Chef revelations: Mario Perera, executive chef, the Dorchester, London

What was your best subject at school?

 

Social studies

 

What was your first job?

 

A commis at Taj Samudra in Colombo, Sri Lanka

 

What do you normally have for breakfast?

 

My daughter and I both love soft-boiled eggs

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?

 

Ministry of Crab in Sri Lanka

 

What’s your favourite hotel?

 

The Dorchester, it’s one of my favourite hotels ever since I first set eyes on it in the early 1990s

 

What is your favourite drink?

 

Single malt whisky

 

What is your favourite food/cuisine?

 

My favourite food would be steak, but I do love Thai cuisine, there’s just so much flavour

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

 

Fried ingredients. I also don’t like to eat liquorice but I do like to cook with it

 

Which person in catering have you most admired?

 

As a child it would have to be Rick Stein; later in life, it is my predecessor at the Dorchester, Henry Brosi. I worked with him for 17 years

 

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

 

Definitely my mum because she’s always been very humble, kind, talented and hard-working

 

Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?

 

Clean water

 

If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?

 

I actually wanted to be a pilot

 

Tell us a secret...

 

There’s a lot of exciting projects to look out for at the Dorchester. We have just announced our rooftop restaurant and bar and we will have a very exciting collaboration later in the year. Stay tuned!

 

What irritates you most about the industry?

 

I think we can definitely improve our support of local farmers and producers, and focus more on using local resources

 

What’s your favourite film?

 

The Hundred-Foot Journey

 

Who would play “you” in a film about your life?

 

Someone who is fun, energetic and loves food. Maybe Will Smith

 

What’s your favourite book?

 

Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need by Jessica Battilana