Guillaume Brahimi facts for kids

Guillaume Brahimi is a famous chef who was born in Paris, France, on August 11, 1967. He now lives in Sydney, Australia. Currently, he is the head chef at Bistro Guillaume Sydney.

Guillaume Brahimi's Journey as a Chef

Guillaume Brahimi is a very well-known and respected chef in Australia. He learned to cook from a top chef named Joël Robuchon in Paris. Chef Robuchon's restaurants have special awards called Michelin stars, which show they are excellent. Guillaume moved to Sydney in the 1990s.

Running Famous Restaurants

In 2001, Guillaume got the chance to run the Bennelong restaurant inside the famous Sydney Opera House. The restaurant was updated and reopened later that year. It was renamed Guillaume at Bennelong. This restaurant won awards from Condé Nast Traveler and Gourmet Traveller magazines.

It also earned "Hats" from The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide. Restaurants get Hats for being very good. Guillaume at Bennelong received Two Hats in 2004 and 2005, then Three Hats in 2006 and 2007. It went back to Two Hats in 2008 but got Three Hats again in 2013 for the 2014 Guide. The restaurant closed at the end of 2013 because its contract ended.

In 2008, Guillaume opened Bistro Guillaume at Melbourne's Crown Casino. This restaurant looks like a classic French bistro, serving traditional French food. He opened another Bistro Guillaume in 2012 at Crown Perth in Western Australia, with a similar style. In 2016, Bistro Guillaume Sydney also opened.

After Guillaume at Bennelong closed, he opened a new restaurant called Guillaume in Paddington, Sydney, in 2014.

Writing Cookbooks and TV Shows

In 2009, Guillaume published his first cookbook, Guillaume: Food for Friends. The money from this book went to a cancer research group called Chris O'Brien LifeHouse. His second book, French Food Safari, came out in 2012. He wrote it with Maeve O'Mara. This book also became a TV show on SBS. In 2015, he released Guillaume: Food for Family, sharing his family's favorite recipes. Money from this book went to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Guillaume is also the host of the SBS food show, Plat du Tour. This show airs during the Tour de France bicycle race. Guillaume teaches viewers about great French cooking. He shares 21 recipes from different regions of France, matching the stages of the Tour de France.

Other Achievements

In December 2013, Guillaume was part of the crew on a racing yacht called Perpetual Loyal. They competed in the 2013 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Other famous people like Karl Stefanovic and Larry Emdur were also on the crew.

In November 2014, the French government gave Guillaume a special award. It was called the Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Merite, which means "Knight of the National Order of Merit." This award recognizes his achievements.

In January 2021, Guillaume became a culinary ambassador for Crown Sydney. This means he helps promote Crown Sydney's restaurants and the city as a great place for food.

Guillaume's Cooking Style

Guillaume Brahimi's cooking is often called "contemporary Australian cuisine with French influences." This means he uses modern Australian ideas but with French cooking methods. He likes to use fresh Australian ingredients.

His dishes can be very creative. For example, he might make a dish with basil-flavored tuna, mixed with mustard seed and soy vinaigrette. He also makes Italian-inspired dishes like roasted marron (a type of crayfish) wrapped in prosciutto (a type of ham) with risotto, veal jus (meat sauce), and truffle. He also cooks classic French dishes, such as duck confit (slow-cooked duck) with pommes Pont Neuf (thick-cut fries), foie gras (duck or goose liver), and truffle.

Guillaume on Television

Guillaume Brahimi has appeared on several TV cooking shows.

As a Chef on Iron Chef

He was an in-house chef on the Australian version of Iron Chef on Channel Seven. On this show, he specialized in French cooking.

Presenting French Food Safari

He was also one of the presenters for French Food Safari with Maeve O'Meara on SBS Australia.

Guest Appearances on MasterChef

Guillaume has been a guest on both MasterChef Australia and Junior MasterChef Australia. In 2012, during the fourth series of MasterChef Australia, the last six contestants worked with him. They cooked a meal for 60 people at his restaurant, Guillaume at Bennelong, as part of the competition.

Hosting Plat du Tour

In 2020, Guillaume took over as the host of a French cooking show during the Tour de France broadcast on SBS. The show was renamed Plat du Tour. Guillaume's show explores local Australian ingredients alongside French food related to each stage location of the Tour de France.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Guillaume Brahimi strongly supports the Bestest Foundation and its Gala Dinner. Bestest helps children who might not get support from bigger charities. It raises money to help these children with illnesses, get special equipment for disabilities, access education, or provide urgent help to kids who are at risk. All the money raised goes directly to children who need it.

In 2008, more than 50 chefs from Australia's best restaurants took part in a Bestest event. This included famous chefs like Matt Moran, Neil Perry, and Shannon Bennett.

See also

• French Australians