Chef Watch featuring Kei de Freitas of Macau Kitchen, Edinburgh
Chef Watch
Featuring Kei de Freitas of Macau Kitchen, Edinburgh
How long have you been a chef?
On and off for about 10 years, and full on for the last 10 years. So 20 years.
Why did you become a chef?
I enjoy cooking food for people, and seeing them enjoy that food.
Food is very much related to the way I was brought up, I was always around food. Gastronomy is cultural, if I was not working as a chef I would be 'chefing' anyway - I just love cooking. I'm cooking everyday with my team - I simply love cooking. I can finish work and go home and cook again, as well as on my day off I will also cook.
Favourite ingredient?
Balichão (fermented shrimp paste), chilli sauce, tamarind, Gula Melaka (coconut sugar), aged soy sauce, and Flor de Sal. I could not choose one, these are always with me.
Favourite or signature dish?
It is a very difficult question. But from what I'm cooking now it's Signature Crispy Coconut Duck, Sour Pork Curry and Debal Chicken.
Favourite kitchen tool or equipment (apart from sharp knives)?
It has to be the wok.
Food hero(es)?
Kei’s list extended to a page and a half, so we’ve had to edit it down. He explains that his cuisine is so diverse that there have been numerous influences.
Family
My parents and brothers have amazing cooking skills. My Chinese mother in law - she is my southern Chinese cooking teacher, second to none.
Singapore and Malaysia
From Singapore, Eurasian Chef Quentin Pereira. From Malaysia, the late Noel Felix trained me on Melaka Portuguese cuisine. From the same cuisine, I still meet Sara Federica every year to share her three generations of family, handwritten recipes.
Macau
From Macau itself I have to mention Chef Florita Alves. She has amazing knowledge of Macanese and Portuguese cuisine and displays this at her restaurant in Taipa Macau. I’ve also been inspired by Chef Antonieta Manhão.
Goa, China and Thailand
I learned a lot about Goan cuisine from London based Chef Savio Azaredo. On Chinese food Chef Yu Bo has such a deep knowledge of Sichuan cuisine, and Chef Pam Soontornyanakij is an expert on Chinese Thai cuisine, as is Iron Chef winner Chef Gig Kamol.
UK
Finally, from the UK I have to cite Andrew Wong, holder of 2 Michelin stars at his restaurant A Wong, and Marco Pierre White, who needs no introduction.
Any food you can’t/won’t eat
Plain & tasteless food would be my nightmare.
Comfort food/guilty secret?
Nasi Lemak (fragrant rice cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaf), Bak-Kut-Teh (pork rib cooked in broth), leitão assado (Portuguese suckling pig), Chinese suckling pork. Desserts: abade de priscos (a rich Portuguese version of creme caramel) and burnt cheesecake.
If I’m going out to eat, and I can’t get a table at your place, where should I go?
You can go to The Palmerston. They use great ingredients and they have lot of space, so you maybe lucky enough to get a table.
Stupidest customer or kitchen experience?
There are good and bad experiences in this industry, but for the most part we have good ones - maybe 95% good!
Chef Kei is chef-owner of Macau Kitchen, 93 St Leonard's Street, Edinburgh. Find the website here.
The restaurant has won numerous awards, including
One AA Rosette Award for culinary excellence, 2022/2023 & 2023/2024
Best World Restaurant of the Year, Edinburgh Evening News Restaurant Awards 2022
Best Asian Fusion Restaurant of the Year, The Scottish Food Awards 2023
Best Asian Fusion Restaurant of the Year, The Scottish Asian Food Awards 2022 & 2023
Korsang di Melaka, Chef of the Year 2020
Even more impressively, Macau Kitchen scored a whopping 23/25 in last week's Tom Eats!
This will be the last On The Side column for a few weeks. Back in October.