Meet the Chef: Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud, the calm in the kitchen storm. Photo courtesy of The Dinex Group.
Hometown: St Pierre de Chandieu, a small village outside of Lyon.
Occupation: Chef/owner of twelve restaurants around the world — New York, Miami, Palm Beach, London, Beijing, Singapore and coming soon to Toronto and Montreal.
Favorite destinations: South of France.
Dying to visit: Burma.
Bizarre travel rituals: Test the bathtub!
In-flight relaxation regime: On long hauls, a vodka, a sleeping pill, and a few movies or listening to books on my iPad.
Always in carry-on: iPad, small toiletries kit, granola bar, gum, cashmere sweater, my Monster headphones, a cookbook, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Bon Appetit.
Concierge or DIY? Maisie, my assistant, is my perennial concierge.
See it all or take it easy? See it all and eat it all, then take it easy when jet-lag hits.
Drive or be driven? Be driven in a souped-up ride, like the Rolls Phantom at The Peninsula in Beijing.
Travel hero: Anyone who takes me on his private jet.
Best hotel amenity: Choice of pillows, steam room/shower, and Turkish baths in your room, like at Park Hyatt Istanbul.
I dream about my meal at my parents' home, where everything is locally sourced if not home-grown and made from scratch. It always takes me back to my youth.
Everywhere I go, I check out the central food market. I love to see the locals going through their daily routines.
When I arrive in a new place, I learn the lay of the land by talking to the locals at bars, food stores, and restaurants.
I always bring home weird food stuffs or local food specialties that are hard to find in NYC. I share them with my chefs for inspiration. Recently I brought folded, dried octopus from Tunisia and dried pig bladder from Lyon.
I travel for pleasure one month a year. The rest — probably 150,000 miles — is all for work.
MORE DANIEL ON FATHOM
Just Back From: Bordeaux, France - Daniel's favorite wineries, markets, and meals.