result to the pulse of the Maximillien
executive chef.
elected to become a chef when he was 18
years old and was in search for a career
where he knew he would always be employed
and for which he always knew there would be
a need.
would never stop eating, so I decided that
I wanted to be a chef," states Sawan. But
his love for food started earlier than that,
as his grandfather was handy in the kitchen
and loved to cook for his family. This talent
manifested in him bringing home new spices
and ingredients and mixing up heady island
feasts for an eager Sawan and his family.
Victoria Hotel and the Merville Beach Hotel,
in 2000 he then relocated to Praslin in
the Seychelles which saw him spend four
successful years at the Lemuria Resorts of
Praslin.
commis chef, to demi chef de partie, to senior
chef de partrie and then acting sous chef.
These roles saw his first serious stake on a
a fine dining restaurant as well as a more
relaxed restaurant specialising and serving
Creole cuisine.
where he started at Emperor's Palace as a
sous chef and later moved to Golden Valley
Casino in Worcester, also as a sous chef. In
2009 he was appointed to Pearl Valley Golf
Club, Franscchoek as its executive head chef,
which he then left and started as head chef
of the Sevruga restaurant before joining the
Legacy team at the Maximillien.
is not only beautifully plated but all of the
flavours meld well into a taste fusion unlike
any other.
kitchens of so many different chefs, from
Asian chefs to European ones and I would
say I have been greatly influenced by all of
them. So right now what I serve is a perfect
balance of all of these influences," he adds.
spices and flavours from around the world
into a single dish in a fusion style I like to
think is unique to me. It is also important to
me to try new things."
He has just unveiled a new menu at the
Maximillien that is designed to wow and
delight the palates of its diverse clientele.
one is living and working in South Africa a
chef tends to try and bring an international
flair to their food. With the new menu I am
combining a lot of local South African flavours
and have added a taste of Sawan, so you
could say I have added my own twist to each
dish," he says.
both English and French, but perhaps it
is his French heritage that adds the fuse
to him. When asked what he is like in the
kitchens he simply remarks: "I can be quite
temperamental.