Interview with the Chef: Eric Johnson of Jean George

Executive Chef of the famous Jean George in Shanghai, Eric Johnson, will be at Beijing's Ritz-Carlton's Culinary Coin Festival this Saturday and we asked him a few questions before tomorrow's event.

The Beijinger: Why did you become a chef?

Johnson: I grew up cooking all the time at home with my parents. We were always crabbing, fishing, mushroom hunting, etc. Basically it was just a hobby until I finished university. Only then did I even have the idea to pursue it professionally. I guess we all would like to work doing something that we love.

The Beijinger: What is your philosophy with cooking?

Johnson: Quite simply to make things that taste good. To give you something that makes you want to have another. Sounds simple, but in reality it's much harder than most other "complicated" concepts.

The Beijinger: Which dish is your specialty?

Johnson: I'd probably say whatever dish we've just created. But, in the real spirit of the question, seafood, especially shellfish is where my heart is.

The Beijinger: What is the most difficult part of your job?

Johnson: It takes a lot of effort to try to keep everyone around us happy. Between customers and staff, it's a lot of people to keep track of!

The Beijinger: Is it difficult maintaining your restaurant's reputation? What do you do to keep the competition high and the pressure low?

Johnson: We do our best not to worry about competition. We cannot control what the others do. We try to do what we do the best we can. I find there is enough stress going on inside the restaurant without worrying about others. Which isn’t to say we don’t like to see what our colleagues in other place are doing. We just don’t let it affect what we do.

Links and Sources
World Gourmet Summit: Eric Johnson (image)