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indwe magazine – Oct 2005
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Chef Geoffrey Murray
“The food is the star and the chefs are the ones who polish the star.” |
 Geoffrey Murray originally hails from Los Angeles in the USA and first started working in restaurants at the age of thirteen. Since then he has achieved international renown for his prowess in the kitchen but remains essentially philosophical. “You have to be willing to change every day,” he says of his role as executive chef at Zachary’s, the exceptional gourmet restaurant at the Pezula Resort Hotel in Knysna. “You have to be willing to accept that some people will like it and some people won’t and that’s okay.”There can be no doubting that Geoffrey is passionate about food. “I dream about food,” he has been known to confess. “Sometimes I wake up with a new recipe. In the same way that some people compose a song, I compose food in my head and taste it in my head.” Geoffrey’s philosophy on food is both simple and profound. “Our goal is to become more and more aware,” he says. “In food, as in life, awareness brings understanding.” This principle reflects both his spiritual nature and his eternal sense of adventure. He has led an inspired life that has seen him set trends and win hearts all over the world with his eclectic yet incredibly honest approach to food. “I believe in maintaining the integrity of the ingredients, changing them slightly to enhance them, but keeping their integrity,” he adds. Geoffrey has long combined his love of travel with his passion for cooking. During the 80’s Geoffrey travelled the globe in search of new ideas, catering and consulting as he designed new recipes for his ‘Modern Ethnic’ menus. After several prestigious stints in Paris, he went on to create culinary magic in Aspen, Colorado and Los Angeles, before storming the New York scene in 1992. His restaurants – Boom in New York and Madrid, and Bang in Miami and Mexico City – have garnered high praise and admiration from all quarters. Boom in Soho, New York, was voted as ‘Best New Restaurant’ of 1992 by Esquire magazine. The same honour was bestowed on him in 1993, soon after the opening of Bang on Miami’s South Beach by South Florida Magazine. Geoffrey has received rave reviews from such high profile magazines as Gourmet, New York Magazine, Vogue and Elle. He has also appeared on diverse TV channels, such as MTV’s House of Style during a segment showcasing Boom, and the Food Network with Robin Leach. Chef Geoffrey has certainly made his mark as a celebrity chef to be reckoned with. His reputation as a transcontinental chef, whose authenticity of taste shines through in every dish, landed him an invitation to interview for the job as the White House chef under the Clinton administration. Although flattered, he chose instead to accept a rare invitation to cook for the Bordeaux Wine Expo in France. Always eager to conquer more kitchens, Geoffrey continued to accept more offers to cook for the influential Vin Expo in Verona, Italy, as well to act as host chef for numerous Krug Champagne events, including one held at the James Beard House of Manhattan, New York. He also embarked on an extensive exploration of global cuisine during 1995, visiting countries like Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, India, Morocco and Spain. The expedition was specifically aimed at gathering information for his book. Chef Geoffrey fell in love with South Africa during his first visit to the country in 1998 when he brought his magic to the Makalali private game reserve kitchen. Subsequently, he has taken the position of Executive Chef at that ultimate of all lifestyle holiday destinations, the Pezula Resort Hotel, in Knysna and now heads up Zachary’s, Pezula’s gourmet restaurant. His move to South Africa’s Garden Route is but the latest chapter in a long and distinguished career that started at such a tender age. On arrival in a new location Chef Geoffrey sets out to discover as much as possible about local customs and ingredients and then heightens these with his own original twist. He believes in keeping things local. “I choose to really concentrate on available ingredients – that is my style. Here in South Africa there’s so much to play with! I take local products and try to highlight them in a way that’s available in the area, but in a way also globalising them.” Geoffrey is an enthusiast of the ‘slow food’ movement that is all about restoring the conviviality of mealtimes to its rightful place in society. The movement has no patience with fast foods or with eating on the run. Food is to be savoured, they believe. It needs not be expensive, it only needs to be prepared with care and enjoyed with attention. Chef Geoffrey Murray’s cooking is enough to stop the most hyperactive yuppies in their tracks, forcing them through sheer force of taste to take a seat and pay attention. This food certainly stands up to the diner’s full and mindful attention as each delectable morsel passes over the lips! |