It’s not just his flair for flavours that makes every feast dished up by Dylan Millar – aka The Pink Chef – so memorable. It’s the way they’re accompanied by a smile, a little sparkle, and plenty of pizazz!
That sparkle is quite literal. When you order breakfast or lunch at Dylan’s recently established Pink Chef Emporium – perhaps while you are having your hair and nails done at the on-site salon – it comes served with a blazing sparkler. “I just think that every moment should be special,” Dylan says.
This belief was passed on from his beloved grandmother, Sheila – along with a keen eye for detail and his love of cooking. Many of Dylan’s happiest moments took place in Sheila’s kitchen, such as the very first time he got behind a counter. “I was five years old, and I asked her if I could help with peeling potatoes. I peeled off a lot of skin, but that didn’t stop me from loving working with food!”
Sheila passed away just one year after The Pink Chef started sizzling, and it’s one of Dylan’s greatest joys to know that she saw him happily ensconced in a role he was clearly born for – a business owner, doing what he loves. Even now, she is remembered daily. Dylan’s range of frozen meals is based on her recipes, and it’s this, together with their generous portions, that makes them a real cooked-from-the-heart feast.
But back to that five-year-old chef and his budding talent. Having become Sheila’s sous chef, it was only natural that Dylan studied hospitality as a school subject. This set him up for the magnificent opportunity that came his way following matric … Chef Michael Holenstein – who at the time was cooking up a storm at his hotel, De Hoek Country Hotel in Magaliesburg, picked the top three candidates from a field of 50 to train with him. It was an intensive three-year course, and Dylan learned everything about hospitality, “from top to bottom”.
It was a fantastic experience, but Dylan knew that it was cooking, rather than the ‘always-on’ hospitality industry, that had his heart. And so, when his event organiser mother was looking for a caterer to help her wow the crowds at a dinner for a high profile corporate, he asked if he could step in. “She asked if I was sure – it was a plated dinner for 120 people, and I’d never done anything like that. But when I said yes, she told me to go for it,” Dylan reminisces.
That’s how The Pink Chef (so named because pink, “passionate, bold, fun and creative”, is Dylan’s favourite colour) exploded onto the culinary scene. Dylan’s first guests were so impressed with his fare that he was invited to cater golf days and other corporate events. “My biggest challenge came during the Covid pandemic when FNB asked me to prepare 800 meals a day. Luckily, I’m always up for a challenge!” he smiles.
The decision to open up the Pink Chef Emporium came about because Dylan wanted people to be able to experience his cooking every day. But this oasis of taste is more than a shop for his frozen foods and exquisite baked goods.
One of the highlights on offer is a special date night package, where Dylan prepares and personally serves a six-course meal, all enjoyed under the stars. Guests can stay on in the beautiful garden accommodation after dinner.
It’s all about creating a sense of occasion, Dylan explains. “For me, cooking is an act of love. I’m not just dishing up a plate of food – I want every aspect of the meal to be a complete experience,” he says, adding that The Pink Chef Emporium also welcomes guests for functions in the form of picnics, high teas and spit braais.
Dylan is constantly experimenting with ingredients to make sure that the experience is an unforgettable one. While butter is his weakness, he loves playing with spices like cumin, cardamom, garam masala and paprika to create complex and intriguing flavours. Jamie Oliver remains a key inspiration, along with Gordon Ramsay (“although I would never treat my staff like that, and even though I was glued to cooking shows instead of cartoons on the weekends, I was never allowed to watch his because of all the swearing!”). Greek cuisine is a favourite (“you can never go wrong”), as is Mexican, and because he chooses salty over sweet every time, he can never say no to a plate of old-fashioned chips.
All of these influences come together in food that has layers and layers of flavour. Dylan is known for his bold reinterpretation of classics, from deconstructed lasagna accompanied by dollops of crème fraiche to his own take on Grandma Sheila’s comfort-in-a-bowl mac ‘n cheese.
With the opening of The Pink Chef Emporium ensuring that one of his dreams has already come true, he’s now looking forward to next year, when he’s planning to release his own cookbook. “Expect granny’s traditional recipes prepared the old-school way. I love the thought of these dishes being passed on from one generation to the other,” Dylan says.
Make a little magic
Dylan loves turning a meal into a moment to remember – and the best way to make that happen, he says, is by creating a ritual. For example, come Christmas, he and his family take part in their annual Candle Ceremony, where they stand in a circle with a lit candle in the middle. Every person holds their own tealight and says their own blessing – one wish for themselves, and one for someone they love.
Details: www.thepinkchef.co.za, @pinkchefSA (Facebook), Dylan Millar The Pink Chef (Instagram)
The Pink Chef Emporium is open 7am to 4pm on Mondays; 7am to 5pm, Tuesday-Friday; and 7am to 3pm on the weekends. 6 Robin drive, Fourways.
