life and my passion for food started. I didn’t understand initially how working in this industry could open doors for meeting new people and how creative it’d allow me to be. With maturity and experience my appreciation grew.
Passion is necessary to become a great chef then… It is. Technique and skill are important, but not ‘so’ important in the beginning. To be a great chef you need to love people in a way that you desire to cook for them and please them, you must have passion and you must have technique. Technique is something you can learn, but work ethic is not. This comes through pure passion, dedication and wanting to truly learn about something. If you don’t love what you do in the kitchen, your job will feel harder and your working hours will feel longer, because you’re constantly having to push. Whereas when you have natural passion, you want to be there and work becomes so much easier.
Out of all your career achievements which one are you most proud of? I’m proud of my honesty and sincerity. I’m always the same, sometimes I have problems like everyone else. But, I have the energy, passion, pleasure
to share, and honesty to be myself in front of people. With so many pressures around us these days, it can sometimes be difficult to remain true to yourself and not lose your identity.
If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would you say? Don’t forget about your family and don’t forget your private life. It’s important to find balance.
How did you find that balance? It’s something I have to work at every day. You must pay attention to the details all the time – put a cross on your agenda and stick to it. You must be conscious every day about this. Especially when children come, otherwise the time will fly. Every detail
is important and you must actively pay attention to the daily needs of your loved ones. Things change, but family is always most important. Life is precious. Live in the now and appreciate what today is, for one day you might look back and realise how happy that time was. It’s easy to get caught up on in work. Don’t take things too seriously.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, that you’d offer to an aspiring chef? Be yourself! Take your time, be honest, and respect the people you meet day after day.
For more information about Pierre’s Bistro & Bar, visit pierresdubai.com.
Spring 2018 / The Pro Chef Middle East
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