Michelin-star chef Richard Ekkebus and his intense relationship with time
Every second counts for chef, who measures the preparation of dishes and their service to guests with rehearsed accuracy
R ecognised as one of Asia’s top chefs, Richard Ekkebus, director of food and beverage at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, which includes two Michelin-star, fine-dining restaurant Amber, understands how precision can lead to success.
“Cooking is about precise timing – timing between the restaurants, the service staff and kitchen, timing of the dishes and the pace of the guests according to their needs. All day we are busy with timing,” says Ekkebus, whose two Michelin-starred Amber is usually in the top four of Asia’s best restaurants, and top 20 of the world’s best restaurants. “Timing of service between guests and kitchen if not precise can be a disaster. We time everything, even when we do trials of dishes, we sit down in the restaurant and eat and understand how long each dish takes to get to the dining area, [to ensure that it is] still at the right temperature.”
Balancing home and work as a chef is never easy. “I wake up at 6.45 am each day, everybody wakes up because my son needs to go to school. We have a quick bite and coffee and we all go off. Sometimes I share a cab with my son or I drive my motor bike if it’s not raining. It’s a great way for me to unwind and get me prepared for the day,” says the father of two, who lives with his wife and 17-year-old son.
As he often does not leave work until midnight, he makes sure he spends his day off with the family. “I do not have any hobbies or sports on my day off because I am looking after my family. The hobby we have is eating. We love food.” Ekkebus moved to Hong Kong 12 years ago and has been with the Mandarin for 11 years, but a series of “bad timings” played a pivotal role in the award-winning chef’s arrival on our shores.