What were your favorite foods growing up?
Croque monsieur and apple tarts.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef? Officially, at the age of 14.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
In culinary school in Perpignan in a 2-year program- I was 15 years old.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
I would have been a forest ranger.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
At an early age my family and then my mentors. And today my interaction with other chefs and traveling.

How would you describe your cuisine?
At Le Bernardin, fish is the star of the plate, which dictates everything.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
I'm influenced by my personal experience in life, which is very active and diverse.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
My set of knives.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
I don't think I have one.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Respect for the ingredients, the life of the animals that have been sacrificed, themselves, and the rest of the team.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
Someone passionate, humble, hardworking, and talented.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
You can eat anything. Le Bernardin is a seafood restaurant, you won't gain an ounce!

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
A wedding in Boston for 400 people. We had to build 3 kitchens, close Le Bernardin and transport the whole team to Boston (and the food, of course) and cooked the fish à la minute.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
Actually, it was not in the kitchen. I was a waiter in culinary school and I dumped a tray of drinks twice on a French Colonel.

What is your least favorite food?
Brains.

What is your beverage of choice?
It depends...but I always prioritize quality over quantity.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Food trucks are big right now in NYC. Hamburgers are very trendy and now we start to see meatball restaurants. I believe it's because the economy is challenged and it is a sign of the times.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
In a lot of places. Obviously in NYC we have a lot of choice. However, Balthazar is the place I go the most.

Which foreign country inspires your style most? Japan, France, Italy, Spain.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
No such a thing for me. I've had so many memorable meals, I can't think in black and white like that.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Taste your food at all times before you serve to your guests!

What do you eat when you are home?
Breakfast- the rest of the time I am at the restaurant.