English-born James Roy Oakley became a chef at 16 and is Executive Chef at Armani/Aqua in Hong Kong, where he cooks Japanese dishes using Western techniques.
I wonder how many chefs in the world don’t think their dishes are the best and the most interesting, and the restaurant they work at the only one worth visiting? Oh no, I’m more modest. My name is James Roy Oakley, and I am the Executive Chef at the Armani/Aqua Restaurant in Hong Kong. Our customers are beautiful people with a zest for life.
As you might guess, I wasn’t born in Asia but in windy England. If you’d like to send me a birthday postcard, please do it on April 16, when I’ll be 30.
I was born a chef. Well, almost. Ever since I was a child who had trouble reaching the sink and the stove, I told my granny, “I want to be a chef!” We cooked together quite often.
My real work in the kitchen started when I was 14 (by then I had gotten good at reaching the different worktops). I washed plates, cups and forks. So you could say I started from the bottom and had to claw my way up through hard work and persistence.
I always enjoyed cooking, and I’ve wanted to be a chef for as long as I can remember. I never paid attention to people who said otherwise. Yes, industry professionals advised me to give up the idea, but I was sure, and I became a chef when I was 16.
What’s my favorite food? Here’s the paradox: I like eating Japanese cuisine, but my favorite cooking techniques are classical French. They are the “heart” of my skills, and I’ll always have them in my hands, brain and soul.
French food is, of course, very appetizing, but it’s just not my style. I love Japanese cuisine for its fantastic flavors, techniques and healthy style.
At Aqua, I use Western cooking techniques to cook Japanese dishes, so this job is ideal for me. It’s in harmony with my tastes both as an eater and as a cook. I’m lucky!
Sometimes people think chefs have no personal life. I work 6 days a week in a restaurant, and I also practice Muay Thai (kickboxing): every morning I’m at the gym at 7 a.m. I don’t want to be the typical cartoon chef, always eating and with a big belly. That’s why I keep fit.
You’d think that’s all a person can fit into 24 hours a day. But... I also have my sweet family: a beautiful wife and a wonderful six-month-old daughter. I wake up in the morning with these thoughts, and they make me happy. Only after I spend the morning with my favorite girls do I go to the gym and to the restaurant.
The dish in the photo is Turkish delight. It is very tasty!
