Flash-grilled: John Javier
What was your first industry job?
I staged at Quay in Sydney for six months while I was at university, deciding whether to become a chef or not.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
Furniture design.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Peter Gilmore from Quay. He gave me my first chance in a kitchen and made it a point to come to each of my cooking competitions when I was still an apprentice. He’s the very definition of a true mentor. Everyone who made it in Sydney either passed through his kitchen or Tetsuya's [Wakuda].
Pet hate in the kitchen?
Slow chefs.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
I want to take you to my cabin in the woods (in Moscow).
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
At times structured and elegant, while at other times appearing punk or whimsical. Most of the time, it’s technical cooking masquerading as children’s food.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
I just got four stars in Time Out.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Work in the hardest kitchen you can and put your head down.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A spoon.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Sushi omakase.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
Noma in 2011.
Favourite fast food joint?
KFC.
Most overrated food?
Australian brunch.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
I’ve already had Harrison Ford over for dinner, so I would say Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, John C. Reilly and Ozzy Osbourne.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I went into anaphylactic shock just before our first service during a pop-up in the Bahamas. There was no EpiPen or hospital nearby, so I had to sign a waiver in case I died so that I could stay and do service.
