DRIVING CHANGE

Seven chefs share their experiences and tell epicure what’s in store for the year ahead.

LOUIS PACQUELIN CLOS PASOH

The French head chef and coowner of the recently opened Clos Pasoh is no stranger to Singapore’s fine dining scene. The former chef de cuisine of BBR by Alain Ducasse at Raffles Hotel Singapore was in charge of the restaurant before the pandemic hit last year.

POWER OF CHANGE

“Change is inevitable. You just have to roll with the punches, and believe that your hard work will pay off. Before COVID-19, I thought that I was in the prime of my career. I was in my 30s, working for Alain Ducasse in one of the most beautiful hotels in the world and then the pandemic happened. It was the first time in my life that I stopped working for two consecutive weeks ever since I started this career at 15 years of age.”

KEY TO SUCCESS

“I believe in putting in the work, day in and day out. But at the same time, you also need to work smart. Selfawareness is important. That is the only way you continue to evolve and reinvent yourself. When I opened Clos Pasoh earlier this year as coowner, it was the first time that I had the full autonomy to define my own cuisine. I am returning to the roots of my training in French brasserie classics from my time at Ducasse’s Aux Lyonnais. New school French cuisine is a shift from fine dining. The flavours remain true to the brasserie dishes that inspired me, but I have reinterpreted them to appeal to another generation of diners. The flavours, while familiar, are light and clean. I like to add acidity or a little kick of heat.”

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE

“Sometimes, you have to accept that things aren’t going to go as planned. I am learning new things from my business partner, JC Cadoret, and from my team. I am excited to welcome this new chapter of my career.”