Natasha De Bourg of Below Deck Sailing Yacht brings the glam and the class to every charter. With the help of her Trinidadian heritage, every meal is a mixture of her learned talent and personal tie to food.
She exclusively told TheThings about the origin of her career nickname and how she comes up with such refined recipes.
Served Up Trinidadian Style
You are originally from Trinidad and Tobago, an island known to be a cultural melting pot. What role does your ethnicity play in your cuisine?
"I think I take my ethnicity everywhere I go. I'm this bubbly, melodramatic person. Also what I would say, coming to my food, It'll just be like an amalgamation of spices in everything that I do."
Do you have a favorite dish? I've seen some of your Instagram recipes!
"Everything from my culture is actually amazing. It's the food that I grew up with...I don't think there's anything to describe our food. It's really good."
Those traditional Trinidadian dishes include tomato choka and curried shrimp. Spices are always on the VIP list, as well as a heavy dose of garlic cloves. De Bourg's culinary education in Switzerland allowed her to refine her skills to the highest degree while maintaining a close connection to her country.
Would you ever consider starting your own YouTube channel?
"YouTube takes a lot of time. Most of the time I just have to write the recipes down...I work besides doing anything at all, so it's full when I do that. If I have time, I would love to because I love teaching people about my culture and even cultures I've traveled and seen."
'The Classy Chef'
In Michelin-starred kitchens, the Below Deck chef is known as 'The Classy Chef.' We had to know how that nickname came to be. With little to no surprise, it began with a long-lasting family story.
Where did the 'Classy Chef' come from?
"The Classy Chef came from my dad because he really pushes that people should be elegant and classy. So, for me, I want to present that as being a chef. I think because I'm in a male-dominated industry, we should keep the air of being elegant and classy
If someone's trying to impress dinner guests, what do they make?
"I would always say fresh ingredients. Fresh fish, I think seafood is always good, people love seafood. Any kind of, lobster or shrimp I think is always nice with fresh vegetables. The guests love it!"
Well, we loved getting to know the chef a little bit better. She made us laugh the entire conversation as we bantered about the much-needed balance of sass and sparkles.
Not only that, but she humbly thanked us as we dug our heels into the sand and complimented her well-earned spot on the Below Deck cast.
This season of the sailing yacht escapades is far from over, but as of now, we already know she needs to return for a second round with Captain Glenn.
Hayu and Slice are the go-to platforms to watch or stream every episode of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht.