The father-and-son culinary duo who are behind some of modern French gastronomy’s most inspiring dishes stresses the importance of cooking from the heart
The last couple of years have been uniquely provocative for Sébastien Bras and his father, whose restaurant Le Suquet in Aubrac, France was famously allowed to “return” its three Michelin stars in 2018, only to be included in the 2019 guide with a two-star rating.
But all the fuss didn’t seem to bother the father-and-son duo much when we caught up with them during a guest appearance at the revamped The Datai in Langkawi, Malaysia. They seemed more excited to talk about how they had managed to adapt their signature Gargouillou dish, which originally showcased the best of the Aubrac region’s gardens, to include herbs and vegetables that they had found in Malaysia’s rainforest and local markets. “We feel that it’s really important to use as much local produce as possible,” explained Sébastien, adding that the dish in the high season contains around 80 ingredients.
See also: Haute Hotels: The Datai Langkawi
It’s easy to see how chefs like these two, who grew up with such great produce, are now such champions of indigenous vegetables. But while more chefs look to do the same, Sébastien said that he tries to steer away from what he considers to be in-fashion. “For me, this is not new at all,” he affirms. “More than 30 years ago, my father started putting [the spotlight] on vegetables—and that came so naturally because the Aubrac region where we’re from is just a huge area full of this amazing produce. I’m not jealous of anyone and happy for those who have been inspired to cook the same way, and who put such value on vegetables. But for us, it’s something that has been rooted in [the way we do things] for many years. Nature is in our essence.