Q&A: Jumeirah chef de cuisine Benjamin Whatt

Benjamin Whatt, chef de cuisine at Quest, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, talks about going from front line to behind the stove and how Audrey Hepburn inspired his latest offering

What inspired you to become a chef?
It was by chance! In Singapore after you’ve done your basic schooling it is very common for you to go to college... if you are intelligent. I was at the time very interested in visual merchandising – to cut a long story short I unfortunately didn’t meet the criteria. At the time my sister was in hospitality school, and my Dad said ‘let’s go take a look.’ I sat down and this really tall guy with a big hat asked me – ‘so you want to be a cook?’ I said ‘I think so...I have no idea my Dad drove me here!’ And it all started there.

Best career advice you were ever given?
I was hesitating for my first overseas post when my chef grabbed me by the neck – this was in the 90s – ‘if you don’t step up and go up, no one is going to go up for you’ – and with that he pushed me out the door!

Worst career advice you were ever given?
To take a higher position before I was certain it was what I actually wanted. While it worked out in the end, and in part I was fortunate to land my first chef de cuisine role at 24 years old, you shouldn’t jump into things you aren’t certain of — it spoils what you love doing.

What is good food?
Food has to be tasty and filling as well. You go to a lot of places nowadays where there is lots of little elements on the plate, but it doesn’t fill you up. There’s a lot of perception of fine dining being huge plates with very little on them which is not the case – it used to be some time ago but that has now changed.

If you could create a dish for anyone in the world, what would it be and who for?
It would be my Breakfast at Tiffany’s dessert for Audrey Hepburn. It’s a croissant and ice cream, a small packet of cereal and strawberry consommé. In the film there’s a part where she goes into town quite early and has a cup of coffee and lets her mind drift – it is the essence of the whole movie; a dreamer. That one little scene is what the whole film is truly all about and that’s what inspired the dessert.

What’s been the greatest career experience for you so far?
We take away a bit of everything from wherever we go. There are always ups and downs wherever you go. I think all the downsides build you and groom you as a professional and as a person so it is really important – having experiences in so many places – it is ultimately what you learn from them and implement elsewhere.

What advice would you give to budding chefs?
Hard work and dedication – that advice has never changed. You have to be prepared to dedicate x amount of your life to your trade. At work you do work, at home you do research. It’s pretty sad but everyone gets their fulfilment in different ways, and that’s how I get mine. Cooks are more fortunate than any other industry. You get to do what you love, it’s pretty fun – you are getting paid to cook.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
I’d be in the army. I did national service as full time for three and a half years. A knee injury prevented me from continuing. You’re getting paid to exercise and play with guns, it’s a boy’s dream come true!