The Argentine protégé of Alain
Passard, Colagreco opened
Mirazur (
mirazur.fr
)
at Menton
on the French Riviera back in
2006
in a striking 1950s
Modernist villa between the
Alpes d’Azur and the
Mediterranean by the French-
Italian border. A holder of two
Michelin stars since 2012 and
listed in The World’s 50 Best
Restaurants, his cooking plays
on his Italian ancestry, and is
built on his love of the region’s
produce.
FOR BREAKFAST
On the days when he can make
a leisurely start to the day, he
likes to head over the border
to Italy and have breakfast at
La Spiggetta down on the
Ligurian coast overlooking the
beach. His main reason? “It’s a
beautiful place to relax.”
balzirossi.it
FOR A BARGAIN BITE
“
Good, simple, fast and
affordable.” That’s how this
chef describes the Sainte-
Anne branch of this small
group of Parisian udon outlets,
which are his go-to cheap eat.
kunitoraya.com
FOR A FAMILY MEAL
“
The best pasta ever,
which is always made fresh by
Mama Angela,” he says of La
Vecchia Ostaia. “It’s a very
good, simple family-run
restaurant.”
Via Provinciale 34,
18036
San Biagio della,
Cima Imperia, Liguria;
tel: +39 0184289249
Mauro
Colagreco
Head chef at the
French Riviera’s
Mirazur
Hansen is expecting her first child in June, something
she couldn’t have imagined doing any sooner given her
career. “I don’t think that’s an industry specific thing,”
she says. “If you’re a woman and you want to have a child,
you do stop and think, ‘How’s this going to work?’”
Not that there are any signs of slowing down. She’s
currently Chef of the Season at Harrods, following in the
notable footsteps of Thomas Keller, Chris Galvin and
Richard Corrigan, all of whom have teamed up with the
famous Knightsbridge department store. “The original
brief was to come up with some dishes that could be
taken home and be heated up in the oven,” she explains.
“
So we came up with a few starters, salads, mains and
desserts, then we came up with the idea of doing some
relishes and spices. So we have a
sambal
(
a chilli-based
sauce), a green-pepper relish and a spice range that
includes things like
amchur
(
dried mango powder) and
tonka beans.”
As if that weren’t enough, plans for a second Modern
Pantry are well underway, with sites being considered
both near her current Clerkenwell base and in the
vicinity of Notting Hill. “It’s going to be along the same
lines – breakfast, lunch and dinner, but different,” she
says. “We’re going to include a proper bar this time.”
The plan is to have it open by autumn. So how does
that fit in with her other new – actual – baby? “I’m going
to take three months off and then go back to work just as
we’re about to start on the new opening,” she says with
another giggle. “That’s plenty of time – isn’t it?”
Where Chefs Eat, A Guide to Chefs’ Favourite
Restaurants by Joe Warwick is out now in hardback,
Phaidon, €19.95; wherechefs.com; Twitter: @wherechefs
“
Most women are too
smart to chose this
career. It’s a tough,
dirty job, and they’re
less inclined to put up
with that.”
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P R O F I L E
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