Working within various kitchens, the head chef of KOL, Vicky Shah, has found his love and pursuit for food in experimenting with different cuisines.
“When I cook, I love to try different styles, ingredients, and methods," added Shah.
“Each restaurant I have worked with has a different focus, and I like adapting my ideas to work on menus and dishes that suit the style of that restaurant.”
Shah avails to adapt his ideas to work on dishes that suit the style of the restaurant, such as a more refined approach for Sid at The French Cafe. KOL, pronounced ‘coal’, is inspired by the art of cooking on fire, which Shah particularly relishes.
An innovation that he has also added to their menu is the “Naan ice cream”, which resembles a bread-and-butter pudding but with naan, which is blitzed and churned, served with seasonal berries and fig caramel.
“Guests love this and tell me it’s really innovative as they don't expect naan to be in ice cream.”
For Shah, the experience of working in different kitchens and distinctive styles and cuisines enables the development of your unique taste in cooking. He believes that reading up on different restaurants and chefs is the key to enjoying the dining experience and being inspired by your own cooking pursuits.
Cooking for Shah is to present a dish you have taken the time to learn, understand and perfect, then to bear witness to someone to enjoy that.
“That’s something special and is my inspiration each day.”
