Since opening in 2018, Story has become a popular dining destination in the heart of Christchurch. Head Chef, Shafeeq Ismail said that it is lucky that he understood that his passion was food from a young age.
Born and raised in India, cooking has always been something Ismail excelled at from childhood. His passion stems from when he would see street vendors cooking on the roadside, creating tasty food every time day and night.
As a child, Ismail always helped his mother with cooking, be it kneading dough or peeling garlic and onions, he would enjoy the process and became excited when the time came to cook his favourites in the kitchen, especially fish.
When deciding to pursue a culinary career, Ismail had some pushback from his family, but he was determined to succeed with his lifelong ambition.
When in the kitchen, Ismail’s style is to cook simple, tasty seasonal food, and he loves to add a bit of spice to add oomph to his dishes. He wants people to be aware of what they want, and more importantly where it was sourced from.
Since becoming a chef, Ismail has enjoyed mixing cultures in the kitchen and describes his food as being humble and honest.
Challenges arose in recent years when staffing was low, and a high production cost overshadowed his work, but Ismail was determined to see it through.
Ismail said that for those wanting to be a chef, start slow, and if you are not passionate about food or cooking, then don’t be in hospitality.
A proud moment for Ismail was when he was named one of Christchurch’s top five chefs in the city, and said that chefs who work with him and grow their careers is a great feeling, adding that mentoring young talent and being able to offer his staff that is a great achievement to him.
His goals for the future include being able to manage both the sustainability and staff of his restaurants, and said that one of his favourite things is spending time with his wife Shamin, and his son Özil.
