Chef of the Week: Hugo Moran, Executive Chef at Sexy Fish in Miami
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I’ve been at my current restaurant, Sexy Fish Miami for two and a half years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion for cooking comes from watching my family always coming together for dinner. It doesn’t matter how busy any of us were, food would always bring us together.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Onion, garlic and butter.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
I wouldn’t be able to live without my knife.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I’m currently spotting a lot of pop-up restaurants.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
It’s really important to communicate with your team, I think this is often overlooked.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love the spring, there’s something magical and fresh about the beginning of seasons.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of our whole baby chicken with chickpeas and yuzu, it’s one of our signature dishes and a firm favourite with our guests.
How do you come up with new dishes?
We usually gather a meeting with our chefs and speak about the upcoming season and how best to celebrate seasonal ingredients.
Who was your greatest influence?
My father was certainly my greatest influence.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Bjoern Weissgerber, Raphael Duntoye and Pierre Koffmann.
What is your favourite cookbook?
The Silver Spoon.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Cristian Chirino and Robbie Felice.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Hiyakawa in Wynwood Miami.
Why are Top UK Restaurant Concepts Launching & flourishing in Miami?
It’s not called ‘The Magic City’ for nothing; the infrastructure continues to augment, moreover, investors and businesspeople are flocking to Miami in their droves, which means the economy and local restaurant scene is absolutely booming. New accommodation being constructed on a massive scale, means more restaurants and the UK seemingly has it covered!
There are a whopping 32 new restaurant openings planned over the next 2.5 years – 14 are already open and there have been only three closures – A far cry from the scenario back in Blighty.
Recent additions have included the launch of Tom Keller’s Bouchon in Coral Gables and Gordon Ramsay’s seventh location of Hell’s Kitchen in downtown Miami.
Ramsay has also just launched Lucky Cat, located in South Beach’s quaint South of Fifth neighbourhood.
The original Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay opened in 2019, and is located in the heart of Mayfair London, but Ramsay said he thought it was the most fitting of his concepts for Miami’s South Beach, that was until he launched Hell’s Kitchen last September.
Are we noticing a trend here? I think we most certainly are!
In a recent podcast for The Miami Guide, Kurt Zdesar, Founder of Chotto Matte said that Miami was the obvious choice for his first international venue. Originally launched in 2018, the restaurant was hampered by the pandemic, as was the case with the entire industry on a global level, however, Chotto Matte Miami has recently been relaunched and held a grand reopening last October.
The Chefs’ Forum’s Founder, Catherine Farinha recently visited Miami and took the opportunity to visit both Chotto Matte and Sexy Fish and caught up with the chefs on the cultural nuances and comparison of diversification in launching an existing restaurant concept from the UK in Miami.
First up was a lovely meeting at Chotto Matte with Head Chef Jorge Echeverry
“We pride ourselves on using locally-sourced seasonal, organic ingredients and produce wherever possible” said Echeverry – “It is really important that our menu is clean, healthy and fresh – We have a strict ban on any MSG, or GMO being used in our kitchens across all six Chotto Matte sites in Canada, America, Middle East and the UK.
“We’ve had a great festive season so far and I’m delighted to say that we’ve been very busy indeed, which is fantastic to see – Last week was Art Basel (North America’s most comprehensive international contemporary art fair) and we were packed every night. As you can see from the Tokyo-Meets-Miami interior design and striking murals that adorn the walls, we have a genuine connection to art and this is communicated through every dish we plate. We celebrated the prestigious art fair with live art throughout the week, featuring artists we work with on-going, also introducing new artists.”
“We have created a fantastic menu of innovative Nikkei cuisine – A fusion of Japanese and Peruvian flavours and it has proven as popular here in Miami as in London with our two sister sites in Soho and Marylebone.
“ We have a whole range of tempura, delicious meats cooked on the robata grill and mouth-watering , eye-catching sushi dishes, all designed by our brilliant Group Executive Chef, Jordan Sclare. Kurt and Jordan travelled from Japan to Peru, meeting local chefs and learning traditional techniques, which makes for a really authentic and vibrant menu. It’s great to have The Chefs’ Forum here today to show them the venue and give them a taste of the Chotto Matte Miami menu.”
It would have been rude not to have stayed to try some of Jorge’s food, as it was now 6pm, so we plumped for the Nikkei Menu II, which had lots of our Chotto favourites in the line-up:
- Shishito Peppers
- Tuna Tataki
- Salmon Tostada
- Chotto Ceviche
- Sato Maki
- Salt & Pepper Crispy Squid
- Asado De Tira
- Pollo den Miso
- Chef’s Choice Dessert – In this case Mochi and lovely chocolate treats!
We had a wonderful dinner at Chotto Matte Miami and really enjoyed meeting the team and sampling the delicious tasting menu available at just $90.00 per person.
Sexy Fish another concept first launched in the UK opened in Miami in Feb 2022, two years after its scheduled 2020 opening due to the pandemic.
Just like its UK counterpart, it serves a Japanese-influenced menu created by Bjoern Weissgerber who also helped lead the kitchen at Zuma Miami, another British restaurant concept that has flourished in Miami.
Sexy Fish is the brainchild of Richard Caring, a British businessman and restauranteur, who owns many of London’s most celebrated restaurants, including 34 Mayfair, Scott’s and The Ivy. He’s also behind the globally renowned private members’ club Annabel’s and is a major shareholder in the Soho House Group.
A sit down and chat with Executive Chef Hugo Moran, revealed that he had in fact assisted with the launch of Zuma in Miami back in 2010 (under the same Group Exec, Bjoern Weissergerber), so this wasn’t the first time he had worked with a globalisation-specialist culinary team in taking a UK concept to Miami or vice versa in assisting with the opening of Oblix Restaurant in London.
With lived experience of doing the same job for the group in both cities, Hugo was very well-placed to help with this feature on launching UK restaurant concepts in Miami.
Hugo said
“I am really grateful to Zuma, Sexy Fish and also my constant Group Executive Chef throughout, Bjoern Weissergerber for giving me the opportunity to work around the world. I think it’s incredibly important for any young chef to experience working in different countries. We have been working with the Miami Dade Culinary College to recruit for our kitchens and are all about supporting the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals – We have a young, energetic and passionate team here and I’m delighted that everyone works extremely well together.”
Originally hailing from Miami, Hugo has a great knowledge of local suppliers and chef talent, but that wasn’t the same when he travelled across the pond to open Oblix with Bjoern. He said that he found it quite a challenge when the situation was reversed, but found the experience extremely valuable indeed.
“In America, everything has to be bigger, we have our global brand standards, but our steaks have to be bigger here in Miami! There are distinct differences in the Miami customer, versus the London customer which are vast, but both share a clear appreciation for the Sexy Fish brand and the immersive experience offered in dining with us – In Miami, size matters… so big steaks it is! We use a lot of Australian beef and lamb – We just love the quality. I’m really lucky in that I have a full brigade here in Miami and our retention rate is great. There is a lot of competition locally, but when your team stays, you know you’re doing something right.”
We were treated to a fabulous selection of signature dishes from the seasonal ‘Sexy Fishmas’ menu.
What we sampled:
- Salmon Tartare
- Burrata Kimchi and prawn crackers
- Rispy pink shrimp and yuzu mayo
- Tuna Belly Kombu Grilled & Smoked
- Wagyu Foie Gras & Truffle
- Whole baby chicken & Yuzu
- Prime spicy beef tenderloin
- Green Asparagus
- Grilled Brocolini Spicy Miso Quinoa
Our dessert was a beautiful platter of ‘Fishmas’ delights, available now across all four sites of Sexy Fish (showcasing the very best in chocolate and sugar art, featuring a Christmas Tree made from white chocolate and wasabi cream, with a raspberry compote centre, sprayed and decorated with stars and pears to resemble a Christmas tree, along with a reindeer made of gluten free chocolate sponge with coffee and milk chocolate whipped ganache with roasted macadamias and a salted caramel centre.
Another delicious element is the Christmas Bauble, made from a white chocolate shell, filled with strawberry and lime gel, macerated strawberries, topped with vanilla cheesecake and finished with milk crumbs, strawberry crisps, snowman pavlova, sugar snowflakes and crystallised ginger.
The bauble is covered with a semi-transparent sugar glass and finished with a golden chocolate sea creature on top – This is the ultimate in Christmas indulgence and lovely to share as a family or group as we did.
All dishes sampled, including the show-stopping Fishmas Dessert Platter are available across the four Sexy Fish sites, come January The Chefs’ Forum Team will have visited three so far – Miami, Manchester and London!
Our time in Miami was wonderful and it was lovely to see UK concepts thriving in this wonderful, magical city, where style and cool come as standard and nothing is ever too chic or flamboyant. To celebrate our trip, we will be featuring both Jorge and Hugo as Chef of the Week, so keep your eyes peeled and enjoy learning more about them both!
Any chefs interested in learning more about global career opportunities with either Chotto Matte or Sexy Fish should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Photography by Carlos Farinha
Chef of the Week: Dan Andree, Head Chef at Beach House in Oxwich, Wales
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
4 years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I’m not sure I’ve just always enjoyed food, but I studied at Bournemouth and Poole college.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Being able to turn your imagination into a creation.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Butter, rosemary and garlic.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
The dishwasher.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Patience.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring, because everywhere starts to wake up from the cold of winter.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
My answer to this one changes every time!
How do you come up with new dishes?
It can be as simple as reading something or driving past a woodland! Just one little idea can lead to amazing dishes.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Curtis Duffy, Grant Achatz and Dominique Crenn.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Cooking – Alinea.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Tom Hilton.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Penmaenuchaf Dolgellau.
Food Standards Agency Calls for Allergy Information to be Published on Menus
Restaurants should be forced to publish allergy information on menus, according to The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and is putting its weight behind calls for ‘Owen’s Law’ to be introduced.
18 year old Owen Carey suffered an anaphylactic shock after eating chicken containing buttermilk in 2017. The family had told the restaurant staff, where they were celebrating Owen’s birthday, that he was allergic to dairy and are now demanding the change in the law.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “Our work with the NHS for the forthcoming publication, The NHS Chefs’ Knowledge has highlighted allergy awareness in hospitals and we are keen to promote that further. It’s clear that allergies are increasing and something needs to be done to protect the growing number of people who suffer.”
The NHS is proud to be working with Tanya Laperouse, mother of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after she ate an artichoke, olive, and tapenade baguette from a Pret a Manger store at Heathrow Airport in July 2016.
Natasha bought the innocuous-sounding baguette from the Pret store at Heathrow, unaware that it contained sesame seeds and subsequently had a severe allergic reaction within minutes of her flight taking off for Nice.
Despite her father administering two Epi-pens on her, Natasha had several cardiac arrests during the flight and died later that day at a French hospital. This story cannot be told often enough. If you don’t think food allergies are serious then you are very much mistaken.
Too many people are scared to eat out or on the go. That might sound ridiculous but, sadly, it’s true.
Food allergies are real and they are growing. This is not the space to discuss why they are growing. Instead, it’s enough to impress on chefs working in both healthcare and hospitality sectors that allergies exist and need to be taken seriously.
Natasha’s Law concerns labelling. If you prepare food on the premises and you then package it for sale then you must, by law, list all ingredients and highlight any of the 14 major allergens it may contain.
Now, Owen’s Law will serve to do the same in restaurant menus and we very much look forward to reporting ongoing progress made with this fantastic initiative.
The 2024 Student Pastry Chef of the Year is Open for Entries!
Now in its fourth year The Chefs’ Forum Student Pastry Competition of the Year 2024 is open for entries and welcomes applications from students and apprentices currently studying a hospitality and catering course or apprenticeship in the UK.
The competition showcases the great student and apprentice talent within the UK’s colleges, learning providers and universities. At the same time it also advertises the tremendous opportunities currently on offer in the pastry sector across the country and abroad.
To enter we require a CV, 3 photos of either plated desserts, cakes and/or decorative items and a description outlining why you wish to enter the competition (This could be presented as a short video or in writing).
The 12 top pastry chefs judging the final will be:
- Michael Kwan – Executive Pastry Chef at The Dorchester and UK Pastry Team
- Michael D’Angelo – Head Pastry Chef at Louie London
- Franciane Tartari – Executive Pastry Chef at 1 Hotels
- Enrico Carloni – Head Pastry Chef at The Peninsula
- Biju Joshwa – Executive Pastry Chef at Sheraton Grand Park Lane
- Nelson Sa – Executive Pastry Chef at South Place
- Thibault Hauchard – Executive Pastry Chef at Claridge’s
- Benoit Blin – Executive Pastry Chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons/Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
- Ross Sneddon – Executive Pastry Chef at The Balmoral
- Bobby Singer – Executive Pastry Chef at Duck & Waffle and SushiSamba
- Daniel Pearse – Executive Pastry Chef at Rhubarb
- Mauro Di Lieto – The Landmark/Winner Bake Off: The Professionals 2023
Please note: This competition is open to all students and apprentices, regardless of age, currently enrolled on a culinary/hospitality and catering course or apprenticeship in the UK.
Franciane Tartari, lead judge said of this year’s winner: “This year we set a high bar for the students, and they really delivered. Kai Whittaker’s rum baba was a real demonstration of skill and showed why it is so important to study the craft of pastry. Every element of his dish was perfect, and he was a worthy winner in a strong field.”
Take look at this year’s final:
We look forward to seeing your name in lights as the competition progresses!
For more information and entry details please email alexandra@redcherry.uk.com
Jupiter Lights It Up at West London College
Jupiter Humphrey Bishop is proof that if you set your mind to something you can achieve it. The 2023 winner of The Gold Service Scholarship gave a talk to West London College students recently as part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy.
“I started out studying to be a chef at Eastbourne College,” Jupiter told students. “But, during a work placement experience at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne I started to see that front of house was just as interesting as the kitchen. My friends all chose to do work placement in a fun cafe. I thought I needed to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone and so I chose The Grand. I loved it. I absolutely loved it.
“After my time at college they offered me a job and I took it. Now, years later, I am incredibly lucky to have won The Gold Service Scholarship and my life this year, since winning, has been a roller coaster of experiences and public speaking – and it hasn’t finished yet!
“It’s a real privilege to talk to college students about hospitality. It wasn’t that long ago that I would have been sitting in the audience. My goal is to try to explain that I set out with a goal in mind. I liken it to going to the supermarket. If you go shopping without a list then you will wander round the aisles just looking before you make a choice. You might or might not get what you want. But, if you make a list before you go then you will, invariably, find what you are looking for. That’s what I did with my career choices. I decided I was going to see where I could go in the hospitality industry and at every stage I chose to go beyond what I thought I was capable of.
“I later worked at the world-famous Cliveden House in Berkshire as Head Waiter and then I applied to The Royal Household which I thought was a jump too far but was accepted and the rest is history.
“I entered The Gold Service Scholarship on the advice of my peers in The Royal Household and I am so grateful for their support and guidance. Now, I’m on a steep learning curve and so much is coming my way. I’m keen to inspire all young people that hospitality is a rewarding career and if you set your sights high you can achieve anything.
“Part of my prize for winning are some incredible experiences. I’ve been to Champagne to Laurent Perrier. I’ve been to Bangkok to the Mandarin Oriental and I’m about to go to Switzerland to study in Lausanne at a top hotel school. Then it’s off to Portugal to learn about port at Graham’s.
“My job at The Royal Household is as a footman and this means I am working on huge state occasions such as state visits and I’ve already experienced a coronation and a state funeral as well as a garden party.
“There is so much to learn and I’ve also been accepted into the Institute of Hospitality and am serving on the Youth Committee. Seriously, if I can do it… you can too! Aim high, make a list and go for it.”
Looking Forward to 2024
Focus Group. Chefs’ Lunches. Solus Lunches. Market Challenge. Taster Days. Student Pastry Chef of the Year Competition. Employer Showcase. These are the words that sum up our big 2024 following on from the ground-breaking work we did in 2023.
Our incredibly popular regional lunches are expanding next year in so many different directions. College students continue to be a big part of our calendar with our market challenge coming to Birmingham and Taster Days happening at our Academies as well as the fourth Student Pastry Chef of the Year final at West London College in May.
We’ll be continuing our international work, too, with focus events and lunches for Aussie Beef & Lamb in the diary. However, perhaps the biggest growth area for The Chefs’ Forum are the employer showcase partnerships that we are conducting with larger groups.
Next year we are working with Brownsword Hotels across their estate with a fantastic event being held at The Bath Priory in April. We took the opportunity last week to visit Jauca and his team to plan a Chefs’ Lunch showcasing chefs from the group, including Nicholas Chappell (Slaughters Manor), Mark Potts (Buckland Manor), Paul Peters (Amberley Castle) and Jauca Catalin (The Bath Priory).
While we were there, we were treated to a fabulous festive tasting menu and we simply had to capture it all on camera to give you a taste of things to come.
What did we eat?
Tart
Tartlet of Quail Eggs – Braised Onion – Shimeji Mushrooms – Winter Truffle
Scallop
Orkney Scallop – Salt Baked Celeriac – Soy & Truffle Vinaigrette – Wiltshire Truffle – Chicken Vanilla Split Jus
Pigeon
Royal Squab Pigeon Breast – Braised Chicory – Tamarillo – Madeira Jus
Turbot
Cornish Wild Turbot – Shellfish Mousse – Squid Ink – Sea Vegetables – Razor Clams – Miso Sauce
Beef
Dry Aged Fillet of Beef – Smoked Brisket – Salsify – Lovage – Red Wine Reduction
Chocolate
Valrhona Gianduja Dark Hazelnut Chocolate – Butterscotch – Passion Fruit
Soufflé
Apple & Blackberries Soufflé – Cinnamon Ice Cream – Blackberry Sauce
Full details of next years events will be published soon. So, get your diaries out. These are the events we have planned, so far…
- Monday 5th February – Dorset & Hampshire Lunch at Chewton Glen
- Tuesday 12th March – Aussie Beef & Lamb Focus Day for Asian Kitchens at South & City College Birmingham
- Monday 18th March – Bristol Lunch at The Bristol Beacon
- Monday 22nd April – Cotswolds & Bath Lunch at The Bath Priory
- Wednesday 8th May – Aussie Beef & Lamb Focus Day for Mid-range/casual dining at West London College
- Tuesday 14th May – Student Pastry Chef of the Year Final at West London College
- Monday 20th May – Birmingham & Midlands event – Afternoon tea and tour at World of Wedgwood
- Wednesday 22nd May – Aussie Beef & Lamb Focus Day for Fine Dining at West London College
- Monday 10th June – Aussie Beef & Lamb Lunch at City of Bristol College
- Monday 17th June – Aussie Beef & Lamb Lunch at Temper (London)
- Monday 16th September – Kent & Sussex Lunch at The Cave Hotel
- Monday 4th November – Cornwall Lunch at Mullion Cove Hotel & Spa
- Monday 11th November – Devon Lunch at Courtyard by Marriott Exeter
If you would like to attend any of these events please email brogen@redcherry.uk.com
We’re very much looking to seeing you in 2024!
Tom Hamblet Wins MasterChef: The Professionals 2023
Tom Hamblet, 24, Sous Chef at South Lodge Hotel in Sussex has won MasterChef: The Professionals 2023. In the final he beat Kasae Fraser, head chef at Robun in Bath and Tommy Thorn the former head chef of Ethicurean in Bristol.
Unusually, Tom works under his father, Lewis at South Lodge where Hamblet senior has been Executive Chef for the last 25 years. His mother Haley is a pastry chef at the Sussex hotel.
On winning Hamblet said: “I’m lost for words. It’s been such a good experience. I’ve done it! The trophy’s here. I’m holding it! I couldn’t be happier right now. I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”
He later told The Caterer: “Entering MasterChef was something I was very reluctant to do as it’s such a risk, but I’m obviously glad I did now, it was such an eye-opening experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learnt a lot about myself and what I’m capable of.”
He said of his parents: “It’s really nice to hear how proud they are. It’s a big moment for me and them.”
Tom’s winning menu started with a poached native lobster tail with blanched red and yellow cherry tomatoes, filled with lobster claw meat in a lobster and chilli oil, topped with a lemon verbena gel, courgette balls and a creamy lobster and tomato sauce Américaine.
The main was seared beef fillet on a bed of pan-fried oyster mushrooms, served with braised beef cheek wrapped in brick pastry, topped with a poached oyster, a lovage emulsion, salsify, beef and red wine sauce and a beef and oyster tartare.
To finish the young chef served an olive oil sponge filled with an olive oil jam, topped with a set lemon curd, crème fraiche cream, fennel tops and a fennel pollen tuille, served with a fennel seed ice cream.
Chef of the Week: Mauro Di Lieto, Executive Pastry Chef at The Landmark and Bake Off: The Professionals Winner 2023
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been the head of pastry kitchen at the Landmark London Hotel since April 2019.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Passion for baking for me is a family tradition: My parents owned an ice cream and cake shop. I grew up helping them to cut fruit, fill choux buns, clean baking trays. I learnt my basic skills there, watching the pastry chefs working in our kitchen. I perfected my skills in the famous pastry school CAST Alimenti, traveling around Italy and working with several great Italian chefs like Inginio Massari, Leonardo Di carlo, Emmanuele Forcone and Davide Comaschi.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
My favourite part of the job is creating new desserts. Matching the ingredients creatively, finding the perfect balance, exciting textures and temperatures.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
I love pears, you can always find them in my menus. I also like pistachios, preferably from Sicily. I’m also a huge fan of star anise, especially when poaching fruits, or infusing milk for custards.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
At the moment, my favourite piece of equipment is the spinner: I use it for our afternoon tea pastries, for decorating our plates in the Winter Garden restaurant and for our baked Alaska signature dessert on our banqueting menu.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Having just opened our pastry shop, I had the opportunity to play with more creative Viennoiserie. I made a new version of croissants, called a “broissant” inspired by (combining brioche- the Italian version of a croissant- and a French croissant). It has a more elegant presentation, with more colour and exciting flavours.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
The biggest mistake a chef can do is to forget the customer and cook only to satisfy his or her own ego. It’s important to remember what guests expect from their meal: they would like a delightful experience not a technical masterpiece. To appreciate what they are eating, they need to understand it. It’s our mission to make our food exciting, nicely presented, clear with recognisable flavours and enjoyable textures.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love Christmas time and the traditional Italian pastries that come with it: panettone, pan d’oro and mustaccioli, which is a typical south Italian spiced biscuit.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
My last signature dish was inspired by one of my Bake off: The Professionals challenges. It’s a dark chocolate and black truffle mousse, with a pecan and coffee dacquoise, pear and vanilla compote, pear and limoncello sorbet. It’s one of the most intricate and interesting mixes of flavours I have ever made. With proper balance, it yielded extraordinary results – and a win at bake off!
How do you come up with new dishes?
I always apply the rule I’ve learned from one of my favourite pastry chefs Gianluca Fusto: 3 flavours, 3 textures. When I find the 3 seasonal ingredients I want to use, I think about how to balance them. In the end I take care of the presentation.
Who was your greatest influence?
I’m inspired by the great Italian pastry chefs. Iginio Massari, the godfather of the Italian“pasticceria”. His style is very classical and reminds me to remember and celebrate my Italian heritage. Gianluca Fusto, the modern side of the Italian pastry culture. Creative and respectful of the fresh ingredients.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Markus Bohr, executive pastry chef at Harrods. The level of perfection he achieved at the pastry counter, in the chocolate room and in all their outlets, together with his team, is pure poetry. Martin Chiffers, international pastry consultant. I was lucky to work with him and he is an institution for the British pastry arts. He is a living pastry encyclopaedia, ever in evolution. And a man with a big heart. Nicolas Rouzaud, executive pastry chef at The Connaught. In my opinion, his pastry kitchen is the best in London. Nice desserts, nice afternoon tea and an impeccable counter in their pastry shop.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Tradizione in evoluzione” by Leonardo di Carlo. A 1000-page book, all the pastry art in one book, complete with theory, methods and recipes. Every Italian pastry chef keeps a copy in their locker.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Phil Khoury, without a doubt. After he published his book about plant-based desserts, he is being very active. Plant based is the future and he is well positioned to be the pioneer and drive the revolution.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Not really into new restaurants, but I love to go to bakeries when I am off. I am excited to see the chain “buns from home” doing so many new openings. The product and the concept are fantastic, simple but inventive for a very reasonable price!
Brinda Delights at City of Bristol College
The Chefs’ Forum were delighted to be at a special evening at City of Bristol College last night (30) November, to taste the wonders of Brinda’s Mauritian Delights.
Local chef, Brinda Bungaroo is well known for her blog and social media channels where she cooks for from her native Mauritius.
The Gourmet Evening, held in the The City Restaurant (College Green Campus) was an opportunity for catering students to get a valuable introduction to the food of Mauritius where Brinda grew up and was inspired by her parents and the local cuisine.
Brinda said
“I love cooking with the students, its so very rewarding seeing how much they enjoy these guest chef evenings and it’s great to see how supportive the lecturers are of the students. It was great that we had a full house last evening and loads of positive feedback – I can’t wait for the next one.”
In simple terms, Mauritian cuisine is a hybrid of Chinese and French styles with both cultures playing a part of the history of the island (which is located in the Indian Ocean not far from Madagascar and The Seychelles).
Lola Spurrell
Desmond Smith, Restaurant Manager welcomed the guests and thanked them for the support he said
“Without customers support in attending these dinners, the students can’t practice and develop their skills to make them industry-ready, gaining valuable function experience.”
Lola Spurrell, L2 Professional Food and Beverage student was dedicated to serving The Chefs’ Forum’s table, she said
“I really look forward to these events, its so lovely to talk to the guests and meet so many different chefs cooking various cuisine types. I am currently working at Bristol Airport in Brig & Stow, as a bar attendant and waitress and being able to hone my skills at guest chef evenings like this, really helps me with my job outside of college.”
Guests ate:
- Prawn crackers
Bao bun- Rouleau du Printemps (vegetable spring roll)
- Goujon du poison Chinois (fish goujon)
- Gato Arouille (Taro fritters)
Followed by sharing dishes of
- Poulet ek la sauce l’ail
- Chicken in garlic and Asian sauce
- Poison aigre doux (sweet and sour fish)
These were both served with egg and vegetable fried rice and stir fried bok choi.
Catherine Farinha, Director of the Chefs’ Forum, said: “What a brilliant evening with delicious food from Brinda and the students, overseen by Chef Lecturer Ryan Fernandes and excellent service from Lola and the excellent front of house team, headed-up by Desmond Smith. Mauritian cuisine is so unique and it was a triumph and a great experience for the students. Hats-off to City of Bristol College for organising using such a memorable evening.”
Gourmet dinners at City of Bristol College are a four-course set menu planned by guest professional chefs. Dishes are produced by the catering students under the watchful eye of the guest and lecturer chefs, who offer advice and guidance to help them hone and develop their skills.
The final gourmet evening of the year will be held on 9 June with Chef, Author and Presenter, Romy Gill MBE. Call 0117 312 2712 to book your table!
Photography: Carlos Farinha
