In the heart of Goa's beach paradise, a culinary revolution is simmering, and at its centre stands Chef Jason – a borderline-mad scientist and eccentric artist wielding a whisk instead of a paintbrush. His canvas? Pristine white plates at White Plate by Jason, his restaurant in Candolim, North Goa.
For an explosion of flavours and senses, Chef Jason DeSouza takes simple ingredients, adds a bit of magic and transforms them into masterpieces by using the art of molecular gastronomy.
Honing his skills from culinary icons like Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse, Jason is one of the country’s youngest executive chefs and he learnt his skills by literally burning his fingers.
Honing his skills from culinary icons like Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse, Jason is one of the country’s youngest executive chefs. His meteoric rise wasn't without sacrifices – he literally learned by burning his fingers in some of the most demanding kitchens.
Jason’s culinary journey began as a kid. “As a child, I was always drawn to the kitchen, ditching my toys for my mum's pots and pans. It wasn’t a decision but a calling, nurtured from a very young age. I’m obsessed with food, I live it, I feel it and breathe it day in and day out,” laughs Jason.
He adds, “Food is versatile, it allows you to exploit it to the best of your ability, yielding new-age styles, infusions and techniques. The skill of the master showcases art to a whole new level. One doesn’t need to copy but learn this exploitation to yield far superior and new-age cooking philosophy. Be the change and don't just follow the flock.”
Talking about White Plate and the way it functions, he says, “I have been in this industry for 22 years and I’ve identified every negative space in any restaurant and have arrested it. We don’t have waiting areas at the restaurant, so they sit at the bar or at the countertops and order. We also look at the time the food arrives on the tables, it’s all timed, so that the guests are not kept waiting. I like to look at everything very analytically.”
Talking about the tasks in the food preparation process, he believes it’s a journey. “Right from designing the merging of the flavours to executing the correct blend to ensure everything falls effortlessly into place, is science. Most people forget cooking is a science with cause and reaction, so just the right cause brings about the perfect reaction. It’s like the birth of a child,” Jason explains.
Did you know what Jason first learnt to make? A Black Forest Cake and he would make it for all his loved ones and would take a few orders too. This dish is also on his dessert menu and guess its name – A Walk in the Forest.
Also, did you know that at White Plate the menu is changed every six months? “I’m working on my next menu and we have unique items on it. There are some dishes which have happened by accident and cannot move out of the menu, like the Jalapeno Motichur Salmon Compound.”
He then tells the story about this accidental marvel. During Diwali he was in London at a party and he tried salmon and walked to the Indian counter to try a Motichur ladoo (the only sweet he likes) and the two flavours clicked.
“Each creation on our menu at White Plate is special and so close to our hearts. Each has a story to tell, whether it’s a happy accident at a Diwali party or a random sampling and realising ‘OMG this works’,” says Jason.
In India, one of the major challenges when experimenting with new culinary techniques is ensuring the highest quality of raw materials to work with.
Chef Jason Desouza
Known for his molecular gastronomy and new ideas and inventions in the kitchen, there are trials he faces. “In India, one of the major challenges when experimenting with new culinary techniques is ensuring the highest quality of raw materials to work with. High quality raw materials yield optimal results and ensuring consistency of those ingredients is a nightmare one has to work around.”
It takes zeal, dedication and discipline to reach where Jason is now. “I’ve never been a chip off the old block. I have very carefully honed my skill, learnt my craft and perfected the classics. I’m always one to push barriers and create stars that will go on to be classics in the years to come.”