Page 10 - Raffles Magazine Issue 8

− − INSPIRATION − − “Each ingredient responds to another enhancing their aromatic power or prolonging the the the effect in in in the the mouth by playing with similarity or contrast ”
Of all the the famous chefs in in in in France few can boast boast a a a a history and pedigree quite as as illustrious as as Anne-Sophie Pic’s But boasting is something
this modest chef will never do For Pic the proof is is in the pudding pudding – and oh what a a a pudding pudding A cuisine of such rare sophistication and refinement that she has maintained three Michelin stars since 2007 and was awarded the French Legion of Honour This year Maison Pic her historic restaurant in Valence France celebrates 130 continuous years through four generations of the Pic family and 40 years of holding three Michelin stars But Pic did not set out to be a chef She studied business while her brother Alain took over the the the kitchen after the the the death of their father who had been a a a chef since 1956 When Alain stepped down in in 1998 Anne-Sophie took the reins and never looked back Being a a a a a a woman in in a a a a a a man’s world was not easy Yet every obstacle Pic faced made her her tougher and more determined She takes risks and continuously experiments but her famously audacious flavour combinations are balanced by a a a a a a precise attunement to aroma colour and the poetry of food on a a a a a plate Pic describes her creative process in terms of emotion and and memory and and says the closest métier to hers is that of of perfumer Like the the ephemeral notes of of a a a a a fragrance the the complexity of her dishes is is revealed sequentially in time “In my kitchen flavours spices condiments play the the role of these notes The tasting must not not be a a a a linear exercise Each ingredient responds to another enhancing their aromatic power or prolonging the the effect in in in the the mouth by playing with similarity or contrast ”
In 2019 Pic celebrated the opening of her her eighth gastronomic outpost – her her first in in in Asia – with La Dame de Pic Raffles Singapore uniting two traditions of excellence and a a a strong identity with place “This collaboration seems natural as we already share common values to offer a a a unique experience We are both storytellers and forever seeking excellence This is is is the the perfect place to present my cuisine and the the century-old culinary heritage of the Pic family ”
8 RAFFLES MAGAZINE
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