Q & A with Daniel Humm

What do you get when you combine 18 years of culinary experience with multi-starred cooking in Switzerland, San Francisco and New York?  Daniel Humm.  You can taste his exceptional work at Eleven Madison Park, but his journey to New York is nearly as unique.   Chef Humm jump-started his career at age 14 when he apprenticed in some of Switzerland’s top restaurants, such as Hotel Baur au Lac.  Humm left there for Gasthaus zum Gupf in the Swiss Alps, where the then teenager quickly rose to executive chef and earned the restaurant a Michelin Star.

Next stop: America.  He landed a position at Campton Place in San Francisco, instantly drawing praise.   More importantly, he found a team and formed a bond so strong with his staff that he took them to New York to work alongside him at Danny Meyer’s Eleven Madison Park in 2006.  Humm plays the part of savory and pastry chef.

Humm’s modern French cooking has earned the restaurant the Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux award and three stars from the New York Times.  (Not to mention five stars from the New York Daily News.)   At present, Humm’s menu features  a honey-glazed Muscovy Duc seasoned with orange, lavender and spices.  For dessert, there’s a coconut and cilantro vacherin with pineapple sorbet.

Single/Married/Divorced?
Newly Married.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always knew I had a passion for cooking and I began staging at a very early age.  I never really had to ask myself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” because I was already doing it.

What was your first job in food? What did you learn?
I started my cooking apprenticeship at the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zurich at age 16. I worked there for four years, learning the real fundamentals of cooking.  I wasn’t exposed to the intricacies of fine dining, but I moved through all parts of the kitchen to truly understand and master each station.

You grew up and did your culinary training in Switzerland.  So, what do you consider the definition of Swiss cuisine and are there Swiss influences in your cooking now?
Swiss cuisine is very exact, very seasonal, and has many regional influences from its neighbors-France, Italy, Austria and Germany. I would say that my culinary training in Switzerland has encouraged me to be very diverse in my own cooking, and accepting of all types of cuisines.

You started your cooking career at age 14.  Do you feel like you got a jump start in the field?
Absolutely, in America it is a lot harder to do an “apprenticeship” – which is how most Europeans start cooking at such a young age.  Most cooks in America don’t start cooking until their externship for culinary school.

When you became the executive chef at Gasthaus zum Gupf in the Swiss Alps, you earned a Michelin star.  Were there any lessons learned from your mentor, Chef G. Rabaey that you believe launched you to success from so early on?
He taught me to be persistent and to never compromise my standards.  He also made me realize that being a successful chef is about understanding food, rather than forcing things together.  He would often say, “If you understand why this tomato and basil go together, then you don’t need me anymore.”  This really hit home for me.

How did you end up in San Francisco, and more importantly, at Campton Place?
Paul Zuest, the former GM of Campton Place, is from Switzerland.  One of his good friends was a regular at Gasthaus zum Gupf.  I met him one night, and eventually he talked me into visiting California where I had the chance to experience all of the best restaurants in the San Francisco area – The French Laundry, Gary Danko, etc.  That was the moment I knew that I had to come to America.

What’s your reaction to the Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux award in November, 2008?
I was incredibly excited. It’s such an amazing honor for my entire team to join this highly acclaimed International family.  The designation by Relais & Châteaux will help us build new relationships on many different levels.

You became Eleven Madison Park’s executive chef in 2006, taking over Kerry Heffernan’s 8 year run. What was your first order of business?
The first thing I did was bestow  tocques on all the cooks and sous chefs. I did this to symbolize the arrival of a new Chef.

Not many chefs take their staff with them, but you did just that moving from Campton Place to Eleven Madison Park.   How did you convince Danny Meyer to do that?  How did you convince your team?
We had created such a strong team at Campton Place, that I really wanted and needed them to come with me to New York.  These people already had a clear picture of what my vision was.  It was easy to convince Danny Meyer of this, but it was slightly harder to convince the team to come along with me. Fortunately, they realized what an exciting opportunity lay before them – to recreate the same level of success we had in San Francisco in New York City. New York is every professional chef’s dream.

Then there’s the state of the economy at a notably upscale French restaurant.  Have you made any concessions in this respect?  How does it affect what you put on the menu and how much you put on the plate?…

More than ever, people are looking for value and want to be taken
care of. In our quest to continually provide exceptional hospitality
and value, we are now offering a $28, two-course lunch menu, plus a
selection of $28 wines (full & ½ bottles & glasses)– a really
wonderful deal in the city right now.  We are also focusing on team
education – so when this downturn ends, we will be more prepared than
ever to shine.

You pull double duty as the EMP’s pastry
chef as well. How do you manage both sides of the kitchen at once?   Do
you create desserts with your entrees in mind?
It is very
important for me to create desserts with the same vision as my savory
courses. We have a very strong team in Pastry, with our Executive
Pastry Sous Chef, Angela Pinkerton, at the helm.

How do you handle criticism of your cuisine?  Does it motivate you to change, or do you stick to what you want to do?
It
really depends on the criticism. Some I take very seriously and use the
critique constructively to motivate me to make changes, though some I
can’t take too seriously. If every bit of criticism made me upset, I
would lose my confidence, focus, and drive.  You also have to take it
in stride and realize that, ”You are not quite as good as they say, and
are not quite as bad as they say.”

You were named
“Culinary Discovery in Switzerland 2002.” In America, you’ve been
nominated twice by the James Beard Foundation for Rising Star Chef. 
Food and Wine magazine dubbed you one of the Best New Chefs of 2005. 
What do you make of all this attention so early on in your career?
All
of these accomplishments were very helpful to reaffirm that I was on
the right professional path, but these awards don’t just belong to me,
they belong to my entire team. It really helps since there is a lot of
pressure on all of us. The recognition does great things for team
morale!

Most chefs take a side when it comes to molecular
gastronomy.  Where do you fall?  How do you balance your foams with
more classic technique?
I love food and I love the diverse ways to approach food. I appreciate anything as long as it tastes good and is well executed.

What culinary trends do you embrace?
I
really embrace purity and simplicity – great ingredients and
well-executed techniques.  This is a no fail trend that can never go
out of style.

What culinary trends do you wish would just die already?
When food becomes too intellectual and doesn’t come from the heart.

What is your favorite dish on the menu at Eleven Madison Park? And favorite pastry?
Whole Roasted Duck with Lavender Honey and the Quark Soufflé with Passion Fruit.

What is your least favorite (and yes, you must pick one)?
Not possible… sorry!

You’re a native of Switzerland.  Are there any restaurants in New York that remind you of home?  A favorite perhaps?
The closest restaurant to home is Wallsé.

Any new projects on the horizon? Spill the beans…
I’m really looking forward to
cooking at the Rare Wine Dinner on March 5th alongside Daniel Boulud,
Michel Troisgros, and David Bouley.  And Sunday, March 8th, I’ll be
cooking again with Daniel Boulud and Michel Troisgros at the City Meals
on Wheels Gala.

Eleven Madison Park
Address: 11 Madison Ave. (btwn. 23rd & 24th Sts.)
Phone: 212-889-0918