MATHIEU CANET
MATHIEU CANET
INTERVIEW BY LORENZO BASILICO
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS LENSZ
OUT NOW
ISSUE 43 FW23
KALEIDOSCOPE's Fall/Winter 2023 issue launches with a set of six covers. Featuring Sampha, Alex Katz, Harmony Korine, a report into the metamorphosis of denim, a photo reportage by Dexter Navy, and a limited-edition cover by Isa Genzken.
Also featured in this issue: London-based band Bar Italia (photography by Jessica Madavo and interview by Conor McTernan), the archives of Hysteric Glamour (photography by Lorenzo Dalbosco and interview by Akio Kunisawa), Japanese underground illustrator Yoshitaka Amano (words by Alex Shulan), Marseille-based artist Sara Sadik (photography by Nicolas Poillot and interview by Daria Miricola), a survey about Japan’s new hip-hop scene starring Tohji (photography by Taito Itateyama and words by Ashley Ogawa Clarke), Richard Prince’s new book “The Entertainers” (words by Brad Phillips), “New Art: London” (featuring Adam Farah-Saad, Lenard Giller, Charlie Osborne, R.I.P. Germain, and Olukemi Ljiadu photographed by Bolade Banjo and interviewed by Ben Broome).
FROM THE CURRENT ISSUE: ISA GENZKEN
FROM THE PREVIOUS ISSUE
MANIFESTO
From June 22 to June 24 during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris, KALEIDOSCOPE and GOAT presented the new edition of our annual arts and culture festival, MANIFESTO. Against the unique setting of the French Communist Party building, a modern architectural landmark designed by legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, the festival will bring together visionary creators from different areas of culture across three days of art, fashion and sound.
FROM THE SHOP
CAPSULE PLAZA
In April 2023, a year after the launch of the magazine, Capsule introduced Capsule Plaza, a new initiative that infuses new energy into Milan Design Week by redefining the design showcase format. A hybrid between a fair and a collective exhibition, Capsule Plaza brings together designers and companies from various creative fields, bridging industry and culture with a bold curation that spans interiors and architecture, beauty and technology, ecology and craft.
MARK FLOOD
1017 ALYX 9SM
In January 2023, KALEIDOSCOPE presented a solo exhibition by Houston-based artist Mark Flood (b. 1957), curated by Alessio Ascari, at Spazio Maiocchi in Milan. In his paintings, Flood deploys the detritus of contemporary culture—slogans, celebrities, logos, and memes—to mock American society and the elitist art world. The exhibition also provided the scenography for the runway presentation of the 1017 ALYX 9SM Fall/Winter 2023 collection.
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Designed by Rem Koolhas in a minimalist splendour of marbles and mirrors, under the direction of chef Mathieu Canet, restaurant Le Dauphin has been leading a revolution in the city’s dining culture, from the old working-class neighborhood of Belleville.
LORENZO BASILICO
Being a chef is a journey, and your whole identity and style are built on your experiences. Tell me more about yourself. Where are you from? How long have you been working in the kitchen?
MATHIEU CANET
I’m from Bordeaux, the southeast of France—a region known for wine, but also very rich in food culture. At 14, I studied at the Lycée Hôtelier in Bordeaux, a very classic education, not only focused on cooking but on all the aspects of hospitality. I once had an internship in a hotel where I had to clean the rooms, work at the laundry service—I think it’s really important to get an overall view of the hospitality business, and to realize how much teamwork is valuable. As a kid, I always helped out my dad, who used to have a restaurant near Cahors. I used to work at the Saint-James in Bordeaux, a Michelin-star restaurant. The building was built by Jean Nouvel.
LB
Where does your love of cooking come from?
MC
It was definitely influenced by the city I come from and my family. They enjoy a simple meal, but made with fresh, regional products. I’ve liked offals since I was a child. I used to go fishing with my dad and then help prepare the fish we caught. As a child, I was eating like an adult.
LB
How was that early experience working in a Michelin-star restaurant?
MC
It was a really good experience to learn about perfectionism and to be rigorous, to be organized and to work with pressure and a lot of people.
LB
Bistronomie is “fuck Michelin perfectionism”?
MC
Aha, people think that, but not really. Bistronomie, for me, is the skills and quality of Michelin stars with less showing off.
LB
So they basically feel guilty about being too exclusive and they want to feel human but still be exclusive
MC
I don’t think they feel guilty; they just want to offer more to people and build a relationship more close and direct with the people.
LB
I mean, the kitchen is about showing off.
MC
It depends on what kind of restaurant you work at.
LB
Now, you work for Le Dauphin, one of the most interesting and influential restaurants in Paris, leading the bistronomie revolution. What attracted you to it?
MC
12 years ago, I went to eat for the first time at Le Châteaubriand. It was a bit like a “eureka” moment. It was one of the meals I appreciated the most in my life, and I felt very good in that place. It felt very natural. Bistronomie is close to my beliefs: making good food with good ingredients at an affordable price.
LB
Do you like living in Paris? Are you planning to stay longer and open your own restaurant?
MC
I love living in Paris. I really feel I’m in my right place in this city. I keep it in my mind to open a restaurant, but I don’t feel an urgency to do it. When I find the people I feel comfortable with, it can happen.
LB
Do you ever think about the name of your restaurant?
MC
I think for the name, it’s gonna be the address of the spot, like 37ruedoudeauville75018.
LB
Do you have creative freedom in the restaurant, or is it more about refining the menu?
MC
Complete freedom since the first day. It’s why I love the place, and it’s been ten years that I’ve been the chef at Le Dauphin.
LB
What is your relationship with Iñaki Aizpitarte?
MC
We really understand each other without a lot of words. It’s why I really enjoy it here. We come from the same suburban city in Bordeaux; we share a skateboarding background.
LB
How does the reviewing process work?
MC
The best review is that he comes to eat next to me at the pass almost every day.
LB
Does he put a lot of pressure on you?
MC
No, I don’t feel any pressure from him or his partner Laurent Cabut. They make me grow in my way of thinking; they give time to grow.
LB
How do you find inspiration for a new dish? I’m curious to understand your creative process, from imagining ingredients to the finished plate.
MC
I find inspiration a lot in the different vibes outside when I walk in the street, for combinations of color and texture, mainly in clothing, as well as from dishes I ate in the past. To be completely honest, I don’t really know where the inspiration comes from. I have never thought about it.
LB
What is your favorite dish ever? Do you fall in love with the flavor or with the story behind it?
MC
I think it is beef tartare. It is my favorite because it’s simple, you have a temperature contrast between the hot fries and the cold meat, and it’s not pretentious or demonstrative.
LB
Chefs are often compared to artists because of similarities in their practices. How do you feel about this?
MC
I don’t consider myself an artist. I actually never gave this some thought. The most obvious similarity is that we both create, trying to transmit an emotion. But there’s also a lot of differences. As chefs, we depend on so many things: the seasons, the suppliers ... And we need to reproduce: we prepare the same dish over and over—though one could say that it never tastes exactly the same.
LB
In the kitchen, as in the art world, it is very tough to name the originator of a trend, as everybody is influencing each other. Did you ever feel like, “I could have thought of that too?”
MC
Yes, I have this feeling sometimes but I don’t see it as a bad thing to be influenced by other people. You are influenced by everything in general, even things you don’t think about. With bistronomie, for example, you can identify the group of people who started it, such as Yves Camdeborde, Iñaki Aizpitarte, Jean-Marie Amat, Yves Gravelier, and Jean-Pierre Xiradakis. After, you can become one of the people who have the same taste as well, which can be a positive thing.
LB
“Tradition” is one of the kitchen’s buzzwords in recent years. One might argue it does not exist and it is just laziness—there is only research. How do tradition and research impact your work? And if you had to choose, what would you go for?
MC
I don’t think tradition is laziness; you can have research in tradition. For example, some techniques like fermentation are very old, and it’s kind of a trend in kitchens. I don’t think we have to choose between tradition and research; they’re complementary. Tradition impacts my work, like when I choose the produce I use or the way I mix flavors, the way I present the dish. I think it’s important to respect tradition to progress in your work.
LB
As the culinary world is always evolving, what do you think will be the next big trend?
MC
I have no clue. I think it’s important for a chef to feel free and open-minded, and to not put pressure on the client. We should not care about trends and social media. In the end, eating is about having joy.
LB
Do you enjoy cooking at home or is it just about survival?
MC
Yes, I enjoy cooking for my girlfriend Stéphanie ... but I enjoy the most when she cooks for me.
LB
What’s the one recipe that you would suggest to a non-chef like myself to charm a girl?
MC
Flowers and fries.
LB
What are your favorite restaurants in Paris, and why?
MC
I love these: Tsukizi, Severo, Le Château- briand, L’arpège, Le Grand Bol. The food is great, and I feel very comfortable. It’s where I enjoy my meals the most.
LB
Lastly, the hardest question: What is your ultimate achievement as a chef?
MC
My ultimate achievement is working at Le Dauphin. It’s the only place I’ve really felt very close.
Mathieu Canet (b. 1988) is a French chef born in Bordeaux. He has been leading the kitchen of the iconic Parisian bistrot, founded by Michelin chef Iñaki Aizpitarte, Le Dauphin for ten years.
Lorenzo Basilico (b. 1998) is KALEIDOSCOPE’s associate editor and creative assistant.
PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS LENSZ
PHOTO ASSISTANT: LEA GUGLER
GROOMING: LAURE DANSOU
PRODUCTION: ANNABEL FERNANDES