Boulud, Sweat
and
Tears Words: Coco Marett Images: Courtesy of The Landmark Mandarin
Revered French Chef Daniel Boulud’s three-Michelin star restaurant ‘Daniel’ in New York celebrates its 20th year with the release of Boulud’s latest book, ‘My French Cuisine’. We speak to the chef about humble beginnings, feeding the famous and why bananas were once upon a time banned from his menus…
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I remember that first day working in the restaurant and the smell of food I’d never had. The sauces, the lobster, the shellfish…
M
y menus are very personalised, a reflection
“What’s interesting about New York is that if you go there thinking that you’re going
they produced. “It was a revelation to taste all this food and the flavours. I wanted
of being French in America – a French New
to take advantage of it, New York doesn’t like that. If you give something to the city
to try everything!”
Yorker,” says Chef Daniel Boulud. Dressed
and you really contribute to what it’s is about, New York will give it back to you and
in his pristine chef whites, he is busy
more,” says Boulud. “New York has been my town; I’ve been in the same zip code
He proceeds to reminisce over first tastes, including truffles and avocado, which
for 30 years.”
was love at first bite, to his affinity for gummi bears to items that didn’t quite tickle
preparing a special menu for two evenings as honoured guest chef at Hong Kong’s two-Michelin star ‘Amber’. “That’s why
his taste buds. “I hate bananas. I never liked them and I never will,” says Boulud
I called my new book ‘My French Cuisine’ because it’s not so
“Ah, and here is my daughter,” pronounces the master chef as he continues to flip
who, for a long time, wouldn’t even allow his pastry chefs to make desserts using
much about French cuisine, but my interpretation of it. It
through ‘My French Cuisine’.
bananas. “But my daughter happens to love them, so I had to make an exception.”
“Are you teaching her to cook?” I ask.
Today, Boulud has eight restaurants in Manhattan including his flagship fine dining
includes some of the recipes which we have in ‘Daniel’ as well as some classics.”
restaurant, ‘Daniel’, the more casual ‘Café Boulud’ and ‘DB Bistro Moderne’, ‘DBGB More than just a cookbook (Boulud has published five during
“She lives in San Francisco now but yes, I tell her by text because she throws dinner
Kitchen & Bar’, where brasserie meets American tavern, two bars, ‘Bar Pleiades’ and
his career as a chef), ‘My French Cuisine’ features essays on
parties all the time,” says Boulud, hardly able to contain a proud smile. “I tell her
‘Bar Boulud’, the Mediterranean-inspired ‘Boulud Sud’ and the recently opened
wine, cheese and bread and is a look into the illustrious history
what to buy, what to do, then she’ll send me pictures saying “okay, this is my mise
deli-style ‘Epicerie Boulud’ offering home made artisanal breads, charcuterie, pastries,
of ‘Daniel’, the restaurant, and a peek into the life of Daniel,
en place” and I will say okay, now do this…”
ice-cream and salads to go.
For a moment I am taken away from the stylish bar at ‘Amber’ in The Landmark
“I put the same care into even my most casual restaurants so you can have Daniel
“Here it is!” he delights as he opens to a page of the stunning
Mandarin. I’m now in Boulud’s home territory, the kitchen, humbled by his genuine
for US$300 or you can have Daniel for US$10. I like the fact that we’ve managed to
entrance to ‘Daniel’ on New York’s 65th Street, previously
sense of joy and warmth as he walks me through the early pages of ‘My French
have various levels of offerings for different people,” says Boulud.
home to ‘Le Cirque’ where Boulud was Executive Chef from
Cuisine’, which also features candid photos of him entertaining family and close
1986 until 1992, serving the good and the great from Presidents
friends in his apartment, located above ‘Daniel’ of course. “And here we have Paul
While most restaurants are putting away the white tablecloths and moving towards
to Hollywood’s highbrow.
Bocuse, I am the godfather of this young boy here,” he says, pointing to a photograph
the trend of more casual but quality-focused dining, and despite the resounding
taken in his kitchen of the nouvelle cuisine icon. “This is his grandson, and his name
success of his more relaxed establishments, Boulud insists that fine dining is here
is also Paul.”
to stay. “What has to go away from fine dining is the pretentiousness; there’s nothing
the chef, the eater, the man.
“Norman Parkinson, one of the greatest photographers of the 20th Century, came to ‘Le Cirque’ for lunch every day and he
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worse than a restaurant that looks fancy but can’t deliver. When the restaurant is
never opened the menu. He always let me cook for him and every
Boulud was only one week into his first job as a gawky 14-year-old kitchen apprentice
super luxe and delivers in all aspects - food, service, wine, the experience - there is
time, he would clean up his plate with his bread before taking
in Lyon when he met the legendary Bocuse at Les Halles market, who became not
no price for that,” he says. “I love casual restaurants and I eat at them all the time
his marker and writing on the plate how much he loved the food,”
only a mentor – his first instruction to young Boulud was to “get a haircut” – but
but I think it’s more about the fact that casual dining has become better and fine
recalls Boulud, who prior to heading the kitchen at ‘Le Cirque’
also a lifelong friend. “I remember that first day working in the restaurant and the
dining has got worse. And then there are the few crazy people like me who try to
made his name at ‘Le Regence’ in the Upper East Side’s revered
smell of food I had never experienced. The sauces, the lobster, the shellfish…” says
do it all!”
Hotel Plaza Athenée, where he regularly cooked for Andy Warhol.
Boulud, whose family lived on a farm in St. Pierre de Chandieu and only ate what
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