By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Frederic Nef, the new executive chef of the JW Marriott Seoul, is an artful, creative blender of international cuisine with over 27 years experience in kitchens from Europe to the Middle East.
The chef first started cooking at a restaurant owned by his friend's father when he was 15, inspired by his mother's traditional French dishes.
``The kitchen is quite difficult to work in. It's very hard and you have to spend long hours in the kitchen. If you don't like it, you wouldn't do a good job. So for me, cooking is my hobby as well as my career,'' Nef told The Korea Times during an interview Wednesday.
Nef has gained experience in various countries including France, England, Russia, Morocco, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. He has worked as an executive chef for the Marriott chain since 2005, when the Beirut Marriott Hotel in Lebanon hired him. Just prior to his transfer to Seoul, he was the executive chef for the Paris Rive Gauche Hotel for a little over a year. Then he chose Korea to experience Asian cuisine.
``I move to a country because of challenge. I've been thinking of moving to Asia for a few years and this hotel was a good challenge for me,'' he said. ``I can bring in my cooking style to Korean people.''
The chef blends all his traveling experience into his recipes. ``I combine the culture of people as I travel. When I say culture, I mean not only the way of living but eating,'' he said.
Having arrived in Korea about a month ago, he has tried various Korean dishes. ``I like the Korean barbeque which I cook the meat, dip it in the seasoning and wrap with various leaves,'' Nef said. He added that kimchi was not to his taste.
Though he did not have much time to check out the local market, Nef already devised original dishes for Valentine's Day using some Korean ingredients. A citrus-flavored fresh salmon and sea scallop duo with sesame leaves is the appetizer, while the main course is the ``Perfect Couple,'' comprised of a beef medallion, lobster and wild mushroom croustillant served with potato celeriac cake and baby vegetables.
According to the chef, his choice for the main course comes from French gender nouns. ``For example, salmon is masculine while scallop is feminine and cow is feminine while lobster is masculine,'' he said. In addition to this harmony of yin and yang, all ingredients are heart-shaped, maximizing the loving atmosphere.
He emphasized the importance of fundamentals in cooking. ``There are some ingredients you cannot mix together. You have to follow the basic rules in the kitchen first. After that, you can play with the taste,'' Nef said.