A Michelin-star chef comes to town

MANILA, Philippines - Originally from the South of France, Nicolas Isnard always knew he wanted to become a chef. “Food is my passion,” he says. “At the age of 14, I told my parents that I wanted to learn how to cook and go to culinary school.” Having learned the basic ropes of the kitchen from his father and grandmother, he launched his formal culinary career in Avignon and worked through years of apprenticeships to master the techniques behind creating superb recipes. In 2000, he was stationed at the Hotel Matignon, cooking for the French prime minister during his military service of 10 months.

Success didn’t come overnight for Isnard, although his energy, discipline, and passion for products allowed him to evolve as a chef quickly. He worked at many renowned restaurants in France, including the one-Michelin star Le Vieux Logis, and the two-Michelin star La Rotonde in Lyon where he was Chef de Partie under Philippe Gauvreau. He describes his defining moment as “working with mentor Gilles Goujon from the restaurant Auberge du Vieux Puits, where I was chef de cuisine for three years.” Shortly after his stint with Goujon, Isnard joined Le Chateau de Curzay, where he re-launched the culinary direction to the level of haute gastronomie with his efforts rewarded with a first Michelin star.

In June 2008, Isnard, together with partners David le Comte, Cécile Sagory, and Jessica Jean, bought L’Auberge de La Charme à Prenois, just a few kilometers outside of Dijon. After reinventing the restaurant, they secured their first Michelin star in 2009. Isnard says he was on the road when he received the call from the Michelin director. “I was with my assistant when we found out and we had to stop the car because we were crying.”

L’Auberge de La Charme has been awarded a Michelin star every year thereafter. Isnard was also awarded four toques by the Gault et Millau guide, and the honored title of ‘Maitre Cuisinier de France’ in 2012. 

When it comes to Isnard’s food philosophy, he is leading the way with his classic French cooking injected with modern techniques. His style is dedicated to his life growing up in France’s countrysides – in Dordogne, in Les Corbières, in Poitou, then in Burgundy. He sources all of his ingredients personally from local produce markets to ensure that ingredients are always fresh. “I do my marketing daily,” Isnard says. “This way, there are more choices, and I am sure to get products that are in season. Because of this, my menu also changes every day.”

Isnard shares that some of his favorite ingredients to work with include tomatoes, artichokes, zucchinis, and onions; basically, all kinds of vegetables. He also enjoys cooking with chestnuts and seafood, particularly scallops.

In 2010, Isnard published a book dedicated to the egg. The book, a joint project between Isnard and David Le Comte, is simply titled “L’œuf” and reflects Isnard’s philosophy toward the products he uses in his cooking – with a simple, everyday ingredient like an egg, one can already prepare an excellent dish. “The egg is something that everybody can cook with,” Isnard says, noting that the book contains 30 original recipes.

On his most memorable culinary experience to date, Isnard is all praises for the two-Michelin star Amber restaurant in Hong Kong, located at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Central. “The food at Amber is classic and modern. Every dish I’ve tried is very good and very fresh.”

When asked what he cooks in the intimate confines of home, Isnard shares, “I cook very simple food for my family such as pasta, salad, a simple meat or fish dish, and lots of vegetables.”

For his upcoming trip to Manila, Isnard says that he is excited to try Filipino cuisine. Despite his previous travels to neighboring Southeast Asian nations like Indonesia and Malaysia, he has not yet had the chance to experience Filipino cuisine. Isnard also adds that he “enjoys discovering new ingredients and styles of cooking.” Although he tries not to deviate too much from his personal style, he does incorporate some Asian influences in his cooking, such as the use of ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, and coriander.

Isnard’s hectic day-to-day schedule as a restaurateur has kept him on his toes, with occasional trips to do culinary consultancy work in Beijing, Dubai, Macau, Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Jakarta, and Singapore. But, his passion for cooking has not wavered once. “To be a good chef, one must be hardworking and open-minded,” Isnard says, adding his belief that chefs in general are made, as opposed to born. “You go through a lot of training and studying to become a chef. You must always be curious and continue to have a great passion and understanding for the products you use. Most of all, you have to know you who are, because the dishes you serve speak for you.”

Chef Nicolas Isnard will be at The Tivoli of Mandarin Oriental, Manila from Nov. 18 to 24. For reservations, call 750-8888 or email [email protected] .