With more than 12 long years of experience in the culinary industry, Chef Vadim Shin from Korea who is currently the brand chef for Brand Chef Yazu, Goa & Mumbai has mastered the art of one of the most loved cuisines across the world, Pan-Asian cuisine. He is often referred to as the a teppanyaki magician practising the art at pan Asian kitchen.
He has cooked in the most popular kitchens of India like The Leela Palace, Setz, Shiro, Sumosan, and more and today he has started his own Japanese cuisine and brings his one of the best A grade sushi techniques to Yazu.
While growing up what have been your fondest food memories?
While growing up there was one of my favorite home meals prepared by my mom all the time. It’s called Doenjang, made from fermented soybean paste, along Side with pan-fried fish and sticky rice.
What has been your primary style of cooking, and how would you say it’s evolved over the years?
Classic preparation, that’s what I have learned from the beginning of my carrier. I think it’s most important to understand the basics first, style can be created later. It is definitely changed and it has been changing over the years.
From traditional Japanese cooking to modern European Japanese, more of the American style. Then later on it brought me back to the traditional way of cooking. These days I have something more of a Thai and Japanese combination.
How do you see the rise of Pan-Asian cuisine in India?
Pan Asian food in India become very trendy this day, and it’s become very comfortable food for people in India.
How easy or difficult it is to understand the Indian palate and flavors?
It’s a bit of a challenge to suit the palate here in India, and it definitely takes time to understand the local palate. Again it all depends on the place.
What is takes to sustain the competition?
To sustain the competition, I believe you have to be very specific to every guest and always work with your chefs very hard to make sure to maintain the same quality and standards.
What is that one food memory that really makes you nostalgic?
I remember my grandma used to make one dish, we called it Ogurya, but there is a different name called Patjuk. It’s a mixture of Kidney Beans and Rice cooked together for a long time. She used to add pork meat in it, some seasoning. Usually, we have this food during wintertime. It keeps your body warm for a long time.
Please share the recipe of one of your comfort dish
There is a Korean dish that always comforts me any day, it calls Kadicha. Its fried eggplant, capsicum, fresh chilly ginger, and garlic, seasoned with salt, pepper, coriander powder, chili powder, and Korean soy sauce. And the last finishing with fresh cilantro and sesame seeds. Adding meat like pork or chicken will bring additional sophistication to this dish.