There’s lots of talk about awards in Bangkok right now. How important are they to you?
It’s always good to get an award. It’s like recognition for the team that all their hard work has been a success. It shows that if you work hard and push yourselves every day, producing the best food, the best service, then people will recognize it.
It’s been said that Bangkok could never become a leading fine dining city because the reputation of Thai street food is so strong—fine dining is not what people come here for. What’s your experience?
Bangkok has become a very good place for fine dining and French restaurants. Mr Robuchon actually wanted to come here earlier but couldn’t find the right place and partner. In the two years I have been here I have seen the arrival of some very nice places doing French food. Of course, you have Le Normandie, very famous, but now also J’aime and Savelberg.
Do you feel that other nationalities now visit Bangkok in search of top-level fine dining as they might Hong Kong or Singapore?
I would say 60-70 percent of our customers are Thai. A lot of the other guests are from Hong Kong and Japan, plus we have some French—Bangkok’s French community regularly comes here.
Is the experience of running Robuchon in Bangkok very different to Paris or London?
Working in Thailand is very interesting. Thais love food; they really care so much about food and cooking. It’s quite different from being in London, which is such a busy city. You work a lot. People are eating out every day, evening, night. It’s very competitive and stressful. You can work too much and forget your life.
Does having that competitiveness help to raise the standards of a restaurant? Is there not the chance of becoming more complacent in Bangkok?
I would say no because when you are in charge of a restaurant with Joel Robuchon’s name on the wall then the expectation is very high. People will not accept a single fault because of that name. Whether I’m here in Bangkok or another country then it’s exactly the same responsibility.
How much is Joel Robuchon involved with this restaurant now?
There are dishes which will be found in every Robuchon around the world. That’s 60-65 percent of the menu. But then each restaurant must use the best local produce to make its own dishes. We will use certain local produce and give our menu a Thai touch, then Mr Robuchon may visit and see some dishes here that can be adapted for Tokyo—working for him you must always try to find the best local produce, which we always prefer to importing.
How do you feel about the many restaurants here that emphasize the fact their produce is imported—this Japanese fish, that American beef?
Well, of course this can be important too. We do import some products because we’re doing French cuisine, so the lamb, the veal. People coming here want to have diversity, there must be a balance.
You’ve finished work, you want to eat some quality French food in Bangkok: where do you go?
When I’m missing something French, some nice sausages or other typical dishes, then I do know one small restaurant owned by a French chef that the team and I will often go to just for something simple like a salad. It’s called French Kiss. You really should try it: a very simple open bistro in Patpong—the food is very, very good. Interview by Oliver Irvine
