The Person
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A glass of wine after a round of golf
What is your greatest fear?
Not having the energy to create more ideas and bring them to full fruition
Which talent would you most like to have?
To be able to sing well
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience
What trait do you most deplore in others?
Dishonesty
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?
I would be me again except that I would have a good voice
What is your most treasured possession?
My crazy ideas
What do your consider your greatest achievement?
To do what I love and am passionate about
What is your motto?
To go after what I believe in, even when everyone around me thinks I'm crazy
The Business
You've gone from a successful career in advertising to becoming a restauranteur. Some of the naysayers out there may tell you to stick to the day job. How would you answer them?
Advertising and the restaurant business have many similarities — they’re both service-orientated and creative. The difference is that in advertising I sell ideas. In restaurants I sell food. It’s something more tangible, and it’s all about the taste
At Koh Thai you've attempted to bring quality, contemporary Thai cuisine to Ho Chi Minh City. It's a new concept for a city starved of good Southeast Asian eating options. How difficult has it been?
I love food and I particularly love Thai food. I also love contemporary design. I can't change the way my house looks all the time, but in the restaurant business I can create an attractive, chic and aesthetically pleasing space. Of course it's not easy, but I have great partners and we have spent a lot of time in Thailand developing a menu that offers a balance of both classic and contemporary Thai cuisine. We’ve also worked hard on our cocktails.
You're in the process of opening a second Koh Thai in The Crescent. Is it wise to expand so fast or is that all part of the plan?
Koh Thai and Lau Xe Lua are the first two concepts being introduced by the Fine Cuisine Group — in April we will be launching two more. Our vision is to be one of the leaders in stylish, contemporary Asian cuisine in Vietnam. So, yes, it’s part of a long-term plan.
Your other restaurant concept is Lau Xe Lua (Train Hotpot). From the outside it looks a bit like a hotpot version of the rotating sushi concept that has taken the world by storm. How would you describe it and how are the customers taking to the theme?
Vietnamese love hot pot. It’s simple, easy and healthy. All our concept has been is to add a bit of fun to the dining experience, with a Hot Pot Train carrying a selection of ingredients that you can the add to the broth. There’s a bit of novelty involved, but so far the customers love the idea.
