Last summer an exciting opportunity arose for an Executive Chef in a top dining establishment in Casablanca, Morocco. Mise en Place matched the role with the very talented foodie Rob Shipman over 18 months ago now.
Rob is all too familiar with high-spec food ideas and creations, having cooked for a number of celebrities. He’s recently started his own blog ‘The Food Guy’ , sharing food inspiration, recipe ideas and tips alongside some beautiful snaps of his latest creations.
Here, we talk to Rob about his experiences in the cheffing world, where he likes to eat and what it takes to work in the kitchen.
Which is the last restaurant you visited and what were your thoughts?
Last night I went to a sushi restaurant in Casablanca call ILOLI. There are many places doing sushi over here but this is the only place I’ve found so far that’s worth trying. It seems that Morrocan’s are quite fond on deep fried sushi rolls with cream cheese. This is what I’m trying to avoid. The chef/owner of ILOLI has become a friend of mine now, he comes from Tokyo, the food is great and I can sit at the sushi bar and chat in Japanese all evening; it’s the only chance I get these days to speak Japanese.
Which is your favourite restaurant?
This is a very difficult question for me….! One of my favourites is perhaps Michele Bras in Hokkaido. I’m still a big fan of Nobu and Zuma also.
What is the most important attribute for a chef to have, working in your kitchen?
That’s easy….honesty….if people are not honest with themselves, ultimately they are not being honest to the guest and this becomes a quality issue. In my kitchen dishonest people are out!
If you had to give one piece of advice to an up and coming chef, what would it be?
Work hard…..always do your best and never make excuses….(that’s three pieces of advise as I’m not sure if one piece of advice will ever be enough!)
What would you choose for your last meal?
Veal carpaccio with loads of shaved white truffles and a bottle of vintage Montrachet.
Who would be your ideal dinner companion?
My wife.
Which chef(s) do you most admire?
Nobu, Ferran Adria, Tom Aikins.
What is your signature dish of the moment?
Nigiri sushi of tuna and salmon with white truffle oil, fleur de sel and lime juice.
What do you cook at home on your day off?
It’ll normally be a BBQ or a Moroccan tajine.
Have you had any recent food discoveries?
Yes – spaghetti with jumbo prawns and Moroccan chermoula sauce. I made it at home recently and it tastes amazing!
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
My honyaki sashimi knife….it’s worth about $2,500 and was given to me as a gift by the owner of SUISIN knife factory in Osaka
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We asked Rob for feedback on his experience of working with Mise en Place in looking for and securing a new position; here’s what he had to say:
“I highly recommend Mise en Place, Very professional, well connected and able to find great opportunities for talented people in the hospitality industry. I have first hand experience with this recruitment agency and I do recommend to job seekers and to employers.”
Follow Rob’s latest recipes, ideas and creations on his blog.
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If you are looking for a new challenge or role in a top end hospitality and catering role, register on the Mise en Place website here to find out about the latest available roles.
You can also submit your CV directly to our website, enabling us to identify the role(s) for you.
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