Cesta

How would you define your cooking style?

To create dishes that make people happy, the most important thing is to find the highest quality ingredients, the best flavours designed by nature to which I add a little wit and creativity, presenting a style that is uniquely mine.

What is your ultimate dream meal?

While it may seem a surprising choice for a Chef, after a hard day, hot fish cake skewers with a hearty soup from a street vendor gives me joy on my way back home after work. Humble, this simple dish evokes warm and tender feelings that I absolutely love.

What is your greatest achievement?

I learned cooking and started my career in the United States, where I became Charlie Palmer’s Executive Chef. What could be more thrilling than achieving something entirely on your own as a foreigner, when you worked your way up from the bottom? Perhaps second only to marrying the woman I love, and together having an adorable daughter. The whole experience has taught me why I came into this world and gives me strength. 

How has the way you cook evolved as your career has progressed?

When I first started cooking, I focused more on developing culinary techniques, creating impressive sauces, and achieving a high level of artistry. The journey towards finesse and precision has helped me step up as a Chef, but fast-forward 20 years, I came to the conclusion that the ingredients crafted by nature are the very beginning and end of cooking. As the saying goes, subtracting is harder than adding. So, now I bring great ingredients to my restaurants, and I add the right amount of seasonings and well-matched herbs to create dishes exuding the vibrancy of the season. 

What was the most memorable meal you either cooked or ate?

I still remember the southern United States seafood recipes I prepared for my wife’s friends who came to our home one day. We had a few cold seafood appetizers, and flavourful oven-baked crab and lobster dishes. All of them paired fantastically with Krug Champagnes. The joyful laughter filling the room, the clinking sounds of glasses, and the pleasant aromas remain very happy memories.

What makes you a Krug Lover? & What is your favourite Krug food pairing?

Krug Grande Cuvée is has such a fullness of flavours and aromas. Delicate yet imposing, it is great to enjoy on its own, as well as with a variety of recipes. As a chef, encountering a wine that pairs so well with your food is a true delight.  

How did you become a Krug Lover?

About 20 years ago, I was studying culinary arts in the United States. I did not have a lot of money, but was as eager as I am now to have the best experiences. I would chip in with my sommelier friend to taste wines. (His name is Kyungmoon Kim, and he is now a famous Master Sommelier.) Back then, we chose Krug to have “the very best champagne as our baseline,” and it has since become my milestone and benchmark. To me, Krug has always been the baseline for “great champagnes,” adding sparkles to my life.