food

Five international chefs who learned their trade in France

February 11, 2016

Gordon Ramsay has united age-old rivals Britain and France in his own culinary entente cordiale. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 11, 2016.For the second consecutive year, French gastronomy will be celebrated all over the world as part of the Goût de France/Good France event on March 21.

Over 1,500 chefs across five continents will be cooking up fine French fare in celebration of the country's gastronomic traditions. Here's a look at five of the world's top chefs who learned the tricks of the trade in France.

David Bouley

While there are plenty of respected French chefs in New York, American David Bouley is a big hitter on NYC's French food scene. Inspired by his visits to France and Europe, the chef has fashioned his own take on contemporary French food.

His flagship restaurant Bouley, in the hip TriBeCa neighbourhood of New York City, has even been crowned with a Michelin star. The chef studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, and worked alongside legendary masters of French cuisine like Paul Bocuse and Gaston Lenôtre.

Gordon Ramsay

The Scottish chef and media personality has united age-old rivals Britain and France in his own culinary entente cordiale. It's certainly no coincidence that the charismatic chef heads up some of the finest restaurants in the land of frogs' legs and snails (the Trianon Palace in Versailles, Le Pressoir d'Argent in Bordeaux).

After giving up an early career as a footballer, Gordon Ramsay set about learning the secrets of French cuisine under industry heavyweight Albert Roux at Le Gavroche in London. The Scottish chef then completed his training in France, working with Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon.

Thomas Keller

This American chef has always been a Francophile foodie. He serves up fine fare at his flagship restaurant in California, called The French Laundry, and his New York restaurant Per Se is recognised as one of the best in the world, coming second in "La Liste," the French Foreign Ministry's response to the London-based "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list, unveiled last December.

He's the only American chef to hold three-star Michelin ratings for different restaurants simultaneously, placing him in the same league as Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon.

Keller went to work in France in 1983, learning his trade in various high-end establishments, including Guy Savoy and Taillevent. The chef was even awarded France's Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur) and was chief consultant on Pixar's animated movie "Ratatouille."

André Chiang

This Taiwanese chef is on his way to becoming a global restauranteur, building the foundations of an international gastronomic empire. He has a particularly close relationship with France after learning his skills under the Pourcel twins – Jacques and Laurent – at their Michelin-starred Montpellier restaurant Le Jardin des Sens.

André Chiang first learned to cook alongside his mother before heading to France to discover the secrets of the country's cuisine. He ended up staying for 15 years, with stints working under Pierre Gagnaire and Joël Robuchon.

Today, he's considered one of the best chefs in the world, particularly for his André restaurant in Singapore.

Shuzo Kishida

Shuzo Kishida is one of a new generation of Japanese chefs learning their trade in France and keeping close ties with the country. Born in the region of Chubu, on the south coast of Honshu island, the chef learned the basics of French cuisine in 1993, working in French restaurant La Mer in a Japanese hotel.

Before heading to France, he also did a stint at KM in Tokyo's famous Shibuya district. After moving 10,000km away from his native Japan, Shuzo Kishida racked up experience in one Michelin-starred restaurant after another, before settling down to a longer spell at L'Astrance under Pascal Barbot.

By 2004, he had worked his way up to sous-chef – the second in command – at the triple Michelin-starred establishment. In November 2005, he returned to Japan, maintaining the culinary skills and traditions picked up at L'Astrance to open Quintessence, a restaurant that would take him even further along the road to success with his own three-star Michelin rating.

The full list of restaurants participating in Goût de France/Good France on March 21 is available at www.goodfrance.com. They'll be serving up dishes inspired by traditional French cuisine in a menu featuring the traditional courses of aperitif, starter, main course, cheese and dessert, all washed down with fine French wines.

To take part in the event, food lovers can simply make a booking directly at the restaurant of their choice. – AFP/Relaxnews, February 11, 2016.