The Mentor Grant gave me the opportunity to stage somewhere extraordinary, and I chose Maison by Sota Atsumi in Paris (aka Maison Sota). I had initially considered staging in Singapore or Monaco, but ended up in Paris, where I had a series of adventures resulting in an incredible experience.
I often imagined that my next culinary experience needed to involve white aprons and toques, Michelin stars and global praise. Rather than relying on some journey I had imagined, however, I asked myself what was most relevant to what I was doing now at my current restaurant, Lutèce, a French Neobistro in D.C. That ultimately led me to Maison Sota. While Maison Sota was quieter with a smaller team than I had imagined in a stage experience, its mission was just as grand and beautiful. In the end, I made the right choice, as Maison Sota ended up being a place that continues to inspire me and my team at Lutèce. I staged for two months under a legendary chef, Chef Atsumi Sota, who cut his teeth in Parisian kitchens. During that time, I experienced the most extreme level of a la minute cooking that is possible and I am all the better for it.
During my first week at Maison Sota, I received a project that would stick with me for the rest of my journey there: mille crêpe. I am a better chef, not from making mille crêpe but because I let the food transform me as much as I was asked to change it. Mille crêpe is a small pancake of 12-14 layers covered in hot blanched spinach and stuffed with caramelized onions, anchovy vinaigrette and steamed farm greens. I realized quickly that this dish could have only come out of the mind of Chef Sota.
At first it took me about two hours to complete the crêpe project but over time I was able to do it in just 50 minutes and was able to use extra crêpes for makani — the Japanese term for family meal. We would chow-down on rolled crêpes with rice and leftover grilled fowl. Everyone smiled and gave me a thumbs up, saying, “I like burrito!”
In addition to Chef Sota, there was Sous Chef Hiroto, Josh on the lead line, Ethan on hearth, Omri, Clelia, Lorcan and a few other revolving stages as garde manger, with Rikako & Maria on pastry. That was the team. We worked 15 hour days. Chef Sota opened the door for us and left after us. The whole experience was intense, in a good way.
Although service was conducted exclusively in French, the Maison Sota kitchen was a wonderful cacophony of multiple languages: French, UK English, Japanese, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and Americaine English. English was the primary lingua franca along with gestures and glances pieced together to communicate our responsibilities, the day’s menu, and any nightly projects. After service we would clean, and continue some projects like checking the larder and building it with shoyu, vinegars, and garum projects.
Looking back, everyone was responsible for just about anything they were confident enough to get their hands on. Your reward for completing work early was, of course, more work. I started with mille crêpe but by the end of my stage, I was making wild sorrel juice infusions and lobster stock, cleaning langoustines, preparing the family meal, shucking oysters, and the list goes on.
One thing above all was clearly communicated at Maison Sota: to have a relationship with beauty, one must be fearless. Chef Sota and the team are fearless cooks. They pushed a la minute cooking to its absolute limit, worked with the best products I’ve ever seen, and all counted on one another to get to the finish line. If you did less than the day before or a little more or the same, what mattered was that you gave your maximum effort, and that you pushed and moved constantly. I am so excited to bring this energy back to Lutéce and my team, as well as to work with farms more and to lead with fearlessness.
Overall, the food at Maison Sota was simple and the techniques not overly complicated. What sets Maison Sota apart is its interpretation of cuisine. I have been blessed with the opportunity to showcase my own idea of what cuisine can be for me, but starting without much perspective had felt daunting at times, so I would often second-guess myself. This happened even though I have helped out with pop-ups, collab dinners, charity events, and even written many iterations of the menu at Lutèce. Thanks to this stage opportunity, I was able to go to a new and unfamiliar place, which at first was uncomfortable, but I finished the stage experience with newfound confidence and perspective. This stage was life-changing, and answered for me many questions I had in my mind before the stage.
I thank Ment’or once again for this opportunity, and would proudly represent Ment’or in the future where possible. Anyone who is eligible for the Ment’or Grant should apply for this opportunity if they are able to!
