Chef AbdeLhak BouRenane
The Yum List finds a little about Chef AbdeLhak BouRenane’s philosophy on food and life and enjoys his wonderful way with words.
What do you do and how did you get into the industry?
The magical product observation and invisible dialogue when I was a young boy… pushed me to go at the place (kitchen) for a closer conversation.
What’s your food philosophy?
My food philosophy is first to find the nicest and freshest products. I closely note the flavours I want and, at the same time, use the magical colours existing in each item. I try not to affect the nutritional potential by trusting the right movement of the hand when preparing them.
Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.
I will take too long for a story.. What I can say is, the world in the kitchen scene is lot of passion and I invite anyone to come to share with me a day in the kitchen – that’s a story of that passion.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
Freedom of creation … sharing is the key word of the creativity.
What’s your favourite Malaysian food?
There are so many good foods in Malaysia… one of my favourites though is Laksa.
What are your personal favourite meal/ drink at Pomelo?
Green Tea and Basil and Pomelo drinks from the culinary cocktail menu. I also like the Warmed Ravioli of Raspberry with cold coconut and infused with lime kaffir… of course some of the meals have continuity of creation, for me meals are never finished. There is all the time a secret invisible information to give more pleasure… to the guests.
What are your favoured food and wine/ liquor pairings?
I love sparkling organic wine, PETILLANT Natural. I don’t have really favoured foods. I like all food especially the ones I don’t know – I’m a curious person.
The perfect day off would be… going around Malaysia with my Beetle 1971. It’s good to pass the time and enjoy the green. I love to discover new fruits and local foods while driving a Classic.
A day in the life of a chef is… sharing and hospitality all day long.
What’s something you’d like guests to know about the cuisine/ drinks prepared at Pomelo?
All the food we do is prepared with the objective of giving a culinary experience, while at the same time respecting and helping the body to receive the maximum nutritional need. We design different health programmes catering to individual needs in close collaboration with the spa department.
How do you select your ingredients and why?
By deep observation and of course, I’m close to the farmers and my herb garden. All starts with him… We follow all the products during the growing stage and we are there at the right moment to cut them delicately for the next step of life of this product. We ensure it travels correctly and rotates inside the pan with the perfect temperatures – we do our best to not affect the texture and potential nutrition.
What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months at Pomelo?
We do monthly menus such as, Spicy with a discretion of seasoning. Coming soon is the Tea menu. Amuse bouche, starter, main course, and dessert will each have the different taste of tea. We pay special attention to controlling infusions and respective tastes.
For a peak at Chef Adfelhak’s creative food, check out a review of Pomelo here.
i'm dying to meet his beetle! 🙂
Wow, my friends from China was having hard time with Curry Laksa (aka Curry Mee in Penang)due to the pungent creamy coconut milk, it's interesting that chef enjoys it though…
Really? Is he serious with his invite to spend a day in the kitchen? hmm methinks that could be interesting……
Very intriguing! I've not eaten at the pomelo before, but I'd love to take a drive up there one weekend and enjoy a raspberry ravioli! 😀
Curiosity in a chef is an amazing trait!