Helene Darroze: The two-Michelin-starred chef on Vietnam, inspiring Pixar, and her molecular downfall

My guilty pleasure is Krispy Kreme doughnuts

Hélène Darroze, (Patrick Kovarik)

I want to tell a story with each plate of food

When I cook, I want to bring back a memory from my education, from my travels and from my life. There is one dish I cook [at the Connaught] called Return from Hanoi, which I made when I first came back from Vietnam. I’ve been to the country twice, as I’ve adopted two daughters from there. Every day I’d go to the same restaurant close to the hotel where I was staying, and they made an amazing pho soup with noodles, herbs and chicken. When I came back to the UK, I found a good Vietnamese restaurant here and I couldn’t stop eating there, and then I wanted to put it on my menu.

I feel deeply linked to Vietnam

I was very close to a great-aunt who had lived in Hanoi when the French were there. Growing up in the South of France, I spent so many hours listening to what she said about the country – the way they did their cooking and how welcoming they were. It’s why I chose Vietnam when I decided to adopt. Hanoi is still very French, but what’s surprising is how crowded and noisy it is; the energy in the city is incredible, and I love it.

Women cook differently to men

Of course, there are always exceptions. But typically a woman will first think about her emotions – what do I want people to feel when they eat this? I give part of myself when I cook. For men, their first thought is, what do I want to show? And they cook more with technique and knowledge. So I can tell if a dish was made by a woman or a man.

I regret trying to follow the trend of molecular gastronomy

Back when Ferran Adrià [head chef of the experimental restaurant El Bulli] was so in fashion, I wanted to cook that way, too. For my parents’ anniversary, I made a meal for them and their friends. The first course I served in a Martini glass, then the main course was something with artichoke and foie gras. By the end of the meal, I realised that it was all awful.

No one can steal the dance you’ve danced

It’s my favourite Spanish proverb, and it means to me that, as I’m so sincere and honest in what I do, no one can steal ideas from me – they can only be mine. It’s also the title of my first recipe book; I had to fight with the editor for it, as they said people would never understand that it’s just a book with recipes.

Be independent

It’s advice my mother gave me growing up. She meant from a man, but I’ve taken it to mean to retain my independence from everyone. Every big decision I take, I have that in mind. The fact that I am not just a mother, but a single mother, is influenced by it.

Meeting the right person is not just a question of having time

I have a busy life between two restaurants and my family. But it’s more a question of meeting someone who’s generous, authentic and honest, and who can respect who I am.

I was happy to be the inspiration for Colette in ‘Ratatouille’

The people from Pixar spent a lot of time with me for a week, following me around in my restaurant kitchen in Paris, and saw that I have rigour. But I’m not sure I’m as tough as that character.

Sometimes I cannot stop eating

My guilty pleasure is Krispy Kreme doughnuts. But it’s the simple stuff, too, such as a fresh soft-boiled egg with a little fleur de sel, a good pepper with a little piece of butter inside it, and some good country bread.

Hélène Darroze, 48, winner of Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef 2015, is a French chef who divides her time between the two-Michelin-starred Hélène Darroze at the Connaught in London and the Michelin-starred Restaurant Hélène Darroze in Paris (helenedarroze.com)