Alain Llorca brings to his kitchen all the high-spiritedness of youth

Alain Llorca is a son of southern France - he was born in nearby Cannes. So while most young French chefs were heading to Paris or apprenticing in Brittany, Llorca never wanted to leave his Mediterranean homeland. He stayed and learned with the region's best: Christian Morisset at the Hotel Juana in Juan les Pins, Alain Ducasse at Louis XV, Jacques Maximin at Le Negresco, Dominique Le Stanc… He mastered the beurre blanc of classic French cuisine and then came back to his native olive, playing with cooking methods and juggling the basics to create his own unique style. His cooking, devilishly simple, rustic and natural, puts the spotlight on his ingredients - in particular products from Provence and the Mediterranean - in cuisine that has a decidedly southern accent, with hints of Spain and Italy.

"I try to please myself by coming up with original ideas. I like to combine sweet and salty, hard and soft, meat and fish. These pairings have always been done in traditional cooking - I'm simply trying to create some new combinations."

Meeting him, you're reminded of a kid who's having fun, in white apron and running shoes but no chef's toque, directing his kitchen brigade and overseeing the hundreds of meals that are served every evening.

He will generously welcomed us into his domain and share some of his recipes in our July Edition, as well as tapas suggestions and kitchen hints…