4 Questions 4 Gray Kunz
When I asked my friend Eric Gower – a chef and cookbook author blessed with an exceptionally knowedgeable and discerning palate — who he’d like to see answer four questions, his response was immediate: “Gray Kunz. The man is a genius.”
Born in Singapore but Swiss by nationality, Kunz trained with the iconic Fredy Girardet and wowed the New York food world with his cooking at the four-star Lespinasse.
Last Fall he opened Grayz, a cocktail bar/lounge/small plates restaurant with some of the most sought-after private dining spaces in Manhattan. He also serves as consulting chef for Molasses Reef on Turks & Caicos, and, according to recent news stories, will be opening a restaurant “somewhere in Asia” in the near future.
1. Early in your career, why were you dissatisfied with the traditional four tastes of bitter/sour/sweet/salt?
There were too many tastes in-between that were as important and did not get factored into the equation of good flavor.
[M.N.: Kunz has co-written (with Peter Kaminsky) a fascinating book that explores this in depth: "The Elements of Taste." ]
2. People have described your food as “fusion” and “Asian with French techniques.” How would you describe it?
I describe it as my own cuisine—the flavors of my childhood in Asia blended with the flavors of my adult life in Europe and New York. It is too hard to put a label on the food that comes from your own cultural identity.
The bar at Grayz.
3. Recently Gael Green quoted you as saying: “The more I go in my career, the more acidity I’m longing for.” Would you elaborate on that, particularly for the home cook?
Acidity adds brightness and depth to food. Don’t be afraid of it! I find that a little bit of lemon juice makes so many dishes better!
4. If Fredy Girardet came to visit, what would you serve him at Grayz and what would you cook for him at your country house?
It depends on the season for both places. At Grayz I would create a menu of seasonal items the day he was dining. I get inspired in the moment.
In the country, I would take him foraging in the woods looking for whatever was freshest, earthiest and most ready to be picked. We have similar standards, so we’d probably be out for hours in search of the perfect ingredients, but it’s ok. You make the best food when you’re hungry.
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Tags: Fredy Girardet, Gray Kunz, Grayz
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