A rare culinary odyssey with a legendary chef!

The celebrated Chef Wolfgang Puck was in town for a few days to delight foodies with a scrumptious dinner based on his childhood fare from Austria, which was booked out, and received rave reviews, and to contemplate a delightful holiday menu for his restaurants at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain.

The Daily Tribune had the pleasure of chatting with him about everything from his fondest childhood memory of his mother cooking to new-age politics and sustainable lifestyles. Wolfgang Puck is a chef, restaurateur, and an occasional actor. Having received accolades in every industry he has set foot in, he is the recipient of four Michelin stars, a Daytime Emmy Award, is featured in the Culinary Hall of Fame, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, amongst a host of other honours. He opened his first restaurant Sago, in 1982, in Los Angeles.

Today they own 28 restaurants around the world, making him a formidable and often sought out presence in the international culinary scene. Here is an excerpt from The Daily Tribune’s conversation with Wolfgang Puck: Mr Puck: We hosted an Austrian dinner last night, with food inspired by my childhood fare, and it reminded me that it has been 55 years since I left my parents’ home. This year was the first time that I was able to spend a whole vacation in Austria.

I do send my children over to spend time with my sisters because I think they deserve to know more about their heritage and get a feeling for their roots. Maybe they do not realise the importance of it right now, but sure, some day, they are going to look back and think fondly of the place where their mum and dad grew up.

DT: Do you think in food trends, there is a journey back to the roots?

Mr Puck: I think there has to be a balance. We don’t want to stick to just the traditional recipes, because the food gets boring then. We don’t want food to just be about technological advancements like molecular gastronomy either. You would visit a restaurant of that sort maybe once or twice and the show and the bling are all enjoyable, but they are never the kind of places you look forward to dining at always. Show is great, but to me, what is more important is, at the end of a four-hour long meal, is there a dish that blew your mind, that makes you want to go back and replicate it. If you had food that challenged your taste buds and your brain. It is of course interesting and innovative, the advancements in the way we prepare food, but it doesn’t quite give it that soul that makes you want to keep going back for more.

DT: Do you have a favourite ingredient that slips unknowingly into your trademark recipes?

Mr Puck: For me, it is about what I am obsessed with, in the moment. Sometimes it is ginger, and I think oh this dish will taste much better with ginger, so will the other one, and the next one, till I realise what I am doing. Since I am in LA, this is also seasonal, since when you go to the farmer’s market you get the fresh produce that’s in season. The citrus season will begin now.

DT: What is your favourite holiday recipe from your childhood days?

Mr Puck: In Austria, we grew up very poor, so for special occasion, there was this meat stew my mother would make. She’d make it a little extra, so the next day she’d put potatoes in the stew, and for me, it didn’t matter whether it was the meat or the potatoes, they were equally good and special. To make ends meet, my mother used to make a kind of pancake which we cut into strips and caramelised with some sugar, and we had this for dinner. While the reason we did it was because we couldn’t afford more, we as kids were very excited to be able to have dessert for dinner! Cookies are my fondest memories of the Christmas season. While my mother was alive, she always sent me a tin of her cookies, wherever I was.

DT: What are your plans for your restaurant, this festive season?

Mr Puck: I am still in the process of planning our holiday menu, we are still taking in the wonderful reception of our Austrian dinner from last night.

DT: How has CUT Bahrain fared over the past five years?

Puck: We have 28 restaurants in our group, all over the world, and I have to say that when we look at profitability, our restaurant in Bahrain is right up top, second only to our restaurant in Beijing. We have regulars here who keep coming back for more, we have lots of customers interested in trying out new food, and the tourists who are recommended the restaurant. A restaurant’s success is mirrored in its profitability, and we are doing well in Bahrain.

DT: What is your favourite dish to eat while in Bahrain?

Mr Puck: I have been to local eateries in the souqs here, earlier, and have also eaten at a home, the traditional food. There is this breakfast dish called shakshuka, its made with tomatoes and onions and eggs, I make it back home as well! It is my favourite food to have locally when I come here. CUT by Wolfgang Puck and re/ Asian await you with the most scrumptious feasts this holiday season. Be sure to not miss out on Wolfgang Puck’s Thanksgiving Dinner on 28th November, the Christmas Eve Dinner followed by the Christmas Celebrations, and the New Year’s Eve dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel.