Paul Liebrandt
GILT | New York

Biography
Paul Liebrandt began his career working under some of the top chefs in England, including Marco Pierre White at his three-star Michelin restaurant in London, and Raymond Blanc at his two-star Michelin restaurant in Oxford, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons.

After reaching a certain point in those kitchens, Liebrandt decided to expand his gastronomical view and traveled to Paris, where he worked under Pierre Gagnaire at his eponymous three-star Michelin restaurant for a year. Still seeking to expand his culinary repertoire, he traveled to New York, going to work with David Bouley as chef de cuisine at Bouley Bakery.

Liebrandt left Bouley Bakery in 2000 in search of an executive chef position, which he found at Atlas. By the fall of that year, he had developed one of the most innovative and trend setting restaurants in Manhattan, and went on to receive three stars from The New York Times critic William Grimes, becoming the youngest chef ever to be awarded three stars at the age of 23. Upon leaving Atlas in 2001, Liebrandt became the director of the restaurant Papillon, which earned two stars from The New York Times.

In 2002, Liebrandt took a hiatus from the New York restaurant scene to cook for numerous high-profile clients abroad including Lord Rothschild and HRH Prince Andrew. In 2003 he founded the Veda Group, a New York-based restaurant consulting firm. Most recently, Liebrandt launched his first solo restaurant in New York, Gilt, which gained recognition for its avant-garde, cross-cultural menu devoted to the principles of spontaneity and diversity. Having departed from the Gilt kitchen in August of 2006, Liebrandt is in search of his next culinary adventure.

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Interview Cont'd
AB: Did you attend culinary school? Would you recommend it?
PL: I went to school in Westminster, London. Culinary school is a great base for knowledge, but it’s a really expensive investment for young people. In my kitchen, it’s not primarily culinary school grads, so while it can only help, I certainly don’t think it’s a necessity.

AB: What is your philosophy on food and dining?
PL: I think that above all, it should be fun, and bring a smile to your face. I could have created a French restaurant in the serious style of Alain Ducasse, but I wanted something a little more relaxed.

AB: Who are your mentors? And what is the most important thing you learned from them?
PL: Pierre Gagnaire taught me the importance of spontaneity, of not looking only in one direction, of breaking the routine of cooking and working with what is created with an open mind.

AB: Are there any secret ingredients that you especially like?
PL: Gomo Gellan, which is micro-organism based, is great. I use it to make hot jellies and hot liquid gels that can even be deep fried. I use the gellan to make an interesting fizzy gel with parsley jus and champagne.

AB: What flavor combinations do you favor?
PL: I like rhubarb, coffee and artichoke together. The coffee brings everything out of the rhubarb and artichoke and gives them a depth they don’t reach on their own.

AB: What is your most indispensable kitchen tool? Why?
PL: My surgical tweezers are indispensable when I’m plating, and I place each herb leaf one at a time. Fingers just can’t do that sort of work.

AB: Is there a culinary technique that you have either created or used in an unusual way?
PL: I make a Royale of hare, which is traditionally braised and I pair it with langoustines. I roll the Royale into a cylinder, cook it sous-vide very gently for two hours, then sear it, and sous-vide it again. Then, I cook it again. It sounds like a lot, but the hare holds up perfectly.

AB: What is your favorite question to ask during an interview for a potential new line cook?
PL: I like to ask if the candidate is a hard worker.

AB: What tips would you offer a young chef just getting started?
PL: If you’re going to cook in this business, you’re going to need to give it your all: mind, body, and soul. You must be beyond dedicated to really be successful.

AB: What are your favorite cookbooks?
PL: I always go back to Cuisine Immediate by Pierre Gagnaire, and White Heat by Marco Pierre White.

AB: What cities do you like for culinary travel?
PL: I like Paris, London and Tokyo, and the differences each one offers.

AB: Where do you see yourself in five years?
PL: I’d like to be a position stable enough to own my own restaurant, and from there, own two or three restaurants and grow into a brand.

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