Tell us about your career. Where did you do your training and where have you worked? I studied for three years at a chef school in France. Then I travelled to Scotland, where I worked in a restaurant for a year, and then to England where I was a chef de partie* for another year. After that I worked as a sous chef in Italy for five years. Then I became an executive chef – in French restaurants – first in Pittsburgh, in America, for a year, then for another year in Denmark, before I returned to Lyon, in France, and worked in a fine dining restaurant. Then I moved here to Gili Trawangan, where I’m the executive chef at Wilsons. Describe or define your style of cooking. I’d say it was semi-gastro. I like to cook traditional food with a beautiful presentation; for example I cook a traditional dish but improve the presentation, perhaps with a good sauce. At Wilsons, the focus is certainly on fine dining. What inspires you? How do you come up with ideas for the dishes in the restaurant? Through experience. I get to know what the customers want and I provide them with variety –but still in the French way. Any particular favourites? My favourite is the lamb stew, which is cooked with white wine and mixed vegetables for over four hours. That’s special. My customers’ favourite dish appears to be escargots. What are your favourite ingredients to cook with? Olive oil and cream. I’m French. I was born in the North of France, where we use cream a lot. I learned to cook with cream and I always want to eat it. What are your favourite kitchen gadgets? My spoons. I use the spoon a lot – for sauces, for tasting, and to put food on the plates. Could you describe a typical day at work? In the morning I check the stock and contact the suppliers. Then I rest from about 3pm to 6pm. In the evening I go back to the restaurant for dinner service, when we are very busy. I work in the kitchen, mix with the guests and chat to them, and then I finish for the night. How much of your work is done outside of the kitchen? Probably about five hours – I need to do stock control, on the computer.
What would you say is the biggest challenge in your job? Training the staff, I would say, because their culture is different. I like to motivate them to learn and to provide them with skills that will enable them to have a good life. When you’re at home, do you do the cooking? I am almost never at home! But when I am, my wife cooks. Are you an adventurous eater? Are there any foods you won’t eat or even try? Basically, I eat everything – except Durian! What do you like to do in your spare time? I like to play badminton and go jogging. If you hadn’t become a chef, what would you be doing right now? Travelling! I might have been an astronaut … no, I think perhaps an archaeologist. How did your family react when you told them you wanted to become a chef? They said ‘Good luck – but are you crazy?’ No, seriously, they were very happy, and they have supported me all the way. What do you like most about being in Gili Trawangan? There are no cars, and no pollution, and it is natural. Other than creating great food, what do you think are the most important qualities that make a successful chef? Passion – you need to work with passion! You also have to want to learn, and discover new things. And you should never think you know everything. And finally, François, do you have any tips for budding chefs? I would tell them they have to have a passion for cooking; without that, they will find being a chef a very difficult profession. They also need to have patience – no-one can learn everything all at once.
* a chef in charge of a particular area
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