be really bad to work with. You see I am a
perfectionist and I can't handle it when things
around me aren't perfect. I do however work
very closely with my team and I encourage
camaraderie, but when it is time to work it is
time to work and I expect the very best from
my people."
Taking the time to groom youngsters and
giving anyone he can a chance to shine.
wasn't for opportunities and people who
gave me a chance I would be nowhere. So
I believe in giving everyone a chance, even
my cleaners I try and motivate them and give
them opportunities to be a trainee working
with them and motivating them all the time,"
mentions Sawan.
challenge.
hub as well as a tourist destination, but in the
past I had primarily worked with tourists. The
palates of business people are very different,
more distinctive, they are very particular
about what they want. The real challenge for
make my own cuisine, where everywhere
else I had only a little bit of freedom but for
the most part had to listen to the direction of
others," he tells us.
own the menu, and as a result I have to apply
my signature to it, I must say I am really
enjoying it. On the other hand I also love what
I do and the team that supports me. At other
establishments you have food and beverage
managers, especially in the corporate
catering world, that see creativity and simply
put a stop to it. Now all of the ideas here
are my own and the team is behind me in
everything that I do," he says.
for Chef Sawan this is simply black pepper.
I always say that salt and pepper must be
added from the beginning and not just put on
the table. You need to balance the flavours,
but the tastes must be on the dish before they
come to the table," remarks Sawan.
has all of the flavours on it and which doesn't
need to be added to. Yes it must meet the
from the recipe."
ingredients will he be adding to it? "I really
appreciate South African meat and game in
particular. Game is one of those meats that
so many people in a kitchen simply don't
understand so they don't try. Often your
customers are also wary of it because it is a
wild animal you are putting on their plate.
from the sugar can fields and he used to cook
them for us I think this really unleashed my
love for the meat, and it is this appreciation
for it that will see me adding it to our new
menu."
only don an apron if they are truly passionate
about food and really love to cook. He says
that anything you do with passion becomes
easy which is why you have to love what you
do to become a chef.
you are passionate about it, don't just do it for
the sake of doing it but rather do it because
you love it. If you approach it from this view
point all of a sudden all of the obstacles you
meet along the way such as the long hours
the fact that the money isn't always great, all
become secondary. If you do this your food
will also be better as your guests and diners
will be able to taste when something has
been made with passion," says Sawan.
that motivates him is the appreciation of the
people eating his food.
food as well as the happiness they get from it.
When people come here and enjoy their meal
everything changes, it changes the way they
feel, the way the people in the restaurant feel
and the way that I as a chef feel that makes
it all worthwhile."
Maximillien restaurant and treat yourself
to one of Sawan's dishes, and a treat it
will be. His energy for food as well as
his understanding of it from a culinary
perspective is a true gastronomic delight
from his sauces to his meat, his starters to his
desserts, everything has a purpose and that
purpose is to please your palate.