World Chefs: Stoddart makes Belgians feel at home

By Richard Leong

NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters Life!) - New York City chef Neville Stoddart Jr. is proud that his steaming bowls of mussels and heaps of crispy fries will give any Belgian an authentic taste of their national cuisine.

"When they walk through the door, they feel like they are home," said the 39-year-old executive chef at Markt, a Belgian brasserie, since 2003.

Although the mussels-and-frites fad in New York has faded, Stoddart said he and co-owner Peter Michaels are sticking with Markt's concept and its Belgian dishes, which they believe will set the restaurant apart from its competitors.

Asked about his closest personal tie to Belgian cuisine, the Bahamian-born chef said, "My great grandfather was Dutch."

Stoddart recently spoke to Reuters about his training and preparing Belgian cuisine:

Q: Coming from the Bahamas, how did you become involved with a Belgian restaurant?

A: "Eight years ago, I was hired by an expeditor to manage a kitchen. All the chefs there were Belgian. The sous chef at the time was Chris Gielen (Markt's Belgian consulting chef). He took me under his wings. When he became chef, I became his sous chef."

Q: How is Markt trying to stay distinctive as the novelty of Belgian cuisine has worn off?