Sincerity and authenticity:
« In the dining room and on the plate, with my suppliers and my customers, with my staff and the media, I always try to be myself, simple and sincere, with my personality of course but never misleading about my work and always faithful and loyal to the causes I defend ».
Cooking as a universal language:
« Passionate about my job, I am always looking for a good restaurant. The older I get, the less certainties I have about my business and the more I like discovering new cooking cultures hidden here and there. Culinary emotion is a kind of universal language. Tasting someone else’s cooking means showing empathy, tolerance and openness to the person who has prepared the food. But it is also about sharing and chatting with everyone who comes together around the table ».
Art as an escape and a source of inspiration:
« Art and literature are tremendously important to me. They represent a way out, a place to escape to. Some art, like books by Jim Harrison (A Really Big Lunch and Dalva) or Tonino Benacquista (Malavita), painters Jean-François Larrieu and Robert Combas, and sculptors Annouck Dupont and Blaise Charlet, still have great influence on my cooking and encourage me to be even bolder. ».
Rugby in my blood:
« Rugby has been in my life since I was 6 years old. From Pau’s Section Paloise to Parisian club USOMC where I played until I was 38, this sport has brought me so much pleasure and fantastic experiences with other people. Like on the rugby pitch where everyone has their part to play, I have built my teams on the same model based on the diversity of a group, solidarity, courage and self-sacrifice in the interest of the team, for the greatest enjoyment of our customers ».
Cooking as a universal language: