AKRAME CHIEF WHO NOW COUNTS IN THE CIRCLE OF THE BEST CHEFS - 2 MICHELIN STARS

USPA NEWS - The French gastronomy can also called Akrame, which means "Noble Generosity" in Arabic. The talented young chef won 2 Michelin stars in three years, the Holy Graal of French cooking, for his inventiveness serving authentic cuisine. He is nowadays considered the rising star in French Cuisine circle.

THE RISING STAR OF THE NEW CUISINE, CHEF AKRAME WISHES LEAVING A MARK, A STATE OF MIND Akrame, whose name sounds from exotic sweet of some hot countries like Algeria's legendary hospitality marking his roots. Besides his name meaning "Noble and generous" in Arabic, Akrame Chef is like no one in France quietly carrying his two Michelin stars. We met the Chief Akrame who bears well, his name between two services of his Parisian restaurant. The chief received us in his restaurant that bears his name, unpretentious and easily. The legend that preceded it, has not failed because the chef of two Michelin stars, bears the weight of these trophies on his square athletic shoulders. Simply and friendly, he welcomes us with open arms in his restaurant at 19 rue Lauriston, close to the "Arc de Triomphe", Champs Elysée, Paris. The place is decorated so soberly unpretentious but with a sharpened taste and contemporary stylish with silver cutlery and knife on clean tables of gross sleek genre. The clear beige colour contrasts with the black seats and black plates or sheets without fuss, putting guests in direct contact with the raw material of wood and natural elements that contribute to the atmosphere modern and relaxing in front of large flower vases lily. There is here, somehow an idea of the influence Royalist but not ostentatious. And so we very quickly invited to get to the point right away, and so do we. Akrame is as casual as focused when it comes to seriously address our specific questions throughout the interview. A normally precious time for Akrame Chief willingly devotes us a long time enjoyable and informative, despite a tight agenda. This interview reflects the emotional context of this moment, because it's about cooking, and that implies sharing that falls within our own emotions as a "Gourmet". It's about the "gourmet" who is from you inner side of you. Apart from that the fact is that the interview of the "man" of this particular situation, who represents this great professional, was totally conducted in a rational way, in fairness sake.-------------------------------------------------------------

OUR CANDID INTERVEIW WITH AKRAME CHIEF Question : How would you define the “Cuisine“ ?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Akrame Chief: It´s all about LOVE ! Without love there is no cuisine, or cooking possible. (Laugh) Am serious, it´s all about cherishing in what we do and serving it with love in the dishes. Because the cooking is also sharing and it's also giving, so loving. And I love to love and giving through my cooking among others.--------------------------------------------------------------- Question : Have you had wanted to be a cook from since your early childhood? When did you get the click to make good cooking?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Akrame Chief: Very young, yes, my mother cooked very well and she used to cook with love. I had that snap at 13 years when I told myself that I will become à cook and make it a living.

Question: You are very young and have already received two Michelin star at your thirties, do you think it is thanks to your innate talent?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Akrame Chief: You know, talent it's 10% and 90% of the success is due to the work. It is a combination, yes, but success is something that is being proposed, then we must seize it. This is achieved by dint of hard work, mostly.----------------------------- Question: If you were to lose your Michelin stars - Which I don't think so and not wish it - But you are at the top of excellence from the perspective of food critics. If it stopped, how would you react to these critics?------------------------------------------------ Akrame Chief: “We choose what we want to be“, now it's me who guides my life. I have known failures, when I run my, first restaurant "Atelier" in Tours, it did not work. I stopped it handed certain things and I just started from scratch. So no, I can lose everything and restart, and I would continue what I have always been taught to do and what I love: cooking!---------------------- Question: What are the encounters that helped you during your ascent?------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------Akrame Chief: The best encounters, such as Pierre Gagnaire, Ferran Adria at my debut. AND then later life sent me a beautiful gift : the great chefs whom made me dream, came one day taste my cooking and that´s the best gift. Alain Ducasse then became my mentor. This is someone I admire both for the great leader he is but especially for the man he is! This is a great lord, I'd love to be like him and follow his path of success in the future.------------------------------------------------

AKRAME “CHEF CUISINE“ BUILT HIS IDENTITY CULINARY MORE THAN A SIGNATURE The Akrame Chef who spent his primary youth in Algeria, then evolved into boyhood, in Touraine, region, one of the strongholds of the gastronomy of France. It is thirsty for knowledge and practice. He also has a great ability to learn quickly, remake some sophisticated recipes without copying. He prints out almost unwittingly his "culinary footprint" of the dishes he realized with ease and natural, cradled by both his memories on the other side of the Mediterranean and France on the other. Steeped in tradition, to which it relates progressively to build his culinary personality and consolidate his early convictions to become a cook day-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His generosity is evident in the dishes he presents both in his attitude towards his surroundings and pampers his clientele. His customers return the favour by their loyalty since some do not even know he has 2 Michelin stars! This must be due to its discretion because it does not appear regularly on TV like some chefs who made their media activity for the purposes of extensive exposure to the extreme if they moving away from their kitchens“¦The Michelin guide ... He first learned alongside his mother, who he calls "great cook" whom he admires for his culinary skills. He tells us how he believes in the memory of the taste. Thus the recipe for "soup vermicelli pudding" a classic dish of all the North African moms, as a healthy and simple dinner. The dish of noodles swollen with milk, seasoned with just salt and pepper. That's it, no more! In an obvious simplicity Akrame Chef dared revisiting this consensual dish so memorized in the collective unconscious of Algerians and Moroccans, by sublimating it, with French truffles. The top of the delicacy of this dish amplified by the prestigious taste of truffles, gives him his titles of nobility now part of French gastronomy.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is it, the striking force of this young gifted chef, who he enriches from the heritage of one, and towards each other´s culture by placing a dish revisited, modernized and "mixed" but not deformed. Thus by the duality of his culinary identity, Akrame Chef, has not only printed more than a signature, but a culinary identity that characterizes him“¦It is in this type of example that is easy to understand the ability of a chief cook to fare of creatively without falling in the trap or mistaking in the combination of certain ingredients unlikely and propose a new creation that becomes successful. Akrame, the cook chief explains why the card menu is used as of an innkeeper (Aubergiste).Long time ago the "aubergiste" was able to make the most of his pantry and cooking incredibly succeeds with ideas and with the minimum products it has, unexpectedly! So, Akrame sees himself as an "Aubergiste" of modern times, in a modern context and where the super kitchen amongst steam ovens and other ultra tools of the 21st century, reflects a contemporary style, to serve the chief cook in the soul of an innkeeper, modest despite everything surroundings. This is both a strength of character tinged humility that Chef Akrame displays a menu at the image of this metaphor, as it is dynamic, like him, changeable, like everyone else, fluctuating in function of the seasonality of the food products and apreciating in the surprise decision by the catch of the market. The menu Akrame is not only displayed as a deliberate choice but an invitation to the mystery ... in the image of its Akrame Chief.

FRUSTRATION OF NOT HAVING TESTED AKRAME'S CUISINE--------------------------------------------------------------- We have not had the pleasure to taste the dishes of Akrame Chief because it was difficult to answer questions while being in the kitchen at the same time. Timing required! He kindly invited us to come and eat at another time, as such. We will certainly do, soon, because the frustration is almost complete by discussing with as much ardor of her kitchen, without having tasted it! Now rewarded by the two Michelin stars, they come only confirm a safe bet of cuisine food we have not tasted. Can the theory being separated from practice? Certainly not! And it is even true less when it comes to seducing our appetites. Michelin guide (1st star in 2012, the second star in 2014 and Gault Millau guide (3 toques in 2010 and “Coup de Coeur“) are the guarantors of the revelations of future top chefs in the world, and they are only rarely wrong. Akrame is part of the young shoots, which grew up in a good fertile soil and its development will necessarily total through the mystery he distils it by his generous inventiveness in the dishes. We can't wait to taste his audacity in our future plates“¦and be amazed. Before leaving, he proves it by offering me a bottle of "Organic olive oil with Voatsiperifery pepper", prepared by him, (Taggiasche region) for a connoisseur as well as a chocolate bar made by young people at reinsertion who he accompanies towards a future best, through the kitchen. My frustration was half filled by this simple gesture class and generous. A gesture "Akrame" so to speak! ----------------------------For more information see ttp://www.akrame.com, www.akrame.com.hk Address of the Akrame restaurant Paris : 19 rue Lauriston, Paris 16th, Address of the Akrame restaurant in Hong Kong: 9B Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong