Although he loves his job, particularly working with Gagnaire, Biles' ultimate ambition is to create his own restaurant
Head chef Olivier Biles from Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire at InterContinental Dubai Festival City discusses Bouillabaisse, ambition and his nerves when cooking at his mentor’s wedding.
On his inspiration
At the moment it is the cuisine of Pierre Gagnaire, without a doubt. His vision of the finest French cooking bases influenced by his travels and our various restaurants around the world is a daily inspiration.
The region’s F&B industry
In the four years I have been here, I still cannot believe how fast the culinary scene has evolved. Dubai is certainly becoming a great food destination and we often hear this from our guests. The city is slowly maturing and will soon be on the same playing field as other capital cities such as London, Paris or Hong Kong.
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On the success of Reflets
Reflets is a fantastic restaurant that both excites and intrigues its customers. It is the kaleidoscopic cuisine of Pierre Gagnaire that keeps the customers coming back. The restaurant has built up a great reputation for offering a personalised and unique service where every guest is made to feel special.
His advice for new chefs in the industry
Be honest, passionate and respect the produce and the seasons. You need to have a lot of patience too! Building a strong and successful restaurant takes time — in most cases it takes years. Challenge yourself every day, come to your kitchen and reflect on how you can do better than yesterday.
Career highlights
The last event I did in Paris, right before coming to Dubai — I was catering for the wedding of Pierre Gagnaire, and on that day he was both my chef and my guest. I found it quite nerve-racking, but so rewarding! I have also cooked for Santi Santamaria, who showed great generosity and feedback, which provided great motivation for me. I have many fond memories of his visit.
On his favourite dish
Bouillabaisse is a dish I love to both cook and eat. When I was younger, my father used to take me fishing and once we were back home we would cook the “Bouille” on the barbecue in the garden. The fish was line-caught, our vegetables fresh-grown from the garden, and all the family would eat outside with the song of the cicadas. Bouillabaisse is most definitely the taste of my childhood.
Future ambitions
I don’t think I will ever work for another chef. The journey with chef Gagnaire will surely continue for a few more years, as I really love my job; however, I know that ultimately I want to create my own culinary universe.
On the popularity of French cuisine
It certainly is as popular as ever! Maybe more than ever actually, because it is not as conservative as it used to be. It is slowly introducing ingredients and techniques from other culinary traditions so it becomes more and more exciting.
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