THE INTERVIEW CHRISTIAN LE SQUER ‘Good food should be emotional; it should induce feelings. We must fall in love with our plate and the dish served on it. ’ Opposite page, clockwise, left to right: levure; FS Paris - Le Cinq dining; transparence banane; FS Paris - Le Cinq interior; entree Both charming & talented in equal measures, chef Christian Le Squer quickly demonstrated his passion for fine cuisine, and it is no wonder that as chef of Café de la Paix Restaurant Opéra, that he earned first one, then two Michelin stars; recognition and awards that have followed him througout his august career. This <strong>com</strong>poser of symphonies for the palate and masterpieces for the plate is now leading the talented brigade at the kitchens of Le Cinq retaurant in the Four Seaons Hotel George V in Paris; and as is only befiting one of the great hotels, the rich Louis XIVth décor and luxuirous Regency splendour is now home to one of the finest three Michelin staerred restaurents in Paris – an accoloade that is more than deserved. You recently received a third Michelin star for Le Cinq. But after receiving several of these previously, how much does a Michelin star still mean to you? My work at Four Seasons Hotel George V has been quite intense and we have consistently delivered results and exceeded expectations. Due to that, I have always seen myself in the threestar category. How much do awards such as these, as well as the 5th toque in the Galt et Millau for Le Cinq impact you and your work? Recognitions like these are quite important for my cuisine, which is rooted in modernity, packed with action and is movement-driven – and, as a matter of fact, quite rare in Paris. When you were younger, you wanted to be<strong>com</strong>e a sailor. Do you ever look back thinking you should have pursued that instead? No, since I often spend time boating in Brittany during my spare time. What inspires your cooking? Is there a story you aspire to tell with your food? I like to think of cooking as perfumery. Like a perfumer selecting his notes for a particular scent, we pick our raw materials and transform them into works of culinary arts that boast elegance and refinement. By that analogy, I am a creator of flavors. What does ‘good food’ mean to you? Good food should be emotional; it should induce feelings. We must fall in love with our plate and the dish served on it. The experience should be like a family lunch – where you can let your hair down without any inhibitions. As a chef, how do you deal with the pressure of delivering the best food at all times? It is important to be a part of the prevailing food movement and to try to restructure your approach in line with the atmosphere of the destination and the mood that surrounds it. Your signature dish has evolved over the years. Can you share with us details of the process? For my signature dish, I don’t play around with the basic, original flavors; however, I do experiment with the ways in which it can be enjoyed, which has mostly got to go with its visual presentation. So for instance, I will sometimes change the serving plate, the form or the texture – just like they do in the fashion industry with their collections. How would you define your cuisine? And how has it evolved since you first began cooking several decades ago? It’s a cuisine defined by elegant flavors that linger in your mouth long after you have tasted the dish – just like that one perfume whose scent you will not once forget. Is there anyone you would like to cook for but haven’t yet got the chance to? I would cook for any person who gave me love for gastronomy, someone who helped me grow up in this environment, who helped me understand elegance and gave me more value. What do you feel was a life-changing moment for you in your career? Receiving my third Michelin star at Pavillon Ledoyen in 2002. What is your day typical like? I <strong>com</strong>mute to my workplace on a bike, early in the morning and upon reaching there, the first thing I do is greet my teams. The first few hours in the morning are spent on briefing sessions with sous chefs to plan the day and discuss ways in which we can be more creative and improvise our offering for our guests. In the afternoon, I spend some time on guest relations followed by some leisure, sport or other relaxation activities in the evening hours and de-briefings with my teams before heading home. Are there any chefs you particular admire? I appreciate all the chefs, not any one in particular; in fact, I can appreciate a chef of Japanese food as much as I can appreciate a chef who cooks American food. I like a chef whose cuisine represents some kind of a movement and who demonstrates a certain sense of style in his approach to food. A chef is like an artist – the most important thing is to be exhibited in the Louvre and to have one’s own style. What does the future hold? The future does not look like yesterday. The needs of the culinary consumer are fast evolving. With the advent of social media and digital networks, guests are now increasingly seeking a preview of the restaurant and the experiences it can offer on websites before setting foot in the real, brick-and-mortar space. It is therefore imperative that chefs revisit their culinary methods and embrace an innovative approach to cooking in keeping up with this developing change in the modern world. 70 FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
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