Chef in focus Mr Narupon Wongthitivong (Pek) Excecutive Sous Chef of Escape Bangkok, Roof top bar & Restaurant. Graduated in Communications Arts, Advertising Bangkok University. Continued studying in London and also worked part time in the kitchen of Thai Rice Restaurant. Graduated with a cuisine diploma at Le Cordon Bleu, London. ESCAPE BANGKOK: EMQUARTIER, BUILDING B, 5TH FLOOR. OPENING HOUR: EVERYDAY 5pm – midnight. Email: [email protected] Tel: 02 003 6000 Facebook: @EscapeBangkok Instagram: @escapebangkok Website: http://www.escape-bangkok.com |
Why cooking as a career? It started with my uncle who taught me how to choose chicken at the market. Two biggest influences on your career? Customers and my team. Best early kitchen experience? Creating jelly from Chinese fig seed. Worst kitchen experience? Cutting the tip of my finger when I should have been using the cutting board, and not my hand. Best meal you’ve ever had? Unagi don at Fukuoka. What’s your cooking philosophy? You never try, you never know. What’s your signature dish? Slow cooked beef cheek. Favorite cookbook? Cooking Light. Most difficult ingredient to cook with? Chickpea flour. How do you keep in touch with latest food trends? Go travel. Have you ever created an entirely new dish? All the time. Every chef wants to create a unique dish and put their name to the recipe. For me it’s Roselle foam, Asparagus mousse. Greatest achievement to date? Surviving the kitchen. | Famous people you’ve cooked for? Prince of Saudi Arabia. Who would you like to cook for? Anyone who want to eat well. Utensils you can’t do without? My knife. Most influential chef? My grandmother. Music you listen to while cooking? Slow and easy listening as we get enough noise in the kitchen. Best advice you’ve ever received? Don’t stay in the comfort zone. What’s your favourite dish to cook for yourself? Any kind of noodle. Favourite dish cooked by someone else? I miss my grandmother’s Braised sea cucumber in brawn soup. Which restaurant above all others would you like to work for? My own. If you weren’t a chef, what would you be? Documentary photographer. What’s next for you? Seeking my greatest recipe |