q&a with chef tony
Meet Chef Tony, the quiet force behind swanky table, a supper club shaped by instinct, humility, and a lifelong love for food as connection. Drawn to the kitchen young, cooking became his language, a way to explore life, observe people, and communicate without words.
After more than 25 years across diners, fine dining, and everything in between, tony cooks with discipline and intuition in equal measure. recipes are guides, not rules; rhythm comes from music, memory, and mood. Inspired by jazz, his food is improvised, honest, and deeply intentional. Rooted in simple ingredients like olive oil, garlic, and thyme, his dishes carry nostalgia, warmth, and the quiet comfort of coming home, leaving guests not just full, but connected, lingering long after the last bite.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the kitchen .
I came into the kitchen young, for the love of food and drawn by the energy and the love to explore, discover and learn about the essence of life. It was a way to connect with people without saying much at all.
Q: You’ve spent over 25 years across diners, fine dining, catering, and everything in between. What lessons from those early days still guide you now?
Those early years taught me humility and discipline. No matter how refined the food, fundamentals always matter. Respect for ingredients, timing, and the people you cook for never goes out of style.
Q: At some point, you stopped following recipes altogether. What gave you the confidence to trust instinct over instruction?
After decades of repeating the same recipes and building muscle memory, instinct will start to take over naturally. I learned to listen to taste, smell, and feel and that recipes are guides not rigid rules.
Q: You often compare your cooking to jazz, improvised and rhythm-led. What inspires that rhythm outside the kitchen? music, travel, people, or something else?
Jazz fits because cooking is about feeling, not just structure. Whatever you’re feeling shows up on the plate; passion, joy, tension, and people can taste the difference when it’s real. Music, people, and life outside the kitchen all shape that rhythm.
Q: What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you? Something that doesn’t immediately fit the “chef” stereotype.
I’m quieter than people expect, especially outside the kitchen. I observe more than I speak. I’m also very picky about food and won’t eat just anything; if something doesn’t have intention or care behind it, I’d rather pass. That selectiveness shapes how I cook.
Q: When you’re not cooking or thinking about food, how do you like to spend your time? Any hobbies, rituals, or off-duty obsessions?
Outside the kitchen, I slow things down. I’ll play PlayStation, put on music, or go sightseeing around Dubai. I moved here a few years ago and I’m still discovering the city & taking it all in. Stepping away from food helps me reset and come back sharper.
Q: Food and memory play a big role in swanky table: nostalgia. Is there a dish, ingredient, or smell that instantly takes you back to a specific moment in your life?
Lentil makhlouta takes me back to my childhood. Coming home from school to find my mother cooking, the house filled with a familiar, comforting smell. It’s tied to family, routine, and being surrounded by care, and those memories still shape the way I think about food and the emotions it carries.
Q: What are your three favorite ingredients to cook with, and why? Are they comfort-driven, seasonal, or purely emotional choices?
Olive oil, garlic, and thyme are at the heart of how I cook. They’re humble ingredients, but together they carry warmth, depth, and memory, forming a base that lets everything else speak. When treated with care, they don’t overpower, they tell a story.
Q: If you could cook a meal for any three people, past or present, who would be at your table, and why?
I wouldn’t choose famous names. I’d choose people who influenced my life in small, lasting ways; family, mentors, and someone genuinely curious. The names matter less than the conversations and memories that would unfold around the table.
Q: You’re known for constantly tweaking, reinventing, and surprising, even yourself. What excites you most about not knowing exactly how a dish will end up?
That uncertainty keeps cooking alive for me. I trust my inner sense to guide each decision and allow the dish to tell its own story as it comes together. When you leave space for that, the food becomes more honest and expressive.
Q: For someone attending swanky table for the first time, what do you hope they leave feeling, beyond being full?
I hope they feel connected to the food, the people, and the moment. If they leave with a story or a memory, the meal has done its job.
Q: And finally, what’s next for swanky table? Whether in or out of the kitchen, what are you curious to explore next?
What’s next is deeper connection; more personal stories and food that feels honest rather than impressive. There will always be new dishes and unexpected flavors, even for me, as I keep mixing, playing, and challenging myself with techniques, whether simple or complex. Curiosity will always lead the way.
