Nuri
Cooking with intent
Winning the MYBA Chef Competition marked a turning point.
“It reinforced my approach to cooking mindfully,” he explains.
“To focus on the ingredients, their value, and using them fully. You can create something memorable without excess. It’s about flavour, but also respect.”
That thinking runs through everything he does on board. Menus are shaped by three consistent anchors: what the guest will enjoy, what he wants to create, and what the ingredients allow.
“I pull from where we are, what’s in season, and what the guests are looking for. But it always comes back to those three things.”
His style sits somewhere between modern and classical. There is a sense of structure, but also a willingness to adapt.
“I try to find a balance between what I want to cook and what the guests want to eat. I lean towards a more refined style, but the experience matters just as much. Food should take you somewhere, a memory, a moment.”
Nuri
Seeking Inspiration – From Farm to Fine Dining
Cooking on a yacht extends far beyond the galley. Provisioning alone demands instinct, flexibility and a strong network.
Joshua prefers to step ashore whenever possible.
“If I have time, I’ll go to the markets myself. It gives me a clear sense of what’s fresh and what’s available. From there, I can adjust the menu in real time.”
In more remote locations, the process becomes less predictable.
“You have to keep an open mind. I’ll speak to locals, ask other chefs, or rely on provisioners I’ve worked with for years. It’s about finding a way to make it work with what’s around you.”
Those interactions often shape the food itself. A conversation at a market, a recommendation from a fisherman, a last-minute discovery, all feed back into the menu.
On his days off, he is still searching.
“You’ll usually find me walking through markets or trying local restaurants. Seeing what others are doing with the same ingredients is always useful.”
One experience in particular has stayed with him.
