Discover Alain Ducasse, the chef
›› Interview
›› Alain Ducasse in a few dates
›› Video
›› The questionnaire by Proust
›› What they say about him…
›› The Cookpot
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Alain Ducasse in a few dates…
2012
To
celebrate the 25th anniversary of Le Louis XV, Alain Ducasse invited the world’s greatest
chefs. Thus, 240 chefs hailing from 25 countries
gathered together for a unique summit.
Three days
of unparalleled sharing of knowledge, of exchanges, discoveries and original
events amongst professionals, culminating in a gala.
2011
With the cooperation of the SBM Monte-Carlo,
Alain Ducasse creates the dinner served at Prince Albert II and Miss Charlène
Wittstock wedding.
The Collège Culinaire de France is launched under the Chairmanship of Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon, an association promoting and transmitting the values of French gastronomy aiming to become the “primary representative” of public authorities.
2010
Consecrated once again three times triple Michelin stared for his restaurants in Paris, Monaco and London.
2007
Launch of the restaurant Le Jules Verne par Alain Ducasse in the Tour Eiffel.
2005
Consecrated first chef ever to earn three Michelin stars for three different restaurants in Paris, Monaco and New York.
2003
Alain Ducasse initiates the operation Food France enabling young people to discover French cuisine.
2000
Alain Ducasse enters the Plaza Athénée.
1999
Launch of the first cookbook « Grand Livre de Cuisine » which first allowed the general public a glimpse of his knowledge.
1998
Opening of the first concept restaurant by Alain Ducasse : "Spoon, Food & Wine" in Paris. Le Spoon then branches out to Ile Maurice Spoon, Saint-Tropez and Hong Kong.
1995
Opening of « La Bastide de Moustiers », a Provence Inn where Alain Ducasse enjoys resourcing himself.
1990
« Le Louis XV » in Monaco, is the very first hotel restaurant to be awarded 3 Michelin stars in the Red Guide. Alain Ducasse, head of the kitchen, is 33 years old; the restaurant has only been open for 33 months...
1972
Beginning of his apprentice period and a series of fundamental encounters with top French chefs: Michel Guérard, Roger Vergé and Alain Chapel.
1956
Birth in Castel Sarrazin in a farm in the region of Les Landes.
Le Cappon Magro, an emblamtic dish from Alain Ducasse
HEAD OF KITCHEN, HEAD OF BUSINESS…
HOW WOULD YOU BEST DEFINE YOURSELF?
HOW WOULD YOU BEST DEFINE YOURSELF?
My pivotal centre is cooking. I am a happy chef! My cerebral home is a union between the South West, where I come from and the Mediterranean, a place that seduced me from a very young age. But I am also a curious and emancipated cook: my roots carry me, but do not tie me down. I travel a great deal, always on the lookout for new discoveries.
WHAT IS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN ALL YOUR KITCHENS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ?
According to me, the product is the only truth. A turbot without a stroke of genius is better than a genius without turbot. Each good product, grown with love and respect, in its distinctive land, has an incomparable flavour. Without which, a chef is nothing.
« I give
each
restaurant it's
very own
"editorial line".»
each
restaurant it's
very own
"editorial line".»
WILL PRODUCE BE THE BASIS OF CULINARY FUTURE ?
I believe that the demand for quality will become greater and greater. Bio and ethical food gain ground each day. Our food behaviour has not ceased to evolve and we will eat differently in twenty years... Just as we eat differently than our grandparents before us. To feed our contemporaries the chef must be on the lookout of everything that surrounds him !
IS THAT YOUR SECRET TO CONTINUOUSLY CREATE NEW RESTAURANT VENUES?
It is indeed necessary to feel the pulse and the tastes of the environment, it’s a fundamental requirement. From cooking, to the atmosphere and including the style, a restaurant must me in osmosis with the area it is on. Each restaurant is therefore different; each has its personal « editorial line ».
HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO MAKE THESE PLACES COME ALIVE ?
I delegate and I trust… While controlling everything, of course ! For me, transmission is a fundamental value. I have the duty to share my knowledge with the future generations of chefs. I must transmit flavours, techniques, motivation…
BY WHICH PHILOSOPHY CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR SUCCESS ?
Always defeat any outside obstacles, as well as my own limits, to move forward. Never ceasing to work more, faster, and better, that’s my rule... And I apply it to myself before anyone else !
« My philosophy:
overcome outside
objectives as well as
my own limitations
in order to
move forward. »»
overcome outside
objectives as well as
my own limitations
in order to
move forward. »»
The questionnaire by Proust
MY PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTIC.
Impatience.
THE QUALITY I ADMIRE THE MOST IN OTHERS.
Loyalty.
MY MAJOR CHARACTER FLAW.
I am greedy and curious- two faults I intend to keep!
MY FAVOURITE HOBBIE.
Discovering local foods from the four corners of the earth.
MY DREAM OF HAPINESS.
Meeting new people, every day.
WHAT I DETESTE OVER ANYTHING ELSE.
Doing something badly that could have been done beautifully just as fast but with a lot less effort.
MY MOTTO.
Savoir-faire, faire-faire et faire-savoir.
What they say about him…
Franck CERUTTI, HEAD CHEF AT THE LOUIS XV
"Monsieur Ducasse is a brilliant and brave man. His will power knows no limit. He has the gift to harmonise himself with his surrounding and to adjust his manner of speaking to the people conversing with him. For these reasons his art can metamorphosis and can serve the different styles of cooking"
Christophe saintagne, HEAD CHEF AT alain ducasse au plaza athénée
"Monsieur Ducasse arrives, tastes and then we discuss. His arguments are always of great accuracy. He always listens, then either approves or disapproves, but always while offering guidance. His advice is always astute. What he seeks is quality."
Christian JULLIARD, EXECUTIF CHEF
"I have been working with Alain Ducasse for eleven years. I recall the Louis XV, he was very demanding, he had everything to prove, and yet he already was a myth. Later, I encountered « the » Alain Ducasse who was « exploding », and who needed to delegate and take a step back to be able to pursue in his astronomic ascension. Today, I encounter a man of a different sort, and yet it is still him who pushes me forward."
Cookpot - Vegetables, taste and forme.
The cookpot
The signature dish
Simply delicious, the cookpot signs the end of a quest for Alain Ducasses’ : the harmony between the form and the taste. A new cooking tool with generous forms, it roasts and caramelises the vegetables with harmony and sensitivity.
The cookpot is a common bond between all of Alain Ducasses’ restaurants across the world. From Paris to Tokyo, from New York to Monaco, it welcomes local seasonal vegetables for a balanced and respectful environmentally friendly cuisine.
« We are closer
to the truth
that to the effect »
to the truth
that to the effect »
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