They might be renowned for cooking up a storm, but what do they enjoy feasting on at home, or in a restaurant? Upscale Living magazine spoke to six chefs from across the globe to find out what their favorite meal was growing up, and what they relish eating today.
1. Arnaud Faye, France
Chef Arnaud Faye is a two-Michelin-starred chef and a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the designation for France’s top craftsmen, who shares his love for the Côte d’Azur through his Mediterranean menu and relaxed European vibe at the hotel’s RIVIERA restaurant in Christopher St. Barth. He is also Executive Chef at the Chèvre d’Or on the Côte d’Azur.
What was your most beloved meal as a child, and do you still eat it today?
A very simple dish, but a real Proust’s madeleine! A good roasted chicken, farm-raised on grain & corn that has run around in the fields – it gives it incomparable taste. The chicken is served with homemade French fries; the potatoes come from the family garden and a fresh green salad. I associate this dish with the weekend spent with the family. This dish is still one of my favorites.
What is your favorite meal to cook in your restaurant(s)?
I don’t have a favorite dish. I like to work around seasonal vegetables and the freshness of the produce at the moment of its maximum maturity. In the French Riviera, we have exceptional produce from small producers. The peas, the niçoise zucchini, the spiny artichokes, the field tomatoes, the eggplants … all these vegetables have grown in the sun. I like to cook fish from our local fishermen with whom I work throughout the season in Saint Barth.
What meal do you enjoy ordering when eating out?
It depends on where I am. I like to discover the local cuisine. As long as it is prepared with local produce, of good quality, and well cooked. I like everything that revolves around vegetables and spices. I was in Asia at the beginning of the year on the island of Langkawi for a gastronomic week. The Indian, Thai, and Malaysian cuisines, all these culinary influences from traditional cooking are very enriching. In France, I like homemade food, which has the love of good produce.
What type of patron are you when dining out?
I am very curious because there is always something to discover about others. Whether it’s about produce, cooking, service, cocktails, or wines. The atmosphere of the restaurant, its tableware too. I like all types of restaurants, from micro-restaurants with a few guests at the counter, a small brigade, and an intimate atmosphere to the Michelin-starred restaurant. But, also to the trendy restaurant, as long as the plate is of quality.
Favorite meal to cook – A dish everyone can cook at home: Loup de Ligne Grillé, Ratatouille à la Niçoise / Grilled Sea Bass, Niçoise Ratatouille
2. Chef Curtis Stone, USA
Curtis Stone is a Los Angeles-based, Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, author and culinary entrepreneur. Curtis opened his first restaurant Maude in Beverly Hills in 2014 followed by Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant in Hollywood in 2016, and Georgie, modeled after Gwen the following year. In addition to the restaurants, Curtis operates Curtis Stone Events in Los Angeles and Australia, makes numerous television appearances as a guest and host, and develops his own line of cookware.
What was your most beloved meal as a child, and do you still eat it today?
I love my mum’s Sunday pork roast. She still makes it when I’m home for Christmas. The crispy, crackling skin takes me right back to my childhood.
What is your favorite meal to cook in your restaurant(s)?
I love a perfectly grilled steak. Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant, my spot in Hollywood, revolves around the old-world butcher counter and is the first thing guests encounter when they step through the doors. We embrace live-fire cooking. Grilling meat over an open flame? It doesn’t get more primal than that and it’s perhaps my favorite way to cook. The team just received a Michelin star for their work, and I couldn’t be more proud.
What meal do you enjoy ordering when eating out?
I love everything from lobster, caviar, truffles, and champagne to a simple taco with a handmade tortilla. Living in Los Angeles, I can get amazing Mexican food. Simplicity at its best is often the way I choose to eat when dining out. I also love a good omakase at a sushi bar and have my favorite place I take visiting mates when they come into town.
What type of patron are you when dining out?
I’m an easy guest who doesn’t require much fuss or explanation of a dish or ingredients. I prefer not to do much research online when I head to a restaurant, looking at the menu and whatnot. I like to be surprised and visit spots by word of mouth and at the recommendation of people whose taste I trust.
Chef Curtis Stone’s Favorite Recipe? … Pan-seared rib-eye Steaks with Chili-Gorgonzola Butter
3. Harinath Govindarah, Maldives
Chef Hari has been an instrumental member of the Gili Lankanfushi Maldives culinary team for over 10 years, leading a skillful band of chefs who have redefined the island’s concept to create a pioneering palette for the modern traveler. Born in southern India, his passion for cooking began at a young age and since then, his unique culinary style has flourished with a specialist interest in vegan cuisine.
What was your most beloved meal as a child, and do you still eat it today?
My all-time favorite home food is Pazhayasoru (In Tamil language). This is a simple homemade meal that is basically a fermented rice dish – Pazhaya means old and sort means rice. The fermented rice mixture is stirred with onion or green chili and yogurt, with a sprinkle of salt to taste.
This is the regular breakfast for the farmers and workers because it gives more energy and produces new cells while they burn calories working in the field. The water that we get from fermented rice is said to cure stomach-related problems. Also starch from the rice is always helpful for hair, skin, and pigmentation. The fermented water makes us look more youthful!
What is your favorite meal to cook in your restaurant(s)?
Cooking itself is my favorite. It is like communicating with ingredients. Recently I have liked to cook more vegan food because there is more room to try something new. A Maldivian smoked tuna risotto with Pan seared tuna cheek with red wine sauce. One of the classic Italian dishes with a Maldivian twist, infused with local flavors, making it a unique dish to savor.
What meal do you enjoy ordering when eating out?
Wherever I go, I like to try the local food. When I’m a patron at any restaurant, I would ask the waiter or the chef for their recommendation and what they order if they were a guest.
What type of patron are you when dining out?
The kind that would try everything to understand their flavors, spices/ingredients they use, and discover the method/techniques they cook with. I love to talk about the flavors and food.
Chef Harinath Govindaraj’s mouthwatering Vegan Scallop recipe has been shared and is ready for you to make it.
4. Chef Michael Caines, London
Michael Caines MBE, the chef/patron of Lympstone Manor, is one of Britain’s most popular and well-known chefs. The holder of two Michelin stars for 18 consecutive years, he has achieved and maintained a Michelin star for Lympstone Manor just 6 months after opening. Over the course of his career, Michael has gained a global reputation for his distinctive modern European cuisine, utilizing the finest local and regional produce and ingredients. Michael has appeared regularly on television, on programs such as BBC 1 Saturday Kitchen, Master Chef, Sunday Brunch, The Great British Menu, My Kitchen Rules, and The Great British Bake-off Extra Slice.
What was your most beloved meal as a child, and do you still eat it today?
In England/the UK, the traditional Sunday roast is a great family meal and one that’s enjoyed by the whole family in many homes religiously. Today, I carry on this tradition with my own family, it’s a great time to come together around the table to enjoy wonderful foods and catch up on all things family.
What is your favorite meal to cook in your restaurant(s)?
Here at Lympstone Manor, we have our tasting menus Signature and Estuary featuring seafood, as well as our a la carte menu. All showcase our wonderful larder here in Devon, and an abundance of seafood. It’s hard to choose a dish or highlight a particular area as it’s like having children, I love them all but appreciate them for their differences and with it, their challenges. But we have some incredible ingredients in Devon, none finer than our seafood, so I guess I’ll choose this.
What meal do you enjoy ordering when eating out?
I love putting my trust in the chefs and sommeliers when it comes to the house specials, tasting menus, and wine selections. I have a keen interest in wine and food matching and find that I discover areas of the menu, that perhaps I might not have ventured into. But I love Asian food, in particular Thai and Japanese.
What type of patron are you when dining out?
Respectful and curious. I’m a foodie at heart, but one who works in the trade and knows just how much work goes into creating an experience, regardless of the outcome. So, I’ll try and just relax in the situation and enjoy the moment.
Take a look at Chef Michael Caines’s “Crab Ravioli with Lemongrass and Ginger Sauce” recipe.
5. Santi Taura, Spain
Widely regarded as one of the island’s most talented chefs, Santi Taura has been cooking for nearly 30 years. He opened his first solo eponymous restaurant in the town of Lloseta in 2003 – a special location for the chef – as it had been his grandmother’s home. In 2016 he opened DINS in Palma and here he continues to delve into the culinary memory and recipes of the island, focusing on seasonal products at their peak. The awarded Michelin star for three years in a row is a confirmation of the culmination of his work and passion.
What was your most beloved meal as a child, and do you still eat it today?
My favorite dish since I was little is Majorcan soup. This is a dish that I could eat every day and that can be prepared in infinite ways. I also love boiled chickpeas seasoned with oil, vinegar, and salt. It’s so simple, yet so enjoyable.
What is your favorite meal to cook in your restaurant(s)?
I love cooking Mallorcan recipes, which I have deeply researched, and others that come from an old cookbook from the island called ‘Cocina Selecta Mallorquina’, first published in 1961. If the customer is local, they will remember the food fondly and if the client is a foreigner, they will potentially discover something that is quite unknown or unfamiliar in the gastronomic culture. In either case, I am really pleased with the way in which people respond. The cookbook I mention is a particular reference. The author didn’t know how to read or write and dictated 400 recipes to Margalida Vidal Sorrell. One thousand editions were published, and it sold out in a very short period of time. Eighteen reissues have been made and my copy has now lost its cover, has been thumbed through thousands of times, and is well worn – which means it is well loved.
What meal do you enjoy ordering when eating out?
I like trying everything when I dine out. It depends on the day, the mood, and the moment. For me, it is a pleasure to simply relax and have someone cook for me.
What type of patron are you when dining out?
When I go out for a meal, I am a very easy and relaxed customer. I like just about everything, and I am going to enjoy it – it makes me happy to eat and discover new things. I do not understand people who go to restaurants to find fault with them and create uncomfortable moments. Just being happy is my philosophy.
Take a look at Chef Santi Taura’s Panades de Peix Roquer recipe
6. Chef Scott Conant, USA
Scott Conant is a two-time James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and TV personality. With a career spanning more than 35 years, Conant brings a deft touch and unwavering passion to creating culinary experiences with thoughtful hospitality and soulful cuisine. His portfolio of acclaimed restaurants includes Mora Italian (Phoenix, AZ), The Americano (Scottsdale, AZ and Atlanta, GA), and Cellaio at Resorts World Catskills (Monticello, NY). Conant has been a popular presence on Food Network as a recurring judge on Chopped since 2009 and a frequent co-host of Beat Bobby Flay.
What was your most beloved meal as a child, and do you still eat it today?
My mother’s chicken cutlets growing up were spectacular, and they still are. Whenever I go home or whenever she comes to visit, she always prepares chicken cutlets along with sausage and peppers; that was another one of my favorite things she would make for me as a kid. I grew up in Connecticut, and we would use these Portuguese rolls to make sandwiches with sausage and peppers. I can still remember the tomato sauce inside the Portuguese rolls that was just incredible.
What is your favorite meal to cook in your restaurant(s)?
I’ve been working in restaurants since I was 15 years old, so it’s nearly impossible to narrow it down. I do love working stations though, specifically the pasta, fish, and roast stations – those bring back a lot of special memories. If I were to jump back on the line today (not sure I could handle it like in my younger years!), I think pasta cookery would be high on my list of favorites. Perhaps making a Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, it’s simple and straightforward yet so craveable. The key is mastering the technique and flavor extraction from those very simple ingredients to produce an excellent dish.
What meal do you enjoy ordering when eating out?
I love trying different foods from various cultures. One of the things I truly miss about living in New York City is the abundance of ethnic restaurants and visiting each borough to check out new spots. l love it, especially the unsuspecting hole-in-the-wall places. The first thing I do whenever I come back to New York is order New York Chinese food. It’s pretty specific because it’s New York Chinese, not authentically Chinese. The pork ribs, fried rice, or deep-fried chicken like General Tso’s chicken are some old NY classics that I love. There’s nowhere in the world that I’ve found that does Chinese food quite like New York, except for Hong Kong, parts of San Francisco, and Chinatown.
What type of patron are you when dining out?
I consider myself a rather easygoing patron. Having been in the restaurant industry for 37 years now, I genuinely appreciate the hard work of the staff and therefore, tip well to show that appreciation. I prefer to be under the radar when I’m dining out. I’m not someone to call the chef out and ask them to “cook for me”. If the chef offers to cook for me specifically, I’m always excited to experience that. Whenever I see a soufflé on the menu, hands down I’m ordering it. I don’t care if it’s at a TGI Friday’s, Per Se, or Daniel…I’m going to eat that soufflé and appreciate the team’s effort to prepare it.
Here is the recipe for Chicken Cutlets With Burrata and Melted Baby-Tomato Sauce by Chef Conan
This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag
