By the time he was 14, he was cooking at a 5-star hotel.
In his early 20s, he left Australia for London to work at the 3-star Michelin Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
I dont miss it at all, he says about the slow pace of Port Douglas.
Credit:Noah Fecks | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
I grew up spending more than half my life there.
Theres so many favorite dishes that we used to cook.
I have a pug, and pugs shed a lot of hair.
Credit:Noah Fecks | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
[For those wondering, his pugs name is Kroshka, which is Russian for little crumb.]
Two, if its a dinner party, don’t bring anything.
Ive got you covered.
Credit:Noah Fecks | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
Q: What House Rules did you grow up with?
I think theyre all pretty basicno shoes inside the house… We were not really great kids.
A lot of, No running aroundthere was a lot of delicate stuff around the house.
So obviously, making sure that the fly screen doors are shut.
Something like that was very important for the house because mosquitoes are known to be there.
So youd have to see to it that they dont try and come in.
And then youd go the next day, and theres a cane toad in your shoe.
Its a pretty different set of rules and lifestyle.
Q: Do you have a cooking ritual when youre preparing a meal for guests?
Whenever people come over, I decide on a theme, and then I really go for it.
So if its Italian, I go all outmaybe theres afocaccia, pasta, salad, Prosecco.
So I do like to see to it that its a very fun night.
Q: Do you have a favorite theme or pop in of cuisine you like to prepare?
Oh, its very hard.
I guess because I do mostly French, I do love cooking Italian.
And I do love cooking Chinese when I get the chance.
But youre definitely going to appreciate the opera when you go there.
So theres no point in having an opera in your house.
Very, very relaxed.
But on off nights, were like everyone else.
We love simple, hearty meals: Not too complicated and being able to eat that together.
What are your thoughts on guests helping out?
Were hospitality people, so its an Absolutely not.
So I have a lot of fun just being able to do everything.
Its in my blood, really.
If youre coming over to my house, youre going to be looked after.
Everythings going to be there: the wine, the food, everything.
You dont need to bring anything.
So I quite enjoy that aspect of doing that, because its just treating people you really care for.
Q: Youre going to become a dad soonare you excited to cook for your kid?
What will your House Rules be like once youre a parent?
Its gonna be super exciting.
I think theyre gonna have the best time eating a lot of food.
So I cant wait for that to happenbeing able to expose them to all these different cultures and flavors.
How did it impact your approach to food, and do you think it influences your cooking style now?
Yeah, it influenced it a lot.
I would never do something just because it looks pretty.
It has to have those two things as well.
I would never do something just because it looks pretty.
Q: Do you have a favorite Australian dish?
Theres a lot of Australian foods that we really enjoy eating.
I think one of them will probably be the meat pieits extraordinary.
Its a savory pie filled with ground meat, and you would usually have it with ketchup.
Q: Have you always been competitive?
What attracted you to a show like Top Chef?
I’ve actually been doing competitions for a while.
I see competitions as an opportunity to grow, not an opportunity to show how good you are.
Throughout the whole of my career, [Ive felt] competitions are certain things that push you.
You have to guide yourself, push yourself, and go out there and try and learn yourself.
For example, when I was 14 years old, I got pushed into a competition.
Throughout my career, this has been a thing where its been a learning opportunity.
You have to guide yourself, push yourself, and go out there and try and learn yourself.
But no ones gonna come and do that when youre the executive chef.
And now I’ve got that out of my system.
And now I know how to cook a banh xeo.
Q: What are some misconceptions people have about being a professional chef?
I get misconceptions all the time, just with what I was doing onTop Chef.
So you have to constantly question yourself like that.
Does caviar define who I am, and thats all I can do?
I cook and prep a lot of things in advance; I double-check that Im well organized.
Everything should really take about five to 10 minutes.
Or is there a difference in any way?
No, I feel very confident in my cooking.
Im very confident when people are coming over, serving up simple pasta or grilling meat or cooking seafood.
These are the things that I really love to do, so its not nerves, its more excitement.
I always find time to relax.
Thats relaxing for me.
