Flash-grilled: Niaz Caan
What was your first industry job?
I started working in an Indian takeaway when I was 14 in Kent, so it’s got to be that!
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I would probably still be in finance. I turned down my investment banking job for the kitchens and don’t regret it one bit.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Probably Danny Meyer from the Union Square Hospitality Group.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
When a new kitchen porter messes with the mise en place.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
A customer once asked if they could order a korma, but without any spices except cumin, which is crazy because a korma does not use cumin.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence
Well prepared and well organised.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
A customer who recognised me from the internet said that I had a terrible personality, but had never even spoken to me as I was in the kitchen.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Jump in and figure it out as you go along. A thick skin certainly helps.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A swivel peeler.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Fried chicken.
À la carte or tasting menu?
À la carte.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
I do not recall the name, but it was while I was in Budapest on a work visit as a restaurant consultant. The steak, chips and fondue were all cooked to perfection.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
KFC.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
The gochujang paste in gochujang chicken.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Great British Menu.
What’s the most overrated food?
A kebab.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day what would you ban?
Moaning.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
It would always my family.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Cooking a lamb curry with my mum at nine years old.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I fell off a jet ski in Morocco last week. Would definitely do it again though.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
It’s usually the gym at 1am in the morning.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Does tea count?
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Parothe and tea in the morning is a match made in heaven.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
At the moment, it’s the Paro lamb shank.
