This Catalan chef is, for sure, one of the most prestigious and award-winning chefs in the world. In a profession that, at first glance, seems dominated by male cooks, the excellence of her work has placed her at the highest level. As we can learn from her answers to this interview, she continues to face the future with great energy.
How would you define your cuisine?
It is a cuisine that defends the value of nature. We cook products with great respect, inspiration and freedom, looking for new culinary formulas to convey emotions and happiness to our customers through clean and pure flavours.
Your cookbooks have been hugely successful. Are you working on a new project now?
We have published several cookbooks of domestic, agile, fresh, modern and healthy cuisine on our professional online platform. Now we are planning a book about our professional concept.
What advice would you give to young cooks who want to follow in your footsteps?
Mainly, I would advise them to be completely in love with the profession that they have freely chosen. To work tirelessly and with a self-critical and nonconformist will. To not stop studying, researching and travelling to discover new culinary sensations.
What is your signature dish?
I think all our dishes have an original streak, a prime example being Prawns on Sailors’ Toast.
Can you tell us an anecdote about something you have learned after so many years of experience in the kitchen?
I was born in Sant Pol de Mar, a town with a great seafaring tradition, where I still live and work. Monkfish is one of the most popular fish in my area. Some time ago, we only cooked the loins and we used the spines for soups, sauces or stews. In Japan I discovered how interesting it is to work with monkfish skin, stomach, liver and eyes.
Can anybody cook?
Any person who is interested on eating well, staying healthy, having fun, learning, discovering and sharing can cook. The time we spend in the kitchen translates into healthy energy, good humour and pleasant social and romantic relationships.
Is there anything a chef cannot compete with?
A bad product.
What is the most important virtue in a cook?
Enthusiasm for the work, knowledge of staple foods and cultures and the ability to work with total and daily dedication.
And the worst fault?
Laziness and despair.
How do you think this profession has changed in recent years?
It is one of the most advanced professions in every way. We have acquired valuable technical equipment and installations which facilitate and accelerate tasks. There have been great scientific discoveries which help to create new formulas. In addition, the media has supported the broadcasting of gastronomy and the public is keen to savour and discover new sensations.
What is most important in a dish?
The flavour, the aroma, the balance achieved, the organoleptic game of each element that it is composed of.
What satisfies you in your day to day work?
The feeling of constantly discovering new flavours, new products, new people, new ways of organizing our work in order to continue improving daily.
Is cooking an art?
Cooking contains many artistic values. Cooking can thrill as much as painting, music, literature, theatre or cinema. And as in all major arts, the artist or craftsman, can express and add feelings, which in our case will transfer to our diner.
From your point of view, which is the best cuisine in the world?
The world is very large and cooking is a very important pillar of the culture of each place. Deciding which one is the best is closely related to the personal tastes of each person.
Does your restaurant in Japan work very differently from the one in Catalonia?
We operate and organize our daily work plan as in Sant Pol de Mar. In Japan we are an exotic restaurant, so we cherish the cultural differences that make us attractive and original over there.
What have you learned from the Japanese kitchen?
I learn new things on each new trip to Japan; I discover new products, new techniques and new flavours.
What has been your greatest satisfaction throughout your career?
To be able to maintain such a large team like the one that follows me, which allows us to carry out the detailed and elaborate work that the gourmet cuisine we offer deserves.
What are your fetish products in the kitchen?
Extra virgin olive oil, vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood, pork, wine, chocolate and spices.
How do you adapt to new times? What future projects do you have for your restaurant?
We have worked from day one with a healthy professional ambition to continue learning, improving and advancing. We are accompanied by professionals with these same values, so each new season we renew details of our internal organization, facilities or customer offer. We continually receive proposals for external professional collaborations; right now we are studying a new project which has many possibilities of coming to fruition.
Credits: Entrevista de portada del número de invierno de 2015 de la revista Prestige del Banc Sabadell, editada en inglés y alemán.
Photos: by Mandarin Oriental Barcelona
