Owner of the current No 1 restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list and three Michelin-star chef Daniel Humm speaks about the role of art in his work
Chef and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Swiss chef Daniel Humm, looks surprisingly relaxed in a T-shirt and navy pants despite it being just a day to go for the exclusive The World Series dinner at The St Regis. We wonder if it's the bliss of tracking down an Iyengar yoga instructor in the city to train him for three days. "We are constantly training our mind, but yoga helps train our body and mind. If I can do it thrice a week despite my schedule, anyone can," he tells us urging us to take it up as well.
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Clams with fennel
As a three Michelin-star chef who helms Eleven Madison Park, the No 1 restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list and a four-star rating by The New York Times, we're sure that yoga plays a key role in his success. Post a hearty veggie lunch of samosa, pani puri, mango lassi and kulfi, dal khichdi and dosa at a popular SoBo eatery, the famed chef chats about the influence of art on his work and his love for his mum's food.
Whole-roasted kabocha squash
How has your trip been so far?
I love how the food varies from region to region. I feel like a kid who doesn't know anything. For me, everything is so new in a beautiful way. I went to Jaipur, Jodhpur and Chandigarh for the architecture. They served me 100 dishes at Umaid Bhavan Palace; I felt like a king! I wanted to get a sense of India and what I have realised is that two weeks is not enough. It will take a lifetime. The people are amazing, even the smallest food stall offered me tea. I am also meeting artist Subodh Gupta next week. I like his work very much.
Cookies and cream
What are you going to take back?
The breads are great, and I love dosa. I am planning to get a tandoor now; it doesn't just need to be Indian food in the tandoor. You could use the tandoor for many applications.
How does art inspire your food?
Most of my friends are artists and art inspires me more than any other profession. I think it is the philosophy of artists and how they push their boundaries that draws my attention. It is that inspiration and philosophy that makes its way on to a plate. It's not so much of a visual thing but how they look at their work, it also changes the way I look at my work.
Cranberries
Is art the reason for your minimalist food?
I believe in quality. I hail from Switzerland where people are quite humble and those with money don't really flaunt it. With food, if you have amazing quality, you don't need to have five different ingredients, you can just have one. You don't need an art gallery at home; you need just one artwork that's so good you don't need another one. I always wanted to cook with very little but it's taken me long to do it because it's so difficult. My goal was also to be the best. And to show that I can be the best with just two things on the plate is very hard. It's easier if there are seven different things. It's the same with writing. To say something in few words is very powerful. It's taken me 20 years to learn what I do. For 20 years all I thought about was how to add things, add courses, techniques, ingredients, everything. And only in the last five years I have been able to take things away.
Who inspired you to cook?
The first person was my mom who is an amazing cook. Her work inspires me to this day. And it's been different chefs at different moments. The chef who inspired me the most is Gérard Rabaey. He held three Michelin stars for many years. I worked for him for five years and that was very important to me.
What are your best memories of eating your mother's food?
One of my favourite things that she cooks is rabbit with oranges, olives and rosemary. My mom's roast chicken became the signature dish at the restaurant. She only made it for Christmas, as we were a middle class family. That recipe has foie gras and truffles and so it was made only once a year. I would wait for that one dish the whole year. Today we serve it every day to hundreds of people. When my mom visited the restaurant, I don't think she liked it [laughs]. She likes a once-a-year special. But she has never judged my cuisine. She just wants me to be happy [smiles].
So what prompted your move to New York?
I really wanted a change. I was young; I wanted to see the world. And at 25, I got this opportunity and I had nothing to lose. I couldn't even speak English.
What does the three-star Michelin rating mean to you?
I grew up in Europe. Michelin was the only thing to achieve, for many years. The dream was so big that you were scared to dream of it; you felt like you will curse it if you even dream about it. I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to achieve it. I am the first chef ever to go from one to three stars. When it happened it felt like a mistake, as it has never happened in the history of Michelin. We were hoping for two. and then we got three! It was crazy.
Has it changed the way you look at food?
It's given us confidence to take more risks. It's given us access to the best products and cooks.
Any chefs on the current scene who inspire you?
I am more into artists. I am not interested in eating at fine dining restaurants. It affects me and the food I present. If you want to be the best, your food has to be recognisable. It's the same with art. If a great artist draws a line, you know it's him because of the way he holds the brush. In the last two years, we have been able to do that. It started when I stopped paying attention to other food. I have so many cookbooks; I don't look at them any more. I have to be inspired by other things for my view to be unique. Music and architecture also play a role.
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