How has Spoon changed since it opened, in 2003? 'There's more interest in food than there was seven years ago. When we arrived, Hong Kong people didn't know much about French cuisine, so we offered more fusion food than we do today - it was the expectation of our guests. Now, it's much more French. And the trend is to be healthier - less salt, less sugar and less fat.'
Do you have a favourite ingredient? 'We're interested in all the ingredients we can find from around the world. It's difficult to name one ingredient I like to cook with; we design recipes for each [type of] produce. [No matter if] I'm in Tokyo, Hong Kong or the UK, we make our menus for each restaurant depending on the good ingredients we can find locally. There's no obligation to use French produce [even though] we are French. We look at what we can find locally before we import.'
Which country gives you the most culture shock in terms of food? 'I like to eat local food; wherever I am, I like the local flavour. I don't have one favourite cuisine - I like them all; there's always something interesting. If it's good, it's good. The quality of cuisines from all around the world is quite high now - there's big competition in gastronomy.'
What was special about the menu you created for the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco? 'I created a local and sustainable menu - vegetables from his garden, fish from the Monte Carlo area and wine from Nice. About 95 per cent of the ingredients used for the dinner came from [within] 10 kilometres of Monte Carlo [which is in Monaco].'
How do you ensure all the executive chefs at your restaurants maintain high standards? 'They've worked a long time with me and I have confidence in them. They've learned my expertise and that's the key. We have the right chef at the right place with the right expertise. We have five French guys managing this place [Spoon] - they've all worked with me in Paris. It's not just the menu or just my name.'
You emphasise sourcing ingredients locally. Which, in your opinion, is the world's best market? 'Probably the market in Kyoto [Japan]. For me, the combination of its size and mix of produce makes it one of the best places to discover high quality ingredients. I've visited it maybe 25 times and I discover new produce every time. There are many ingredients for a small market like that.'
