Demonstration by chef Juan Arbelaez, Cuisine Diploma alumnus | Le Cordon Bleu Paris
The recipe is octopus ceviche.
My name is Juan Arbelaez
and I am Columbian.
I currently have two roles;
I am a Chef
and executive Chef at the Marignan hotel on the Champs Élysées.
Juan worked with me just three years ago
at the Four Seasons Georges V hotel in Paris
where I was executive Chef
and Juan a member of my kitchen brigade.
Le Cordon Bleu Paris gave me access to this field of study
and all the expertise of the Chefs
Chefs with whom I worked at the time.
It opened a lot of doors.
I have never been a clock-watcher.
I think the Chefs noticed how hard I worked
and this helped me enormously.
I am proud of Le Cordon Bleu’s outstanding ability to ensure
that expertise is shared around the globe.
Le Cordon Bleu Paris graduate, Weimar Gomez, also comes to mind.
He was one of my seconds at the Georges V
and today is one of the executive Chefs at the Four Seasons group.
DNA now exists, around the world,
in a new generation
which is precise,
full of ideas,
and shifting established ideas in France.
It is wonderful to see such a rapid trajectory
which is thanks to Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute
and also the media,
as they act as a springboard, enabling Chefs to leap 10 years forward with a single step.
The infrastructure and the curriculum are exceptional!
It is up to us, Le Cordon Bleu institute students, to give our all.
You need to get out in the field,
go and work,
make the most of the network at your disposal.
Ask for the Chefs’ advice
to get your foot through the door of top Parisian establishments,
do the best internships
to give your career a kick-start.
The cuisine industry is tough,
with long hours,
but it is exhilarating!
For me, it was all about finding my identity,
v
Latin American elements,
in spices,
vibrant colours
and ingredients that may not exist in everyday French cuisine
but which are very complementary.
French cuisine is heart-warming
and extremely technical.
Today, I would compare my cuisine to
a blend of cancan and salsa
a French cancan/salsa
because it has the technicality of a French cancan
with a rigid and serious side
and at the same time
the instinctive element of salsa!
This mixture sums up my cuisine style.
These cuisines are focused on flavours
and products,
exceptional products and,
at the end of the day, that is what we are seeking
above all else.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
thank you and welcome to Columbia!
Le Cordon Bleu Paris alumnus, Juan Arbelaez, demonstrates French cuisine with the colours and flavours of Colombia. 2017 is a year dedicated to cementing the friendship that already exists between Colombia and France. To mark the event, Le Cordon Bleu Paris is kicking off 2017 Latin America and Caribbean Week with a demonstration by its Colombian alumnus, Juan Arbelaez, a celebrity Chef who also owns a number of restaurants in France. Who is Juan Arbelaez? http://lcbl.eu/7jc Learn more about the Cuisine Diploma: http://lcbl.eu/7jg