NEW MENU LAUNCH AT SHANGHAI CLUB – JW MARRIOTT MARQUIS CITY CENTER DOHA.

  1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, what is your culinary background?

I’m currently the Chef and Owner of Sticky Mango located on London’s South Bank, where I serve my modern interpretations of South-East Asian cuisine inspired by my extensive travels across the region.

I have returned to JW Marriott Marquis City Center Doha to mark a new menu launch and the beginning of an exclusive two-year partnership with the hotel’s signature Pan-Asian restaurant, Shanghai Club. Diners can savour the epicurean flair of Shanghai Club’s mastermind menu, and experience an explosion of flavors that ignite all taste buds, whilst they soak up the stunning panoramic views of Doha from Shanghai Club’s sleek and stylish 43rd floor location.

My career spans over 30 years, during which I have undertaken prestigious roles within the food industry, including senior positions in some of London’s most glamorous kitchens including The House of Commons and the world-famous Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane. One of my outstanding accolades is being appointed by world-renowned 2 Michelin star Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten as the Executive Chef to fellow Marriott International restaurant, Spice Market at the W Hotel London.

I have also appeared in numerous TV shows including BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and Celebrity MasterChef and ITV’s James Martin Saturday Morning.

  • How would you describe your style of cooking?

I focus on flavor and retaining and enhancing it remains my main concern in my cooking, since food is an experience to be savored. I really enjoy experimenting with the freshest ingredients and the most authentic techniques and have learned to ignite all the taste buds.

I also regularly travel abroad to enhance and develop new styles of cooking, where I have gained the knowledge that is then translated into mouthwatering dishes that display the most authentic assortment of South-East Asian food.

  • What is the inspiration behind creating your new menu with JW Marriott Marquis City Center Doha?

I’ve been travelling extensively across the world, it’s my number one passion that really fuels my creativity as a chef. My new Menu at JW Marriott Marquis City Center draws on Pan-Asian cuisine influenced from my travels from China to Vietnam, Thailand to Indonesia and everywhere in between. This new Menu aims to re-introduce this diverse region to Doha’s diners through an eclectic mix of traditional cooking methods with modern presentation.

  • What are five words you’d use to describe yourself and your work ethic?

Passion, Care, Commitment, Discovery, and Enjoyment

  • What inspired your signature Singapore Chili Crab dish?

In the creation of the dish, I was inspired by the excellent seafood and unique techniques they employ in Singapore, which truly manifests in a mouthwatering cascade of flavours that tingle every tastebud. The mix of spiciness, sweetness, and tang is just perfect, and I wanted to recreate this experience and share it with food lovers around the world.

  • Can you walk us through your Singapore Chili Crab dish recipe?

Ingredients:

  1. Whole Live Lobster (Canadian or Native)
    1. To prepare the lobster, kill the lobster by cutting through the head, follow the natural line
    1. Simmer the lobster in a large pot of water, with a splash of vinegar, salt and peppercorns for 4 mins
    1. Once the lobster is blanched, plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking process
    1. Remove the tail of the lobster from the body and cut in half. Rinse under cold water to clean
    1. Remove the claws and arm joints and crack the shell. Remove the head from the lobster and just keep the shell for presentation
  2. Chili Sauce
    1. 20g Coriander Root
    1. 90g Red Finger Chili
    1. 34g Garlic
    1. 90g Shallots
    1. 23g Rapeseed Oil
    1. 45g Thai Palm Sugar
    1. 23g Water
    1. 62g Tamarind Water
    1. 50g Fish Sauce
    1. 200g Ketchup
    1. 400g Vegetable Stock

Method:

  1. Blend Coriander root, red finger chili, garlic and shallots in food processor then briefly fry in the oil
  2. Add the palm sugar, water, tamarind water and fish sauce and reduce until thickened.
  3. Take 300g of the mix and add 200g tomato ketchup and 400ml vegetable stock.

To Finish,

  • 1 Blanched Lobster prepared
  • 250ml Chili sauce
  • 50ml Rapeseed oil
  • 1 Egg beaten
  • 2 Steam buns fried
  • 10g Coriander leaves
  • 10g Curly chili strips
  • 10g Curly spring onion strips

To Serve

  1. Heat the oil until very hot in your wok, Fry the Lobster pieces for 1 minute.
  2. Add the chili sauce and bring to a boil
  3. Immediately pour in the egg and gently fold the egg into the sauce as it cooks.
  4. Arrange the lobster pieces in your serving dish, garnish with your mixed coriander, chilli and spring onion, serve with fried steam buns on the side.

Serve and enjoy one of my most delicious recipes!

  • What inspired you to launch your new menu in Qatar?

Doha is an excellent place to introduce my flavorful style of South-East Asian cuisine to complement the country’s diverse culinary experiences that include a range of international cuisines, such as South American, Pan Asian, and Middle Eastern. I was inspired to introduce this menu due to the underrepresentation of the cuisine of Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Thailand, in the local gastronomic scene. South-East Asia is a region that has so much diversity and flavor to offer food enthusiasts.