After five years of running successful wellness-food subscription service Green Kitchen, chef Max Mepham, who trained in Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe, opened his first physical cafe, GK+, two months ago at the Westin Hotel at Asia Square, serving up clean bowls made with seasonal produce, house-made dressings and gut-friendly ferments, as well as coffee sourced directly from Southeast Asian jungle farms.
“When I’m invited somewhere, people always think I’m going to bring healthy food because I’m the founder of Green Kitchen and it’s a healthy concept. Everyone assumes I’m eating broccoli all day, every day,” he said. The truth is, “On the weekend, I go for it with whatever I want– lots of naughty food, lots of indulgences.”
Originally from the UK, he leans towards a casual potluck classic: “My go-to potluck dish is leftover turkey sandwiches. I grew up between England and Ireland, and Christmas for us is a real hybrid with a lot of American influences, especially with the turkey. When turkey’s done properly, it’s incredible. We put a lot of work and focus into Christmas dinner – the turkey, the ham, the duck, the cheeses, the stuffing, everything – but honestly, the next day is the real magic.”
That’s because “once all the effort and drinking and fun is done, that’s when the hard work is over and you actually get to enjoy the food without cooking. The next day, when you’re making turkey sandwiches, everyone makes their own version, and you’ve got this amazing spread of fillings, sauces, gravies, potatoes, ham, turkey – basically, a Christmas deli in your house. It’s great because you can have three or four different sandwiches in the day out of the leftovers, and they’re all equally amazing with completely different flavours.”
He added: “A lot of how I’ve been brought up with food is home cooking – amazing pickles, great proteins, high-quality vegetables, different textures and really strong flavours. Homemade equals healthy.”
For the ideal festive sandwich, he recommends layering your turkey with beef stuffing, gravy, mayonnaise, glazed ham, brie, cranberry sauce and pickled red cabbage, and, “if you’re being extra naughty”, “roasted carrots and roasted potatoes”.
“People know when I’m turning up with sandwiches, they’re going to be insanely good, and they always end up getting smashed.”