Recipes for Success: Chef Mark Calbay talks standards, science, and shawarma

DUBAI: Filipino chef Mark Calbay grew up as a picky eater. So his parents would buy ingredients and let him experiment in the kitchen, and that was how he started cooking for himself.

“Music and drawing have always been my passions. Cooking eventually became another creative outlet, allowing me to express myself through food,” he told Arab News.

Most of his culinary knowledge comes from hands-on experience in professional kitchens, including La Tablita and Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Today, he is co-founder and chef patron of LahKee, an Asian-inspired restaurant in Dubai.

“When I started creating LahKee’s menu, I drew inspiration from the food we grew up cooking and eating at home,” he said.