Dominique Crenn

“You look at most of these 'best chef' lists, and there are about nine male chefs and one woman chef. The problem is still around.”

“You need to be confident. You need to know who you are as a person and as a human. But make sure that you go through the world with humility and respect for others.”

“Meat is complicated. We have to be thoughtful about the ecosystem that we're living in and not to destroy it because of the instant gratification and the demand of others.”

“Being a chef is about feeding people, which is part of the story of all humanity.”

“What the food industry should be talking about? Climate change. It should be talking about the industrialization of food. It should be talking about how are we gonna feed the kids at school.”

“I'm not even a just a kitchen cook - everything we do has a purpose, and there's meaning to it.”

“I don't want people to look at my menu and see just the ingredients. I want to take them on a journey.”

“We see the effects of climate change on food prices and in so many other ways.”

“My food is about texture and technique.”

“When you are adopted and you realize that someone gave you a gift, you pay attention to things very clearly. You realize how lucky you are.”

“Meat's effect on climate change simply cannot be ignored.”

“I think women are inclined to look at things with more purpose because of our sensibility. We want things to connect and come together.”

“I think what we have at Atelier Crenn, which I think is good, is that the basics are very traditional.”

“It's funny: not too many people used to think that Brittany was a culinary treasure, but there's such amazing stuff. Beef and pork, of course, but the seafood! The food there is kind of wonderful.”

“I think sometimes when you go to a space you might like it, but the landlord is expecting something different from you. Our concept is very specific to us, so we need to have the freedom of doing it.”

“I was very fortunate to grow up in France with amazing parents who allowed me to understand the importance of activism. My dad was a politician but he was also an activist, and my mom was a beautiful feminist who took care of others.”

“I think I was eight or nine when I had my first long-form tasting menu.”

“Cooking is just a vehicle to express yourself, like painting and acting... The reason why we're cooking is not because we want to put something on the plate. It's so much more complex than that.”

“I try to craft a menu that is very welcoming. I like to make vegetables and seafood, and I love to make pasta.”

“Food is language. It helped me to open up the conversation on other things.”