Soho Create is an annual festival celebrating all the extraordinary offerings of London’s most vibrant district –Soho. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and well curated, Soho Create is a platform to share the best of modern art and creativity. At ‘The Art of Live’ discussion, Comedian Sara Pascoe, chef Alexis Gauthier, and theatre director Steve Marmion came together and shared their perspectives on the live moment.
 |
| L- R - Journalist Craig McLean, Alexis Gauthier, Sara Pascoe and Steve Marmion | Courtesy Stuart Keegan on behalf of Soho Create |
Whether on stage, facing a live audience, or catering to a crowd at a restaurant - a single moment has the power to delight or disappoint. With so much effort involved in creating the live moment, what does it mean to a live performer or a chef who aims to present his ideas in edible form? To shed light on the ‘The Art of Live’ and to discuss food, the vibe that attracted him to Soho, and more, we interviewed Chef patron of Gautheir Soho – Alexis Gauthier. Famous for being the U.K’s first Michelin-starred chef to include a calorie count for every dish on his menu, Gauthier Soho boasts a strong celebrity following. French celebrity chef, Alexis, has succeeded in creating a space where many of his customers become regulars, and the food manages to delight and wow as much as the ambience.
Q. We live in an age obsessed with social media, and that means diners taking selfies with their food. Do you think that taints the experience of fine-dining at your restaurant?
A. No not at all. I believe we should all be free to live as we want to, and my restaurant is about feeling relaxed and comfortable and enjoying yourself. If you enjoy taking pictures of the food, and you’re not constantly using a flash or bothering others, then please go ahead. It’s good for business exposure anyway.
Q. When you were asked at 'The Art of live' session at Soho Create who in your field of work is the best live performer, your answer was 'The Pope'. Could you elaborate on that for our readers?
A. It was such a broad question I couldn’t think of a better answer. Of course there are people I’ve seen live from popular culture - Coldplay, The Cure, Peter Gabriel for example - who are fantastic at capturing an audience’s attention through art and charisma. But the Pope - like other global religious or political leaders - is commanding attention through completely different channels, and their live performances are founded on a much greater responsibility.
Q. With the new residential development around Soho, and campaigns to 'clean up' Soho, do you think it is losing the charm and mystique associated with Soho's dark side?
A. For me, the cleaning up and regenerating of Soho is inevitable, but slightly sad, and sometimes I don’t see the logic in it. All the estate agents are selling these super apartments and restaurant rents on the dark, independent, seedier side of Soho, it’s as if they are saying ‘hey, come and live in Soho, it’s where the gay scene is, it’s where the cool creative kids hang out, it's where naughty things happen’.I think the biggest problem will be when the last dark alleyway, sex club and grimy bar is finally replaced with a shiny apartment block or branch of Starbucks, the very thing Soho is sold on will be lost. It will simply become a central London version of an airport lounge shopping centre. Who will want to live in a central London Westfield? The same thing happened in the 90s with Greenwich Village in New York. It went super ‘normcore’, and nobody wants to be there now. It’s a ghost town. Everyone went to Brooklyn.
Q. You believe in the freelance style of cooking without the use of scales, does that apply to when you bake as well? Especially as baking is considered to be such a precise science.
A. Because baking is such a precise science, there are rules and timings you simply have to adhere too, if you want consistency in fine patisserie for example. But there is always room for a little self-expression and freedom, especially with rustic breads and puddings.
Q. Which chef most influenced you at the start of your career?
A. Alain Ducasse, Alice Waters, Roger Vergé
Q. To a first timer at your restaurant, what dishes would you recommend they try?
A. Well, our classics are the truffle risotto (best in October/November, when the white truffle is in season) and the Golden Louis XV chocolate pudding, both directly influenced from my time in Monaco in the early 90s.
I would recommend also they try the tasting menu, which changes every season. It is the best way of enjoying a little bit of everything we try to do best, without the burden of choice. Apart from those, the fresh brioche we make daily in the kitchen is always wonderful, and that’s free! You can eat as much as you like.
This article was originally posted on theculturetrip.com.
By Manjiri Chitnis of Sliceoffme blog
Sliceoffme is a food,travel and lifestyle blog with fusion recipes, reviews and more. Moving soon to ‘travelsfortaste’ with lots of tips of the best places to stay and eat at while you are travelling. Twitter: @manjirichitnis Instagram: travelsfortaste
No comments:
Post a Comment