Chef Speak

Going Aussie!

Mark Wilson, executive chef of the InterContinental The Grand in Mumbai, speaks of presenting Australia to India on a plate. By Sayoni Bhaduri

Chef Mark Wilson

"Having worked in Australia for about 12 years, understanding the nuances of food, particularly mixing Australian wine and food, comes easily to me," says Mark Wilson, executive chef of the InterContinental The Grand, Mumbai. But making it authentic does pose a problem, says the Australian, because of the restrictions on import of food products from Australia.

However, things are not as gloomy as they seem. Sea food, Wilson says, is excellent in Mumbai and goes very well with Australian cooking methods.

King of fusion

Australian cuisine itself is 'the king of fusion cuisine', as Wilson spells it out. It is an ethnic blend with predominant flavours from France, Greece, Italy as well as Southeast Asia. "The basis of Australian cuisine is the European style of cooking with a touch of refinement and absolutely no restrictions with regard to what could be added," he says.

Most of the influences that make Australian food unique are because of the various immigrants who came to the country. Wilson personally has a French touch to his cooking but that does not stop him from experimenting. What is important, he says, is the emphasis on fresh produce with a few fresh ingredients. Yet if the mix and match is not done correctly, the guest is in for a ride.

However, he exclaims that being an executive chef does not give him the choice of doing things and cooking things that would please him. Wilson says, "I also have to appreciate the fact that I do not understand the country very well, and hence have to depend on my master chefs and sous chefs." He describes his job to being limited to thinking creative and out-of-the-box for the F&B outlets.

The music man

Interestingly, Wilson does have a creative bent of mind particularly when it comes to music. He can play and mix music, his favourite being house music. He attributes this hobby to his "younger clubbing days".

He says, "Most of my friends used to be DJs at various clubs and they had all these equipment, so even I ended buying turntables." Unfortunately, being a chef, he cannot devote the time and commitment that it requires. It is also an expensive hobby since he has to import the vinyl from UK. However, he is not averse to mixing music for audience even now and he hints that the hotel might be planning to promote him as the chef who mixes music. He says, "There is no greater reward than to play in front of people who truly enjoy music."

Culture wise

Wilson is a self-confessed enthusiast for soccer. However, since his stay in India over the last ten months he says everyone keeps asking him about cricket. This has forced him to keep himself updated about cricket considering the hype around the game as well as the never-ending competition between India and Australia. He also mentions the love for the game in Pakistan where Wilson spent some time. "The tourism industry in India has found its place and it is riding high on the growth path. This is evident with the increase in room rates at par with international room rates. "Right now it is all about sustaining it," he concludes.