The world’s best chefs get candid about achieving mindfulness in one of the most competitive jobs
For many passionate home cooks, the kitchen is a meditative place—a sanctuary they can escape to after a trying day at work. So, where do professional chefs run to?
To be sure, the ironies are plenty. While many chefs feed off an innate drive to be better and do better, getting caught up in a pressure cooker setting is not uncommon when your aim is to be the best. And if you don’t have safety valves in the right places, blowing your top can become a frequent occurrence.
Add into the mix today’s highly competitive restaurant scene and the long, hard days eventually morph into one never-ending episode of Hell’s Kitchen. Or do they?
(Related: What's Keeping Massimo Bottura Busy?)
In the lead up to this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants reveal, we ask today’s top chefs to chime in—namely World’s Best Female Chef 2017 Ana Roš of Hiša Franko (currently No. 48 in the world), Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York (No.26 on the World’s Best list) and Tetsuya Wakuda of Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands (No.40 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list)—who will join the likes of Massimo Bottura of world number one Osteria Francescana to share their thoughts on the importance of respect and practising mindfulness in the kitchen at this year’s #50BestTalks presented by Miele (taking place this Sunday, June 23).
Here’s what they have to say about staying cool as a cucumber and full of beans.