OMAR ROBINSON
In-Fusion Catering Services shared with Mélange . . .
What led you to cooking ? I grew up in a house with two parents who were amazing cooks . Mom is Guyanese and can pretty much cook anything under the sun , and Dad is Vincentian and a great baker , so coming from this background , when I decided after my first year of University in Canada that I didn ’ t know what I wanted to do , I took time off and after a summer of working with my Dad , gravitated towards cooking , started with a Catering Company and never looked back .
Where were you formally trained ? I trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris in Ottawa in both Pastry and Cuisine .
Tell us about the birth of Infusion Catering Services In-fusion Catering was first born , ( in name at least ) at Le Cordon Bleu Paris during a group project when we had to create our own little restaurant . It was a team consisting of myself , a student from India and a Student from Panama . Our menu was a fusion of flavors from these international students , so In-fusion was our way of saying International Fusion . When I moved back to Barbados in 2005 , a family friend asked me to do a dinner party for him and that was the beginning . My Mom and I worked together to produce a 4 course meal ( and she has never forgiven me because some of her friends were guests at the dinner but she was stuck in the kitchen helping to wash the dishes ). This was part time while I worked elsewhere . Eventually I decided to make a go of it on my own in late 2007 , and never really looked back .
Who would you say influenced your love of cooking the most ? I ’ d have to say it would be my Mother first and foremost .
How will you describe your food , your flavours , your cuisine ? Fun and whimsical food , bold pure flavors and flavor combinations , modern contemporary Caribbean cuisine .
Are there any ingredients which you must use in your cooking - something which you just cannot cook without ? I love acid , I feel like its such a brilliant taste , A little lime juice can brighten flavors , some vinegar used correctly can cut through the fattiness of a dish , combine it with something sweet and the sweet and sour combination adds a whole new sensation . It ’ s something that when used correctly changes everything about a dish .
What is your most favourite thing to cook ? I always struggled with this question and then I read a quote by a chef at a restaurant called The Church , in Stratford Ontario , where he said “ People always ask me what ’ s my favorite dish or thing to cook and I say , food is so vast , so versatile , so infinite in its possibilities , how do you settle at just one ?” I ’ ve always loved that and it is how I feel about it . I ’ m still learning and trying new things and I don ’ t think that will change for a while .
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Omar Robertson