Why a German chef was afraid to cook with Asian ingredients, and why technique is not enough to become trendy

Was your interest in food developed at home? “I decided quite early to go into food. I was about 14. I grew up with my grandmother cooking for a great big family. I was never the guy inter­ested in gadgets or what other guys did. I liked what was going on in the kitchen and first made cakes and eggs.”

Growing up in Germany, how did you develop an interest in French cuisine? “It was a German kitchen at home but where I was trained we had lobster and caviar, as much as traditional German meats, sauerkraut and spaetzle. When I realised I had to specialise, there wasn’t anything other than French fine dining. It was the only cuisine at the time recognised as quality fine food and tech­niques, so that was the one I entered. If a Japanese kitchen had been available, I might have gone into that.”

You’ve talked about your first trip to Thailand, in 1994, opening you up to Asian flavours. What was the dish that impressed you? “It was never just one dish. I tried many Asian foods and products, from spices to oils. I went into hotel kitchens to look and smell, and it was all totally different. I was only familiar then with French ingredients, not lemongrass. All of a sudden, I realised there are so many products but, at first, I was afraid to cook with them in Europe because it was exotic and new.”

What were you afraid of? “To cook French cuisine in Germany in the 90s was almost like a dogma. A young chef like me wouldn’t dare try using such new ingredi­ents in a Michelin-star kitchen. When, in 2005, I became the second youngest chef to receive three stars, I decided I wanted to do my own thing, to mix Japanese, French and Asian products. Of course, I was afraid to lose stars but the customers loved it. And I did achieve three stars again.”

What aspect of Asian cuisine inspired you? “I have never worked in Asia but I enjoy everything about it. I feel more at home in Asia than in Europe. I have no Japanese techniques. No grandmaster showed me how to cut fish. It was always intuition. It’s all feelings and heart. I guess I am doing something right because the customers accepted it and so did the Japanese. They asked if I would be an ambassador for Japanese cuisine, which is unique for a German guy.”

Has Asian cuisine become more popular in Germany? “Fifteen years ago, nobody in Europe accepted Japanese cuisine. There might have been Japanese restaurants but no Germans would go there. Nowadays, everybody is running to Japanese restaurants. In 2005, the media said I had no new ideas and that’s why I put Japanese elements into French food. Now, food writers say everyone is copying me.”