Pedigree: With no formal training, Mark has worked his way up from dishwasher to sous-chef over eight years and several continents.
Life loves: Krispy Kreme doughnuts, tomatoes and Indian curries.
The dish: Mark got his start as a dishwasher. Not necessarily looking to become a chef, he was backpacking around Australia and needed to make a buck. But once he donned those checkered pants, it was all over for this Kiwi. Mark had been bitten by the bug, and it was probably a Moreton Bay Bug—an Australian specialty lobster-like species—that did it.
The buzz: According to a brunch waitress at Public, Mark has already been painted as the bad guy in promos and blogs. “Actually he’s really sweet,” she says. “He’s just confident.” Or probably the next Marcel.
The verdict: Floor manager Jesse thinks he could have a chance: “He’s very serious about his work, but he likes to have fun in the kitchen. He’s a good guy.”
<— SPIKE MENDELSOHN
