Between the ages of six and nine, my palette was taking shape as well as my identity as a chef. It was then that I learned the difference between salty, sweet, sour and even spicy.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I could cook from quite an early age - purely because I liked it.
I like really sharp flavors, and I like contrasts. Something sweet and sour at the same time is a big win.
I think, when I was younger, I was cooking to impress. Sometimes the dish would have 15 things on the plate. That's cooking only for yourself. As you get more mature, you take all the superfluous things away, and you get the essential flavor. Now I cook for people, not for myself.
Going to Southeast Asia for the first time and tasting that spectrum of flavors - that certainly changed my whole palate, the kind of foods I crave. A lot of the dishes I used to love became boring to me.
Since I was about seven, I've loved cooking. I'd wake up at five in the morning and make cinnamon rolls and all these different things.
I'm a huge candy fan. My favorite growing up was always Sour Belts or Sour Straws.
My style is very inspired by both my parents, so we all have the same taste.
When I first started cooking, I was very much an intuitive cook when it came to taste, but that didn't mean I didn't want to know why some things worked and why others did not. My interest took me to culinary school.
I was 12 years old when I first realized that food could be hot. That's why I turned out the way I am.
My childhood wasn't full of wonderful culinary memories.