Chef - Achievement
When 360 Bar and Dining room chef Kyle Quy was put forward by his boss to be part of the Lexus Young Chef of the Year Awards his initial reaction was "Hell yeah", quickly followed by "What have I got myself into?"
The awards aim to find the best chefs in Australia under the age of 30.
Quy was the NSW finalist but was pipped at the post for the national crown by South Australia's Melanie Gowers.
The state finalists were taken on a five-day food and wine tour of Western Australia.
This was followed by a three-hour cook-off using a "mystery box" of ingredients in Sydney.
The cook-off in front of six of Australia's best chefs was a competition highlight, Quy says.
"I was really nervous,"he says.
"I sat down outside the test kitchen and along walks [Melbourne restaurateur] Guy Grossi and behind him Tetsuya [Wakuda] and for me as a chef to even be in the same room as them, let alone have them judge what I'm doing, was pretty exciting.
"Half-way through my cook-off I didn't think I had any possibility of winning, but somehow at the end I pulled it out and I was really happy with what I produced,'' he says.
New Zealand-born Quy says growing up he ate frozen vegetables, potato and meat five times a week. Today exotic foods are just part of the job for NSW's best young chef.
"I get to eat truffle, not mountains of it of course, but it's something most people never get to try," he says.
It was early on in his high school years that Quy decided to become a chef.
"I just made all the choices at school that led to cooking, such as taking home economics and doing work experience in restaurants," he says.
Quy says the perception that chefs have to sacrifice their social life keeps many young people away from the profession.
"It's a shame people think you have to give up your life to be a chef," he says.
"The friendships and relationships you build in hospitality are invaluable."
He sees the awards as an excellent way for talented young chefs to hone and show off their skills.
"I'm not disappointed I didn't win," he says.
"It's just disappointing it's over. The whole thing was just excellent. It was really amazing to spend time with people so skilled."
LOVE YOUR WORK
( Q ) How did you get into your job?
( A ) I did my apprenticeship in New Zealand. It's a different system as you go to Polytechnic for two years as part of your training. I worked at the Stafford Hotel [here] for seven months and then got the call to work at 360.
Upside?
( A ) The good thing about being a chef is I get to try all things.
Downside?
( A ) There are a lot of hours and you do work on weekends.
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