Informatie over topchef Luke Dale-Roberts

Update: Eind 2010 heeft Luke Dale Roberts zijn nieuwe restaurant in Kaapstad geopend. The Test Kitchen is gevestigd in de wijk Woodstock bij de Old Biscuit Mill. De Head chef van la Colombe is nu Scot Kirton. Luke is nog wel als consultant werkzaam voor La Colombe. Luke Dale Roberts British born Luke Dale-Roberts (35) trained at Baur Au Lac Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland– at the time recognised as one of the top five hotels in the world. After a few years in the East where he worked at world class hotels and restaurants, Luke Dale-Roberts was appointed executive chef of La Colombe in November 2006. La Colombe was voted Best Restaurant in Africa and the Middle East and 28th Best Restaurant in the World in 2006 by UK Restaurant Magazine Chef Luke Dale-Roberts has made his mark at La Colombe by adding exciting new Asian influences to the mix of classic and contemporary French cuisine. With his sublime sauces and reductions and cutting-edge combinations of taste and texture, Luke achieved new heights at the 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards winning both Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. With impeccable service and the award winning wine list, La Colombe is a truly unforgettable experience! Interview The 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards saw Luke Dale-Roberts walking away with no less than two major awards, which is no mean feat considering that this is only his second year as executive chef at Constantia Uitsig’s revered La Colombe. We managed to pry him out of the kitchen for a rapid-fire Q&A session. During the 2009 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards you were visibly choked up when La Colombe was announced Prudential Eat Out Restaurant of the Year, and then, minutes later you were also named Chef of the Year. Tell us what was going through your mind following your double victory. I was quite delirious, actually. Completely flabbergasted. I didn’t prepare anything because I really didn’t expect to win. I was completely over the moon, though, because as a team we worked very, very hard. During my first year at La Colombe it felt like I was carrying a house on my shoulders, but this year the restaurant started moving into a defined direction and it finally became about putting the food on the plates and sending them out. Months prior to the announcement of your wins of Sunday, you were convinced by editor Abigail Donnelly to scale an oak and smile for the camera wearing your chef’s jacket, a pair of shorts and a gleaming golden crown. What did you think that was all about? Abigail is very clever. She told me that they were taking pictures of all of the Top-10 chefs to line up in the entrance hall at the awards. At first I had a slight suspicion when I was told to wear the crown, but when I saw how far away from me they’d put the throne, I thought that maybe it was supposed to mean that the award was just out of my reach. You’ve crossed the globe, travelling from Switzerland to South Korea, and gaining experience in food capitals like London, Sydney and Tokyo. What influenced your decision to come to South Africa and why did you decide on La Colombe? As is the case with most big decisions, it followed a major milestone in my life. My wife was heavily pregnant with our first child and we were at a stage where we were re-evaluating everything and thinking about our future. At the time we were travelling all over Asia, and we wanted to raise our child in a stable environment. A house with a garden; somewhere we could really call home. I was also looking forward to cooking again, because in Asia a lot of the work I had been doing was conceptual; starting new businesses and restaurants. So, when the chance to come to South Africa presented itself, I saw it as a ticket to a great opportunity. And how, in your experience, does the South African culinary industry differ from abroad? The restaurant industry is fundamentally similar wherever you go in the world: chefs are intrinsically all a bit mad and like their drink now and again. I think the South African food scene is very exciting. The food is great, the products awesome, and the chefs are constantly pushing their limits.

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