AsiaLIFE

From the English countryside to the world’s most populated country, Paul Wood has always been up for a challenge. Kate Liana meets the Intercontinental new executive chef.

How did any of us end up in Cambodia? Whether escaping a stolid, stodgy life at home, or by chance accident, everyone's story is in turns unique and typical. In the case of Paul Wood, the new executive chef at the Intercontinental Hotel, it was a desire for new experiences and a passion for food and travel.

He comes to Phnom Penh from China, where for the last 12 years he's run operations at luxury hotels in various provinces, intermeshed with stints in Thailand and Indonesia. Taking on a behemoth like the Intercontinental is no easy task. Home to The Deli, Regency Cafe, Lobby Bar and Xiang Palace, he has his work cut out for him. In his school days, Paul had hoped to become a blacksmith. The Suffolk-born chef had a lifelong love of metal and ironwork, but was unable to find an apprenticeship. After six months of searching, his father queried whether he had ever considered becoming a chef and noted the similarities. You work with your hands, it's regimented but creative, and like a foundry, a kitchen is hot as hell. "Of course, if I had become a blacksmith I'd be filthy rich now," Paul laughs, since what was a dying art 40 years ago has made a resurgence and is now big business. But he has no regrets, and has found his home in the kitchen.

At 15, after landing an apprenticeship at the Cumberland Hotel, he attended culinary school where he trained in the classical French style under Escoffier's former students. True to his father's description, the kitchen was hot and tough. Now he admits that times have changed and kitchens are not quite the rigid, militaristic hierarchy they had been. However, the old-school chef has a strict set of goals he plans to implement with the staff and a bold plan for the Intercontinental's future. "This is a five-star hotel, and the food needs to be at that level," he says. To that end, he intends to get in the kitchen and start with the basics. His first job is to train staff in the latest methods of kitchen preparation, cooking technique, service, hygiene and grooming. "I was in the kitchen this morning at 4am, showing the bakery how to do breakfast," he says by way of example.

So far the staff has been eager for the opportunity to learn. His larger goal, though, is to bring passion back into the food. He believes that to understand the food, you must understand the culture. He's made a few forays to local markets and restaurants, and was pleased to see all the fresh produce and herbs and natural ingredients used in local cooking. He will strive to maintain the authenticity of the food they make, but also to implement standards of consistency, as an essential part of producing food at this level and scale. Wanting to make the Intercontinental known for fine dining, he is eager to overhaul many aspects of the current food service. The Sunday Champagne brunch is set for a makeover, and will feature more fresh, inventive offerings.

Drawn to Southeast Asia for the chance to experience a different culture and learn something new, he's excited to be here. Whether he'll pursue his other passions of riding motorcycles, sailing, or clay shooting, he's firmly entrenched in the kitchen for now.

"I have work to do here," he says. "I won't come up for air for quite some time." Considering his long history as a chef in Europe and Asia, Paul was initially reticent to describe some of the crazier things he's witnessed. "I've seen every kind of accident you can imagine,” he finally admits. “I saw an entire kitchen blow up once." Sounds like he's ready for Cambodia.