Recipe for Best Taste: Quality Ingredients
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
The new top chef of W Seoul-Walkerhill says he is faithful to the recipe to produce the best taste ― good ingredients speak for themselves.
``My main philosophy (in cooking) is to find the best and fresh ingredients and serve them in a simple way,'' Ciaran Hickey said during an interview with The Korea Times.
Hickey was appointed as a new head chef of the hotel last October and some of the things that he first did was to go to a regional market to learn more about the ingredients that he would use.
The search for quality ingredients seems to have become the chef's main concern or habit that he has gained while working for established restaurants in other countries. Such efforts have also been well recognized.
When he worked for the Four Seasons Istanbul from 1999 to 2003, he successfully led it to be selected as the best restaurant in Istanbul by prestigious restaurant guide book Zagat in 2001.
It is no doubt that the 43-year-old Irish chef has experienced a range of different recipes and has his own cooking style. But he says that he prefers simple and contemporary styles even when he creates classic menus not to damage the characteristics of ingredients.
``I offer classic dishes but present them in a contemporary way,'' he said.
His faith in cooking and lengthy experience is well complemented in his diner series.
Titled ``101 Things to Eat Before You Die,'' the event seems to be a tough challenge for the new chef but he finds it interesting. The first session on Nov. 7 was a hit and he has been preparing for the second slated for Jan. 16.
``We want to offer people an opportunity to taste recipes from all around the world without traveling,'' he said.
Depending on quality ingredients, based on each season and guests' needs, he will keep adding new dishes to the list that guests should experience.
He also emphasizes the most important part of the event is to offer the best in taste, which he argued comes first more than any other element ― even the concern over healthy foods.
``To be honest, our first priority is taste. We write the menu and guests choose. If they come here, they want to experience something special not just something that they have at home,'' he said.
Starting work in the kitchen in 1982, this is his first time in Korea. He said he would like to learn more about Korean cuisine and wants to use it in his cooking in the future.