Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 18 June 2018
New doc trails chef Ducasse on global quest for new flavors

By JOCELYN NOVECK he tells a gardener, de-
Associated Press pends on who you're with.
NEW YORK (AP) — In the "If you're not in good com-
new documentary "The pany, it's better to be alone
Quest of Alain Ducasse," with a good vegetable."
the esteemed French chef We see a man who can
steps off a small plane in lose his patience, for ex-
the middle of the Gobi ample when he sees a
desert in Mongolia. As he staffer serve pre-poured
stands pondering the vast champagne, rather than
emptiness, a motorcycle pouring in front of the guest
suddenly appears, as if out — he admits that sends
of nowhere, carrying two him "into hysterics." And we
men. The bemused chef see someone who's clearly
chuckles: "There are cus- competitive: after inaugu-
tomers everywhere." rating a high-end cream
For Ducasse, 61, that seems puff kiosk at a Tokyo rail sta-
to be a fundamental truth tion, he buys a competitor's
— and a driving force. The cream puff elsewhere for
man oversees a veritable comparison, tasting it back
empire, with 27 restaurants in his hotel room.
across the globe, and 19 According to the film, Du-
Michelin stars among them. casse "is said to have a per-
From his first three-star tri- fect palate, as others have
umph as a young upstart at perfect pitch." Ducasse
the Louis XV in Monaco, to himself is much more pro-
his haute-healthy, no-meat saic about his gifts. Being
Paris eatery at the Plaza This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows chef Alain Ducasse in a scene from the a great chef is, he says, "95
Athenee, to his recently documentary, "The Quest of Alain Ducasse." percent hard work and five
opened restaurant at the Associated Press percent talent."
opulent Versailles palace, We also see a socially con-
where a special royal din- only quest," he says in the to convince Ducasse to do poignant personal scene scious side of Ducasse,
ner costs 1,000 euros, he film, sampling a heavenly the film. "After a while, he when the chef reflects cooking a meal for locals
seems on a nonstop mission slice of fresh tuna in Kyoto, got used to me," he says. upon the most harrowing in Brazil from unused left-
to expand. In September, "tasting things that I haven't His goal, he adds, was sim- moment of his life, a 1984 overs at the Olympic vil-
he'll open a new restaurant tried yet." ple: "I wanted to see the small plane crash in the lage, and visiting the cook-
on an electric boat floating Foodies — especially those world through his eyes, his Alps that killed several col- ing school he's created for
along the Seine. with an affinity for haute vision of gastronomy." leagues. Only Ducasse sur- underprivileged youth in
There was a time when cuisine with a healthy twist Critics have noted that the vived. "It wasn't my time," the Philippines. Perhaps the
Ducasse, who grew up — will no doubt find much film does suffer, though, he says. most entertaining behind-
on a farm in southwestern to enjoy in the documen- from narration that oc- The film illustrates Ducasse's the-scenes food moment
France, spent most of his tary, which follows Ducasse casionally sounds adoring exalted position in France comes at the sturgeon
hours behind the stove. around the world for about — even worshipful. Some — we see him hobnobbing farm near Shanghai where
Now, he seems to spend two years leading up to the viewers might also have with more than one French Ducasse gets his caviar. If
most of them in the air, opening of Ore, his Ver- wanted more of a look at president — but we also you've never seen a stur-
crisscrossing the globe, sailles eatery (it's in select Ducasse the man, away see him in jeans in the gar- geon the size of a minivan
tasting new menus, seeking theaters and also on video from his work. We never see den, picking raspberries or being sliced open to dis-
new flavors. In an interview on demand). his family, or what he does tasting a raw zucchini. De- play its glistening eggs, it's
at a New York gathering Director de Maistre says it in his spare time — if he has spite his poker face, he can worth your while.
marking the release of the took him quite some time any. There is, however, one be funny: A good meal, With his elevated status
film, he politely deflected in French cuisine, you'd
a question about how think Ducasse might look
many frequent flyer miles down on the celebrity chef
he's amassed. But he did phenomenon, with real-
remark that he'd recently ity shows and TV cooking
traveled for 20 hours to the competitions. He says he
mountains of Peru, just to doesn't.
taste a cup of coffee. “It’s good for our industry,”
"It was very good coffee," he said at the recent New
he noted, with typically York gathering.
deadpan delivery. Standing next to him, one
His constant travels, as por- can’t help but pose that
trayed by director Gilles de question you’d want to ask
Maistre, have a very differ- any celebrated chef: what
ent goal than, say, those of he eats at home.
the late Anthony Bourdain, “Maybe vegetables from
who sought to explain cul- the garden,” he replied.
tures to his viewers through “Low protein, low sugar.
food. For Ducasse, the goal No wine.” It fits in with his
is to gain inspiration for his This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows chef Alain Ducasse in a scene from the all-around philosophy, he
restaurants. He gets much documentary, "The Quest of Alain Ducasse." said: “We must eat better,
of it from Japan. "It's my Associated Press and less.”q