Food questions with... Mark Moriarty
What is your first foodie memory?Cauliflower and cheese as a child in the highchair!
The first dish you mastered was…
Baileys bread and butter pudding at my first job in The Chart House in Dingle, Co Kerry!
The best meal I’ve ever had was when…I was in Toykyo cooking a dinner last year, I went to a restaurant two Michelin star eight-seater restaurant called Umi. It blew my mind.
The chef/cook I most admire is? (And why) Mickael Viljanen my colleague and Head Chef in The Greenhouse on Dawson Street in Dublin. He is a phenomenal chef and a great teacher.
The cookbook I couldn’t live without is? Anything by Jamie Oliver. Say what you want about him, but everything he makes is delicious.
Food heaven for me is…Steak, chips and bearnaise sauce.
Food hell for me is…Lambs’ liver for breakfast like my father used to have!
For a late night feast, I’d make…
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. It’s quick and tasty after a long day at work!
What’s your guilty food secret? Parmesan makes everything taste better!
Who do you most enjoy cooking for?I love cooking for restaurant guests, but it’s always great to cook for fellow chefs too.
What one ingredient would you take to a desert islandParmesan cheese.
Tell us your best kitchen tipKeep it simple. Never have more than five ingredients.
What dish would you most like to be able to cook?I would love to be able to master making croissants and laminated pastries.
What’s your favourite restaurant in the world?I couldn’t possible pick just one, but the restaurant I go to most at the moment is Oliveto in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin.
What’s your favourite piece of kitchen kit?
This would have to be my small serrated knife. Good for everything!
What three things do you always have in your cupboard?Lemons, butter and salt.
Your go-to dinner is…Ragu.
What food could you not live without?Steak.
Chocolate or cheese? Which would you choose?
Chocolate. I have a sweet tooth!
What are you working on right now?
The Greenhouse has just won its second Michelin star, so it’s safe to say the restaurant is very busy! I have just completed series one of Beyond The Menu on RTÉ One, and the reaction has been great. I am also an ambassador for Tesco Finest, and I’m looking forward to appearing at Festive Taste on November 30. After Christmas, I have plans to travel, and there will be more TV projects in 2020 too.