“Mr. Beck is ready to see you now,” announced the maître d of Heinz Beck’s 3 Michelin star restaurant, with a beaming smile on his face. I immediately cancelled the tea and scones I had ordered. To calm my nerves I took in the sweeping views of the sea from the open-air terrace of the Waldorf Astoria in Dubai. As I was chaperoned inside Social, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and anticipation brought on by its spaciousness, the crispy white tablecloths, the abundance of light filtering in from floor to ceiling windows and the complete transparency of the glass divide separating the kitchen from the dining room.
Mr. Beck came out of the spotless steel-clad kitchen in his chef whites, black frames and his arm extended to shake my hand. It was with that same comfortable confidence that he answered every question I threw at him. Heinz Beck is a man with his own mind, and ahead of his time; he believes diners look for emotions from their culinary experience. Knowing that, right after my interview, I booked for dinner the next day.
What is it about Mediterranean cuisine that attracts you the most? And does your background lend flavour to your cuisine as well?
My way of cooking is healthy cooking with Mediterranean flavors with a strong focus on Italy. I don’t call it Italian because then you would have to focus on one of the regions and the regions are so different. For example, if you look at Sicily, the cuisine is influenced by Arabic cooking with couscous in the cuisine, and the North is influenced by Austria. So Mediterranean spreads out the influence.
No it doesn’t, I went to culinary school in Germany and learnt a lot of techniques but all these techniques have changed in the last ten years. Now we are using modern techniques, such as dry freezing, high speed centrifuge for dividing the liquids, and Gastrovac for roto vappeur.
Do you feel there is an overall increase in health awareness around the world?
Of course there is. It is all in prevention and communication. Countries were not so aware that food could help prevent disease. And now that there is so much sickness from food related disease, countries have realized they don’t have the money to heal all these people, and so awareness is very important. I started 15 years ago when no one was discussing health. The secret is in prevention; it costs less in time, money and strength. I have written recipe books on blood pressure and obesity in kids, which I have given out to pharmacies in Italy, and now I’m currently working on a book for cancer patients, where texture and quality of food is crucial.
What do you think of food wastage?
I believe it all stems from the mismanagement of food; people should always grocery shop in smaller quantities and never when they are hungry. When I was in Boston in MIT, I saw fridges being manufactured that tell you on your phone exactly what you have in your fridge and what is missing so you don’t end up purchasing items that you don’t need. I think it’s fantastic.
What are your thoughts and feelings about organic produce and products? I believe in organic produce but our environment is so polluted, with increasing contamination of air, water and soil so you can’t guarantee that it’s totally organic. But when I choose organic at least I know the person producing it has a little less poison in it. With the world destroyed like this you can never get 100% organic. It’s also more expensive because there is so much more work that goes in it. There are, however, farmers’ markets in Italy where the produce is easy accessible to all and cheaper than the supermarkets. It’s all about how you want to reprioritize your spending to eat better.
How long did it take you to earn three Michelin stars?
I earned the three stars over 10 years. Before going to Italy, I was going to end my cooking career and take over the family business. But after one weekend in Italy, I loved it so much I never went back to take over the business. Everyone said I couldn’t get two stars because I didn’t own the restaurant but I did and with the third star it was a great feeling because I wasn’t expecting it.
How do you keep your menus fresh and innovative?
I don’t run after food trends. I’ve always done it my way, I run behind research and then I do my dishes. If you try them you will see that they are different.
What do you think people look for the most during a dining experience?
People look for emotions and emotions don’t lie.They want food that brings out emotions in them. It brings me great pleasure to make a difference in someone’s life through my food; they don’t have to understand what they’re eating, they just have to appreciate it. I always tell the waiters not to tell the guests a fairytale; they don’t have to know how the food is cooked, only that when they have the meal, it tastes different. A good host knows about his guests’ worries before they are aware of them.
