Guy Savoy

F&W Star Chef
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Restaurants: Guy Savoy Restaurants in Paris; Las Vegas; Doha, Qatar; and Singapore
Experience: Troisgros, Restaurant Lasserre, La Barrière de Clichy (France)
What dish are you famous for? Artichoke soup with black truffles and a mushroom brioche. Artichokes have been my favorite ingredient since I was a child.
What's the first dish you ever cooked yourself? A plain omelet. I was 12 years old and wanted to help my mother, who ran a small restaurant.
What's the best dish for a neophyte cook? An omelet, because there are not many ingredients, and the recipe is simple, but you must have the coup de main—the ability to move at just the right time, which you gain with practice. Just assemble eggs, butter, salt and pepper, and keep making omelets until you get it right.
Who is your food mentor? Jean Troisgros. From him I learned passion for cooking, the art of the beautiful gesture and the love for work well done.
Favorite cookbook of all time?Le Guide Culinaire, by Escoffier. You can find the base of everything inside it, even for contemporary cuisine.
What's the most important skill you need to be a great cook? To befriend people who will eat what you've cooked.
If you were facing an emergency, and could only take one backpack of supplies, what would you bring? A bottle of Château d'Yquem, because you can enjoy this wine as if you're eating and drinking at the same time. If I had more time, I'd also pack a box of sardines and some bread.
What's your favourite snack? Sardines packed in oil, eaten with Normandy butter on a fresh baguette.
What do you eat straight out of the fridge, still standing up? Homemade ice cream, usually almond, straight out of the freezer. It's my weakness.