In Prestige Online’s “Getting to Know” series, we ask our favourite personalities what they’re like outside of work -- and get a little more personal.
On Netflix’s The Final Table, we saw a calm and collected side of multi-award winning Australian chef Shane Osborn, which made us wonder what the man behind Michelin-starred Arcane is really like when he’s not in front of the camera. Below, he reveals how he spends his weekends, what’s on his kickass playlist and his love for raves.
What’s a normal weekend like for you? A weekend is usually about work. I'll be here working on Saturday but we’re closed for lunch then, so I usually go to the gym in the morning if I if I have enough energy. Then I work in the evening. The restaurant’s closed on Sundays but I always come in anyway. I mean, the nature of the job is you're always thinking and planning ahead, trying to think about new dishes, about what we're going to do next in the restaurant, so I usually come in here and spend a couple of hours doing office work and then thinking about dishes and menus going forward.
If the weather's nice in the summer, I usually to go to the beach because I love swimming. I grew up in Australia -- you always have one foot in the water if you’re from Australia. I'll go down to Deep Water Bay, Big Wave Bay or Shek O for a nice swim and have a beer on the beach and just kind of destress little bit. My favourite beach in Hong Kong is Big Wave Bay.
What’s on your playlist? The music at Arcane is my playlist! I have three different playlists for different moods. So during the day time we play The Police, Sting, The Cure -- a lot of good '80s and '90s music. I’ve got a little bit of Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Suzanne Vega. And then in the night time we have Depeche Mode, Jamiroquai, something a little more uplifting. Music is very important to me.
What are you most likely to order at a bar? I’ll usually have a classic cocktail -- something like an Old Fashioned or a really good Martini -- something that you can really sip on.
What’s a guilty pleasure of yours? Going for a really great foot massage! If I have enough time on the weekend, to have someone rub your feet and your legs for an hour and a half and just fall asleep or put some music on (something by Pink Floyd) and just totally zone out is just a great way to wind down. I probably go around once a month, but I’d like to go more often. Finding the time is just really hard.
Tell us something that not a lot of people know about you? I was allergic to fish and shellfish for a large part of my life… wait, I’ve already disclosed that on The Final Table.
Hmm… Oh! I used to DJ a lot of hard house music. My big love was always house! In the '90s and 2000s when I was in London, I used to go raving every single weekend. I'd be up there, shirt off, dancing on the speakers. I had a record collection of about 3,000 vinyls and I had my DJ studio in the house. I still have about a thousand records which I keep in France.
Who was the last person you called? My wife and kids. They’re 7 hours behind us. I just spoke to them and they were on their way to school, so I called to say good morning.
What’s the last meal you had? I had staff food. We ate at 11 this morning. Our pastry chef made a pasta dish with a simple cheese sauce for breakfast/lunch. We eat everyday at 11am and then again at 5pm. Today we’re having roast chicken with a simple salad with avocado, cherry tomatoes and rocket. We work long hours, so we have to lead a lifestyle that’s as healthy as possible.
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