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Coming from the man who has earned his restaurant, Tetsuya, three chef's hats (the highest rating possible) from the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide every year since 1992, such a view is hard to believe. And those who have tasted his dishes can testify that his cooking is nothing short of exceptional — "perfection" is definitely the word that springs to mind.
So exactly how does a small-town Japanese chef reach such dizzying heights in the world of fine dining? Recipe Finder speaks exclusively to one of Australia's most original, creative and successful culinary talents.
Q. Shortly after you arrived in Sydney at the age of 22, you worked for Tony Bilson (head chef of the acclaimed Bilson's restaurant). How much of your success do you attribute to having had Tony as your teacher?
Everything. It was great to have the opportunity to work with Tony when I first came to Australia but at the time I didn't even know who he was. My agent introduced me to him while I was working at Fishwives in 1982. As the new owner of Kinsela's, he was looking for a Japanese chef for his restaurant, so I happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Tony not only taught me about cooking, but he also gave me the desire to be a great chef and made me excited about food. Without that whole experience I probably wouldn't be where I am today.
Q. When you're creating dishes for your restaurant, Tetsuya's, how much testing is involved before you reach the "perfect" result?
Depending on the dish, sometimes more, sometimes less than expected. We are not in the kitchen every day creating new dishes, we work more to improve the quality of the dishes that we have. We are constantly thinking about how we can improve the dish, perhaps by adding new ingredients, finding new sources for our produce or altering the cooking technique, making small adjustments here or there. There's no such thing as perfection in cooking, no such thing as a perfect dish, but we are constantly striving to make our food better.
Q. You mention sources of produce. Where do you get your ingredients from?
We get produce from all over the place — Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania … Tasmania is one of my favourite sources; from here we get oysters, ocean trout, grass-fed beef, lamb, honey, walnuts, green peas, crayfish and many other ingredients. Travelling is a great way of discovering new sources and it's so important to eat a lot — visit restaurants, see what others are doing. With cooking, as with finding quality produce, it's not just about the appearance of food, you also have to taste, feel, touch. It's about using all the senses.
Q. Confidence and creativity are obviously vital to being a great chef. How can people learn to have confidence when cooking at home?
People tend to focus too heavily on cookbooks and recipes. If they don't have one of the listed ingredients, they panic! Why panic, why not try something else as an alternative? People should use cookbooks and recipes for ideas and inspiration only and then do what they feel most comfortable with and focus on who they are cooking for. Taste is very subjective and you have to remember that different people have different preferences. There is no right and wrong in cooking, it should be about giving. It's about giving to someone you care for, your partner or your family. Think about who you are cooking for and keep tasting all the while! It's so important to keep tasting.
Q. What advice would you give to aspiring cooks who want to improve the quality of their dishes?
Spend time at markets, shop about to ensure you are getting the best produce. No matter how good a cook you are, if you have poor ingredients you will get nowhere ... And it doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, a lot of really good, cheap fish is underrated — flathead and leatherjacket, for example. Fresh leatherjacket can be wonderful to use. You can fry it, grill it, braise it, all sorts.
Q. What makes a dish world-class?
No-one knows what makes a dish world-class. Generally, if people keep coming back for your food and it stands the test of time, then it becomes something special. World-class dishes can be 20 years in the making — only time will tell. And it's everyday, normal people who determine this — the people who come back time and time again.
Q. How important are accolades and rankings in the world's top restaurant lists? Once you've reached this level of success, do you still care?
I'm never working to be number one. My satisfaction comes from seeing my restaurant full every night and my customers happy. When you get these things right, everything else comes with it. Awards are just a bonus. We are simple people and when you've been in the business for over 20 years, it becomes the people that mean the most. You form relationships and make friends with those you work with and the people who keep coming back. Soon, their children come to the restaurant and it's these people that make us what we are today. When people say thank you for my food, it means a great deal to me.
Tetsuya's various accolades:
Check out a review of Tetsuya's restaurant here or visit the restaurant's official website at www.tetsuyas.com.
