You’d hardly believe it just from looking at his ripped physique, but actor-model-host Paul Foster really loves his food. In fact, I left this interview impressed at how he could wax lyrical about his favourite dishes and kitchen experiences with the same passion as one would usually reserve for a sensual lover.
Then again, food has always seemed to excite and entice this hunk. Paul’s claim to fame was, after all, an appearance on a local reality show, Food Bachelor; so it should come as no surprise that he’ll be returning for the second season of Diva Universal’s hunky cook-off show, Hot Guys Who Cook.
Judging from these shows, you might think it’s the element of competition that gets this British-Chinese gentleman hot and bothered; but Paul says that he loves the social aspect of cooking for people and used to invite about 15 to 20 friends over to his place to sample his take on a different type of cuisine each week.
We caught up with this stud muffin for a chat on all things food-related:
herworldPLUS: You’ve done a bit of modelling, hosting, acting and cooking. Which do you enjoy most?
Paul Foster: In modelling, I can be myself or another character depending on the shoot; the persona you see when I’m hosting is all me; and I can play totally different characters when I’m acting and that’s fun. They’re all different for me and I enjoy them all. As for cooking, it’s something I love to do because I love food and I love to eat.
HWP: What will you be cooking on Hot Guys Who Cook this time around?
PF: The Indian dish (dahl, paneer and chicken tikka) that I did in the previous season required too much preparation, so this time I’ll be doing a very easy cod with tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, some chilli and a squeeze of lemon. I wrapped it in aluminium foil pocket and baked in oven; it’s a method I picked up from Jamie Oliver. I also prepared some couscous and asparagus sides to accompany the dish.
HWP: Is there a special reason why you chose to cook this dish?
PF: I knew the judges were going to be female, and I’ve cooked this dish for a date which turned out very successful. So I knew that I would have a good chance of making the judges swoon with this dish.
HWP: What food brings back childhood memories?
PF: I’m lucky that I grew up in a multi-cultural household, so from my dad’s side it would probably be something very English like oxtail stew and ayam buah keluak from my Peranakan mum’s side.
HWP: Would you ever think of making food your career?
PF: Yes, actually. Food is a necessity; everyone needs to eat. I would love to pitch a few ideas I have up my sleeve to Diva Universal. I’m always learning and would definitely like to learn the Peranakan style of food; so since I have my own production company, Status Productions, I’d like to produce some content of me going around learning how to cook.
HWP: You adhere to a strict diet to keep in shape. What’s your favourite pig-out food on cheat days?
PF: That’s a good question because I have so many, especially local food like char siew rice, chicken rice, nasi goreng, mee rebus, nasi lemak, and carrot cake. I don’t get to eat these a lot of the time and they are also nostalgic for me.
HWP: What do you do to relax?
PF: Lazy Sundays are my favourite days. I just catch up on TV all day and eat whatever’s available. I watched a lot of television growing up, but now it’s almost become like homework as well because I’m doing research for my work as I watch.
HWP: What can we expect from Paul Foster in the coming months?
PF: I’ve just come back from filming a travelogue with fellow Hot Guys Who Cook guest, Henry Golding in China, Japan and India that will air in February; and I’ll also be an ambassador for True Fitness next year.
Now that we’ve whetted your appetite, check out our video of Paul below where he dishes some sexy surprises.
Catch Paul Foster on Hot Guys Who Cook, Monday, December 17 at 7pm on Diva Universal.