Arnaud Donckele, the poetry of flavour
Published on 9 December 2022
Chef Arnaud Donckele is the king of sauces, an artist of flavours, and a man with a passion for presentation. One of the shining stars of French gastronomy, he heads up two of France’s three-Michelin-starred restaurants: Plénitude Cheval Blanc in Paris and La Vague d’Or Cheval Blanc in Saint-Tropez. Last September, he was a guest at the Maison&Objet trade fair.
Invited by Gault&Millau to support the French culinary world’s rising stars as part of the “109” event, last September he was keeping Maison&Objet’s aisles buzzing in a vibrant celebration of young talent, teamwork and creativity.
For designers, creativity is primarily about telling a story. For Arnaud Donckele, creativity is a full-blown novel in which his own story is intertwined with that of Paris, its restaurants and the multitude of emotions it sparks, elements he then sensitively conveys both through his dishes and his Parisian restaurant’s decor, a kind of postcard that roots the capital in its past but with one eye firmly fixed on the future.
What does being a chef mean today for Arnaud Donckele? It primarily means showcasing the flavours of his region and flying the flag for local produce with a view to defending the values of both his heritage and the environment. It is a vision the design world also shares, and one that this edition of the Maison&Objet trade fair will be resolutely supporting once again.