When I started cooking the meal at home, after I had started cooking in restaurants, I usually would prepare bay scallops or lobster.
In each restaurant, I develop a different culinary sensibility. In Paris, I'm more classic, because that's what customers like. In Monaco, it's classic Mediterranean haute cuisine. In London, it's a contemporary French restaurant that I've developed with a U.K. influence and my French know-how.
London is the most important city in the world for restaurants.
I have restaurants, bookshops... but it's not an empire, more... a puzzle. If it were an empire, all my restaurants would be the same.
It's not easy to have success with restaurants in different cities, but I like the challenge.
The restaurants express the spirit of the chef, the spirit of the city, the country.
Given the number of restaurants I have, I could easily travel all the time - but I try not to.
My favourite restaurant is the Thai Corner Cafe on St Paul's Road. We go there all the time. I shouldn't really mention it - I don't want it to be chock-a-block.
I've been a lot of places, and my wife, Denise, she likes a lot of the fancy restaurants. I'm more of a basic eater. I still go into Cracker Barrel. Those are the kind of people who like the kind of music I'm making.
One thing I've never said in my whole life is, 'Let's have dinner at a Japanese restaurant.'
