Team Yalla caught up with Marco Pierre White and the culinary genius let us in on the flaws of Michelin cooking, his favourite restaurants and more
The first celebrity chef. Enfant terrible of the UK restaurant scene. The person who made Gordon Ramsay cry.
A massively documented maverick chef, Marco Pierre White is a story to be catalogued in volumes in order to do it right. The youngest ever to be awarded three Michelin stars – and one of the few to return them – the man’s story is as old as culinary time.
Smack in the middle of a food festival in the mildly humid Abu Dhabi November, the legend is intimidating in stature, but warm from the word go. A constant hint of a smile and a knowing tone immediately underlines the chef’s appeal across generations. Representing Marco’s Italian at the festival, his food is as unfussy and alluring as him.
Having established two well-loved outlets, namely the aforementioned and Marco-Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, the legend cements his position as having cracked the essence of a good meal
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Letting us in on the secret, he says, “I think what’s important to have when it comes to Marco’s Italian is that it’s affordable, it’s a fun night out. 99 times out of 100, people go out for a night to have fun with their loved ones, it’s not purely about food. If you think about it, the most important aspect of any restaurant is the ambience and setting. If you don’t feel comfortable, no matter how good the food is you’re not going to go back.”
According to the chef, it just takes three basics to create a meal that will have customers return.
“Number one, the setting. Number two, service with a smile rather than formalities. And lastly, bring me food at a good price, and I’ll go back there next week,” he says.
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It’s no secret that Marco Pierre White is partial to food that goes more than skin deep. As his mother used to say, a tree without roots is a piece of wood. And he has held that principle evidently close to his heart, rocking the food stratosphere with controversial opinions and consistent flavours.
“My favourite place in the entire world is La Colombe d’Or in St Paul de Vence, South of France. The menu hasn’t changed since 1955, it’s just very honest. It’s got no Michelin stars. My favourite restaurant in London is called Riva, it’s traditional, it’s Italian, and it’s got no Michelin stars,” the chef shares.
Having publicly renounced the Michelin stars at the height of his career, the chef has remained steadfast in his dismissal of the hugely sought-after accolade.
“The bottom line is what are they worth. When you’re given something by people by people that have lesser knowledge than you, how much is it worth?” he asks matter-of-factly.
He adds, “You can take a lot of three-star Michelin chefs, their kitchens are a masterclass in technical ability. But it isn’t food you want to eat. There’s no emotion in it. When you can take emotion, intellect and technical ability and put it into food, it is only then you have something extraordinary.”
As greener kitchens continue to garner eyeballs, the chef remains true to his roots and rules, choosing to create a sustainable environment rather than subscribe to greenwashing trends.
“I think you’ve always got to be aware of what’s going on in the world. In a perfect world, you’d have organic but the truth is not everyone can afford it. You’re forever compromising, but you do your best. Like, I have land in the southwest of England. And what I’m doing with my land, I’ve turned it into a nature reserve. Everything is about insect life, which in turn is about soil, food and so on.
I think everyone should do their little bit, for instance, you could turn your balconies into gardens, put out water for bees, etc.”
As we wrap up our chat, the chef lets us in on the true essence of great food, which unsurprisingly revealed itself to be, emotion.
“Gastronomy is all about indulging. It’s about the emotional impact food has on you. What do those small portions (Michelin-rated dishes) do for you? It doesn’t turn me on. The emphasis is on presentation and they’re quite happy to sacrifice heat and temperature in favour of quality,” he says.
Forever championing food that provokes, food that is a window to the chefs, his restaurants in the UAE capital stand as a testament to his perennial culinary prowess. Flavours and fortitude aside, it’s Marco Pierre White’s unapologetic charm that lingers long after he’s gone.
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