On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of CUT by Wolfgang Puck, at Mondrian Doha, FACT spoke to the chef about his humble beginnings with his mother in the kitchen, and his culinary adventures and aspirations.

What first inspired you towards the culinary sector? Did you always know you wanted to be a chef?
It really started with my mother who was a great cook and made delicious food with minimal resources. Every summer break, I went to the restaurant where my mother worked and helped the pastry chef. My childhood was difficult with my stepfather. While I wasn’t sure I was going to be a chef, I wanted to move out. I was 14 when I started in the kitchen and I’m still in the kitchen!

Before branching out on your own, you worked at some very prestigious establishments. How did you actually get your start in the kitchen?
When I was 17, I moved to France where I learned about l’Oustau de Baumanière, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Baumanière Provence that was founded by Raymond Thuilier and has its place in the history of French gastronomy. At that time Raymond was 70 years old but, even at that age, he was so passionate about food and hospitality. He became my mentor and that changed my life. He was the first one who made me realise that maybe I could do this. At the age of 20, Raymond offered me a job as a chef at his one-star restaurant, where I worked for a year before I moved back to Baumanière. I worked at other places in Monaco, Paris and America but it was really Baumanière that changed my life.

From TV and the Internet, we somehow expect chefs to be somewhat fiery in the kitchen. Are you like that? Do you have any observations on that way of working?
In America today, if you get too wild in the kitchen, you go to jail! You can’t work like that anymore. I too have had my fair share of fiery moments when I worked in France. Then, when I opened Spago in 1982, it had an open kitchen. With the guests next to us, we couldn’t scream or curse, at least not in front of them, and that changed the way we interacted.

Please tell us about how you acquired your first flagship restaurant and what made it so special?
Before I started Spago, I was at Ma Maison where I met a lot of important people in the movie industry in LA including Billy Wilder, George Welles, Jack Lemmon and Joan Collins. Knowing these guests helped me when I opened Spago. It was very different from other restaurants at the time with its relaxed vibe – the only thing that was formal was on the plate – which is what attracted guests; it had a high energy with an open kitchen offering a view of the fiery grill and pizza oven.
I remember Billy Wilder once came in with his movie star peers including Gregory Peck and Linda Evans. There were some journalists present at the same time who saw this and wrote about us. Before we knew it, calls for reservations were pouring in. Some guests called to book a table for a particular time and cut the line even before we had the chance to tell them that we were full. I recall a good customer who owned a basketball team and never made a reservation. He simply walked in and sat at an empty table when he spotted one. When anyone asked him if he had a prior reservation, he told them that I’d asked him to sit there.
There was an area by the window, which was popular with guests and we had guests get upset if they couldn’t get a table there. Three years after we opened, we moved to the next level when Swifty Lazar started hosting his Oscar parties at Spago. Everyone from the older celebrities, including Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Elizabeth Taylor, to the newer ones, including Michael Jackson, Madonna and Sean Penn, who were in their 20s then, showed up. It was a huge success.

You have had a long and illustrious career with many different outlets across the world. Do you have a favourite brand/location?
This is like asking me which of my four children is my favourite. How can I tell you that? For me, a restaurant is all about people. I like to open restaurants in places that I don’t know. That’s perhaps why I don’t have anything in Austria, yet. Longevity is what I’m most proud of. Restaurants come and go all the time, but to be there for so many years on the forefront and have people still talk about it, is a good thing. For example, Spago has been around for 40 years and the first CUT opened in 2006 in Beverly Hills and is still a favourite gourmet destination.

Also, there must have been some odd or funny incidents over those years. Is there a particular one that stands out?
I remember hosting the Oscars many years ago. We were expecting about 1,600 guests. We were cooking when suddenly, the electricity went out for 15 minutes and we still had to cook for 800 people. The security was tight on the day, so, the engineers couldn’t get through to correct the issue. That didn’t stop us from putting out a great service.
Another time, a fire marshal walked in and noticed that while we could accommodate only 120 guests, there were 180 chairs with tables laid out. He asked us to remove 60, which would have been a logistical nightmare considering the tables had been reserved by name. My manager handled the situation smartly. He told the marshal that there were 120 seats inside and 60 outside. The marshal wasn’t one to easily budge and asked him where the sign was, to which he replied that we would receive it soon.

CUT will mark its fifth year in Qatar this year. What made you choose to bring the brand here? How has it been received?
We started in Dubai and felt this was an interesting region. I liked the history and tradition of this place and the people here. An opportunity came along and I said let’s do something in Qatar given its rich and diverse culinary scene and, so far, it’s been great! Qatar is now a well-positioned culinary hub embracing flavours from all over the world and continuously offering a myriad of experiences, including Michelin-starred restaurants and experimental cuisines that cater to all needs and tastes.

What can CUT’s Qatar fans look forward to in the future?
Are there any changes to the restaurant or menu that you can share with us? My motto in life is to get better every day and that’s what we hope to continue doing at CUT too. We started off using only the best products and have enhanced them along the way. I’m always thinking of ways to make things better. I always envision more development as we don’t stand still! It’s important for me to blend tradition and innovation. We’re always changing the menu ever so slightly and try to use the best locally-sourced ingredients as much as we can. At CUT, we deliver innovation and quality at every level through our unique culinary culture, service and design combination.

What is the favourite menu item at CUT Qatar and what do you think makes this dish so popular?
In Qatar, CUT specialises in beef. We have great beef coming in from Japan – Wagyu – Australia and the US. We also have some fantastic appetisers for lunch and pizzas with smoked salmon and caviar. Further, we have a wide selection of refreshing salads including the Crab Louise Cobb salad and the Charred Eggplant, which are quite popular. We always try to cater to all tastes and adapt to the local palate through continuous innovation across our menu offerings while retaining our culinary philosophy. Guests love our pastas and risottos – especially with truffle in the winter.

Will you have the chance to get out and about a bit during your visit? And, if yes, what is your favourite thing to do or see in Qatar?
Unfortunately, my visit this time is very short. However, I am planning to come for an extended stay and I am looking forward to visiting Souq Waqif that is steeped in Qatari tradition and learning more about Qatar’s enriched culture and heritage. ✤