Chef Pierre Gagnaire is credited with popularizing molecular gastronomy.(Photo/Shanghai Daily))
Sitting along a window on the 87th floor of the Park Hyatt Shanghai, celebrity chef Pierre Gagnaire remarked that molecular gastronomy, a discipline he is credited with popularizing decades ago, "is finished... the work is done."
"It's not exactly finished," the 66-year-old chef said, correcting himself with a wink. "I had the chance to work very closely with Herve, but I'm not the best student."
Gagniare was referring to his cooperation with Herve This, a French chemist and professor at AgroParis Tech. Their collaboration since 1980 transformed the dining world and pushed Gagnaire to the front line of molecular gastronomy, a science that focuses on the molecular structure of ingredients with the goal of reconstructing them into new forms and flavors.
"I think it is a good thing," he continued, on his "breakup" with molecular gastronomy. "Because when something is new, or in fashion, everybody thinks it is necessary."
Instead of focusing on novelty for its own sake, the chef said his goal is to strike his own balance between tradition and avant-garde.
"I started my business in 1977. Why I am still here? Because I'm not in the mood to be in fashion. I want to be myself. That's very important," he said.
The celebrity chef owns six restaurants under his name around the world. The Paris location ranked 16th on a roster of 1,000 remarkable restaurants by France's La Lister, a scoring system sanctioned by the French Foreign Ministry in mid-December. His Hong Kong restaurant was also among those honored in the recently unveiled 2016 Michelin Guide. No stranger to this prestigious restaurant rating body, Gagnaire held a three-star Michelin title for 22 straight years.
Gagnaire was in Shanghai in late November at the invitation of Park Hyatt Shanghai for the 2015 Masters of Food & Wine Passion Week. Bringing members of his team from Paris and Tokyo, he prepared a nine-course dinner for 80 people in the hotel's banquet hall.
It took Gagnaire more than two months to prepare the menu. "You can see and feel the ingredients, but the combination delivers a new taste," he explained.
Gagnaire added that the experience of dining can vary not just with the diner, but also by the quality of service, the dining environment, the season, and even the spirit of the city where it is being consumed.
Having spreading his culinary kingdom around the world, the master chef said he has learned to understand that people in different countries approach life in different ways.
"Europeans are more individualized. Asians consider (themselves) as part of the society," he observed. "I try to translate (this) with honesty, to give a sense of connection between food and people, not only for the guests but also the team."
Reflecting on the trajectory of his career and the industry at large, the experienced chef says fine dining is becoming "less pretentious" while his own food "is more tasty."
"Twenty years ago, it was a crime to wear jeans in the kitchen," Gagnaire explained. He also mentioned that "the world changes so fast today. If you don't focus, you are whipped away."
While the chef may be spending less time in the kitchen these days, what keeps him in the industry is his dedication to the many passionate young people he works with.
For Gagnaire, a successful cook has to be creative and passionate about their work.
They also should be organized and quick to take action. What satisfied him most is seeing "guests leaving with happiness."
