Seasoned to Succeed
He is the reserved French chef who, in a bid to raise the quality and value of his offerings, defied conventions by increasing his food costs to almost 80 per cent—more than double the industry norm and a potential financial suicide—and was rewarded his third Michelin star. A protégé of legendary chef Joël Robuchon, he is known by gourmets around the world for the quintessentially French haute cuisine he presents at Les Amis: each course is decadently generous yet with a refined lightness and purity. Think a starter comprising discs of tender roseval potatoes topped with a cloud of crème fraiche and adorned with micro-blooms, served around a handsome dome of glistening caviar; or an ethereally light sea urchin flan given weight by a velvety fennel sauce and slivers of prized truffle.
Within the industry, however, he is respected for more than just his exceptional culinary prowess. Throughout his 31-year career, he has proven his mettle as a cool-headed tactician who can strategise for the long-term, and one with the tenacity to follow through his plans. In him is also a fearlessness to break conventions and take huge but calculated risks for what he believes in. Sebastien Lepinoy is a quiet titan of the fine dining scene: when he speaks, people listen.
If Lepinoy is the strategist with his foundation set deep and his sights set far,
