posted on April 11, 2011 20:48
Pierre Gagnaire's in his eponymous restaurant in Paris was born in Apinac, France in 1950. The son of restaurant owners is still one of the most vaunted places to eat in the French capital, demonstrating the resilience of one of the food world's true greats. Gagnaire's approach to cooking combines a touch of the poetic with a dash of simplicity and a soupçon of wistfulness for dishes that appear as mini art forms.
Pierre Gagnaire began his career as an apprentice learning the fundamentals of traditional cuisine in Lyon. In 1974, the young chef discovered the world of creative cuisine when working with Chef Alain Sendernes at Lucas Carton in Paris. It was the beginning of a new era and a new way of looking at food for Gagnaire.
After two years roving the world, particularly the New World, Gagnaire returned to his family restaurant, Le Clos Fleury, near Saint Etienne and took over the kitchen. It was 1976 and Gagnaire earned his first Michelin star. He decided to go solo in 1981 and opened his first restaurant in Saint Etienne; he received two Michelin stars. Gagnaire opened his second restaurant in 1992 and soon earned three Michelin stars for his signature cuisine. But the Saint Etienne restaurants weren’t meant to be; in 1996, Gagnaire went bankrupt and left Saint Etienne for Paris.
With the support of friends, Gagnaire opened a new restaurant in 1996 in Paris and within two years regained his three-star status. Gagnaire has since opened multiple restaurants worldwide, in cities such as London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Dubai, and now Las Vegas, and is revered for his ability to maintain impeccable standards at so many restaurants scattered across the globe.
Now Pierre Gagnaire is the Head Chef and owner of the eponymous Pierre Gagnaire restaurant at 6 rue Balzac in Paris (in the 8th arrondissement). Gagnaire is an iconic chef who is at the forefront of the fusion movement. Beginning his career in St. Etienne where he won three Michelin Stars, Gagnaire tore at the conventions of classic French cooking by introducing jarring juxtapositions of flavours, tastes, textures, and ingredients.
The restaurant specializes in 'modern French' cuisine, and has garnered three Michelin stars. Gagnaire is also Head Chef of Sketch in London. In 2005 both restaurants were ranked in the Restaurant (magazine) Top 50 in the world by industry magazine Restaurant with Pierre Gagnaire ranking third in 2006 and 2007. Gagnaire was one of the first chefs to embrace the idea of food as art—like a painter, he marks his culinary “eras” by dish and year. Constant evolution has allowed Gagnaire to stay at the forefront of the international culinary scene and remain relevant in an ever-changing world.
On his website Pierre Gagnaire gives his 'mission statement' as the wish to run a restaurant which is 'facing tomorrow but respectful of yesterday' ("tourné vers demain mais soucieux d'hier").In December 2009, Gagnaire made his United States debut with Twist, at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas, which has since received great critical praise and a position as one of the Top 10 New Restaurants in the United States by Andre Gayot.
Pierre also made appearances on Fuji TV's Iron Chef. He represented France in the 1995 Iron Chef World Cup. He later appeared in the "France Battle" because of financial difficulties at that time. Gagnaire’s collaboration with French chemist and professor Hervé This (a founding father of molecular gastronomy) has pushed the chef to greater heights and spawned two cookbooks, including La Cuisine c'est de l'Amour, de l'Art, de la Technique published in 2006 and Alchimistes au Fourneaux in 2007. Gagnaire’s other books include Sucre-Sale (2002) and Lucide & Ludique (2007).
Paris, Pierre Gagnaire 1996–
Paris, Gaya rive gauche par Pierre Gagnaire 2005–
London, Sketch 2002–
Tokyo, Pierre Gagnaire a Tokyo 2005–2010
Hong Kong, Pierre 2006–
Courchevel, Pierre Gagnaire pour les Airelles 2007–
Dubai, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire 2008–
Seoul, Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul 2008–
Las Vegas, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire 2009–
Tokyo, Pierre Gagnaire Tokyo 2010
Saint-Tropez, Colette 2010–
Moscow, Les Menus par Pierre Gagnaire 2010–
Contact Details
Address: 6 rue Balzac, Paris, 75008, France
Telephone: +33 (0)1 58 36 12 50
Web Site: www.pierre-gagnaire.com
Reviews: FT.com and QLIweb
Prices: The 105 euro lunch menu is a relatively affordable way to sample Gagnaire's style. There's also a longer 265 euros menu or count around 300 à la carte.