André Chiang facts for kids

André Chiang (Chinese: 江振誠; pinyin: Jiāng Zhènchéng) was born on April 27, 1976. He is a famous Taiwanese chef. He owns several restaurants around the world.

Chef Chiang was once the head chef of a three-Michelin star restaurant in France. It was called Le Jardin des Sens. He is well-known for his "Octo-philosophy." This is a special way he thinks about the eight main parts of his dishes. In 2017, his restaurant, Restaurant André, had two Michelin stars. It was named the best restaurant in Singapore. It was also the second-best in Asia by Restaurant magazine.

Early Life and Cooking Dreams

André Chiang was born in Taiwan. He spent his early years in Japan. There, he learned to cook from his mother. He first thought he would join the family business. But his imagination was too big for that. He wanted to learn about foods from other countries. He especially wanted to learn French cuisine. He felt it was the hardest to master.

Chef André's Culinary Journey

Chiang moved to France. He planned to stay only a short time. But he ended up living there for fifteen years. He got a job at Le Jardin des Sens. This was a three-Michelin star restaurant. It was run by Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. At first, Chiang did not speak any French.

Rising Through the Ranks

Over nine years, Chiang worked hard. He moved up to become the chef de cuisine. This is a very important chef in a kitchen. While in France, he also worked in other famous kitchens. These included La Maison Troisgros, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, and Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire.

Discovering His Own Style

After France, Chiang worked at the Maia Luxury Resort. This resort is in the Seychelles. He later said this move helped him find his own cooking style. He felt he had lost it while working in French restaurants. During this time, he created his "Octo-philosophy." This is how he prepares his dishes.

The Octo-Philosophy Explained

His "Octo-philosophy" has eight elements. These are "pure, salt, artisan, south, texture, unique, memory, and terroir." He explained "pure" means serving food without extra seasoning. Each item on the plate should naturally taste good together.

The "Memory" Dish

Most of his dishes change over time. But one dish, called "Memory," stays the same. He first made it in 1997. It is a warm foie gras jelly. It is served with a black truffle coulis. Chiang calls this his "pure André dish." It was the first dish he created all by himself.

Opening Restaurants

In 2008, he opened Jaan par André in Singapore. It was at the Swissôtel The Stamford. After 18 months, it was ranked 39th in The World's 50 Best Restaurants. He closed this restaurant in 2010. He then opened Restaurant André in the Bukit Pasoh area of Singapore.

At Restaurant André, he and his team made a new menu every day. This depended on the fresh food available. He said this made him and his team think creatively. They had to think about new dishes and cooking methods. Chef Chiang announced that Restaurant André would close in October 2017. It served its last meals in February 2018.

In 2014, Chiang opened another restaurant. It is called RAW. It is located in Taipei, Taiwan.

Awards and Recognition

While at Jaan par André, Chef Chiang won an award. He was named the Rising Chef of the Year in 2009. This was at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence.

Restaurant André was often in the top 10. This was on Restaurant magazine's list of the top 50 restaurants in Asia. It has been on this list since 2013. In 2017, it was named the best restaurant in Singapore. It was also the second-best restaurant in Asia. His Taipei restaurant, RAW, was named the best restaurant in Taiwan. It was ranked number 24 in Asia on the same list.