PL: Where did you train?
JA: From 1985-1989, I studied at the
Escola de Restauracio I Hostalatge de Barcelona. While in school,
I gained practical experience in restaurants El Bulli and Neichel.
My final training was at the Cenador del Prado in Madrid.
PL: Who influenced your cooking the most?
JA: Ferran Adriŕ.
PL: Which chefs do you respect amongst your
peers?
JA: Katsuya Fukushima of Café Atlantico
and Rodolfo Guzman of Jaleo.
PL: What is your most indispensable cooking
tool?
JA: A plancha, which is a flat griddle-like
pan. We use it a lot in my restaurants.
PL: What cities do you like for culinary travel?
JA: Barcelona, Istanbul, and Washington DC.
PL: What are some of your favorite food haunts
in your city?
JA: Citronelle, Yanyu, and Equinox in Washington
D.C.
PL: What is your favorite spice to use?
JA: Saffron because it is the ultimate Spanish
spice.
PL: Is there a culinary technique that you
use in an unusual way?
JA: Organized salad and modernized classic
American food.
PL: What is your favorite question to ask during
an interview for a potential line cook?
JA: Do you know how to cook everything? Sometimes
they say yes but usually after 24 or 48 hours, they’ll admit that they
don’t. If they admit that they don’t, it means they are willing
to learn from scratch. If you approach me with an attitude that you know
everything, you will never open yourself up to learning all that you can.
PL: What advice do you have for culinary students
just getting started?
JA: Be humble.
PL: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ten years?
JA: Still concentrating on creating new dishes.
In ten years, I’d possibly like open up a restaurant in New York.
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INTERVIEW
