Well, cooking starts with shopping. If the ingredients are not good, you don't do it. Just change your mind and do something else.

When I was twelve, I decided to become a chef. I stole a book from the library about the greatest restaurants in France. I'd flip the pages and dream. I should return that book to the library some day.

Just walking in the kitchen (and we have three kitchens at Le Bernardin), I exercise quite a lot. I also walk in Central Park for 50 minutes from my house to Le Bernardin every day, rain, shine, snow.

If I go to a nightclub, even if the music is good, if the sound system is not, I don't stay.

You don't become a chef to become famous.

I don't follow the food trends.

I have more eating memories than cooking memories and many memories of being in the kitchen - I was always attracted to the kitchen - but nobody ever wanted me to touch anything.