0:00:02 > 0:00:04This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06One, two, look at me. One more like that.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Just looking at it, that's great. Fixing his ears too, that's great.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15This is bound to attract the investors.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17I want to open a serious restaurant
0:00:17 > 0:00:21and they see photographs like this, no way.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23The guy's a nutcase.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29I'm not a nutcase, I'm just an artist.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Paul Liebrandt is such an innovator
0:00:58 > 0:01:01and he's on the cutting edge of a lot of things that people want to do
0:01:01 > 0:01:04but they're a little bit afraid of trying them, I think.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27It's true of almost all the food he makes that if you simply describe it
0:01:27 > 0:01:29with a straight face it sounds like a put-on,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32but if you're in the restaurant and you're eating it
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and thinking about it and you're actually seeing
0:01:35 > 0:01:40the relationship between the flavours, it's often inspired food.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43You don't know if it's good or bad because you've never had
0:01:43 > 0:01:46anything like it before so you can't really establish a rating.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49You know if you like it or if you don't like it
0:01:49 > 0:01:52but you don't know if it's a good interpretation or bad,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54it's the first time it's been done.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57It takes one person to put it out there. Somebody's got to go first.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Yeah, I ate his food. I have no comment.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04One of the great joke dishes for people who wanted
0:02:04 > 0:02:08to make fun of Paul Liebrandt was his signature amuse bouche
0:02:08 > 0:02:13which was a little ball of wasabi apple sorbet
0:02:13 > 0:02:16with some Maldon salt sprinkled over it
0:02:16 > 0:02:20and then a waiter would come with a dainty little precious teapot thing
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and he would pour olive oil over the sorbet.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Now, it sounds precious and ridiculous
0:02:28 > 0:02:32but almost everybody who ate that little morsel
0:02:32 > 0:02:35thought it was the best thing they'd ever tasted.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I usually take the common sense view that if it tastes good,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43it's worth pursuing and try to figure out why this is good
0:02:43 > 0:02:45and what the chef is up to.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Hello!
0:03:30 > 0:03:32My name is Paul Liebrandt.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36I'm a chef, that's my occupation. I cook.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39This is a powder of Fisherman's Friend.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41It just cleans the whole mouth out.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45It's a little extra thing, it's just nice to cleanse it out
0:03:45 > 0:03:48so it gives some time in between courses as well.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49See, plate's clean.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Always a good thing.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Two of the pumpkin sorbet.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I'm at Papillon just as a sort of fill-in place,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02just in between finding the right set-up.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07A chef that doesn't cook is a very miserable chef.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09I don't want to go down that path.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Right now in New York after September 11th,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20restaurants are closing every day but as the months go on,
0:04:20 > 0:04:25people will start to come out again and the opportunities,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28because people will get fed up with the whole comfort food.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31That's what everybody's doing right now.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Not so creative, simpler food.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37In times of crisis, people want stuff they can relate to.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39They don't want artistic stuff.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51The most important thing is I can still cook the food I want
0:04:51 > 0:04:57so when it does come time, touch wood, to have that set up,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00whether it be in six months or a year,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03people know who you are still. They haven't forgotten about you.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06You build a clientele of the people who are going to come in
0:05:06 > 0:05:08and eat the food.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I don't know why a place like that
0:05:18 > 0:05:20would hire someone like Paul Liebrandt
0:05:20 > 0:05:22but there he was, totally out of context.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Smash the crumble all over the top there like that.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- What are you doing?- Sorry, I'm sorry.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32This is actually the blood from the duck.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35A damn good flavour.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I'm touched, I'm touched. Thank you.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Thank you.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51It's the Relais & Chateaux Guide.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55The most prestigious guide in the world.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59I could be in the guide like that, what do you think? Like that.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07One day. Jean-Georges.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Definitely not for me.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15He's doing something with food
0:06:15 > 0:06:18that you really didn't see get done before.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22There's a few chefs, I know of a few others around the planet
0:06:22 > 0:06:23who are kind of on the same...
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Deconstructive, like Duchamp did to art,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30what happened to music with atonality and serial music.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34It went from these octaves to 12 tones -
0:06:34 > 0:06:38well, that didn't happen in food at all.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Paul's kind of doing something that's on the edge.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44You're one of these guys that's taking what had been this traditional
0:06:44 > 0:06:48dogmatic, recipe driven stuff and reconstructing it.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Taking it apart and putting it back together again.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53This is new for food. Where did you get this idea?
0:06:53 > 0:06:57- Where did this come from?- The guys I trained with back in Europe.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Talk about that because your resume's impressive as hell.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I worked with some very good people back in Europe
0:07:03 > 0:07:07like three-star Michelin restaurants, but very traditional.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Very classical, obviously a very high standard
0:07:10 > 0:07:12but the same, the same.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Most places were doing the same stuff.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I worked with a gentleman called Pierre Gagnaire in Paris
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and this was the guy that really broke the mould for me
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and got me thinking on a different way.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30What I try to do is you have your base,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32your traditional dish, or whatever.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Your flavour combinations that you know work and twist them.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Tweak them. Take something out,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40put something that you wouldn't normally associate in.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Doesn't taste so bad, does it?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47So what made you think of clam and pig cheek?
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Well, something like pig cheeks, brazed piece of meat,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54obviously as you can see, I wanted something very astringent
0:07:54 > 0:07:58to go with it to cut that brazed heaviness of it.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06I used to do pig cheek and caviar which was really, really nice.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Caviar's a bit expensive and we're on a budget here so I thought,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13what can I use which has got a nice astringent flavour? Clams.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15They're pretty cheap.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22This is the pumpkin curry sauce.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25It's very simple.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28It's very, very simple, simple, simple.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33When you have flavour combinations that are not your everyday idea
0:08:33 > 0:08:38of how you perceive it should be, that throws people off.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42This is a jelly of pink grapefruit.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Over the top. Thank you very much.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02My place is here in the kitchen with the guys.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05You'd be surprised how many big chefs
0:09:05 > 0:09:08are never in their kitchen, ever.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11They come in, they whatever and that's it.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Believe me, I know, I've worked for a few.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17They don't actually... Not even in there, let alone cook.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19They're just not here, you know?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28At Papillon, I gave him two stars which is really
0:09:28 > 0:09:31the upper limit that a dump like that can hope for.
0:09:31 > 0:09:37There's some inspired cooking going on there, just strange stuff.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Paul knew, coming on here, that he was probably going
0:10:04 > 0:10:07to go to two stars without a doubt, because of the room.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09For us to get to stars was absolutely amazing
0:10:09 > 0:10:12when you look at the reviews that Grimes has given out
0:10:12 > 0:10:14since that, like the Ritz-Carlton has gotten two stars.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18How long? Hey, Joel!
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Garniture, s'il vous plait.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Come on, Lee, where are you? Let's go.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28'I was born in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32'I was raised in London, England. I didn't really have a family life.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33'I have no brothers or sisters,'
0:10:33 > 0:10:36no other family living in England.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40It was very lonely childhood, that's the truth. Very lonely.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43My mum and dad divorced when I was very young,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45I went to boarding school from seven, where the food can best
0:10:45 > 0:10:48be described as, if you could imagine yourself
0:10:48 > 0:10:50in Siberia in a Gulag.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52It's when they still had the cane.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- Come on, Chris, put some effort into it, please.- It's a small ladle.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58"Oh, it's a small ladle." Blame the ladle, Chris, that's it.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00A good carpenter does what?
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Blames everyone else but himself.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'There was no food culture for me. I had no food culture
0:11:07 > 0:11:11'in my family, no-one's ever cooked professionally for living.'
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I didn't grow up podding peas at my mother's feet, no. Not at all.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18This, we're braising the fish in oil.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23It's wrapped very tightly, and it's what the French call sous-vide.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27It's like, absolutely... There's no oil touching the fish,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30but this is 51 degrees centigrade right now.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35You can feel, it's absolutely soft as hell.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39And if we just let it sit, and we cook them very, very slowly,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42braise them, and the idea is that it keeps it one texture
0:11:42 > 0:11:44throughout the whole fish, it doesn't dry out.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46And you put your fork into it and it just melts.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47Absolutely tender.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Unwrap the fish, please.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55'My father wanted me to go into the military, but I like to cook.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56'What can I say?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'Some people just have a natural affinity with something,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02'they enjoy something more than other things, you know?
0:12:02 > 0:12:06'I never wanted a regular nine-to-five kind of, you know, sit in an office,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09'or work a record store, or some shit like that.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11'I never wanted that.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13'I like the buzz, I like the excitement of the kitchen.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16'And I worked at L'Escargot restaurant in London,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18'and I looked at the food, and I'm like,'
0:12:18 > 0:12:20"That's what I want to do."
0:12:20 > 0:12:22I remember buying Marco Pierre White's White Heat
0:12:22 > 0:12:25when I was still at school, and looking at the food,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and the beauty of those plates and the pictures that were captured
0:12:28 > 0:12:30which still holds up today, it's just like,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33"That is what I want to be."
0:12:34 > 0:12:37'I guess you could have said, when it comes to cooking,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41'I went into the culinary equivalent of the Special Forces.'
0:12:41 > 0:12:43With the poularde, Tom.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46'Kitchens are run military precision,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48'and to get the standards it's the only way to do it.'
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Make sure when you come down, you come down on it dead straight.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Make sure this is evenly dispersed, yeah?
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Dip it in, just glaze it, and cut that in half. OK?
0:13:00 > 0:13:01Right.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06And Friday night is not a good night. Not a good night at all.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08It's going to be very busy,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11you're not going to see the true stuff, and it's more...
0:13:11 > 0:13:14People order the more safe things.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16So... Exactly.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19You want to be here in the week when the foodies come in, and we get
0:13:19 > 0:13:23to play around with some good stuff, you'll see what the real stuff is.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26That's nice. Avid fans, calling me up.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30She's like, "Phenomenal. Are you single?"
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I'm like, "Sorry, I'm married to my kitchen."
0:13:50 > 0:13:5215 people.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55That's pretty bad.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57But it is Tuesday, so...
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Well, I came in at an unfortunate time, economically.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12We got rave reviews for the food, but unfortunately it's become
0:14:12 > 0:14:13so hard in summer,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16and not economically viable to keep doing what we're doing.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18We decided to run this as a neighbourhood-friendly
0:14:18 > 0:14:21restaurant, whereby anyone walking in the street can now
0:14:21 > 0:14:24look at the menu, sit down and see something they can have.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'Not everybody's going to go out and spend 48,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'or usually about 70 a head on food every day of the week.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33'And, at the same time,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35'we didn't have a bar menu that was capable of suiting the bar people.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38'If they wanted a plate of fries, we couldn't give it them,'
0:14:38 > 0:14:40cos the chefs weren't into cooking fries, they were
0:14:40 > 0:14:42doing such high-end, high-quality food.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Understandable, in my opinion, hence the executive decision.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57As hamburgers go, that's a pretty fucking good hamburger.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's quarter past seven.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05I'm going to do a French fry tasting forum.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07We're going to line up seven different types of French fry,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09with different salts and peppers,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and they can decide which one they like the best.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Touche.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15The French fry tasting.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- Do you think a lot of people appreciate gastronomic food?- No.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Not really. You need the style of restaurant for it, you know?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30And, you know, this restaurant
0:15:30 > 0:15:32for what they want to do right now,
0:15:32 > 0:15:39it suits it, but for me, obviously, it's tough, you know?
0:15:39 > 0:15:40With all the hard work I've put in here,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43to see it all just being thrown away.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Still, it's not my restaurant, you know?
0:15:47 > 0:15:50It's not my decision, so I accept it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57And now we enter the land of the French fry.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13I never get lucky, ever.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15That's my problem. I'm too nice.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19I'm a nice guy. I get to the friend zone, and not the end zone.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23We don't get everything in life.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26'In this business, it's very hard to have a relationship.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27'It's very hard to meet people,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30'because it does take up a lot of hours.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31'I'm on my own here.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'No family, not really any friends, because I work so much.'
0:16:38 > 0:16:41I think, for me socially, it's difficult to kind of...
0:16:41 > 0:16:42Not talking,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47but sort of that initial talking to someone that you like,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51or whatever, you think may be possible girlfriend material, whatever.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54You're talking, but then once you get that initial sort of
0:16:54 > 0:16:58"What's your name? Where do you live?" That kind of thing, you kind of like...
0:17:02 > 0:17:05It's not that I'm a boring person, or anything, it's just that maybe...
0:17:05 > 0:17:06I don't know.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11I get shy, or I'm sort of like, "Errr..."
0:17:11 > 0:17:12Errr...
0:17:29 > 0:17:32So, best of luck, Paul.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Merci. Thank you very much.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37THEY LAUGH
0:17:40 > 0:17:41'It's my last night at Papillon.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'Time to move on to bigger and better things.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47'Now it's time to get back into serious cooking
0:17:47 > 0:17:48'at a real restaurant,'
0:17:48 > 0:17:51cos you can't stay doing this sort of thing for ever.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53You know?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56It's making your brain go to jelly, it really is.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01It was what we expected, really. We didn't expect him to stay here.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03There's not much he can show us doing, you know,
0:18:03 > 0:18:04burger and chips and things.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12This is exciting, isn't it?
0:18:12 > 0:18:15What I like to think of myself as is a culinary mercenary,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17on hire to the highest bidder.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25And there's no cabs.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05And also bueno, yeah?
0:19:05 > 0:19:08You need to loosen it, it's too thick, OK?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12- What the fuck is in this? - Pralines, lemons, peppers.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14A little more lemon juice. More lemon juice.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17- A little drop of soya in there, yeah?- Right.- Yeah?
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Since Papillon, life has been...
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Up and down, difficult, you know?
0:19:25 > 0:19:26New York City, as we know,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30has been going through a very unique time in its history,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34our post-9/11 economy etc.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I opened up my own business for consulting.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Other things as well.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42I was consulting for a marshmallow company,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44doing gourmet marshmallows, which was fun, actually.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46So a lot of stuff like that.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47But it does...
0:19:48 > 0:19:50That's not what I want to do.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'I've been looking for the right thing.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56'I've been looking for the right position, and I've had
0:19:56 > 0:20:00'many offers, but this felt like the best one for me,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03'for what I need, so.'
0:20:03 > 0:20:07That's what I'm doing now, in December of '05,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11is getting back on track to what I wanted to do.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14And I hope, I really hope that I can.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I've been brought on board here to be the chef director
0:20:20 > 0:20:22of this restaurant, called Gilt,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24it's the old Le Cirque 2000 space,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27which was a very famous restaurant in the New York Palace Hotel.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29It's a challenge, I'll say that,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32dealing with hotel people and non-restaurateurs.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36It's a whole 'nother can of worms I've never opened up before
0:20:36 > 0:20:38but we're opening up now.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41So OK, lunch menu, let's give them one madeleine,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44one of these guys, porcini marshmallow,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48we'll give them a little oyster, one oyster, with a lemon foam.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51A whole block of cream cheese.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55I'm sorry, I think it tastes like cream cheese.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57I'm not knocking it, I'm just saying for me,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01- it tastes like Philadelphia. - It's not there yet.- I know it's not.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08This is a great opportunity, a great stage.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11My guys are pulling 18 hours a day, I'm pulling 20 hours a day,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15we're doing about seven days a week for the past month and a half.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I'm going to make sure we get it this time round.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Is the butter ready?
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Is the salt on the butter?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31- Butter is coming. - OK, let's get everybody on the line.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33First tables are in.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36How are we doing this evening?
0:21:36 > 0:21:40'When I come up with the idea it's not solely the cooking of the food,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42'plop it on the plate, it tastes really good -
0:21:42 > 0:21:46'the taste comes to do with the cerebral part of it,
0:21:46 > 0:21:51'I'm thinking of, what story am I telling here?
0:21:51 > 0:21:53'What emotion am I trying to stimulate?
0:21:54 > 0:21:59'I try to bring out the emotions of wonderment and discovery,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03'it's not just a beautifully cooked piece of fish.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'Lots of people can cook a nice piece of fish -
0:22:06 > 0:22:08'what else am I doing with this?
0:22:08 > 0:22:12'And I don't mean obscuring it where you don't know it's a piece of fish,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14'but the emotion with the side dish over here,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18'and the texture of something that we put on the plate here,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20'and maybe the shades of the colours on the plate,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23'whatever it is, the whole package,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26'it's the whole sensory experience of eating the food.'
0:22:26 > 0:22:29This is the uni. Take that.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33And then walk away with this. OK, ready?
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Is this all going together?
0:22:38 > 0:22:41In my opinion, Gilt was light years from where he had been before.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45It was more, um,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49more based in traditional technique,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53in traditional flavours, but still with wonderful surprises
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and new flavour compositions, and the execution became even better.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01It was a cuisine now that was really expressing a personality,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05not so much - I don't want to say a rebellion,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10but it was expressing his personality and his mature points of view.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22The portions are a little larger than we would normally do,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24but that's because it's for our beloved GM.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29They said to me this was my restaurant, I can do what I want.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Since me coming here, everything has been, "We want it like this",
0:23:33 > 0:23:37and it's walking around feeling like your balls are on a chopping block,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42you never know when they're going to come and say, "That tasting menu thing, we don't want it."
0:23:42 > 0:23:45And "We want this" - that's basically what it is.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49So you either say yes and you do it or you leave.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54And there really isn't any other serious options
0:23:54 > 0:23:57on the table right now.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I've waited so long for something like this,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01just to have it turn out like this,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05I've got to figure that there's, you know...
0:24:05 > 0:24:09There's someone up there, having a laugh, basically.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Playing a joke. I mean, it's just...
0:24:13 > 0:24:17There are people who want to invest in shares, want them to open restaurants,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21who are not necessarily in the restaurant business.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25It's difficult to have somebody be your partner
0:24:25 > 0:24:27who doesn't understand the industry.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29You're building a craft -
0:24:29 > 0:24:32you're building a business, but it's also a brand and a craft
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and an art that's being worked on,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39if I'd had an investor that looked at the bottom line all the time,
0:24:39 > 0:24:45the Fat Duck would have lasted... it would have lasted a year.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48He'd have either be the pulled the plug or what would have happened is,
0:24:48 > 0:24:54"You can't serve that, people aren't eating that, how many of those have we sold this month?
0:24:54 > 0:24:58"You can't buy that, what's the point of that? Ridiculous. Too many staff."
0:24:58 > 0:25:01"But I need this bloke!" "I don't care, too many staff."
0:25:01 > 0:25:04It would have absolutely strangled the restaurant.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18The Times has a four star system which is really a little bit
0:25:18 > 0:25:20more than four stars because there is zero stars,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24and there are actually gradations of zero stars. To start down there,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27you can give a restaurant no stars,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31with the one-word descriptor "poor", "fair" or "satisfactory".
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Then one star has always been defined as "good",
0:25:34 > 0:25:36two stars "very good",
0:25:36 > 0:25:39three stars "excellent", and four stars "extraordinary".
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- Melon.- Melon sous-vide and then olive consomme.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Green olive?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Mm. Nice.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01'It was at that time probably the most ambitious restaurant in the city.'
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Four stars would have been a home run.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I think three stars would have been the least they expected.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14For me, the difference between three and four stars or between two and three stars for that matter
0:26:14 > 0:26:16is the measure of enthusiasm you feel for the restaurant,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19the intensity of the joy of being there,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23and how much you'd like to come back. All refracted through price.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25I mean, if I was having the time of my life at a restaurant
0:26:25 > 0:26:30and it was costing me 5,000 just for me, I'd probably have to be
0:26:30 > 0:26:35experiencing sexual ecstasy at the same time for 45 minutes on end
0:26:35 > 0:26:38for me to understand why I was paying 5,000 for that.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43But within the bounds of reasonable, understandable prices,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46you're really just rating
0:26:46 > 0:26:49the scope of the accomplishment of the restaurant
0:26:49 > 0:26:51and the intensity of the pleasure you feel.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03There were dishes in which it seemed that the number of
0:27:03 > 0:27:07layers, for lack of a better word, the number of ingredients,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11was always a little bit too high, was always a bit tilted
0:27:11 > 0:27:14in the direction of, "Let me show you just how much I can pull off,
0:27:14 > 0:27:20"let me show you just how much I can fold, origami-like, into this dish."
0:27:20 > 0:27:23You know, there's steak houses, there's bistros
0:27:23 > 0:27:26that get two stars, for doing nothing, for slinging hash.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Grimes was completely different to Bruni.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Grimes liked this, he liked the elegance,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42he liked that French style, he liked
0:27:42 > 0:27:46the formality of getting dressed to go to dinner and have an experience.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Bruni - you read in his reviews, he likes neighbourhood,
0:27:50 > 0:27:55smaller, um, very down-scale,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58nothing too formal, that's what he likes.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02OK. Chicken.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That big enough? There you go.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Can we talk in about half-an-hour, please?
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Thanks very much. Bye-bye.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44- Sorry about that. - Who was that?
0:28:44 > 0:28:46That's for a photo-shoot for BizBash.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49They're doing an article about something or other.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Look, this is the dichotomy of my life.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Vogue magazine does three-page spreads on me
0:28:57 > 0:29:00and all the rest of it, and yet I am unemployed.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04I'm still pretty young, but still, you know, at this age,
0:29:04 > 0:29:09I should be a little more stable right now.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26All right, let's just do the first one, the tonic elderflower pearl.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Or amoeba. Or however you like to call it.
0:29:30 > 0:29:36This is a process called spherification, which is in the presence of sodium and calcium ions,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40when they combine, you form a skin so you can encapsulate liquid.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45Using this technique, you get a pearl of encapsulated vodka tonic.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46Oh my God.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- Mm.- That's so cool.- Is that good?
0:29:52 > 0:29:54It's like doing a shot, but it's so refreshing,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58it's not just sit down and have a drink and eat something,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00it's not life-changing
0:30:00 > 0:30:04but it's something which maybe will make you smile or stick in your mind.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Can you pass this along, please?
0:30:08 > 0:30:10'What is inspiring me right now?
0:30:10 > 0:30:13'The thought that I might be able to actually one day
0:30:13 > 0:30:15'get back in a kitchen and cook.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18'That's the inspirational thought that I have right now.'
0:30:18 > 0:30:19The hope and dream
0:30:19 > 0:30:23that my career has not completely gone down the toilet -
0:30:23 > 0:30:26as it seems to sort of every two years, really.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42'We are in Tribeca at a space for my next restaurant.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44'The central space is formerly a restaurant called Montrachet,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47'which is a very well known in New York City.'
0:30:47 > 0:30:50My potential partner is Drew, Nieporent who's the owner of Nobu.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54'We went out, we've had dinner, we've chatted numerous times
0:30:54 > 0:30:57'and slowly but surely we're building the business relationship.'
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Check with me in two months. I'm going to make sure you're here on opening night.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06'My name is Drew Nieporent. I grew up here in New York City'
0:31:06 > 0:31:10and got into the restaurant business because my father
0:31:10 > 0:31:13was an attorney with the state liquor authority in New York City
0:31:13 > 0:31:16and he used to take us out to some of the most glorious restaurants.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19I was caught up in the theatre of food
0:31:19 > 0:31:22and knew it was something I wanted to do from a very early age.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26My whole drive and ambition was one day to open my own restroom.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30So, Montrachet opened with a young chef, David Bouley,
0:31:30 > 0:31:35and seven weeks after we opened we got...three stars.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Between 1990 and 2007, we've opened 26 other restaurants.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43So, Montrachet began the ascension my career.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47We must have gotten three stars. Everything is ranked three stars.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50We must open this after we get three stars.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53'The reason I want to reopen this restaurant,'
0:31:53 > 0:31:55the reason I want to work with Paul Liebrandt,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59comes from the basic instincts that I've had from the beginning,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01which were, if I'm going to distinguish myself,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04if I'm going to do a better job than everybody else,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07then I have to be associated with the best people.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10What got me interested in Paul? Well, over a period of time,
0:32:10 > 0:32:15people that I trust sort of talked to me about Paul. And this last group
0:32:15 > 0:32:21was very...convinced that it may be something we should do.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25So... But it's more up to him than it is to me, I think. What do you think?
0:32:25 > 0:32:29- He's younger. I'm old.- 50-50. We'll call it that.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32'I think he's paid his dues.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37'I think he's probably been humbled and has a greater level of humility,'
0:32:37 > 0:32:40and I'm a great believer in redemption.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42America is a redemptive country.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47We first of all build people up to rip them down to build them up again.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50So, I'm egotistical enough to believe
0:32:50 > 0:32:53that I can put him on the right path of redemption.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59But to confirm that at this absolute moment would again be premature.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11The inspiration of the design is
0:33:11 > 0:33:14sort of the urban house and you're coming into somebody's living room.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18It has a kind of classic French style to it,
0:33:18 > 0:33:23but it's reinterpreted in very clean, modern soft lines
0:33:23 > 0:33:26in a not at all fussy way.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Show me the drawing that you like the most.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31- The one that, if we said we loved that one...- It's the last one, right?
0:33:31 > 0:33:33Show me that one and then say...
0:33:33 > 0:33:36If I heard you say, "Let's go with that one," I would be the happiest.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Well, the one that's most elegant design-wise
0:33:39 > 0:33:43has to be many, many less seats, so you're not going to like it.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47We can do anything if we want to do this as a not-for-profit!
0:33:47 > 0:33:48PAUL LAUGHS
0:33:48 > 0:33:52'This restaurant is different because at least Drew's done restaurants,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56'many restaurants, varying degrees. Fine dining, low dining, whatever,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59'but at least there's a common thread of,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02'"OK, I understand the dynamics of how a restaurant runs,"'
0:34:02 > 0:34:09as opposed to, "I eat in restaurants, I have some money, oh, I think I should go do one."
0:34:27 > 0:34:31'Paul and I met at Gilt and started dating shortly after.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35'When he started this project, he asked if I would be interested in working with him
0:34:35 > 0:34:38'in terms of front of the house.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40'It's been about two years now
0:34:40 > 0:34:43'and we just signed a lease on two years more,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46'so I guess we're stuck with each other.'
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Would you like a cocktail?
0:34:48 > 0:34:51'He's Paul. He's just the way he is.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55'He gets up in the morning, drinks his tea and starts writing menus'
0:34:55 > 0:34:58and shoots ideas at me
0:34:58 > 0:35:02and sometimes I'm paying attention and sometimes I'm not.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04If I don't make 'em, who's going to make 'em?
0:35:04 > 0:35:08I'm going to make sure my girlfriend is happy. Isn't that right, sweetie?
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Mm-hmm.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13This is not really how you would make it in the restaurant,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15this is very sloppy.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18I apologise for my technique, it's not what it should be.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20'She has a phenomenal palate.'
0:35:20 > 0:35:25Really, really, really good palate for food and for wine. You do.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27You do. Trust me.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31- I mean, I like to think I have a pretty decent palate.- Really?
0:35:31 > 0:35:35- What?- Your palate's decent?- You don't think it is?- I think it is.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39You know, the whole age-old thing of working together
0:35:39 > 0:35:42and...you know, we live together,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45but, you know, it's really nice to have that person
0:35:45 > 0:35:48that understand you and believes in you,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51and you have that mutual respect.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I don't think we'd see each other if we lived anywhere else.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57No, we wouldn't. We'd see each other for about 20 minutes.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01And we have a little baby. Come up here, my baby...
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Spencer here has made me want to be a better person. I swear to God.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Look at him. Look how innocent and sweet he is.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Look at him!
0:36:15 > 0:36:17How could anybody not want to be
0:36:17 > 0:36:21a better person with the little one here?
0:36:21 > 0:36:22Yes!
0:36:40 > 0:36:43All right. I'm going to meet you...
0:36:43 > 0:36:47'Well, today was kind of important
0:36:47 > 0:36:50'because, uh...we decided to go public.'
0:36:50 > 0:36:54We're either going to be sitting here in 30 days with a big smile on our face
0:36:54 > 0:36:56saying we're ready to go, or making some excuse.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07- "Message 12.- Hi, I'd like to make a reservation for Saturday."
0:37:07 > 0:37:11For Saturday?! SHE LAUGHS
0:37:11 > 0:37:13I'm sorry - that was awesome.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17So, they're telling me this kitchen will be ready in 10 days.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23I don't think so.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I'm not so sure.
0:37:29 > 0:37:3210 days? I'm not so sure.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42'I'm nervous. And the nerves are good
0:37:42 > 0:37:45'because that shows that, you know,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47'you're taking it seriously.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51'I'm not complacent with any of this, it's nerve-wracking.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53'I see this coming together now
0:37:53 > 0:37:56'and I'm like, "Shit, I got to get a staff together."
0:37:56 > 0:37:59'I know I already have started to get the staff,
0:37:59 > 0:38:00'but, you know, it's still like...
0:38:00 > 0:38:03'I've done it before but every time it's nerve-wracking.'
0:38:03 > 0:38:07I think when people come in for the first time once its lit fully
0:38:07 > 0:38:10are going to be, "Wow."
0:38:10 > 0:38:12That's beautiful. It's very sharp.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20We're at Mai House, one of Drew's restaurants.
0:38:20 > 0:38:26This is our test kitchen right here. This one burner and we have one plug.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29So it's kind of hard for us to do a lot of stuff here.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31But we're getting small stuff done here.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35We're going to go through a lot of little things in the beginning
0:38:35 > 0:38:37until we figure out exactly what we're looking for.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41It's nice.
0:38:46 > 0:38:47Oh!
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Oh, my God!
0:38:50 > 0:38:54OK, we don't do that. Man, that is vile.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00That's fucking garbage. What are you guys thinking?
0:39:00 > 0:39:02'He's got a lot riding on this.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05'So he's very difficult to deal with sometimes.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09'He's very demanding on what he wants, but it's to be expected.'
0:39:09 > 0:39:13- No.- You don't like it?- No.- You want to look at something else?- Yes.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15'We've been working three weeks now
0:39:15 > 0:39:17'and it's a constant adjustment on everything.'
0:39:17 > 0:39:20We don't have a set recipe, and that's it.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24'We look, we learn, we work at it till we get something that we like.'
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Better. Taste it.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Clean broccoli. Yeah? OK?
0:39:32 > 0:39:36It's nice. I would hold back the sesame.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39I've got it on my tongue. Bit too much.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44'I'm happy with them. They're doing a great job. They're picking everything up nicely. They're young,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46'they're energetic, they're hungry to learn and that's great.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50'And now it's just going over the same thing again and again
0:39:50 > 0:39:53'and again and again until they can do it with their eyes closed.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57'That means once we get in here, hopefully at the end of this week, beginning of next week,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01'it's like, OK, make 50 portions of this thing, execute.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05'And they've done it and they know exactly how to do it.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08'So then it's just a question of just bringing it all together
0:40:08 > 0:40:11'and just the aesthetic of plating it and working with that.'
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Keep it kind of tight, OK?
0:40:13 > 0:40:17- Square plate, for sure.- I think so. What do you think? Yeah?
0:40:17 > 0:40:21- Maybe cut these a bit longer like that.- Lines?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Round's fine. It denotes what it is - it's fine.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- Is this the same size we did before? - It was smaller.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30No, I thought the one we made before was a tiny bit bigger than this.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31What are these right now?
0:40:31 > 0:40:35'He likes everything perfect and very neat.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37'He seems very down to Earth so far.'
0:40:37 > 0:40:40We'll see what happens when we get in there!
0:40:40 > 0:40:42These are my notebooks.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46You know, this is a typical notebook here.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50These are lots of scribbled notes as we're in the kitchen
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and then we go and refine them and we put them down.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55We do little diagrams.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59This is just different dishes.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03This is, like, really quick ideas, like shorthand.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07Then I'll do more detailed stuff and then we'll then take those ideas
0:41:07 > 0:41:11and then start to work with them in the kitchen.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16Here's a good example. This is a book that I just got on vegetables.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21Look at the colours on that photo. That's just vegetables.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23For example, I open it right here.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26That's the guy who I worked with in Paris, Pierre Gagnaire.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Look at this dish. Look at the colours. That's beautiful.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32That says summer to me, it's vibrant. If I'm thinking springtime,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36I'm thinking, there you go - vegetables. They colour the plate themselves naturally.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Scallops? Fried scallops?
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Would you fucking calm down, young man?
0:41:55 > 0:41:57I told you I'm going to sort you out. Don't worry.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00We're getting lights in here. I can't do everything right now.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04OK, but this is...nice.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Fucking hell, that looks nice. Look at that.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Look at the colour, Rob.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Rob, look at that, man. That's fucking beautiful.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18It's like Kobe beef.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Look at this - fucking cold, mooshy...
0:42:25 > 0:42:31It's cold, it's mooshy, it's dry, it's not glazed.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35It looks like shit on the fucking plate. Out of my fucking way.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Out of my way. I'll do this myself.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40How can you honestly pass that up to me?
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Rob, I'm...I'm freaking out right now.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It looked so fucking good on Saturday
0:42:48 > 0:42:50and now it looks like dogshit on the fucking plate.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Come here. Both of you. Come the fuck here.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58You send me two fucking pieces out like that again,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00I'll put your both heads through that fucking wall, OK?
0:43:00 > 0:43:03That's embarrassing, that's not the standard that I want.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Especially when we did it nine times on Saturday.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09I am only as good as the weakest person in my kitchen
0:43:09 > 0:43:13and right now...yeah?
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Embarrassing. Do it again.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Now.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20'Paul is very intense.'
0:43:20 > 0:43:24He gets really energised. He may not be mad at you,
0:43:24 > 0:43:30but he's very passionate and there's a lot of force behind it.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33We're pretty used to it. Chefs get mad, they yell, they scream.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37I mean, he doesn't throw stuff, he doesn't hit you, so that's good.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Cos there are chefs who do that.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Come on! Let me see you care.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44Let me see the passion, yeah?
0:43:44 > 0:43:47And, for God's sake, smile!
0:43:47 > 0:43:50You totally get used to being yelled at.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53You look forward to it, actually.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Yeah, this doesn't do it for me.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59'It's hot in the kitchen, it's physical. Mentally taxing.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01'You've got one chance every night to get it right
0:44:01 > 0:44:04'for the customers which are paying and expecting perfection.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06'It's like putting on a stage performance.'
0:44:06 > 0:44:11Underneath, my dear. Underneath, yeah?
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Like this. Always hold it underneath.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16'I think 90% of people
0:44:16 > 0:44:21'that were to actually come and work in a kitchen at this level
0:44:21 > 0:44:24'would be horrified at how much work it is
0:44:24 > 0:44:26'and how many little minute details there are
0:44:26 > 0:44:31'just to get ready to open the door every single night.'
0:44:31 > 0:44:33It's done. 63.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- Don't you want an hour?- No!
0:44:37 > 0:44:41'You don't open the door and you've just got a wealth of super-talented
0:44:41 > 0:44:45'super-dedicated people that will just kill themselves for you.
0:44:45 > 0:44:46'You don't find that.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49'When we work in the kitchen, we're working 18 hours a day.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52'Six/seven days a week. And it's a huge sacrifice.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54'These guys aren't making a lot of money.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57'So you've got to be really dedicated, you've got to be really...
0:44:57 > 0:45:00'give up whatever else you're doing and dedicate yourself
0:45:00 > 0:45:03'to working here for two years, three years, whatever it is,
0:45:03 > 0:45:05'and just really commit yourself.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07'It's very hard to find people that will do that.
0:45:07 > 0:45:08'Very hard.'
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Gentle. Don't fucking freak out or get nervous.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15You know how to do this. You know how to do it, OK. Lovely.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19'You don't have time to do anything else besides work.'
0:45:19 > 0:45:22You can't call your bank, you can't get mail.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25I mean, my work-life's going really, really well,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28but the rest of my life isn't doing so well.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32So, it's sort of a toss-up. But I'm coping with it.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33Where's my egg?
0:45:33 > 0:45:36Egg, Johnny. Can we finish this, please?
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Egg, Johnny. Egg, egg, egg, egg, egg, egg, egg,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41egg, egg, egg, egg, egg, egg, egg, egg, egg.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44Should I take these two?
0:45:44 > 0:45:48So, just to confirm, we're doing a beef, sweetbreads,
0:45:48 > 0:45:52- bass...- Carpaccio scallop. - Carpaccio scallop, OK.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Arnie, that is fucking retardedly good.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Can you grab my camera, please? That's beautiful, Arnie.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03It's so freakin' simple, but it's so Zen.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Have any of you guys got a really small spoon?
0:46:06 > 0:46:09The whole thing looks green.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13Everybody's face looks green and when you put a rare piece of beef
0:46:13 > 0:46:17or a medium piece of beef, people are going to look at it, they're not going to really know.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19They want to see clearly.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23It should be a nice subtle light that actually accentuates the food.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27Now you've got grates over the top of the goddamn food.
0:46:28 > 0:46:33This looks like fucking goddamn Bouducon where you don't need to see the food, yeah?
0:46:33 > 0:46:35It's a nightclub. Look at this.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40If I sit back, I've got a shadow here as well. No good.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44- I'm not difficult. - Oh, my God! So difficult.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Fuck off. I'm not difficult. I'm not difficult!
0:46:47 > 0:46:50- I'm passionate and I know what I want in life.- Difficult!
0:46:50 > 0:46:52I only want the best. I'm easy-going.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- I want the best of everything, that's all.- OK, come on, let's go.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07That's old-school. He's the only guy that does it by hand
0:47:07 > 0:47:10with real gold leaf like that, apparently.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12This looks really good in here. I've got to say.
0:47:12 > 0:47:16It looks three stars to me. We'll see. I'd like to get three stars.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18It'll be, like, a little coup de grace for me
0:47:18 > 0:47:22that, Gilt, we didn't get it, with all that money and stuff,
0:47:22 > 0:47:24and then with this hopefully we do get it,
0:47:24 > 0:47:26based on the food and the service.
0:47:26 > 0:47:31I'm trying to keep it very minimalist, very Zen, very... You know?
0:47:31 > 0:47:33Uncomplicated, recognisable,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36you can see everything that's on the plate and understand it.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Uni creme, radish, Marcona almond...
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Violet Hill egg confit...
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Huckleberry black olive, fondant potato...
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Squab, chestnut cream...
0:47:48 > 0:47:50I think the menu's too foodie.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56Ie, you have to be a foodie to pick something on this menu.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02OK, how can I make it not quite as foodie?
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Everybody slides it on the plate, rustic...
0:48:27 > 0:48:29I wonder what Frank Bruni will make of it.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31This will go over his head again.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38I just... You know, he likes spaghetti and meatballs
0:48:38 > 0:48:41and I'm just not that kind of a chef. Never have been, never will be.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44Doesn't mean it's bad. It's just I'm not that kind of a guy.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47What are you going to do?
0:48:49 > 0:48:53That's the practice? That's beautiful, Arnie.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56That's beautiful. But how long did it take you to plate that?
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Do another one right now.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07- A little more random.- Yeah.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09The fish is there.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12I think it needs to come down a little more.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18These should all be facing the same direction.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20He's into everything going...
0:49:29 > 0:49:31Now we've got to move that cucumber out of there.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39Hey, that's nice. That's nice, yeah?
0:49:39 > 0:49:40That's nice.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43It's on its way.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47The dishes they're doing this evening are the scallop dish.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49These are diver scallops from Maine,
0:49:49 > 0:49:51which are very gently cooked a la plancha.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56They have these baby little winter radishes with them
0:49:56 > 0:49:58which are raw and crunchy.
0:49:58 > 0:50:05- What are we eating?- This is a gougere with Mornay sauce and green olive genoise.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Fantastic. Thank you.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Wow.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23Hey, young man. Those aren't fucking cooked, yeah?
0:50:23 > 0:50:27- Hey. Are you OK today?- Uh, yeah. - What's the matter?
0:50:30 > 0:50:33Why? What were you doing last night?
0:50:35 > 0:50:38You look like shit today. If I'm honest.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42Ladies come and go, yeah? But the career is constant.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Get yourself a good, steady girlfriend again.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47Set your head right, yeah?
0:50:47 > 0:50:51Stop playing the field, yeah? It's a mug's game.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55You're going to go home every night empty-handed.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01I felt it today. It was not fun.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05Well, I'm sick, A, and I'm exhausted, B,
0:51:05 > 0:51:08but all in all it could be worse.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Be disciplined with yourself every day.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15For you, not for me, but for you.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Every service for yourself - "I want to be better.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21"I want to be quicker, I want to be more precise.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23"I want taste, taste, taste. More."
0:51:23 > 0:51:27And then you don't even try anymore. It just becomes that way.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31And that's when you start to become really good at what you do, yeah?
0:51:36 > 0:51:38The sooner the reviews are in,
0:51:38 > 0:51:40they're over with, then we can actually settle down and cook.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Let's just do what we do - we are who we are.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47We're cooking great food and we're going to get three stars here, OK?
0:51:47 > 0:51:51You'd better believe that. OK?
0:51:51 > 0:51:54All right. Go home.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49'There's a hell of a lot of history here, which is good,
0:52:49 > 0:52:54'but we're going to make some of our own. OK?
0:52:54 > 0:52:57'Openings, as you all know, are the most important time of any restaurant.'
0:52:57 > 0:53:00Now it's up to everybody here to really come in
0:53:00 > 0:53:03and focus as a team every day
0:53:03 > 0:53:07and push ourselves to really do something here
0:53:07 > 0:53:10which can really take on the big boys, yeah?
0:53:10 > 0:53:12So, let's see it.
0:53:13 > 0:53:18Hey, guys. Take one deep breath because this will be the last gasp of air you have
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- for the next three weeks. - Three weeks?
0:53:21 > 0:53:23Can I get that in writing!?
0:53:23 > 0:53:26'Tonight, we're opening to the public. And guess what?
0:53:26 > 0:53:31'It doesn't matter what we think, it matters what they think.'
0:53:31 > 0:53:33All right, everybody, come on. Liebrandt!
0:53:33 > 0:53:38'You either have to click, it has to become instantaneously a favourite,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'otherwise you're going to be lost in the shuffle.'
0:53:55 > 0:53:59- Can you not lean against the Giraudon, please?- I apologise.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Like you're holding yourself up. Very unelegant.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04Hands behind the back, alert. OK? Thank you.
0:54:06 > 0:54:11Rob, can you give me that beef first, then give me a sweetbreads?
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Hands behind backs.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41- Wow.- Thank you very much. - We wish you good luck.- Cheers.
0:54:41 > 0:54:46- Thank you very much for coming in. - Good luck.- I really appreciate it. Thank you.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49Not bad for opening night, right? Nothing came back.
0:54:49 > 0:54:55Nobody got yelled at tonight. That's good.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57I think it'll be good.
0:55:09 > 0:55:10PHONE RINGS
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Corton. Can I help you?
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Corton?
0:55:14 > 0:55:16How many were in the party tonight?
0:55:16 > 0:55:22- I could you on the wait list? - "Yes, please."- Don't take it unless you're gonna be here at 5:30.
0:55:22 > 0:55:23Eat first and then go to the movies.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26- He wants to keep taking... - For tomorrow?!
0:55:26 > 0:55:30- Yes. I think you should say something.- Sure.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33I'll tell you what, we're gonna take 'em, OK?
0:55:33 > 0:55:38Definitely spirits are high and the food and everything is coming out a lot better.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40You see everybody smiling a little more.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42We all went out that night and celebrated.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44- It was nice. - HE LAUGHS
0:55:44 > 0:55:46OK. Gorgeous. Gorgeous!
0:55:46 > 0:55:49I have never, ever, ever had a restaurant,
0:55:49 > 0:55:52except maybe...maybe Nobu,
0:55:52 > 0:55:58that has uniformly gotten this much critical acclaim all at once.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00But what's missing? The New York Times.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04The paper of record, which reaches the most vast audience
0:56:04 > 0:56:06and the most important audience.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10Whether we appreciate that or not, that's in fact the case.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13We're excited, now we're just ready for Bruni.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15Let me grab the phone.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23This is where Cagnaire sat, right here.
0:56:23 > 0:56:2727. Him and his wife. It's like this.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32I watched him right there. He's like this.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34- HE LAUGHS - Like this.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36It was awesome!
0:56:36 > 0:56:38He ran back to the kitchen twice to go say hello
0:56:38 > 0:56:45- and then, at the end of the meal, I came out and he's like... - HE GASPS
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Comes out, grabs a seat. "Sit! Sit! Sit!"
0:56:47 > 0:56:50I sat down and we chatted for an hour.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54And, you know, he didn't remember that I had worked for him.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56HE LAUGHS
0:56:56 > 0:57:00You know, he recognised the face but he didn't...
0:57:00 > 0:57:05He was a little... He was like... I'm like, "You changed my life."
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Those words. "You changed my life.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11"Because of you, because of the mentality and what you showed me."
0:57:11 > 0:57:14It was just like, "Thank you."
0:57:14 > 0:57:16So it was good.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42Thank you.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50He never, ever uses the same name twice,
0:57:50 > 0:57:52but, for instance, if it's Steven Allen,
0:57:52 > 0:57:55you might get a reservation Allen Steven.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57So he does flip it once in a while.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00The phone numbers tend to be wrong numbers a lot.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03So even that's a little bit of a flag.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06Good evening. Corton. Can you hold one moment, please?
0:58:06 > 0:58:09We have one suspicious reservation, Timothy Berr.
0:58:09 > 0:58:15Tim Berr. You know, Drew pointed it out. I didn't notice.
0:58:15 > 0:58:21- SHE LAUGHS - Drew's a little more... Bruni aware than I am.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24Look, here's the reason why it's better to know when they come,
0:58:24 > 0:58:26although in most cases it'll be a surprise.
0:58:26 > 0:58:32What you don't wanna do is one day wake up, pick up the New York Times and read your obituary.
0:58:32 > 0:58:36- Now, listen. McWhirter. Did McWhirter call you again today?- No.
0:58:36 > 0:58:38OK. That's... Where did it go?
0:58:38 > 0:58:40That's the one to keep an eye on, you know?
0:58:40 > 0:58:43- OK, where's McWhirter? - Right there.- OK.
0:58:43 > 0:58:46- Can we phone where it doesn't show our phone number?- Yes.
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Dial that number.
0:58:49 > 0:58:51DIAL TONE
0:58:55 > 0:58:57- BEEP "I'm sorry... - It's him.
0:58:57 > 0:58:59"..the number you have reached,
0:58:59 > 0:59:01area code, 212..."
0:59:01 > 0:59:06- OK, this guy is very clever. Very clever.- That's him.
0:59:06 > 0:59:10Well, we don't know, but... let's hope.
0:59:16 > 0:59:20Finally the reservation was made two days before...
0:59:20 > 0:59:22and, er...
0:59:22 > 0:59:26Yeah, when he came in we were made aware of it very quickly!
0:59:26 > 0:59:29- SHE LAUGHS - Yeah, it was a surprise.
0:59:29 > 0:59:31He didn't get up and clap his hands,
0:59:31 > 0:59:35but some sign of enjoyment would have been good.
0:59:35 > 0:59:38He's a difficult person to read. He's very insular.
0:59:38 > 0:59:42He doesn't say please or thank you, he won't look you in the eye.
0:59:42 > 0:59:44He's very dismissive.
0:59:44 > 0:59:47Here's the thing that concerns me more than anything.
0:59:47 > 0:59:53It's not the type of dining experience that he seeks or likes.
0:59:53 > 0:59:56He came in last week, the day before Thanksgiving.
0:59:56 > 1:00:00Thinks that the chef won't be here, thinks maybe he's taken the night off.
1:00:00 > 1:00:03- Or whatever. - Doesn't know that I'm British.
1:00:03 > 1:00:08He planted a towel on the floor of the bathroom to see if we check our bathrooms.
1:00:08 > 1:00:10So he'll drop it at the beginning of the meal
1:00:10 > 1:00:14and at the end of the meal he'll go back and see if it's been done.
1:00:14 > 1:00:17So we got that.
1:00:17 > 1:00:21We picked it up. But then he left a paperclip
1:00:21 > 1:00:27on the actual sink, which is really tricky,
1:00:27 > 1:00:29and we got that too.
1:00:29 > 1:00:30Just like, "What is he doing?!"
1:00:30 > 1:00:34It was like, "I think he's checking for gum!"
1:00:34 > 1:00:38"You sure?" I'm like, "Look at them, they're both underneath the skirt."
1:00:38 > 1:00:40TAPPING
1:00:41 > 1:00:45Ohh. This is so exhausting. I don't know about you, I find this...
1:00:45 > 1:00:48I'm going to be happy when it's all over with.
1:00:48 > 1:00:53If we get two stars, I'm going to move to Skokie, Illinois, and become a haberdasher.
1:00:53 > 1:00:56That's the second dream.
1:01:03 > 1:01:05What's the other dish he wanted?
1:01:05 > 1:01:11No, it says, "One of two dishes, of which is the risotto,
1:01:11 > 1:01:15"and the other dish for which I'd like a detailed description is the caramel brioche."
1:01:15 > 1:01:19There's 13 food questions here, which is a lot.
1:01:19 > 1:01:20That's a lot.
1:01:20 > 1:01:22- He loves it. - No.
1:01:22 > 1:01:26He does! You didn't see him in the dinning room.
1:01:26 > 1:01:28He was having such a great time.
1:01:28 > 1:01:31I've never seen... The only time I've seen that excitement
1:01:31 > 1:01:34was when I waited on him at Eleven Madison Park,
1:01:34 > 1:01:38where he was as effusive as he was on the second time he came.
1:01:38 > 1:01:41Stop kidding yourself.
1:01:41 > 1:01:46- Stopping being Mr Dark Man. - Stop kidding yourself.
1:01:46 > 1:01:48SHE MIMICS HIM
1:01:48 > 1:01:52He's telling himself he's getting two stars, why?
1:01:52 > 1:01:55I know why, you know why.
1:01:55 > 1:01:58He may not know why, but it's just to guard against the disappointment
1:01:58 > 1:02:03when he sees the paper and it is a two-star review.
1:02:09 > 1:02:11We're nearly there, which is great.
1:02:11 > 1:02:14It's really good.
1:02:15 > 1:02:18Oops!
1:02:18 > 1:02:21We're waiting for the big bad review.
1:02:21 > 1:02:24Big good review, hopefully.
1:02:24 > 1:02:27I'm going to go now. There might not be a later.
1:02:27 > 1:02:30Anxieties and sensitivities are a little high
1:02:30 > 1:02:34and this article, basically, determines our future, in a sense.
1:02:37 > 1:02:40The review is out!
1:02:40 > 1:02:44I haven't read it, there are no stars attached to it,
1:02:44 > 1:02:46so we're all reading it for the first time.
1:02:46 > 1:02:51Here's the headline. "Imagination, say hello to discipline."
1:02:51 > 1:02:56"About a third of the way into a recent meal at the refined, quietly elegant
1:02:56 > 1:02:59"new Tribeca restaurant Corton,
1:02:59 > 1:03:03"something wholly surprising and altogether wonderful happened,
1:03:03 > 1:03:05"I forgot about my food."
1:03:05 > 1:03:10"I don't exactly mean forgot, I was aware of what I was eating,
1:03:10 > 1:03:17"juicy, sweet scallops with a sea urchin cream that showed a different side of the sea,
1:03:17 > 1:03:23"the richest, most tender, most flavourful fillet I've had in recent memory.
1:03:23 > 1:03:25"But to appreciate these dishes fully,
1:03:25 > 1:03:29"I didn't need to conduct a mental inventory of the disparate ingredients,
1:03:29 > 1:03:32"I could just let them wash over me.
1:03:32 > 1:03:37"And that surprised me because they were the work of Paul Liebrandt!"
1:03:37 > 1:03:38THEY LAUGH
1:03:38 > 1:03:40You know what? This is as good as it gets.
1:03:40 > 1:03:42APPLAUSE
1:03:42 > 1:03:43LAUGHTER
1:03:46 > 1:03:48Your turn to address the crowd here.
1:03:48 > 1:03:50Well...
1:03:53 > 1:03:56THEY LAUGH
1:03:56 > 1:04:01We don't know just yet, but if it is indeed what it sounds like,
1:04:01 > 1:04:03very well done to everybody here.
1:04:03 > 1:04:05But...let's see.
1:04:16 > 1:04:17Three stars, definitely.
1:04:23 > 1:04:25Order! Six amuses.
1:04:25 > 1:04:30Two scallop, one garden, one soup, one foie, one scallop.
1:04:30 > 1:04:32Three squab, two lobster and a lamb, away.
1:04:32 > 1:04:34Onion bouche, please.
1:04:48 > 1:04:53CHEERING
1:04:59 > 1:05:01That's so cool.
1:05:02 > 1:05:06I just want to say to everybody, well done. Extremely well done.
1:05:06 > 1:05:09Seriously, a lot of hard work went into this, and it's culminated
1:05:09 > 1:05:13with a great review that we knew we all deserved and worked hard for.
1:05:13 > 1:05:17The work is going to get harder, but that's a good thing.
1:05:17 > 1:05:20We are moving in such a positive direction,
1:05:20 > 1:05:22more than any other restaurant I've been a part of.
1:05:22 > 1:05:25I applaud you all.
1:05:25 > 1:05:26APPLAUSE
1:05:29 > 1:05:31It was my feeling, at Corton -
1:05:31 > 1:05:34and maybe empirically it's not true,
1:05:34 > 1:05:35maybe it's just the way the food
1:05:35 > 1:05:37came across - it was my feeling
1:05:37 > 1:05:39that Paul had taken some steps
1:05:39 > 1:05:42towards simplifying his cuisine.
1:05:42 > 1:05:48'I felt like the food at Corton, while still very fanciful,
1:05:48 > 1:05:52'and extremely sophisticated in the best way,
1:05:52 > 1:05:54'I felt it was directly appealing,'
1:05:54 > 1:05:57in a way that the food at Gilt wasn't.
1:05:57 > 1:06:00Pretty good shot, yeah? I'm in the New York Times, bitches.
1:06:00 > 1:06:02PHONE RINGS
1:06:02 > 1:06:06'Drew, my golly, you must be jumping through the roof!'
1:06:06 > 1:06:09Let me tell you, it's kind of deja vu all over again.
1:06:09 > 1:06:12Now we have been legitimised by everybody in the city,
1:06:12 > 1:06:15I want Michelin stars here next year.
1:06:15 > 1:06:18I want two stars minimum, here. First year.
1:06:18 > 1:06:20There's no reason we can't get it.
1:06:20 > 1:06:22It'll be nice to see him relax
1:06:22 > 1:06:24a little bit more, if that's possible.
1:06:26 > 1:06:28Well, the food's just going to get harder.
1:06:31 > 1:06:33I'm excited. It'll be fun.
1:06:38 > 1:06:40PAUL:
1:06:44 > 1:06:45Yes.
1:06:45 > 1:06:47That was a 3.99998.
1:06:47 > 1:06:51That was a glowing... you were just below the fourth star.
1:06:51 > 1:06:53He said that, he literally said that.
1:06:53 > 1:06:55We're worth more than three stars.
1:06:55 > 1:06:58And our customers know we're worth more than three.
1:06:58 > 1:06:59So, I will not be happy
1:06:59 > 1:07:04until I achieve what I came to this country to achieve.
1:07:24 > 1:07:28Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd