Ken Hom, Grilled!

We are so thrilled to grill Ken Hom OBE, as well as being the international authority on Chinese and Asian food, this year he celebrates his 30th anniversary as TV’s most enduring and best loved chef.

Ken presented his first TV series way back in 1984 and has almost single-handedly introduced the nation to authentic Chinese food and the delights of using a wok. Since then he has never been far from our TV screen and has also sold over 270,000 books since 2000 and over 6 million of his woks in the UK alone. In the last 18 months he has sold a staggering 14 million chilled ready meals.

If money was no object, what kind of restaurant would you open and where?
I would open a restaurant that would be affordable to everyone. It would be a pan-Asian with the cuisines of China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong. I would open it in, my home from home, London.

If you had to eat the same meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It would have to be Chinese sausage with rice – and a fried egg drizzled with oyster sauce on top.

What do you keep on your bedside table?
I have a range of books and magazines for reading, a bottle of Evian water and ear plugs.

When is the last time you had a McDonald’s?
I can’t remember, because it has been so long, probably in the early 80’s when I had the fish burger.

What is your career Plan B?
My plan B would be, to be a photographer, or TV producer.

What is your favourite dish to cook at home?
Either stir-fried noodles or a simple pasta dish with whatever is in the fridge, on that day. I’ve not had any complaints yet.

Is there any food that you can’t stand?
Brussel sprouts. I really, really dislike the smell.

Do you have any recurring dreams?
I often dream about food. I dream that I am about to cook a big dinner and I don’t have any of the ingredients ready. I always like to be prepared.

Who would be your ideal dinner date?
Any one from: Nelson Mandela, Deng Xiaoping, Chou Enlai. All sadly no longer with us, but what a dinner party that would have been!

What is the one object you can’t do without?
I would like to think that I am not that reliant on any one object, so I would have to say none.

To download a copy of Ken’s anniversary booklet please visit kenhom.co.uk

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