Profile | Gaddi’s French head chef at The Peninsula Hong Kong on Robuchon London’s ‘tedious’ plating, climbing the culinary ladder and why he takes cooking lessons on holiday
- Albin Gobil says working for five years at Robuchon London was a ‘super great experience’ before he moved to Hélène Darroze, working under Alex Dilling
- Taking over at Hong Kong institution Gaddi’s was a challenge – but a good one – he explains, where he always tries to add little twists to classic dishes
“I was born in Mayenne [in northwest France], but my parents split up when I was young, so my mother took my younger brother and me back to her home region of Normandy. My maternal grandmother cooked a lot, she had a garden and grew vegetables, including green peas and potatoes. She made casual food like gratin and roast chicken.
“I helped my grandmother make cakes, pancakes – more sweet than savoury. By the time I was eight years old I knew I wanted to become a chef.”
How did you start on this path?
“When you turn 14 in France you have to choose what you want to do. I wanted to become a chef, but my teachers tried to dissuade me, saying it was hard work, and also because I was good at maths.
“I started an apprenticeship for CAP [Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle], the first basic qualification for cooking. I would attend culinary school for one week, then work three weeks in a restaurant. I did that for two years in a small brasserie near Normandy. I learned a lot, especially how to cook fish and trim fish and meat.
“After two years I moved to another restaurant in Normandy that was more gastronomic, for BEP [Brevet d’Études Professionnelles], the highest certificate for cooking, for another two years.”
