Chef Smita Grosse on why she had to adjust a recipe 20 times to cater to a Macanese palate

How did you get interested in cooking? “I was born and raised in Mauritius. My mum and dad separated when I was young and dad cooked for me and my older brother. My father was very creative. He made simple soups very tasty and added herbs or meat.

“In Mauritius, lentil soup is a classic dish for dinner, but he added more ingredients to make it more aromatic. When I was 13 years old, I started learning how to cook rice in a pot.”

What did you learn at hotel school? “At 16, in 1998, I got into hotel school – not everyone could get in. It’s a two-year programme where on Mondays you go to school, Tuesday to Saturday you work in a hotel, and Sundays you get off. I got a job at One&Only Le Saint Géran, one of the best and most expensive hotels in Mauritius.

“When I went to the job interview, I was very skinny and small. The chef asked me, ‘Are you sure you want to join the hotel industry?’ I said yes. He said, ‘First thing, you need to forget your family, and second, forget enjoyment like weddings, Christmas and New Year.’ I told him I was OK with that.

“I worked in a different department every three months: in the French kitchen I made sauces and salads, in the Asian kitchen I learned how to use a wok, and also butchery and fish. The last rotation was pastry and it opened my eyes. It was waiting for me. It’s creative and there are so many things to learn.

“The last day of my internship, the executive chef asked me to stay but I didn’t want to work at the breakfast buffet – it’s usually female chefs who cook eggs, omelettes and French toast for guests. I only wanted to do pastry. A few days later the chef called me to work in pastry. I was there for 4½ years.”