Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef-owner behind Jean Georges, Spice Market, Vong and many other restaurants worldwide, will open Market in the W Boston later this month. It’s a return to the Hub for the Stroudsburg-born chef who, in 1985, headed the classical French kitchen at the now defunct Le Marquis de Lafayette under the tutelage of his mentor, Louis Outhier. Zagat Buzz caught up with the renowned chef-restaurateur to talk about his passion for Pan-Asian cuisine (with some travel tips!), his key to culinary success and his debut in Boston.
Zagat Buzz: When did all this passion for Pan-Asian cuisine start?
Jean-Georges Vongerichten: I started working for hotels in 1980 in Bangkok. It was like a culture shock. I didn’t speak a word of English. The smells were incredible – curry, lemongrass. When I got off the plane and jumped in a car, I stopped 20 times before I got to the hotel. The first thing I stopped for was tom yum goong, a shrimp and lemongrass broth. It’s the best in the world. The two years I was there, the only thing I was eating was Thai food – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A tip if you go to Thailand?
The best food is around the temples. Everybody goes to the temples everyday – all the street food around the temples is amazing. Best dessert? Go outside of the schools, three-thirty, five o’clock when the kids get out of school – they buy little treats. Go for the coconut cakes or ice cream. The street food [is where] you taste the best things.
ZB: What’s the concept of Market?
JGV: In Paris we use a lot of art. So it’s a combination of food market and the market of art, which changes every month – that’s why we named it Market. The concept is using the best dishes from Jean Georges, JoJo, Vong, Mercer Kitchen, Spice Market. In Boston it’s going to be a blend too, the best-of. We’ll use local farmers, markets and fish, everything we can find locally. We do a lot of infusions for drinks and cocktails, like ginger-lime soda. Chinatown is right next door, so my lemongrass is waiting for me.
ZB: Will you have the lamb shank with the green chili as you originally had at Vong?
JGV: We’ll see. For me that’s what it’s all about – creating cravings that people remember. If you wake up in the morning and you don’t remember at least one thing, you didn’t do your job right. When you open a restaurant today, everyone’s going to come in the beginning. If you don’t create cravings, people won’t come back. What’s the point?
– Naomi Kooker