Guy Laffan Interviews Imran Nathoo, MasterChef 2017 Finalist by Guy Laffan

MasterChef is somewhat of a household name in the UK—a program we all know and love. I for one think it’s brilliant, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to find out that my friend Imran Nathoo was going to be one of the contestants. The whole thing was understandably a complete secret until the program started, so well done Imran for keeping it so quiet!

There are those amongst us who like to think we can cook, and then there are those brave enough to put their skill to the test … on no less than national TV. This includes Nathoo, someone I’ve always known to love both cooking and eating food. He is so passionate in fact that he has his own blog, which has been a great success.

Nathoo was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where he lived for several years before moving to Bristol. He studied dentistry in Cardiff dental school and still lives in the city with his wife, Carys, and son, Osian.

I am thrilled to say that I am dining at one of Nathoo’s supper clubs this month, so watch this space for my next review.

Here at DentaltownUK we love seeing dentists doing well outside of the job and we thought we’d seize the opportunity to ask him a few questions. Here goes!

What is the name of your practice and where is it?
I work as an associate in two practices in South East Wales—Bay House Dental Practice and Whitehouse Dental Clinic.

What made you choose dentistry as a career, instead of following your passion for cooking?
I couldn’t cook when I applied for dental school! The passion for cooking food had not yet begun. I knew I wanted to be a health professional of some sort, and after some work experience and speaking to a few people, including my own dentist back home, I decided dentistry was for me.

What got you into food and cooking in the first place? What inspired you to take it up?
I think I got into food right when the whole celebrity chef thing took off and when you couldn’t switch channels without catching a cooking show. I was just fascinated by the care and attention to detail some chefs gave food. Having some disposable income after graduating helped, too, as I started to eat out more often. This helped broaden my understanding of food.

Who or what pushed you to try competing in MasterChef? Why did you decide to go for it?
I don’t want to get too philosophical about it, but essentially I had a moment last year when I thought, ‘life is too short’—if there is something that you want to do, go for it! There is no such thing as the right time. Having been a fan of the show for several years and wanting to do more in the world of food, I had nothing to lose and just went for it.

Would you encourage others to go in for MasterChef?
Yes, definitely! But you have to be passionate about cooking and understand that it is much harder than it looks.

Has being on the show had an impact on your professional life? If so, in what way?
Patients love to talk about the show now, which is great. I much prefer it to the usual ‘I hate the dentist’ greeting.

What’s your favourite dish to cook for people, and why?
I really enjoy cooking my vegetarian thali dish that I made for food critic Amol Rajan in the quarterfinals. It showcases the food of my upbringing while allowing me to express my own twist on the tradition in the form of the kale pakoras and apple kachumber.

If you could cook that dish for anyone, living or dead, who would it be for, and why?
My mum, who was a true inspiration for my family and I. She is the driving force behind where my family and I are today and she’s a great cook.

What was your favourite part of being on MasterChef and what was your least favourite?
Loved meeting the other contestants— people who share the same passion for food as you do and are crazy enough to do the show. The least favourite part was the lack of sleep worrying about being on the show and how I would do!

What was the most difficult aspect of the show?
Receiving critique about your food is pretty difficult to take. The comments stay with you for a while as well.

Is it as tense while filming as the show makes it look?
Yes, it is, if not more! The ever-near cameras and of course the judges milling around, along with the constant time pressures (which I should be used to as a dentist). It’s a very different kind of pressure, compared with the pressure of a waiting room full of patients.

Have you ever considered becoming a full-time chef?
I don’t think I would ever fully change careers. I trained hard(ish) for six years to become a dentist, and besides, I still haven’t paid off my student loan! I have however launched my own supper clubs and will be doing more food demonstrations. I also have a food blog, which I hope to keep going with and grow its content.

What do you enjoy most about dentistry?
The interaction with people is what I enjoy the most about dentistry. The variety of different people you meet every day and how you communicate with those people. I believe good communications skills are a big part of what we do as dentists.

Do you think you will re-enter MasterChef in the future?
Unfortunately, once you’ve been on the show you cannot reapply. But if I could go back in time, I would certainly do things differently. But I’m sure we would all do things differently with hindsight.

From the DentaltownUK team, many congratulations, Imran, and we wish you all the best for any future foodie endeavours!

Follow Imran at kitchenclonc.blogspot.co.uk