Revelations: Zaw Mahesh, head chef, Lahpet, London

What was your best subject at school?

 

Science, especially chemistry

 

What was your first job in catering?

 

Chef at a Moroccan restaurant in Camden Town. Slicing the doner kebab was the most fun part

 

 

What do you normally have for breakfast?

 

Cereal or porridge with milk, or sometimes noodles like a typical Burmese

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?

 

Beam in Crouch End. It’s a family-style restaurant with brick-lined walls and vintage decor. The menu is a mixture of classic British and Mediterranean

 

What’s your favourite hotel?

 

Myanmar Treasure Resort in Ngwe Saung Bean in Myanmar

 

What is your favourite food?

 

Growing up I was always a fan of stuffed/wrapped/dumpling style food – a mix of textures with something delicious inside. And I’m a huge fan of Turkish food

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

 

Cinnamon, but I still like to cook with garam masala

 

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with?

 

MSG. It doesn’t feel right using it to make food more delicious

 

What flavour combinations do you detest?

 

Cashew nuts and garlic

 

How would you describe your desk?

 

Complicated

 

Which person in catering have you most admired?

 

A lovely manager called Gabrielle I worked with at Daylesford Organic. She was always smiling and friendly and took care of us all

 

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

 

Heston Blumenthal for reinventing kitchen classics

 

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

 

Ferrero Rocher

 

 

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

 

A farmer with multiple pets and loads of DIY tools in the garage

 

Tell us a secret...

 

I had chocolates and cake a few times in my two years of vegan practice

 

What is your favourite prepared product?

 

Strong English mustard

 

Who would be in your “fantasy” brigade?

 

Salt Bae from Nusr-ET on salads as he is good with garnishes, Jamie Oliver on pasta and Marco Pierre White on the pass

 

 

Portrait: Katherine Werner. Stock images: Shutterstock