Keeping things simply delicious

Celebrated three star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire on the importance of providing unparalleled experiences

- Somshankar Bandyopadhyay

Three-star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire said: "Food should be simple, and fun." This straightforward thought drives the chef, who was in Dubai recently at his restaurant Pierre's TT, at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City, where he hosted a special New Year's Eve and exclusive dining engagements for select guests.

Reminiscing on his venture, Gagnaire recalled how when he first opened the restaurant 16 years ago, Dubai was a very different place. "The city was still new, with vast spaces that felt empty. Today, Dubai has evolved into a dynamic global hub of culture, energy, and business, it's a place where people from all over the world come to work, live, and explore," he told City Times in an interview.

Born in 1950 in Apinac, France, Gagnaire began his summer training in Paul Bocuse's restaurant in 1965.

In 1976, after two years spent working and discovering the world, particularly the new world, he returned to "Clos Fleury", the restaurant run by his father near Saint Etienne which already had a Michelin star. He retained the Michelin star the next year, the first of many accolades.