The other is Thomas Keller, who I have known personally for a very long time. Alain is always so on point with seasonality and having the best produce, and the number of incredible Three Michelin Star restaurants he has just shows how focused he is. Like many chefs, I have been lucky enough to have eaten in many of the world’s great restaurants.Īlain Ducasse in Monte Carlo was just extraordinary, from the level of service to the finesse and exacting details you would expect from such a tour de force. What’s your favourite worldwide restaurant and why? Other chefs that I admire are Thomas Keller and Alain Ducasse, both of whom have been at the top of their game for decades and who are a constant beacon of consistency and perfection in everything they do. They were both fanatical about amazing produce. Pierre was all about the flavours on the plate and Joel Robuchon was meticulous about details. Two chefs who are very different but who both really helped shape my career were Pierre Koffmann and Joel Robuchon. Who’s the best chef you have worked for and which other chefs do you admire? I could never imagine myself sitting behind a desk doing the kind of job my father did looking back, this was probably the starting point in my thinking that being a chef could be a possible career. so from an early age my exposure to food and wine was quite significant. Some days he would drop me and my brother off with a supplier and, while he would do business with them over lunch, we would work – in the vineyards, sweeping out the cellars. He was very successful, and I would say a true pioneer of his time.įrom the age of 12, I spent a lot of my holidays in France, travelling with my father (who would be there to meet new suppliers or wholesalers). In the early 80s it closed down and my father started a wine shop and import/export business. My father and grandfather were both in the wine business in the late 70s my grandfather ran the wine side of Coleman’s of Norwich. I loved digging the garden for fresh vegetables – and seeing things come to life was beautiful. We had a really good home garden where we grew our own fruit and vegetables: strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries and the like. She would involve us in baking, and I have a very strong memory of her making milk bread – the smell was incredible. The restaurant won a somewhat inevitable Michelin star shortly after opening.2020 saw chef Tom Aikens re-enter the fray with the opening of Muse in Belgravia, where each dish on the tasting menu relates to a personal memory, whether that be tree climbing as a boy or enjoying the last barbecue of summer.Īt what age did you decide that you wanted to become a chef and who or what inspired you?įor as long as I can remember, my twin brother and I used to help out in the kitchen with my mother. Dishes are contemporary in feel without being gimmicky, and meant to inflame your imagination and tell a story inspired by Aikens’ upbringing as you move through the courses. The tasting menu is the only option, and at £130, it is for a special-occasion meal. Inside, a wraparound plush booth with adjoining tables and chairs and a marble counter with seating adds up to one of the most distinctive settings for food at this level in the capital. Muse is located in a tiny converted townhouse in Belgravia, and the atmosphere is intimate and playful. Muse marks his first venture since, while you might also recognise him from TV shows including The Great British Menu. He opened his eponymous restaurant in Chelsea in 2003, which was an unmitigated success, before closing it in 2014, while he also operated a more casual offering, Tom’s Kitchen. Norfolk-born chef Tom Aikens has been cooking at the top level for years, working under Pierre Koffmann and Joel Robuchon as well as with David Moore at Pied à Terre.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |