Darsin Joseph, Chef de Cuisine at the Spice Market and the man behind some of their beloved dishes, has been cooking as long as he can remember.

‘To be honest I’ve been cooking professionally for 13 years, but I’ve been cooking ever since I could reach the stove. It’s just been something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always liked food,’ he says. Growing up in Malaysia, Asian food was where it all started. ‘South East Asian food . . . it’s me. Food is the essence of Asia. Every place you go to has something different and that’s what’s so beautiful about it. You have 10 different versions [of a dish], fried noodles will come in every shape, size and form. Every country just does it differently. The joy is in sampling it.’

And sample it he has—even heading to Thailand to learn the tricks to Pad Thai and more from street vendors who make it every day.

‘We went to a shop one day and we asked the lady please show us how, the authentic way,’ he says.

So how do you make the perfect Pad Thai? ‘What makes a good Pad Thai would be the palm sugar that you use to make the sauce, and the tamarind. With Thai food it’s all a balance. Between sweet, sour, salt and savory, everything has to play the right role. It’s a burst of flavor in your mouth.’

After arriving in Qatar two years ago, he’s been surprised at how much diners here crave authentic, interesting dishes.

‘Diners [in Doha] aren’t very fussy. They are willing to try. They will give you honest feedback, which is beautiful because honestly that’s one thing as a chef we really rely on. The real feedback. If it’s good then they’ll say it’s good, if they didn’t like it they’ll explain why. They have a very wide palette; they’re willing to try anything!’

The menu at Spice Market changes every few months, to keep in line with other Spice Market’s around the world, with some signature dishes standing strong throughout. One of them is Joseph’s favourite.

‘I like the chicken wings. I don’t know why. I’m just a chicken wing person. I like easy meals, fuss-free food. And the ones that we make here are very good. Very spicy—it takes a long time to make that marinade but the finishing result is worth it.’

It’s those dishes that helped them stand out at the second annual Time Out Doha Restaurant Awards, walking away with top honours.

‘The team that we have is a really good team. The owners are great, they’re very supportive, the management that we have are extremely amazing, and the crew that we work with are all passionate. They really are happy they’re here. They were off the moon. They were shocked, but it’s really sunk in that they actually picked up the award. They’re overjoyed, honestly they really are,’ he says. ‘We were just talking about it the other day, saying now that we’re the Best Restaurant, we need to start evolving. Everybody knows what we’re about now, how can we maintain that and how can we get better?’