Alexandre Couillon, chef and owner of La Marine. An unexpected "photoshoot." Am in love with the image. Have a great weekend everyone!
PEOPLE
07/05/2013
06/19/2013
Bibenbou Ateliers Bibenbou, Belgium
Meet Ben Payen. She handmade beautiful plates for chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre of L'air du temps. Her collections are something special. I will just leave it as that. Thank you Ben and your hubby for opening your door to us. And Sang, merci for sharing this little gem.
04/24/2012
Rafa Costa E Silva
caught this beautiful, natural moment of rafa.
talented, knowledgeable, respectful of nature, a leader, and quite funny, i met rafa at mugartiz restaurant in spain. he was one of my sous chefs. i was working with one of the best. what i remember most about him? push push and why is he always yelling at me? the good thing is, i didn't understand him most of the time, so it's all good. my secret to serviving in that kitchen? OVIDO! (that is how Rafa prounouce it). it means, I heard you, I understand you. i still remember the day when i sent out a piece of skate, and a server brought it back to the kitchen, with a bone. my heart sinks to the bottom of the floor... he didn't yell. the look he gave me was louder then any yelling...i understand and it pushes me to be better.
thank you rafa for showing me to never stop. and keep going even though some days i'm exhausted, physically and mentally. and that is what he did when we met again at an event for fulgurances in paris. it was a mugaritz reunion, with linda milagros violago, alejandro chavarro, and david toutain. excited for your beautiful future and i can't wait to visit you and malena in your restaurant. it will be amazing....
where did you work? Mugaritz – 5 years, Rene Pujol – 2 years, Vong – 1 year, Olivier Cozan – Rio de Janeiro, Daniel(stage), Il Bariloto - NY
why did you decide to leave Mugaritz? Probably if Mugaritz was in Brazil I would work there most of my life but, it is the moment to spend some time at home.
food you want to cook in the future? Market food with avant-garde techniques, where the most important is to take advantage of almost 100% of the ingredient, the experience of the guest and sensations
favorite ingredient? or ingredients? Not really good on saying favorite of anything. But the ones that I like the most is the freshest ones, and most common.
where will your future restaurant be? Hopefully in Rio de Janeiro, but you never know.
3 words to describe your cooking? fresh, products, techniques.
favorite smell? ocean & mountain, not good on saying one favorite……
your current obsession? Try to use 100% of each ingredient, weird, no?
no, not at all. respectful.
your first child hood food memory? Probably sucking sugar cane, eating fry tiny “manjubinha”(some typical fish from Brazil)………
what project are you doing now? A garden right next to my house, looking for a place and a partner for the restaurant, working with some producer from the country side of Rio de Janeiro……
first thing you do when you come home from 18 hour of work? Take a shower and sleep.
02/26/2012
This is my star
and a lot of people's star. Quite disappointed in Michelin for not recognizing it. The team at Agape Substance works hard and I mean, hard. totally lost confident in Michelin...wished i could speak my passion because i'm very passionate right now...but sometimes less is best.
if you want to get to know a little more about my husband...i wrote this and interview him...and to my disappointment, someone changed a couple of lines and took credit for it. it's a day of disappointment, but the show must go on.
02/12/2012
Alejandro Chávarro
meet my friend, Alejandro. soft spoken and calm...he knows what he's talking about. I admire his gentle soul and good attitude, no matter what the situation is. we met at Mugaritz, but were too busy in the restaurant to have a real, long conversation.... there's so much about him I didn't know before...what??? he used to be a cook? maybe that's why I like him so much. and I got a chance to see him in blue apron, white clog, and a twizzer in the kitchen with David last weekend.
name, place of birth, job title : Alejandro Chávarro, Bogota – Colombia, Assistant Maître d’Hôtel (Agape Substance, Paris)
what time do you start your day ? 8h30 am at work and up at 7h15 in order to enjoy the first hour of my day having a good breakfast, good coffee and get ready as I want to.
3 word to describe yourself ? Passionate, loyal, sharing.
first job ? English and French teacher for a private language school.
why maître d’hotel ? After going through many kitchens before, some experiences and Contests showed me a new world in which i felt well and i could actually use what i knew, share with people and evolue and that is how i decided to leave the aprons and put the tie on.
first childhood memory? having nougatine for the first time as a kid in my first french Christmas dinner with my host family and my parents near Lyon.
3 word to describe my cooking? spiced, balanced.
3 words to describe david cooking? accurate, spontaneous and emotional.
hard part to work with david? maintain yourself always at his level of exigence.
easy part? He trusts you if you do your best.
what keeps you here ? David’s trust and the possibility of creation and evolution in this project.
what’s in my fridge ? meat, butter, cheese, vegetables and ice cream.
favorite ingrédient? Onion
coffee or tea? coffee (mmm… i’m colombian…)
beer or wine? Depends on the moment and the company you’re with.
current obsession? clean up my leathershoes
what’s for dinner ? ceviche and guacamole !!!
horror story? haven’t had any yet at substance.
beautiful story? Meeting Quique Dacosta at Substance and after a long hour of talk and translations between him and David, he invites me to come to Denia and share a few days with his Maitre D.
peep peeds ? non ironed dress shirts
favorite smell? Almond.
something that surprise people about you? My No-accent in French and English
what’s for dinner? Entrecote, salad
last meal? confit glazed Pigs feet, purée
first day after a long day of work ? Greet and share a moment with my girlfriend,
After, Shoes off, legs up on my couch and let all the pressure out.
01/31/2012
Thomas Meunier
thomas and i usually speak about his house project and the children when we see each other, so it's nice to know a little more about him. real cool, knowledgeable,, and funny too. i hope you enjoy reading about thomas as much as i do...
name, place of birth, job title. Thomas Meunier, Paris, Sommelier (Agape Substance).
what time you start your day? start the day at work at 10:30 am but wake up at 07:30 to take care of the two kids and get the bread on my way to work.
3 words to describe yourself? generous; greedy; faithful.
what was your first job? making crepe in the south of france.
why sommelier? because i just love wine! i taste some every day and always discover something new.
first childhood food memory? was a bad one. remember throwing up after some teacher forced me to try cauliflower that i really hated. i was 7 or 8 years old.
3 words to describe your style of cooking? pretty raw actually. i like to cook products for themselves. don't add too much things.
3 words to describe David Toutain’s cooking? subtle. precise. fluent.
what’s the hard and easy part to work for David Toutain? easy part: he trust me blind on wines and people that come to taste his food are very often so opened minded that they are ready to discover some other view of wine. easy for me to get them where i want them to go. hard part: he needs us to be as precise as him. and it is very difficult.
what keeps you here in Paris? just love the city. first place for natural wines in the world.
favorite place to eat in Paris? le bistral! and love to taste wine as well over there since alex is a big fan of naturel wines.
what's in your refrigerator? ham, salad, cucumber, smoked hareng that i put in oil, bottle of petit tetu (burgundy wine), beer.
coffee or tea? coffee.
beer or wine? both! but not at the same time. depends on the moment...
chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
a favorite bottle of wine? very hard question! red : chambolles musigny 1er cru P.Pacalet 2002. white : petit tetu
current obsession? getting my house finished!
horror story about your work? when i broke the riedel carafe over laurent van paris. i really felt bad...
beautiful story about your job? when jean paul Hevin gave me the book he was reading (carnet de degustationfrom jacques neoport) and congragulated me for the choose and preciseness of the temperatures of the wines that i had him taste.
peep peeds? added sulfites in wine.
what’s your last meal? court bouillon de morue a la creole and rice.
favorite smell? i have many, in general life : the smell of camphor oil mixed with sweat in the boxing gym, the elegant smell of a nice pinot noir, the smell of my wife, my kids (three different smell).
something that surprise people about you? when they learn that i ve been practicing thai boxing for almost 20 years.
first thing you do when you get home from a long day of work? take the dog out in the yard and have a beer and a cigarette.
01/27/2012
KOSUKE TADA
One of the first three cooks to sign up to work with David. Thank you for your hard work and loyalty Kosuke-san.
name, place of birth, title of job.
Kosuke Tada, Osaka, chef de partie (Agape Substance)
age you started cooking? 18
why cook? I like it.
first childhood food memeory? My grandmother's cooking.
3 words to describe David Toutain's cooking? Square, Beautiful, Herbs.
what's the hard and easy part to work for David Toutain? Not easy.
what keeps you here? I like it.
favorite place to eat in Paris? Bistral. I like to eat with my friends.
favorite ingrdients? Agneau.
coffee or tea? Coffee.
current obsession? Shower.
peep peeds? Not clean or greasey at wash station.
something that surprise people about you? chinois.
...uhhh...I think he's saying, he's chinese? I don't know...maybe you can ask him next time you're in Agape Substance to eat.
what's for dinner? Miso soup.
what's your last supper? beer.
first thing you do when you get home from a long day at work? shower.
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