I met Thomas Keller in Napa Valley in 1999 when he first launched his gorgeous hard cover book, The French Laundry. His restaurant of the same name in Yountville in Napa Valley, CA was always fully booked. It requires several months to get a booking at this phenomenal restaurant, which opened in 1994.  

To this date, it is still best to book two months in advance to get a table at The French Laundry .  It is now a three-star Michelin star restaurant, so is Keller’s restaurant in NY Per Se. It makes him the first American chef with two, three-star Michelin restaurants.  

From 29 November to Dec 2, Thomas Keller and his team of 7 from The French Laundry are creating the French Laundry experience at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s Mandarin Grill . His 11-course tasting menu has been referred to as the most expensive meal in Hong Kong for the year. He will be serving his signature dishes, with playful names like Oysters & Pearls, M&M, and Toffee Apples. All the seats had been fully booked for weeks, with many diners persistently still calling the Mandarin Oriental begging for a seat to partake of the French Laundry chef’s creations.

Coffee & Doughnuts

Oyster & Pearls: Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar

Fortunate to be granted time to interview this passionate chef, Asian Palate shares this video of our interview with Thomas Keller .  Listening to his culinary philosophy and watching him sign a copy of his book, I am convinced this humble chef is nothing short of a legendary culinary artist.  I can’t help but be star-struck.  

Thomas signing a copy of The French Laundry (photo by Jeannie Cho Lee)

Watch our video interview at Asian Palate Visuals.

Text by Maida Pineda. Photos by Deborah Jones.