What were your favorite foods growing up?
I grew up eating Aussie meat pies, and still it's a favorite albeit a rare one this side of the world.

What is your least favorite food?
The Japanese plums "ume" are tough, as are grasshoppers from Mexico, and I can't stand powdered cinnamon on my cappuccino.

What is your beverage of choice?
I love the typical chef choices - beer and coffee.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
Passiflore in Paris was a very memorable meal: classic French technique, but he is not afraid to use exotic ingredients and flavors. And, it all comes together beautifully.

What do you eat when you are home?
I try not to make too much of a mess! So, a lot of ordering in, or if I am to cook something simple, it's usually pasta, steak, etc.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Be influenced by all the great restaurants out there and all those great books, but use your own instincts when you want to create your own dishes at home. Feel your way through the cooking process and don't read into every word written; cooking is mostly common sense.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef? Who taught you how to cook?
I was working in a kitchen as 'a job.' As I got older, I got into it more and put my head down and made it into a career. I always want to do well at what I have chosen to do.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
Something creative, probably an artist.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
Terrance Brennan. I spent 4 1/2 years with him and we are still friends. He taught me that flavor above all else is most important; a dish should eat like it reads on the menu with bold flavors.

What is more important for a chef- technique or ingredients?
I have to say technique, because even the best ingredients can be ruined by bad technique. Say if I have the best asparagus from the market and I cook them in a pot of water that is too small, with no salt and it doesn't refresh them well, then they won't taste good.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
I use a blender a lot to emulsify things and make ultra smooth purées, a probe thermometer to check the cooking temperature of meats, and digital scales in metric to follow recipes. All my recipes are in metric, which is a more accurate way to operate.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
I've always worked in French restaurants, so that will always be my technique and main influence. However, I am inspired by those big bold flavors from Spain, Asia and North Africa, but in a French way.

When you are not eating at the your own restaurant... you are eating at?
There are so many restaurants in New York and an endless list of places that I want to try, so I try different places all the time. However, there's a great late night Japanese place called Rock Meisha.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
I notice that the media really picked up on green market ingredients and their uses, as well as comfort foods becoming more and more popular. They are championing simple rustic food, even the burger is often the headline; I hope that doesn't take away the creativity and the skills of chefs. I believe the best trend is to eat well in relaxed surroundings.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
It is a constant challenge to marry all the elements: cook what the customers want, what I think they want, give them something in their comfort zone, but at the same time, give them adventure, and also to challenge and maintain interest with myself and my staff.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
As with most chefs and restaurants, it's not always smooth sailing, and I have had my fair share of rough weather.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Mistakes are forgivable, but if something is wrong then don't serve it! They must have the discipline to start over again and make it right and taste everything again and again.