What were your favorite foods growing up?
ND: Bread & Butter.
SJ: Jambon purée (ham & mashed potatoes), lots of chocolate.
MP: Ham & Gruyére coquillettes (little pasta).

When did you decide you wanted to be a restaurateur?
ND: Our home was always open to friends. My parents, my brother and I always loved receiving them and preparing last minute dinners. It became a joke, then a reality.
SJ: I grew up in the hospitality industry and knew that I was born for it.
MP: I decided when I was a young boy watching and talking to my father who was in the food business.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
ND: Hotel le Touessrok, Mauritius, 2005.
SJ: In the kitchen of my grandmother.
MP: Butard Enescot, Paris, 2006.

If you didn't become a restaurateur, what would you be?
ND: An architect.
SJ: Investment banker or golfer.
MP: I did not consider doing anything else; this is the only thing I know.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
ND: My mother's cooking and my travels.
SJ: Living around the world.
MP: Parisian bistros, traditional chefs; any traditional and true cooking.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
Our influences stem from Parisian and rustic style cuisine.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
Toasters!

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Poilâne bread imported from Paris.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
They have to be motivated, punctual and hard working.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
Jambon Purée Tartine (ham & mashed potatoes). Our challenge was to convince our chef that mashed potatoes and bread can work together. It became one of our best sellers.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
We had an entire weekend with no Poiâlane bread! It was stuck in customs.

What is your least favorite food?
ND: Pecan pie.
SJ: I love everything!
MP: Brussels sprouts.

What is your beverage of choice?
ND: Fresh juice (apple, orange, pineapple).
SJ: Johnny Walker, Neat
MP: Château Real Martin Optimum Rouge 2001.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Going back to the basics, quality of ingredients and true cuisine.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
ND: Frankies, 17 Clinton Street
SJ: Ruby's (small Australian cafè on Mulberry)
MP: At home or a low-key friend's restaurant in my neighborhood.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
France.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
ND: Marc Veyrat in Annecy, France.
SJ: Asado in the Buenos Aires countryside.
MP: Chez Bruno at Lorges sur Argens in South of France and my mother's blanquette de veau.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Stay simple and true.

What do you eat when you are home?
ND: Cheese, bread and butter.
SJ: Chocolate.
MP: Pasta.