Les Trois Chevaux is more than just a French restaurant. It is the culmination of Angie Mar’s Chinese heritage and French training. It literally translates to “The Three Horses”, which was a nickname given to Mar and her two brothers. It represents Mar’s international journey through the culinary world. But most importantly, it’s a place where Mar can be who she is. Below, we chat with Mar about her culinary journey and what's next (she's making power lunches a thing again), but click here for our Inspectors take on the West Village boîte.
The doors to Les Trois Chevaux first opened in 2021, where a hyper-inspirational menu filled with favorites like Escalope de Saumon à L’Oseille and Crabe Pithivier satisfied hungry patrons. “Opening Les Trois Chevaux was a revelation for me creatively,” explains Mar, chef and proprietor of Les Trois Chevaux. “It gave me a blank slate to begin with again, without restrictions, or preconceptions. I believe I am cooking the best food of my career thus far, because I am no longer bound by expectations. I am only bound to our own limitations, which from my point of view, in creativity, they do not exist.”
But for Mar, her love of French cuisine started years ago, during her first trip to France at eight-years-old. There, inside a small bistro, the young Mar had her first experience with rognons de veau. “I remember them being a bit snappy, and rich with iron, doused with cognac and laden with cream and herbs,” Mar reminisces. “That experience was very much burned into my memory, and somehow, a switch went off in my head. I had no idea until that moment that I could love something that much, that food could be so wonderful.”
The Seattle native knew she had found her calling. “That trip sparked a lifelong love affair with the cuisine,” Mar continues. “For me, French cuisine is soulful, it is comfort, it is elegance, it is art, it is home.”
It's with that new-found love that Mar set out to combine great French restaurants of the past with the future of hospitality and fine dining. “Many people feel the idea of haute French cuisine is antiquated,” says Mar. “But I have always felt that it is very modern and the cuisine’s sensibilities speak to people across generations and have stood the test of time. While I always adore the classics, [they] can often be refreshed, and those new perspectives are what make the cuisine adaptable and modern.”
Fast-forward to today and Mar’s name is synonymous with greatness. She first garnered attention after taking over The Beatrice Inn before her first book, Butcher + Beast: Mastering the Art of Meat, received a nomination for an IACP Cookbook Award (International Association of Culinary Professionals).
But those accomplishments didn’t come without challenges, especially for a woman of color. “I never expect to be treated fairly,” says Mar. “I think that sometimes it’s hard for people to accept that I might not have the pedigree or look like who they might expect to be in the kitchen at Les Trois Chevaux.”
Mar’s advice? Lean on the relationships you’ve cultivated and take your time. “Everyone’s journey is different,” says Mar. “I’ve always felt the best advice I can give is that you take time to really learn and immerse yourself in a restaurant. Learning takes time, and honing a craft takes patience and practice. I’ve always felt that the more open I am to learning, the more I discover about myself and my path.”
As for what motivates Mar, it's the sense of camaraderie in the culinary world that keeps her going. “I am very grateful that my colleagues have been so supportive,” Mar adds. “I never decided to cook this way for awards and articles, I cook this cuisine because this is who I am.”
Hero image: William Hereford/Les Trois Chevaux
All images: William Hereford/Les Trois Chevaux
