Chef of the Week: Dominik Bando, Sous Chef at The Grafton, London

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
5 years.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My best friend taught me to cook at her restaurant.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Cheese, meat and tomatoes.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My knives.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Coming back to simplicity.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Letting themselves be overloaded with work.

What is your favourite time of year for food?
Christmas.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Pizza!

How do you come up with new dishes?
Random, usually something just clicks.

Who was your greatest influence?
My friend who taught me how to cook.

Tell us three chefs you admire.
Marco Pierre White, Robert Makłowicz and Piotr Ogiński.

What is your favourite cookbook?
Many, I do not have favourite one.

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Do not have a favourite one, I like a lot, hard to choose!