The culinary king who works at Sayad, Emirates Palace, won TOAD’s Young Chef of the Year competition last week.
First of all, congratulations! How did you feel just before they announced your name as the winner?
Thank you! We were all still [buzzing] after serving our last course! I was happy because nothing went wrong, so I was hopeful I’d win. When it came down to our team and the Shangri-La’s, I was nervous but I was very hopeful. And as soon as I heard my name, I was beyond excited and happy – it was an incredible feeling!
Your dishes were excellent, was there a particular one you were worried about?
The beef cheeks appetiser. The quality of the beef we got in the box is not what I normally cook with; it’s a very delicate procedure to cook it just right but thankfully it turned out as I planned.
Who was the first person you called after winning?
I called my wife back in India. It was around 10pm here and it was quite late there, but she stayed up waiting for the result, so that was a very happy phone call. She started crying and we were both really pleased.
How did you deal with the stress of cooking in front of judges and critics?
Live cooking doesn’t stress me out. What worried me was that I was out of town and I had only returned two days before the competition, so we had a lot to prepare. However, I love cooking so much that when the time came to do it, I just focused on the task and enjoyed myself.
Your team seemed so happy for you, are you all close?
Yes, we are all very close! I couldn’t have done it without them, especially with all the preparations we had to do before the competition. And when we won we were all hugging – everyone was happy!
Was there any tension in the kitchen between the teams?
Everyone was focusing on their work. Cyril Calmet [this year’s runner-up] from the Shangri-La Hotel and I were sharing a station and we spoke a bit. But the mood was good and we all concentrated on our food.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to take part next year?
Preparation is very important. This event is prestigious and the competition is extremely tough. All the chefs are excellent so don’t underestimate them. You have to be organised and you definitely need to practise a lot. But you should also enjoy yourself during the night.
Sayad, Emirates Palace (02 690 9000). Go to www.timeoutabudhabi.com for more on Young Chef 2013.
