Q&A
Farm-Grown
Rob Cunningham, executive chef at EAST Beijing by Marilyn Mai
I
f you think all chefs have an ego with a capital “E,” this one will change your mind. Meet Rob, who grew up on a farm, cooks for his kids and left his post at Capital M to run the restaurants at EAST Beijing. If you could only eat one Beijing food item for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why only one thing? That’s too hard. Lürou huoshao (donkey burger), Beijing duck, jiaozi. What’s your favorite thing to order from room “One of service? Club sandwich.
a chef – cooking. What have you eaten that’s surprised you the most? It’s the simple things done well that always surprise me. I love the Dalian scallops dish at Feast (Food by EAST), pan-fried with a cauliflower cream and jamon. So simple, so good. What’s your fondest memory related to food? Mum’s Sunday roasts. We always made gravy from the pan juices. I loved that as a kid. And my Auntie’s pavlova.
the young kids fainted”
Tell us about the worst cooking disaster you’ve experienced. In Sydney, working at Slip Inn. Our exhaust fans broke down for four days in the middle of summer. The kitchen was so hot – like 60 degrees [Celsius]. The boys were sweating all over and I had to wrap tea towels around their heads to avoid sweat dripping into the food. One of the young kids fainted.
If you could try the fictional food from any movie, which would you choose? Ratatouille, my favorite kids’ movie. Remy is a great cook. Pure passion drives him – I love that. Have a taste of Rob’s holiday recipes at Feast’s Christmas Eve dinner (Dec 24).
PHOTO: lova
How much cooking did you do personally to prepare for the restaurants at EAST? A lot. I am always in the kitchen with our culinary team, tasting and teaching. That’s the fun part of being
What do you miss most about growing up on a farm? Hunting rabbits, deer and wild pig. Killing our own cattle, sheep and pigs, then hanging the meat and cutting it into portions. Pickling and preserving fruits and vegetables. It’s fantastic to eat stone fruit and cherries out of season.
December 2012
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