The North East Asia regional final of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 is taking place on 6 November and we are rooting for Chef Eric Räty from Café Gray Deluxe at The Upper House, who is one of two chefs in the competition based in Hong Kong. We caught up with Eric ahead of the finals to find out more about how he is preparing. Here’s what he had to say:
When did you want to become a chef?
No one in my family is a chef but I have always been interested in all aspects of food. I was around 13-14 years old when I started to become interested in cooking. I began buying cookbooks, reading up about new recipes and experimenting with dishes. Later on, after finishing secondary school, I applied and got into a culinary school. That’s how my journey started.
How does it feel to make it to the regional finals of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 competition?
I feel really excited! I have been getting ready for the competition with the view that it’s not just about preparing one dish for that one day – I have been preparing a variety of dishes again and again and practising seven days a week to hone my culinary skills. For the competition, I am focusing on all the little details like perfecting the sauces, choosing the right condiments for each ingredient, learning how to prepare an XO sauce, etc.
At the same time, I am working hard in my job as Chef de Cuisine at Café Gray Deluxe and I am frequently cooking at pop-up restaurants. It’s a balancing act, really – I need to plan ahead, beyond the competition as well.
What is the story behind your signature dish?
The dish is an expression of my first impressions of Hong Kong. On the first night that I landed in Hong Kong, I had Cantonese-style crispy chicken, some XO sauce and lemon-flavoured soup. The flavours stuck in my mind. I was so inspired that I tried to put all those flavours on a plate and thus created my signature dish – Glazed veal sweet bread, langoustine “XO”, crisped chicken skin, lemon thyme.
What makes your signature dish stand out?
It’s quite a complex dish – there are lots of things happening on the plate. All the flavours are used to their full potential so it’s also a very punchy dish. You’ll say ‘wow’ with each spoonful. I hope to impress the judges in the same way.
What do you think of Hong Kong’s food industry?
Hong Kong’s food industry is ever-growing. There’s always something new happening here. What I like is that there are cuisines from all over the globe, from European bakeries to even Nordic restaurants. There’s also a healthy mix of cheap street food to very high-end fine dining.
How do you feel about representing Hong Kong in the competition?
I would like to win the North East Asia regional final for Hong Kong! I know there are so many good chefs competing for the same title, so that motivates me even more. Of course there’s pressure but in a good way.
Thank you and all the best.
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
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