Interview with Chef Ludovic Lefebvre of Bastide - Los Angeles, CA

Antoinette Bruno: Why did you start cooking? What or who inspired you to become a chef?
Ludovic LeFebvre: I was raised in Burgundy and my grandma was a big cook. She picked me up after school and we cooked dinner together every night.

AB: Did you attend culinary school?
LL: I trained at L’Espérance, Pierre Gagnaire, L’Arpège, and Le Grande Véfour (all three are Michelin-star rated).
AB: Who are your mentors? What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from them?
LL: Pierre Gagnaire helped teach me creativity and how to take risks. With Alain Passard I learned to respect the fire and how to cook the ingredients. I call it the School of Fire – you learn how to control the fire and play with the fire. And Guy Martin is a very great businessman, and he taught me that side of cooking.

AB: What is your philosophy on food and dining?
LL: I respect the past and live in the present, but am looking to the future. Taste is a thing you are never going to forget.

AB: Are there any secret ingredients that you especially like?
LL: I use a lot of spices, almost 200 different ones. I like to learn about the culture and history of the spice. Vadouvan is my secret weapon.

AB: What is your most indispensable kitchen tool?
LL: Salt – I can’t imagine cooking without it. And my Pacojet for ice creams, sorbets, and mousses.

AB: Is there a culinary technique that you have either created or use in an unusual way?
LL: Making chantilly with butter or fat. I learned this technique with Pierre Gagnaire. I take a fat like butter, melt it, then put it in a bowl on ice and whip it like a chantilly cream.

AB: What is your favorite question to ask during an interview for a potential new line cook?
LL: Why have you decided to be a chef? I want them to demonstrate their passion.

AB: What tips would you offer young chefs just getting started?
LL: Cooking is all about passion and patience. They should try to learn from everyone else, and they need to listen and learn. Cooking is about love.

AB: What are your favorite cookbooks?
LL: Fernand Point’s Le Pyramide Cookbook.

AB: What cities do you like for culinary travel?
LL: I loved traveling through China. I loved the ingredients and the spices. I love to use unusual spices and surprise people.

AB: What are your favorite restaurants – off the beaten path – in Los Angeles?
LL: For sushi I like Katsu-ya. They have a seared albacore tuna sashimi that’s really good. The crab is also dynamite. Also, I like La Cantina on Ventura Blvd. I love the ambience of the kitchen. I eat the mussels and fries.

AB: What trends do you see emerging in the restaurant industry now?
LL: El Bulli. Everyone’s speaking about the Spanish chefs.

AB: Where do you see yourself in 5 –10 years?
LL: I want to still be in small fine dining, but I also want to expand into casual dining, like Balthazar.