people of OMA | michael rafael

meet our sous chef, mikey.

background.  

what attracted you to the world of restaurants and cooking:   

i built up my passion for cooking when i was working in my first job in london in a japanese restaurant called yashin. over the years that i worked there, i learnt a lot of techniques and flavours and that introduction sparked my journey to becoming a chef. it invited me to a world of awe as to all the different flavours, techniques i could potentially learn. not only this but over the years working in restaurants, the thing i loved the most is the amount of people you get to meet and acquaint through food, not just with colleagues but with the guests also. food brings people together.  

what was your first kitchen job:  

my very first job was actually as a kitchen porter/kitchen assistant in a small korean run japanese restaurant in surrey when i was 17. washing plates and prepping vegetables. humble beginnings. 

what has been your favourite kitchen role:  

my favourite kitchen role was when i opened and managed a sushi counter in the arcade food hall. i ran that for 2 years and i served an omakase experience whereby i created a bespoke menu based on seasonality which allowed me to use my creativity from all the techniques i learnt over the years. 

why do you love cooking professionally:  

there is just an endless amount of knowledge when it comes to cooking. growing up in a multicultural family, with members coming from japan, philippines, spain, india etc, i was introduced to all these cuisines at a young age. and after finding my passion to cook professionally i wanted to try to learn all that i could from every cuisine. i loved to cook different types of meals at home already but learning it professionally in a restaurant with people to pass that knowledge hits different.  i worked for a bit at som saa learning thai food and spent 9 years learning japanese cuisine and sushi. from there i moved to manteca which is where i got introduced to the dcco. family and how i landed my current role here at OMA. 

OMA. 

when did you join the oma team:  

i was already part of the dcco family as i worked at manteca prior to joining the oma team. i was here for both our sister branch agora opening and oma opening. we have come a very long way these past few months. 

what made you want to work at oma: 

i wanted the challenge of a new cuisine and a different environment. i was also given the opportunity to work with our head chef, jorge parades, who comes from a great background working in many restaurants including sabor. i saw that i could learn a lot from him.  

what is your favourite food item on the menu and why: 

that’s a hard one, i have two favourites. the first has to be the scallops with chilli butter, i’m a big fan of seafood. the freshness and sweetness of the scallops with the spiciness and flavour of our homemade chilli butter justs slaps. 2nd has to be the spanakopita, the warm flakiness of our malawach just goes perfectly with the creamy, cheesy spinach. 

if you were an item on the OMA menu, what would it be and why:  

difficult one maybe olive oil ice cream, sweet, subtle and leaves a good impression. 

general. 

what are your 3 favourite restaurants in london: 

plaza khao gaeng / speedboat – very delicious and love the heat from their spices. my personal favourite is the pad kra pao with extra fried egg. yum! 

ippudo – love a good tonkotsu ramen. ippudo is always consistent and full of umami. 

happy lamb –mongolian inspired hotpot their spicy marrow chicken broth is my go-to.  

go-to post-shift drink? 

when it’s available, either a proper old fashioned or negroni. or just a pint of beer 

what does your typical day off look like?  

general cleaning/laundry day, might go to the gym, depending how the shift was. i might go for a meal out or cook at home. spend some family time and catch up on rest. 

what's your go to meal to cook for yourself or your friends/ family? 

i’ve gone off eating too much meat recently so i usually opt for seafood now and vegetables. 

we have a traditional filipino dish that uses crab cooked in coconut milk with string beans and pumpkin. one of my favourites to cook at home - or a seabass baked in banana leaf with different condiment and garnishes.