August 2008
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Meet the Parisian chef who enjoys his veg
I love to cook with vegetables and I use only what is in season. Produce that has been freshly picked has an intensity of flavour, and this defines my cuisine. Tomatoes are without question the essence of summer and they have inspired the jewel of my menu: candied tomato with 12 flavours.
I never go out to eat in Paris: I’m always at my restaurant or in my garden, where I grow a lot of produce. My favourite restaurants elsewhere are Gunther’s in Singapore (+ 65 6338 8955, gunthers.com.sg). The Belgian chef, Gunther Hubrechsen, worked with me for several years and his dishes are light and subtle, often incorporating Japanese ingredients. They are crafted with exquisite detail and respect for the produce.
I am also drawn to Manresa in California (+1 408 354 4330, manresarestaurant.com). I identify with chef David Kinch’s philosophy. He uses biodynamic vegetables from Cynthia Sandberg’s Love Apple Farm in the Santa Cruz mountains. His dishes are like poetry on a plate, the work of an artist. We are chefs with similar souls.
Alain Passard is owner and chef of L’Arpège, 84 rue de Varenne, Paris (+33 (0) 1 47 05 09 06, alain-passard.com)
