Will Henrique be able to handle the heat?

We sat down for a chat right after the show to talk about his experience. We also managed to get one of his delicious recipes that he cooked on the show and the good news is that we will post it on our website soon!

Henrique Yukio Ide, a Brazilian alumni, graduated in 2015 from Culinary Arts Academy. Ever since his youth, he spent his free time cooking and learning more about it. Cooking was his true passion that led him to Switzerland! After four years of studying and accomplishing prestigious internships at Radisson Blu in Zürich, Hotel Trois Couronnes in Vevey and Hotel Le Meurice in Paris, he went back to his home country.

Why did you choose to apply for the TV competition "The Taste Brasil"?
I am passionate about my profession; moreover, I enjoy competing. I already did a few culinary competitions in school and outside of school. At the end of my last internship I was searching for culinary competitions in Brazil and I came across this competition called "The Taste Brasil". I did not have any expectations but after a few weeks, I received a confirmation email saying that I was selected.

What do you expect from this competition?
In the first episode, 24 competitors compete to join the team of one of the three judges. My first hope was to be chosen by one of the chefs. I went in with the ambition of wining the competition but above all I wanted to prove to myself that I could create good dishes and benefit from the expertise on offer.

 

“The best way of dealing with the stress is to believe in your recipe and to pay attention to the details.”

 

How did you deal with the stress of being broadcast on TV?
Cooking is already hard, but cooking in front of cameras is a challenge that I had never experienced before. Usually, cooks and chefs work in a close environment, but the TV show is a completely new experience where everyone is staring down the lens of a camera. However, the best way of dealing with the stress is believing in your recipe and paying attention to the details.

What did you learn from this experience?
The name of the competition is THE TASTE so the most important thing is the taste of the food. However, food needs to come with a range of textures, a balance between flavours and good presentation. Taste is a combination of different factors; this was the lesson that I learnt and concentrated on in each episode.

What tip would you give to future Culinary Arts Academy alumni for their future career?
I recently graduated so I am quite new in the industry. My biggest suggestion for someone who just graduated is to not be afraid of taking risks; go out of your comfort zone, do not be afraid to learn something new, do not be afraid to start something. Have passion, be patient, act with professionalism and be proud of yourself!

Tune in to see how Henrique is doing on the show!
The episodes are broadcast on GNT (Portuguese version only) every Thursday at 22:30 (Brazilian time) and rerun on Saturday at 13:00 and Sunday at 18:00.