Ever wonder what itโs like to work inside the finest restaurants in the world? I have!
Today, Michelin-starred pastry chef Monique Chan is giving us a firsthand look inside two famous restaurants completely across the globe from one another.
At the The French Laundry in California, which was called โThe best restaurant in the world, periodโ by Anthony Bourdain. Monique was tasked with the all-important chocolate station and granted creative freedom to completely redesign their bon-bon menu.
From there, Monique moved to Hong Kong, a homecoming of sorts for this daughter of two immigrants to the US from Hong Kong. Monique was part of the โstart-up teamโ launching Ecriture with the immediate goal of achieving 2 Michelin stars - a goal which they achieved.
As fascinating at this look inside restaurants may be, I promise youโll be most captivated by Moniqueโs humility and vulnerability. We explore the spiritual journey that accompanied the journey of her career, as well as her most recent efforts to raise money for racial justice through her personal brand, Chez Momo.
And finally - look out for a bonus episode this Friday where we explore to uneasy relationship between creativity and productivity. (Oh, and p.s. Monique shared her croissant recipe with us and wraps up the conversation with some helpful feedback about what I did wrong!)
Thank you, every single listener for being here, and welcome Monique!
Highlights
- The spiritual journey that accompanied her career journey
- LA -> Paris -> LA -> Hong Kong -> LA โ Australia -> Current
- โI see you running, running hard. Maybe you need to rest.โ
- The democratic nature of the kitchen
- The physical and psychological toll of working as a chef
- What gave Monique the ability to function well under stress
- Reconciling a Secular/Liberal/Caucasian Environment and Christian/Conservative/Asian Environment
- Moving to Hong Kong, a home culture that wasnโt โhomeโ
- The Michelin Review Process โ How do you earn stars?
- Earning 2 Stars in a record-breaking 7 months
- Love expressed as โan unrelenting provision of foodโ
- Why Monique, as an Asian-American woman, chose to start a non-profit baking business to support Black Lives Matter
Listen to Guest Now
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
Monique's Storied Recipe: How to Make Croissants at Home
Related Episodes
Monique's Bonus Episode
- 156 Lessons from Cameroon with Agatha Achindu, Author of Bountiful Cooking
- 151 How to Create Your OWN Family Cookbook with Sri Bodanapu
- 148 Vanishing Things: Mushrooms, Monsoons, & Cultures with Author Kaveri Ponnapa of The Vanishing Kodavas
- 140 Why This Revolution in Iran Can Succeed with Swarnika & Saeid
Related Recipes
How To Contact Monique Chan, Owner of Chez Momo
YouTube: The Real Chez Momo
Website: www.therealchezmomo.com
Instagram: @therealchezmomo
Would love to hear from you!