Exclusive Interview with Alain Passard

At 26, Alain Passard became the youngest person to ever earn two Michelin stars. Nearly 30 years later, and the famed French chef is still keeping up that high level of quality. His three-star restaurant L’Arpege is one of the most famed in Paris, and you can find him there nightly, setting food trends and then breaking them when they catch on. Passard is a master in his field, a culinary maestro who modestly considers himself nothing more than an artisan. He was recently in town for one night only: flown in by Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin for a special VIP dinner during ArtHK week where he concocted a special menu for up-and-coming Japanese artist Aya Takano, a member of Takashi Murakami’s Kaikai Kiki artist’s collective. We managed to snag a few minutes of the renowned chef's time:

AsiatatlerDining.com: How did you come up with tonight’s menu?

Alain Passard: I wanted to have something that reflected Aya Takano’s paintings. Something that was very simple, but very colourful – delicate food with great colours.

ATDining: Have you been to Hong Kong before?

AP: I have visited three or four times before.

ATDining: What’s you favourite restaurant or dish in Hong Kong?

AP: Any of the fish restaurants are amazing, in their freshness and their quality.

ATDining: Would you ever consider opening a restaurant in Hong Kong?

AP: No – I love Paris.

ATDining: What’s your culinary philosophy?

AP: You have to find the right coupling between quality ingredients and well-cooked food.

ATDining: What are the trends you see in French cuisine around the world?

AP: The trend of using vegetables as a main component is increasing. What’s funny is, you’re going to have restaurants serving tomatoes only three months out of the year. Two or three years ago, you could have regular tomatoes all year round, but now it’s becoming very seasonal and focused on the weather.

ATDining: Why do you think there’s a focus on vegetables?

AP: It’s very important to understand that I was one of the first cooks to have a focus on vegetables, over 10 years ago. But when everyone joined in and had this sole focus on vegetables, I said “OK, forget vegetables, I’m going back to meat.” But I’m not doing beef – I’m focusing on veal, lamb, poultry, etc. I’m not going against the trend, it’s just a feeling I have.

ATDining: Why have you never expanded L’Arpege into other countries?

AP: I love Paris. I’m definitely growing it within its place right now – I have a garden where I grow my own vegetables. It’s like an artist: all my thinking is in that one place.

ATDining: How do you feel about being a celebrity chef?

AP: I’m not. I’m nothing, I’m just an artisan.

ATDining: What’s the best dish you’ve ever had that you didn’t cook?

AP: This pizza I once had in Italy.

ATDining: Many celebrity chefs nowadays are becoming “absentee chefs” – what’s your opinion of this?

AP: I don’t agree with it. You have to always be in your restaurant. I’m always there.