“The best dishes don't come out of a recipe book.”
- Romy Prasad
Chef profile: Romy Prasad
(This story and photo originally appeared in the Sept. 2005 issue of After 6 magazine)
By John Geary
Romy Prasad
hates bad food.
“I
can’t stand poorly prepared, mediocre food,” says the executive chef for the
Savory Coast restaurant. “That pushes me to constantly strive for
excellence.”
His most
recent strides took him from the position of executive chef to executive chef
and co-owner. After eight enjoyable years at CinCin, he wanted to explore some
new ideas.
“There
comes a time in your life when you have to try your own thing. The food here is
a little edgier, but at the same time Old World. … we offer items on the menu
like tripe, baccala, pork cheeks but we also include a good mix of West Coast
influences.”
While
Prasad strives to produce different and unique flavour combinations, he does not
have much use for recipes.
“I’ve
created the food ideas myself, I didn’t read a recipe book to get them,” he
says.
“The best dishes don’t come out of recipe books.”
Finding the
right combinations to create unique dishes can be a painstaking process and
requires attention to the most minute of details. Take, for example, the
house-smoked pork cheeks.
“We’ve
just now figured out how much to smoke them, how much brine to use, to give them
the best flavour,” he says.
While the
flavour combinations may be unique, the dishes are not that complex. Prasad
likes to keep things relatively simple. He uses a wood-fired oven to cook,
whether it’s a roasted halibut with clams and oven-dried tomatoes, or a
free-range herb-stuffed chicken breast.
Although he
likes to keep the preparation simple and uncomplicated, he insists on using the
freshest local ingredients possible. Not only does he believe in using local
ingredients, he also feels the key to his success as a chef depends on how well
local people support his efforts.
“We want
the local clients. If the locals don’t believe in your restaurant, you’ll
always be on the fringe. If they believe in what you’re doing, you’ll always
be well supported.
“They’re
the hardest clientele to please, but they’re also the best clientele to
have.”
As for a
signature dish, one of Prasad’s current favourites is the Penne Amatraciana:
house smoked pork cheeks, parsley, tomatoes, garlic, habaneras, and of course,
pasta.
He
doesn’t have a favourite dish to cook, but then to a chef like Prasad, any dish
is fun to prepare.
