I’ve worked with a lot of very talented cooks, but I’d have to give the nod to Roland Liccioni. Chances are you haven’t heard of him, even though for a few years he ran the top-rated Zagat restaurant in the US, “Le Francais” (now defunct). That’s because in a world of monstrous, attention-seeking egos, Liccioni hates the public eye.
The culinary world has become a media-driven circus of “star” chefs. Guys like Liccioni, who would far rather be combing the markets or fiddling with sauces than swanning for the cameras, tend to fall under the radar. That’s been his curse. He simply isn’t star material. I have many memories of him running and hiding in a back room of the kitchen when VIPs came back to tour the kitchen. Most chefs live for moments like that, a chance to bask in adoration. Liccioni absolutely hated it. He’s now working in a much less publicized restaurant, which probably suits him just fine. He just wants to be left alone to do his thing.
I also have a pick for best pastry cook: Gilles Bajolle. This guy is amazing. I met him when he was the pastry chef at Taillevent, then one of Paris’ best restaurants. He then went on to specialize in chocolate work at the best chocolatier in Paris, and has since gone on to conquer the world of bread. And again, he has managed to escape getting carried away with himself. No bluster, no playing to the crowd; just a craftsman doing his work perfectly.