"Chefs are Owners of Their Restaurant Today"

Chef, you have got more than two decades of culinary experience. How have you seen industry grow in all these years?

Yes as a matter of fact since I started my career over 40 years go I have seen the big food multinationals enter our sector

How did food happen to you?

I was raised by my grandmother in the countryside. My grandfather was a butcher. At a young age they taught us to eat beautiful things of nature. This is what made me want to become a cook.

Running a Michelin starred restaurant is not everyone’s cup of tea. How do you match those standards?

I think that I have managed to maintain my Michelin Star over the years because I always have the desire to please the clients that enter our restaurant Le Pergolese.

What new can we see at the special dinner curated by you at Sofitel, Mumbai?

During my dinner at the Sofitel, I think we will notice the way Indian Chefs master spices and how we can combine these with French cuisine

How have you seen the face of chef changing with time because today restaurants are by known by chefs as compared to earlier days when people hardly knows about the chefs?

Yes as a matter fact, most Chefs are owners of their restaurant nowadays. This all became possible thanks to one man Mr Paul Bocuse.

Globally, sustainable, fresh and local menu produce are big fad these days. How are you seeing these trends catching up in the industry?

We already sounded the alarm bell many years ago. I have been working with local producers, such as fishmongers, butchers, vegetable producers, for a long time. We all agree that we have to learn how to eat differently.

Sustainability has become a hot topic today. Do you think it is limited to only food?

Of course it’s not only about food. Each person should be aware that a small sustainable or green gesture could make a huge difference, seeing the number of people that live on this planet. This would make us reduce wastage.

What advise you would like to give to an Indian chef to run a restaurant at par with Michelin standard?

Whether you have Michelin Star or not, a Chef has to always be generous.

What it feels like to be the ‘Best Chef of France’?

The Best Chef of France title means to advise and convey your know- how in the most simple possible way. You are an envoy of France and French cuisine.

How do you see the future of French cuisine in India?

We have two very different cultures. The Indian style of cooking masters spices perfectly and the French style of cooking flavours. A mix of both would create a beautiful harmony.

Going forward, what will be the biggest trend hitting the restaurant sector?

I think that in the future we are going to have to feed ourselves with processed food/ agrifood, as local products will be more and more expensive.

 
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