Chef Profile: Sandro Gamba
Age:
31
Job
Title; Place of Employment: Executive chef, NoMI,
Chicago
Education:
Four-year apprenticeship at Le Neptune in St. Evold, France
Professional
Background: Cook, Le Moulin de Mougins, Jamin and the
Louis XV hotel, Paris; chef, La Cabro d'Or, Les Baux-de-Provence and
Chateau Lignan, France; executive chef, Lespinasse, Washington DC.
When did you decide to become a chef?
When I was 14 years old. It was in my family's blood. My grandmother
was a chef and my father was a pastry chef. He used to own two bakeries
and made croissants and bread.
What
was your first restaurant job?
My first job was when I was 14 years old at a one-star Michelin restaurant
called Le Neptune in St. Evold, France. It was tough training for
me. I had much to learn.
Did
you have a mentor? If so, what did he or she teach you?
Lucien Pauly, the chef at Le Neptune. He taught me the basics for
everything.
Describe
your typical workday.
At 8 a.m., I arrive at work. I take breakfast with my sous chef, and
we have a small meeting to discuss what happened the previous night.
Every day, I like to take one hour or so to get or give information
about the food industry. At 11:30 a.m., we have lunch service, six
days a week. I like to be here at lunch and dinner so customers can
see me. In the afternoon, I spend some time creating new dishes, meeting
new suppliers and learning new techniques. I also check my business-food
costs and labor costs. Then I talk with our waiters. I don't go to
every table in the restaurant, so feedback from the waitstaff is very
important for me. For five minutes they can tell me anything they
want-criticism, etc. Then I start dinner service.
What
is the most rewarding part of being a chef?
To be considered an artist. When you have the ability to create something,
it makes you feel good and it makes your customer happy. It's the
most incredible thing. We are purveyors of happiness.
What
is your favorite dish to cook, and why?
Truffles, because they're a luxury and they have some mystery.
What
qualities do you look for when you hire employees?
I want them to give me 100 percent. After that, they have to be very
consistent. I want them to be very excited about the industry.
What
advice would you give aspiring chefs?
The most important thing is to be consistent. It's important to have
dreams, too. This will make you work hard and let you do many exciting
things. Don't start in this business to be a star chef. Just try to
make your customers happy and try to make good food.
Back
to profiles
