Generosity and sharing
There’s so much in a chef’s kitchen: the ingredients, of course, the know-how, no doubt… but so much more.
That mysterious blend of generosity, humility, simplicity and humanity.
Good cooking is sincere, honest and accessible; it shouldn’t become cerebral; on the contrary, it should be like an armchair that soothes and comforts.
I fight every day not to fall into the trap of simplistic cooking that seduces with its artifi cia and staging.
You have to stop in time, and the surprise has to remain in the taste and quintessence of the product.
A chef’s primary role is not to create something beautiful; his role is to be real.
He chooses his products, transforms everything in his path, intuitively, spontaneously but reflectively at the same time; “beauty” represents the final phase.
In my kitchen, I’ve set up a table called La Table du Chef, which can be reserved like any other table in the restaurant.
For me, it’s all about giving and receiving, all in the present tense!
We take risks, we show everything, we hide nothing.
We exchange, we share skills and experiences, in short, the growth of collective intelligence…over a good meal!
Reconciling my customers with products that are victims of insolent a priori, or hearing that a child asks to come and eat in our restaurant when asked “what do you want for your birthday?” makes me happy, strong, useful, almost on fire!
At this table, you’ll also have to watch the precision of gestures, the synchronization, the telepathy of a team, behind the scenes where men and women work in the shadows for the pleasure of others… and finally, their shy smiles under the applause and thanks at the end of service of these privileged customers.
Generosity and sharing, that’s my philosophy.
