Think of Provence in Southern France and the image of sweet-smelling lavender fields immediately comes to mind.
Capturing the romance of this idyllic region through food is executive chef Jerome Roy of one-Michelin-starred Le Cloître in Le Couvent des Minimes Hôtel & Spa L'Occitane in France. Prior to joining Le Cloître, Roy worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, including the three-starred establishment Pierre Gagnaire pour les Airelles located in Courchevel and Troisgros in Roanne. He joined Le Cloître in 2012, which was awarded a Michelin star for the first time in last year's guide.
Roy was in town recently for a L’Occitane multi-sensorial pop-up event held at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore’s One-Ninety Restaurant. He also designed a three-course lunch menu as part of a special spa package by Four Seasons Hotel, featuring Provençal ingredients – think almond, lemon and lavender – that are essentials of L'Occitane's beauty products.
We catch up with Roy to find out more.
Capturing the romance of this idyllic region through food is executive chef Jerome Roy of one-Michelin-starred Le Cloître in Le Couvent des Minimes Hôtel & Spa L'Occitane in France. Prior to joining Le Cloître, Roy worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, including the three-starred establishment Pierre Gagnaire pour les Airelles located in Courchevel and Troisgros in Roanne. He joined Le Cloître in 2012, which was awarded a Michelin star for the first time in last year's guide.
Roy was in town recently for a L’Occitane multi-sensorial pop-up event held at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore’s One-Ninety Restaurant. He also designed a three-course lunch menu as part of a special spa package by Four Seasons Hotel, featuring Provençal ingredients – think almond, lemon and lavender – that are essentials of L'Occitane's beauty products.
We catch up with Roy to find out more.
Chef Jerome Roy, Photo Credit: Le Couvent des Minimes Hôtel & Spa
My first encounter with the MICHELIN guide was when... I was busy in the kitchen of Le Cloitre of Le Couvent des Minimes with the team.
A guest asked for me upon completing his meal and gave me his name card. That's when I realised a Michelin inspector had come to dine in the restaurant! We knew we did what we could and can only hope for the best.
The first time I/my team earned a star was in... 2016, when I was in Le Cloitre where I received one Michelin star.
The first thing I did when I realised we had won a star was... to share the news with my GM, Fabian Piacentino and staff. On 1 February 2016, after the gala ceremony, Fabian and I made our way to three-Michelin-starred restaurant Pierre Gagnaire in Paris to celebrate our winning and had a lot of champagne.
A guest asked for me upon completing his meal and gave me his name card. That's when I realised a Michelin inspector had come to dine in the restaurant! We knew we did what we could and can only hope for the best.
The first time I/my team earned a star was in... 2016, when I was in Le Cloitre where I received one Michelin star.
The first thing I did when I realised we had won a star was... to share the news with my GM, Fabian Piacentino and staff. On 1 February 2016, after the gala ceremony, Fabian and I made our way to three-Michelin-starred restaurant Pierre Gagnaire in Paris to celebrate our winning and had a lot of champagne.
Known for using local ingredients when he can, Roy uses local almonds in this dish.
How much influence has the MICHELIN guide had on your life and career?
The influence the MICHELIN guide has had on my career is my clientele is now different. People, now with higher expectations, come into the restaurant for an experience and it gives them assurance to know they will be well taken care of in terms of food and service. The increase in traffic and revenue also means expanding my outreach, allowing more people to enjoy my cooking and share my experiences - that is what I truly enjoy.
My advice for young chefs aiming for Michelin stars is...to work with your heart. I remind my staff everyday to work with their heart. They may laugh at first and think of it as a joke, but it's not easy to establish the level of passion you have for food. It's not just a job, but about touching hearts with the food you prepare. You need an immense amount of passion and commitment. Therefore, to succeed is to cook with your heart using good produce, in the right season; cook them well and with your personal touch.
The influence the MICHELIN guide has had on my career is my clientele is now different. People, now with higher expectations, come into the restaurant for an experience and it gives them assurance to know they will be well taken care of in terms of food and service. The increase in traffic and revenue also means expanding my outreach, allowing more people to enjoy my cooking and share my experiences - that is what I truly enjoy.
My advice for young chefs aiming for Michelin stars is...to work with your heart. I remind my staff everyday to work with their heart. They may laugh at first and think of it as a joke, but it's not easy to establish the level of passion you have for food. It's not just a job, but about touching hearts with the food you prepare. You need an immense amount of passion and commitment. Therefore, to succeed is to cook with your heart using good produce, in the right season; cook them well and with your personal touch.
