—a fire, a burning desire—that fuelled me to be the best chef I could be. And my parents instilled in me that I could do anything, to be unafraid to achieve my goals. If women want to take on this industry, they have to not think about themselves as female at all—they have to be completely genderless, and fearless.
What’s keeping you most busy now?
I’ve a couple of new projects in the US: I just opened a new airport restaurant in Atlanta, a gastro pub in Detroit, and am about to open a craft burger place in Santa Barbara. Then, I have Ocean Restaurant in Singapore, which is the highest-end restaurant I’m part of. I’m really proud of the creativity, talent and quality that’s coming out of the kitchen. I also just wrapped filming for a new TV show in LA, My Kitchen Rules by Fox. It’s the LA version of the top-rated show from Australia, and ours sees us going into the homes of celebrities, where they compete to see who can throw the better dinner party. There’s lots of food, celebrity fights, an almost voyeuristic view into their homes, and tough competition— it’s a recipe for TV success.
What are your kitchen rules?
It’s easier said than done, but my number one rule is to always enjoy [the process]. Like if I’m hosting a dinner party, I make sure to prep as much as I can ahead so that I can actually savour the moment. Flavour-wise, keep things simple but always make sure to have good heat, acidity and spices to create bold-tasting dishes. Cooking should be happy and delicious, and be the opposite of stressful—I cook a lot at home with my kids, and that quality family time really helps us bond; and me, to decompress.
How do you juggle it all?
The great thing about being a chef is that early on in your career, you learn how to be an insane multi-tasker. It’s one of the biggest skills I’ve honed over the years, to juggle 20 things at once. It’s really a mental game, because if you tell yourself you’re overwhelmed, then you’ll feel it. I wake up and tell myself positive thoughts, and by setting the right attitude, you can be as productive as you can possibly be. I am an eternal optimist.
