Thai customers would often ask me when they’ll get the chance to eat at one of my restaurants in Thailand. Well, here I am.

 

My best experience as a chef was when my restaurant received three stars from the Michelin Guide. We actually got the award a second time the next year, too. We were the first ones to ever win twice in a row. That is my best memory.

 

Here [in Bangkok], we try to use local products as much as possible, as we find them to be of a higher quality and freshness than imported products. While our food is prepared to an authentically French standard, we still try to adapt and make use of Thailand’s rich and abundant natural flavors as much as possible.

 

My restaurants have maintained this level of quality for so long because of our respect for the products we are selling, as well as our constant striving for innovation. We are perpetually dissatisfied with our work, and thus must always look for ways to improve upon it.

 

The idea behind our open kitchen came from the restaurants I ate at during my travels in Japan, such as the sushi bars where chefs cook and serve their food right there in front of them. It was a totally different dynamic: more casual and laid-back, unlike the stiff etiquette often seen in Western restaurants.

 

A good kitchen can make all the difference between a good and a great experience. When you visit a restaurant with a good kitchen, you’ll remember that, same as if you were to go to a restaurant with a bad one. It’s all part of the dining experience.

 

Thailand has a wealth of natural ingredients to choose from, from the many unique vegetables and herbs to the myriad kinds of fish. We exclusively use vegetables from the Royal Projects, where the chef [Olivier Limousin] personally chooses the vegetables we will be using, largely depending on the seasons. We feel like we still haven’t fully realized Thailand’s potential, but that is our goal.

 

I particularly enjoy Thai food for its use of fresh herbs, such as lemongrass or coriander. Other places in the world tend to make a dry curry paste, but Thailand’s curry paste is special for its use of fresh herbs. I personally find that to be very interesting. I haven’t found a Thai curry I don’t like yet.

 

The charm of cooking lies in the symbolism behind it. Cooking from the heart for someone you care about is, in my opinion, one of the most honest ways of expressing your love. I always tell my younger cooks that it’s as important to love your work as it is to love the people you are cooking for.

 

I am very interested in the concept of healthy food, or food that does not cause diseases. I am currently working with nutritionists to ensure that my food is as healthy as possible. I firmly believe that the future of the food industry will be in the well-being of our customers. The importance of having a balanced nutritional meal has been proved by science, and it shows that a lot of people are impacted by what they eat . Eating unhealthy food can lead to serious diseases like cancer and obesity.

 

I’ve worked closely with nutritionists and famous doctors overseas, and the results demonstrate that curing cancer with chemical medicine alone yields worse results than if patients followed a certain diet rich in anti-oxidants. It’s been demonstrated before that a mix of medicine and a good diet can cure diseases much quicker.

 

When I see certain ingredients, I like to imagine how I can use that ingredient in my cooking. This usually happens at night when I go to sleep. I would wake up the next day with fresh ideas about how to use that ingredient.

 

Even though I’m officially retired, the only thing I feel like doing is cooking. I simply can’t bring myself to do anything else.

 

I am driven by the need to overcome new challenges. I constantly try to raise the bar for all my restaurants, all the while looking for new recipes or thinking of how to improve existing ones. If I’m lucky enough—and have enough time—I am interested in starting a new restaurant under a new concept.

 

I’d like to open my own international cooking school, based on my own experiences traveling to many countries and learning about different cultures.

 

The most annoying food trend for me is genetically modified products. The concept of unnaturally grown food is quite contrary to my beliefs.