Chef interview: Daniel Green

Daniel Green is passionate about spreading the message of healthy food having flavour [Photo: Lester Apuntar/ITP Images]

Tell us more about your cooking philosophy and how it ties in with your visit?

When it came out that Shangri-La was doing the launch of Rooted by Nature, it was a really nice way for me to showcase my latest book and the menu — The Paleo Diet: Food Your Body is Designed to Eat. And that is very on par with finding ingredients that are natural and not processed. I’ve been very passionate that food can have flavour even when you are adapting it as a healthier version.

A lot of chefs say that ‘fat is flavour’, and I think, ‘yes it can be, but it doesn’t need to be’. If you’re using, like I’m doing, Thai ingredients, then the paleo diet lets you have coconut milk — and I’ve got a coconut curry with so much flavour, you’ve got everything natural in it. In today’s world, we’re understanding that what we’re putting in our body is important, and processed food isn’t good and you don’t have to compromise. It used to be a diet of steamed chicken or steamed fish and vegetables, and I think that day is gone.

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Have you always been interested in this style of cooking?

A 100%. It’s the reason I got into food and it’s the only reason I do anything to do with food — to show people my way of cooking. I lost about 65 pounds, around 20-24 years ago, and I did that because I got to a point I didn’t want to be. I didn’t think I would be able to enjoy food again, and I did. Because I was able to sustain it, it became this mission I wanted to share with other people.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I love the variety. I’m able to travel, I’m on air five days a week in the US, and I still manage to do the books, and another TV show in Los Angeles. I’ve just taken on a resort in Bali, and I’m going to be doing the entire menu. It drives me, I have more energy than when I was overweight, I have more energy than when I was 20 years old, and it doesn’t feel like work, so it doesn’t ever stop me.

We heard you’re also interested in working with a company based in the UAE?

There’s a company with two young guys — one is from Denmark, one is from England — called Kcal. I really have a strong interest in them wanting to expand out of the Emirates, which they have into Egypt now, and I really love their concept and it’s very similar to my philosophy. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here, to see if the food is as good as the concept and I believe it is.

Is there anything you haven’t done yet that you’d like to do?

If there’s anything I could do, it would be a fast food healthy concept, and it would also be getting kids understanding food and not quick, processed food. Because I know from having kids that when they try food they are more interested in it.

What has been your favourite F&B experience?

I’m very drawn to Thailand and Bangkok. I find it exciting because I’ve had better French food there than in France. I’ve had better Italian food there, and Thai. As a destination it’s a nice way for people to explore because it’s not too expensive and you can try amazing food from all over the world. For the outlets, it changes so much because restaurants change a lot. But one of the most exciting menus I’ve ever seen is in Sydney. Australia’s got unbelievable flair for not overcomplicating food, for making it taste very good. I like a lot of the Australian chefs very much — Rockpool in Sydney was a particular favourite. But that’s hard because obviously it changes.