At the grand reopening of luxury resort, The Datai Langkawi, editors and journalists from around the world were treated to exclusive eight-course cocktail dinners called Rhythms of Nature with the award-winning father and son duo, Chefs Michel and Sebastien Bras of famed restaurants Le Suquet in Laguiole, France, as well as Toya in Hokkaido, Japan.
The esteemed Le Suquet, described as “spellbinding” in the Michelin guide, has held three stars for 19 years, while the two-starred Toya is where “father and son Bras faithfully recreate the cuisine of their hometown of Aubrac by using the rich bounty of Hokkaido,”(Michelin Guide Japan 2018).
At an interview, we learnt that their concept is that they are surrounded by nature and the food that they cook is made using the ingredients they are surrounded by. After reaching The= Datai, they went on foraging trips and discovered something new which is a type of ginger flower.
They used that to season the turbet served during the the exclusive dinner for The= Datai= guests. They also found another ingredient when they went with a resident naturalist of The= Datai= and he cut a palm tree and produced what is called the heart of the palm which they used for the amuse bouche.
Chef Michel (right) and Sebastien Bras hard at work
For the menu, they consulted with each other and it was a combined effort. Their original restaurant was started by Michel’s mother and it basically had a simple concept. When Michel who is self-taught got involved, he created his own concepts of which he has passed on the DNA to his son. Now his son has his own creative concepts as well. What Sebastien learnt from his father. ” Is to always be inquisitive.
Always be looking for something … never sort of just settle. Look for next course of inspiration.” He gives a quote, “He who does not have the taste for the ultimate, for the absolute, is content enough with a simple sense of mediocracy.”
What Michel’s learnt from his son is, “The beauty of youth. He brings a new freshness to the restaurant and a change of dynamics”.
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- Gargouillou of young vegetables
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- Roasted Lamb Rack
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- Tomato Jelly and Shrimp
Also, he feels his son is constantly seeking what’s next and what’s great is that he does it with the amazement of a child. When asked when they are satisfied with a dish, Michel said, “When I’m happy with it.” Sebastien laughs and shares,
“For me, I’m happy when the client is happy.” Both want to be able to bring happiness to the table and respect the true nature of the products they work with.
In the near future, they want to return to nature, with the freedom of creativity with no constraints. There is always a delicious burst of flavours in what this duo cook up. The dinner they prepared was exceptional and we hope to see more of them in the future to be able to enjoy more culinary marvels.
This article is originally posted in Star2.
