10 Questions For: Phillip Nel

Announced as one of 10 San Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 semi-finalists for the Africa and Middle East region, this Chef de Partie (you can find him at Rust en Vrede in Stellenbosch) is a culinary force to be reckoned with.

1. How would you describe what you do for a living?
I cook good food but I like to think of it as supplying happiness to people.

2. What is your most vivid childhood memory?
The very first time that I cooked with my mom we were cooking an awesome Sunday lunch.

3. If you could invite any three people, dead or alive, for dinner, who would they be and why?
1. David Collins – He's my best friend but he lives in Johannesburg.
2. Robert Downey Jnr. – I wonder what it's like to be Ironman.
3. My mom – I miss her.

4. If you ever found yourself auditioning for a music reality TV show, what song would you sing and why?
‘Kryptonite’ from 3 Doors Down. It's my favourite song and it’s catchy.

5. How would you complete this sentence?  The South African cabinet should include a Minister of ______________.
Charitable events. To help all the charities out there  raise awareness about what it is they do.

6. What would you say is the biggest misconception about you?
I'm quite a big guy and people tend to struggle to approach me because I come across as intimidating or so I've heard, but I'm actually a pretty chilled guy.

7. What is your (honest) opinion of Cape Town?
I love living in Cape Town even though I'm originally from Johannesburg.

8. What's the greatest fear you've had to overcome to get where you are today?
The fear of failure. If you don't take the first step you will never reach your destination.

9. What's the one thing you'd like to achieve before you die?
I would like to run my own fine dining kitchen one day and maybe even make it into the EatOut  top 20 restaurants awards.

10. Which well- known South African personality would you, without a doubt, be able to beat in a street fight and why
Casper de Vries. I don't like violence and he's quite old now.

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ABOUT #CapeTownMag10Q:

CapeTownMagazine.com’s 10 Questions project gets to know some of the Mother City’s most creative and inspiring people. From television personalities and musicians to politicians and entrepreneurs, we find out more about well-known and up-and-coming Capetonians. You can follow #CapeTownMag10Q on Twitter and Facebook to track recent interviews or read more here about our other awesome 10 Questions candidates. 

A FEW OF OUR OTHER 10Q CANDIDATES:

10 Questions for well-known Cape Town chef Jenny Morris

10 Questions for Cape Town boy band Confidential SA

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