LAST BITE
A feast for the senses at
Okku
BBC Good Food ME catches up with executive chef Hugh Sato Gardiner of Okku, The Monarch Dubai, who dishes out on Japanese cuisine, inspirations and the delicious new menu at Okku How would you describe your personal style of cooking? My cooking is very simple, I cook with love and I think people can really tell the difference. The new menu is very exciting, with some interesting combinations. What inspired you to create the dishes and which dishes are you most excited about? This time around I was inspired by different textures and feelings as well as presentation; I believe that people eat with their eyes first. All of the dishes created consist of energy and effort. There are three signature items: the ‘O’ style hotate, which are seared scallops with truffle-goma, the ‘O’ style dynamite kani, which is baked whole king crab legs and the ‘O’ style short rib shoyu-ni, which is a ginger-soy braised veal short-rib. I also really like the HuShiHu Yuan crispy duck salad as well as the tuna tartar with truffle-soy. We’ve also introduced some brand new sushi creations such as the sea bass & papaya, dynamite black cod maki and seared wagyu steak maki. Our new green tea soufflé is to die for, if I do say so myself! What is something about Japanese cuisine that many people don’t know? Sushi and maki rolls were originally adopted from Chinese and South-East Asian traders as a way of preserving fish in fermented rice. What are some of your top tips to creating great-quality Japanese food? One must start with the freshest ingredients possible. Japanese cuisine is built using layers of very subtle flavours so in order for these to shine through they have to blend and not overpower each other or the technique used in preparation. By the same token it’s important not to overcomplicate a dish. How would you describe the new menu at OKKU, what are you hoping to achieve? We want people to be excited about the new dishes that have been created and encourage them to try something that they might not always be inclined to try at first. The new menu features an evolution of some of our original signature dishes such as the ‘black cod in black miso’ as well as discovering new ways to prepare and present traditional items such as the HuShiHu and tofu salads. We are constantly evolving what we offer to our guests to keep things interesting and demonstrate that a homegrown Dubai concept can produce dishes that compete with any other high-end restaurant from around the world!
112 BBC Good Food Middle East February 2012
What are your favourite ingredients to work with and why? I love working with local produce (unfortunately that’s not always easy in Dubai) and of course anything from the sea. What gives you the greatest joy as a chef? Seeing the reaction on people’s faces when they discover something new, which they start to crave again and again. And, what do you find the most challenging? Balancing my life in the kitchen and being a father of young triplets. Somehow there never seems to be enough hours in a day to be able to fully complete both roles! But I love finding that balance. What is your first food memory? Cooking with my mother and grandmother in the small family-owned restaurant in Hawaii. When cooking at home for friends and family, what do you enjoy creating? I love experimenting with food and seeing how I can use everyday ingredients out of the box to create very traditional dishes. I also love to BBQ whenever possible.
Chef Hugh Gardiner