KOCHI: Maybe he was born with it, maybe he was diligent. With inbred culinary smarts and unceasing perseverance, one can indeed affirm, for Kochi native Antony Jose, founder of ‘Tony’s Kitchen’, both are true. A chartered accountant by the week and home chef during the weekend, Antony’s relentless pursuit towards everything food and ‘numbers’ has led to the 23-year-old spending a good amount of time in the kitchen to construct and deconstruct recipes. “Everything you see on my blog is a personal project -- an embodiment of what I’ve always wanted to eat,” says the recipe creator who ‘lives to eat’.
A long-cherished dream of his was ‘The Ramen Experience’ which Antony launched on September 2. The ‘Tonkotsu Ramen’, also known as the pig-bone broth ramen served with a slice of pork chashu (Japanese BBQ pork), shiitake mushrooms and soft boiled egg is prepared over two days. Antony aimed to bring this credible experience into your homes sans the two-day process of boiling the Tonkotsu broth, seasoning it with flavouring that encompasses soy, mirin, dry shrimp and fish. All one had to do was heat the broth and add the cooked ingredients. While ‘The Ramen Experience’ is currently paused due to Antony’s work, the home chef had a blast working on it.
“The Ramen Experience was a project that was lined up for months. While I primarily intended to create recipes and share them on my blog, I considered selling a few during the lockdown. I started with Cuban sandwiches which received a fantastic response. It took me a while to gather the ingredients for ramen. Most of them are unavailable here so a part of my research goes into finding the right substitutes -- for example, instead of bonito flakes, I’ve used dry anchovies and shrimp -- and incorporating local produce to elevate flavours,” says Antony.
“I would start cooking the ramen on Saturdays and deliver them on Sundays. The other days are exclusive for matters on chartered accountancy. I believe I started cooking around Class VI. My mother is an excellent baker and while I have the genes, my tastes buds are more affiliated to the savoury side. Various circumstances directed me towards being a chartered accountant though I graduated school in the hopes of being a chef,” he says.
A perfectionist, Antony takes months to find his groove and impeccable food. “The beer-braised beef took almost two months to get that unmatched texture and flavour. However, selling has never been my priority. I’m more into the idea of sharing recipes that I have created and worked on. People can recreate the same at their homes and their responses give me indescribable joy,” says Antony whose Christmas special beef prime roast, honey and lemon glazed pork and garlic butter shrimp with homemade fettucine is worth all your time.
The home chef also goes the extra mile to make his dishes immaculate. “We eat with our eyes. Therefore, I’m insistent that the photos have to be of a certain standard. There are numerous food bloggers on Instagram and I do feel the need to be distinct,” he quips.
Antony was recently part of the culinary pop-up by ‘Guestronomy’, assisting chef Gerald Sheeran with ‘The Walkabout’, a seated and served dining experience - a wholesome take on Asian street food with a twist on Asian and Australian flavours. His plans are aligned along similar lines. “I’ve always wanted to create a private dining experience. Hopefully, it materialises by next year,” he adds.
You can find Antony’s recipes on Instagram @tonys_kitchen_.