Nasr’s food was incredible, and I immediately offered him the job. He agreed but a week later sheepishly told me he “came with” another sous-chef from Daniel, his working partner, Lee Hanson. I was shocked, as this now meant I had to pay two salaries. Hanson’s food was as good as Nasr’s. I agreed to take him on but half wondered if, in the next few weeks, there might be a third, fourth, and fifth working partner of Nasr’s I’d also have to hire.
When I build a restaurant, I have a strong idea of what I want in terms of the design and food. As I’m neither a carpenter nor a chef, my job is to convey my ideas to the builders and chefs who are skilled enough to put it all together. And, hopefully, take it to another level.
A few years earlier I’d directed two feature films and was struck by how similar the roles of restaurateur and (Herr) director were, and how dependent I was in both cases on people whose specific jobs…
