BENGALURU : When are you happiest at work? 
Working with a great team, a fantastic client and fabulous ingredients. When everything just works.

What trends are you noticing regarding wine and food pairings? 
Not so much wine, but cocktail and also craft non-alcoholic beverages that are made with the same care and attention as a premium craft cocktail, versus syrupy sweet versions of the past.

Using non-traditional ingredients in drinks such as herbs, vegetable, house-made tinctures. The pairing is almost reverse-engineered for food to drink, drink to food. Bartenders are crossing the boundary and using chef techniques which make it very exciting for the present and future.

What was your biggest disappointment as a chef?
None. Couldn’t have had a better career if I had a chance to choose one, since I didn’t choose this path by way of chef school etc.

What do you always avoid ordering on a menu? 
Chicken dishes, unless its a guarantee on free-range/non-battery farm-raised hens.
Of the dishes you prepare, 

Which one would you never eat yourself? Why?
Chilli, which is a tragedy as I enjoyed eating chilli. I discovered a few years back that my body cannot handle heavily spiced and also chilli based food. Sad, but true.

Describe one incident when you messed up a recipe real bad.
Not one, just all the time, whenever I cook rice. I cannot cook rice.

Which is your favourite restaurant? What would you prefer to eat there?
Dewakan. If anyone came to Malaysia and after sampling the amazing street food available, we would always recommend that they spare an evening to dine at Dewakan. We are constantly blown away by Chef Darren Teoh’s quest to use ONLY local ingredients however creating unforgettable tastes, textures and aromas. Dewakan have two ongoing tasting menus.

What is the best recent food trend?
Not sure about best, but Locavore. Most cities in South-East Asia are claiming to do this, but only a handful do it right, and well.

–Jessica Nathan is a chef of 23 Aubergines, Kuala Lumpur