FOURty Seconds with Paul Pairet

20 Jan 2016
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2 min read
Recognised for his talent, innovation and contribution to Asia’s restaurant industry, FOUR catches up with the avant-garde chef to see what he has been up to…

What are your earliest memories of being interested in food?

Receiving at the age of 9 a book about the recipe of the grandmother of Donald duck.

What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?

Understanding early that food talks…that cooking was a way of expression.

Describe your culinary style…

Essential (which does not necessarily means minimalist) – Thought after.

You have recently been named in the Martell 300 list for representing French talent on an international scale, how did this make you feel?

About as proud as to have beenchosen to cater for the 300 year anniversary of Martell.

What kind of experience do you aim to give guests when you cook for them?

Taste for thought in Ultraviolet – Taste for taste in Mr & Mrs Bund.

What are your most indispensable ingredients?

Curiosity and a good night sleep…or moreprosaically… salt, lemon and fire.

What would you say has been the most memorable moment in your culinary career so far?

The opening of Ultraviolet – first night, first service – filled of incredible positivehyper-tension – the tangible impression to achieve a dream.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self, starting out a career in the world of food?

Slow down – step back – think twice.

What’s next for you?

A well-controlled development of the restaurant group through a careful choice of opportunities – that is the nextphase.

What is your guilty pleasure?

A tin of Spanish olives with anchovy…a jar of Nutella by the spoon…a glass of Cordon bleu en solitaire.

What restaurant is currently at the top of your list to dine at?

On top of my list to recommend:Asador Etxebarri: a lesson in excellence and simplicity – Ducasse at the PlazaAthenee for the surprising power of vegetable and the overall cleverness – Gilles Goujon Auberge du Vieux Puits for the taste.

On top of the place that I should go:Noma,which I have not tried – The French Laundry to understand Kellers’ roots -and quite a few escapes.

Find out more about the culinary career of Paul