Revelations: Amy Poon, founder, Poon's Wontoneria, London
We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week: Amy Poon, founder, Poon's Wontoneria, London
What was your best subject at school?
Art history
What was your first job?
Coat check girl at Poon's of Covent Garden in London
What was your first job in catering?
Behind the bar at Poon's of Geneva
What do you normally have for breakfast?
I don't eat breakfast
What do you do to relax?
Clean
Which is your favourite restaurant?
It depends on my mood and circumstance, but I always have a good experience at Clarke's in Kensington in London
What's your favourite hotel?
Zaborin in Hokkaido is pretty special
What is your favourite drink?
Tea
What is your favourite cuisine?
Chinese, of course!
Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with?
Manufactured, processed vegan meat substitutes
Which person in catering have you most admired?
My mother
Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?
My pa
Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?
My osteopath
If not yourself, who would you rather have been?
My friend Fiona's German wirehaired pointer
If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?
Lost
What irritates you most about the industry?
The perception it is low-skilled
What's your favourite film?
The Sound of Music
What's your favourite book?
Impossible to answer but I reread The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe often
What is your favourite prepared product?
Poon's wind-dried duck liver sausage
If you had more time, what would you do?
Feed more people, spend time on a snowy mountain, piece together my parents' journey in more depth, write my pa's cookbook
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