Flash-grilled: Yannick Alléno
What was your first industry job?
I grew up in a family of bistro owners in the suburbs of Paris and I started helping them at a very young age.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I was born to be a chef - I can't imagine doing anything else!
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Auguste Escoffier, the originator of the modern restaurant as we know it today, with his brigade system and menu structure. In his time, he understood the importance of utilising every part of a product, and he placed particular emphasis on sauces. His work laid the foundation for modern cuisine.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Modern Cuisine.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
When I was a young chef, a famous critic wrote in Le Monde that all chefs in Paris were making the same cuisine. At first, I was outraged, but then I realized he was right. It was the famed François Simon. From that point on, I began to reflect on my own culinary identity.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
To work hard, persevere, and believe in themselves. Also, to take the time to develop themselves as a chef.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
My Mauviel frying pan (M'ELITE collection).
What would you choose to eat for your last meal? À la carte or tasting menu?
À la carte.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
Jean-François Piège's blanc-manger.
What’s your favourite fast-food?
Chips! As natural as possible and salted just right.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Cassoulet, it has everything in it.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Eggplant!
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Auguste Escoffier and other culinary greats. I have plenty of questions to ask them.
What’s your earliest food memory?
I'm not sure if it's my first memory, but certainly one of my fondest childhood memories is my grandmother's chicken cooked in a bottle. We used to spread the juices from the galantines on slices of bread – delicious!
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Tuscany.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Wine.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
The marble-aged wine we created with Paolo Carli and winemaker Paul-Morandini, aged in white Carrara marble jars, paired with wood-fired roasted venison and peppercorn sauce we serve at Alléno Paris, my three-star restaurant at Pavillon Ledoyen.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Signature dishes can sometimes limit creativity - I like my menus to have a natural evolution and pinpointing one exact dish can be difficult.
