JOIN USWith a naughty gleam in his eye and a delightful grin lighting up his face, multitalented Roger Mooking can keep one enthralled by his hyper-energetic talk.
The Trinidad-born, Edmonton-raised resident of Toronto enjoys the reputation of being the hottest chef in Canada for not only being a cook with mad skills, but also for owning the restaurant Twist, which has opened recently at Pearson International Airport.
Well, it’s not just cooking that has brought him recognition and accolades; Roger dons the hat of a musician as well as a TV host. He is the host and co-creator of the internationally broadcast television series Everyday Exotic on TLC. He also hosts the shows Man Fire Food and Heat Seekers on international channels. Roger’s highly anticipated first cookbook, Everyday Exotic: The Cookbook, hit the shelves in 2011. Roger is a Juno award-winning recording artiste, who has albums ‘Feedback’ (2013) and ‘Feedback Acoustic’ (2014), its follow-up, to his credit.
Philosophy of one’s own
“I am a thorough entertainer,” Roger breaks into his typical ‘Mooking loud laughter’. “My guests don’t come to my restaurant just for eating, they come to have a happy experience. Likewise, I want people to be entertained by my music and TV shows. You can call this my work philosophy: to entertain and spread joy,” he explains.
Roger’s famous remark is, “I learnt how to sauté before I learnt how to spell!” His Chinese grandfather came to the Caribbean and opened a bakery, then his father ran a Chinese restaurant in the Dutch Antilles, where a three-year-old Mooking had his first stint with real food. “I was standing on a stool, wrapping wontons. And soon I was chopping up a chicken. When my aunt asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said chef.” Shortly after that, the family moved to Edmonton, which brought in fresh strokes in the ‘Mooking food’ mosaic.
The then 18-year-old’s musical pursuits took him to Toronto, for he was part of the Juno Award-winning group called Bass. “I took one look at the city and decided to stay there. I phoned my mother about this, and I never went back to Edmonton,” he recalls.
Travelling the world both as a child and a chef has peppered Roger Mooking’s life with cultural and culinary influences that have shaped his perspective on cuisines. “I draw inspiration from people I meet from various walks of life. They teach me a new thing every day and I learn to adapt.” Roger refuses to call his cuisine fusion. “I don’t like that word. I prefer to believe that I combine flavours that unit people.”
Hugely inspired by artist Salvador Dalí, Roger remarks, “I am like a painter who studies various forms of art and then creates his own work. I am someone who amalgamates various flavours into a unique one, and that I call ‘Mooking Craft’,” he roars with laughter again. Thus, his passion has an obvious “international twist” in every dish he serves. “I am a people’s person and very inquisitive to understand what they want. My cooking, music and TV shows are my medium to bridge the gap between people as they essentially have no boundaries. To harness all the three platforms, to bring people together, is my ultimate goal,” he says with a smile.
On a serious note, he says one should keep at improvising their craft. “Look at Bruce Lee. He once said, ‘I’ve punched millions of times, but each time I try to make it better than the time before.’ That’s me. No matter how many times I’ve cut an onion or smashed garlic cloves, I wish to do it better. That’s where mastery comes in.”
Roger has always been fascinated by India. “This is my first visit and I can’t hold myself to explore this beautiful country’s culture, language and traditions,” he beams. While a visit to spice markets in Old Delhi tops his list, he looks forward to eating as many Indian cuisines as possible. “Spices, curries, chapatis — everything is my favourite.” He adds, “One of my bandmates is a Telugu Indian and guess what, I’ve learnt to make pappu dal and have enjoyed eating with my hands — no forks and knives please!”
Like life, like profession
A doting father of four lovely daughters, and a loving husband, Roger lives the way he cooks — merging several elements without conditioning his mind to one particular thing. He recalls his meeting with one monk who taught him tenets of several religions and enriched his thought process. “I love learning physical arts, yoga and meditation.” No wonder, Roger has trained his body in such a way that he can meditate anywhere, anytime, and it’s a free-flowing technique of relaxation for him.
What does Roger enjoy the most — hosting TV shows, cooking or composing music? “All of them. Each one is a dynamic medium to bring joy to people and bind them together. And he likes to say, “Food and music is love, spread love.”Everyday Exotic airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5 pm, on TLC.