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Wolfgang Puck is a legend in culinary circles. He owns over 30 restaurants, brands like Spago, Chinois and CUT, among others, around the world, has written seven cookbooks, conducts online cooking classes and has won numerous culinary awards. All these have placed Puck in the league of world-class superchefs. But what made him a household name were the countless television and movie appearances, and his cookery show 'Wolfgang Puck' on the Food Network, which garnered him the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show. He is only the second chef to be awarded a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
CUT by Wolfgang Puck recently made its Qatar debut at the Mondrian Doha, offering finest quality beef and an extensive menu with both Californian and Mediterranean culinary influences. Qatar Tribune's Dipti Nair caught up with the master chef during his recent visit to the latest addition to his string of restaurants.
What makes Puck popular on TV is his open smile and friendly demeanour and he was the same in person, as he chatted about his family, restaurants and passion for cooking. Excerpts:
Tell us about your culinary journey.
I started cooking as a child, at my mother's side. She was a chef in Austria. I left school when I was 14 and started my formal training and followed it up apprenticeships in France and America. Then, in 1982, I opened up Spago and Chinois in 1983. What I'm most proud of is that Spago is 35 years old and last year was our best year yet. It's really amazing to be successful for so long. I have been doing this for many years now and it is like building a house, one brick at a time. But in the end, if you have the passion and you love what you do, then you can be successful.
Being successful means having the right vision and the right people to execute your visions. I cannot be everywhere and have to rely on people who know exactly what we want and how to get it done and that's how we expand.
So, you credit others for your success?
Totally! It's not the work of just one man, it's a team effort. If we didn't have a great team, we wouldn't have been able to expand. We only expand when we have enough people. It's about the people and not about the building. But I have had many talented young chefs, who want to do their own thing and come up with good ideas which I let them incorporate into the menu and that has helped to get where we are today.
Starting off, did you ever imagine that it will reach such a scale?
No! I don't think I ever saw that at the time. I thought I might have two restaurants at the most. It is a lot of work and I love the challenge. Even now after all these years, I still get excited like before.
You have different brands with different cuisines, how do you still keep it fresh?
I like experimenting with different cuisines. It has been that way from the beginning. I trained in France, then went to California and opened up Spago which has Californian cuisine with Latin and Asian influences. Then I opened up Chinois, which is my version of Chinese cuisine with influences from Vietnam, Thailand and Japan. All these restaurants and experiences have been a learning experience and I love to learn new things. Even now, I'm going back to business school to learn something different.
Is that how you keep yourself abreast with current business trends?
I believe you have to stay interested in what is going on. Not just in what you do, but the whole world of what you do. So for one month every year I go to Harvard Business School to learn new things. Harvard is very famous and I wanted to take the chance to go there as I never went to college or even high school.
Do you still cook?
I cook in my head all the time. I look at ingredients and think what all I can do with it. But I don't stand behind the stove all night long anymore. Also, when I start cooking, the young ones get nervous and everything slows down. I tell them I'm a nice guy and no need to be nervous around me. But yes, at home we cook all the time. For me, cooking is a passion and I love to do it for my family and guests.
How involved are you in your restaurants?
I have always loved art. When people ask me what I would be if not a chef, I always say painter. I have met many great painters of our times like Andy Warhol and David Hockney, and for me art is really part of life. I also love fashion. My wife is into fashion, but I find it interesting and creative. It's the same with architecture. I bring all these different interests of mine into my restaurants. When we opened CUT here, I told the owners what I liked and we got it implemented here. I think it's really important that it is not too formal. I want people to laugh and enjoy themselves when they are here.
Is the CUT in Qatar the same as your other international restaurants?
First, we are open breakfast, lunch and dinner, that itself is a difference. Also, though CUT is basically a steakhouse, this one is a mixture of Spago and Chinois too, as in, we have different pasta and Chinese dishes here that we don't have elsewhere. In fact, many Qataris have said that the CUT here is much better than the one in London as there is more variety here. People here enjoy spices in their food and so I feel it's really important to have variety so that they don't get bored.
When I first came here I told Ben (the chef at CUT), to look for what is available and source local ingredients. And then instead of just making everything the way we do in Los Angeles or London, to adapt the food to the local tastes and that is what we have done.
Food and restaurants are good when there is a combination of tradition and innovation. If you only innovate, people may go and try it once but that's it. I also feel that just as important as the food is hospitality. If the food is good and you feel welcomed then you will come back. But if you feel the staff waiting on you is snobbish, then even if the food is good, you may not return. We want to be hospitable and create an experience for the customer so they will want to come back.
What's next for you?
We have opened a new restaurant in LA called Rogue, which will have a maximum of 10 seats and two chefs who will create a 15-course meal. We are also writing a new cookbook. There are also many other projects in the pipeline. I am going to be very busy this year. Every year I say that the next year I will slow down but I just love being busy. My family always says, 'don't you have enough already? Why do you have to do more?' but I say this is my life and I love it. My son Byron, who is 23, has done hotel management and is currently working at Rogue. He will come into the business soon and then he can handle the business side of things and I can do whatever I like. But until then, this is my life.
