After a shift, what is your favorite guilty pleasure to eat? “Thai food. There is a place by our house that has really good Drunken Noodles with steak that has just the perfect amount of kick.”

Is there one dish you won’t cook? “Spaghetti Bolognese, only because it reminds me of the staff meal we would eat almost every day before service.”

All-time favorite spice. “Aleppo because it has a nice mild heat level to it with a touch of sweetness.”

What is your favorite music to listen to while you cook? “It depends on the mood I am in, but as of lately my go-to is ’80s rock.”

Did you grow up cooking as a child? “Definitely, my mom did a lot of the cooking growing up and still today I reference some of her recipes and dishes that she would make us.”

What cookbook is your go-to resource for inspiration? “I don’t really have one go-to cookbook. I own a lot of different cookbooks and I like to dive into all of them and learn about new recipes from all over the world.” 

After all these years working in restaurants, do you still enjoy going out to eat? “Yes. A lot of the time it is for research and supporting friends.”

Is there one chef you’d like to cook with? “I would love to cook with Alain Ducasse. I hold him in high regard, and have studied his work for so many years.”

Name the all-time best cooking show. “The original Iron Chef was awesome.”

What is the one tool that you always make sure to pack when you’re traveling for business? “My notepad. I always carry it with me when I’m traveling because you never know when an idea will come to mind as you are tasting new ingredients or products.”

Tim Hollingsworth is the chef and owner of L.A. restaurant Otium and winner of Netflix’s cooking competition show The Final Table. 

Interview has been condensed and edited. 

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