Sergio Herman looks the worst for wear. He apologises for his tardiness and explains that he had just landed a couple of hours ago from Tokyo and immediately plunged neck-deep into work. Our interview, he motions with his hands, is a welcome break.
Herman has been busy with the impending launch of Le Pristine at Grand Hyatt Singapore. It’s the second after the original in Antwerp and will open its doors in the third quarter of 2023. He is the first to admit that he dislikes talking about concepts, but if he had to distil Le Pristine’s energy into a bottle, it would be “fantastic festive vibes that go beyond food”.
He leans forward. “You know, the first thing I wrote when I conceptualised the restaurant was Le Pristine needs to be a party.” He paints a vivid picture of beautiful charcoal artworks on the walls, a kaleidoscope of lights illuminating melted disco balls from Rotganzen, sculptures of light by Sabine Marcelis, and more.
“You need space and freedom to create new dishes. Travel, sit down, dream. In the heat of daily operations, you’ll never have time for creativity.”
Sergio Herman believes that creativity can only happen outside of the kitchen
Herman never mentions ingredients. Not that he has to. This is the same man who shocked the culinary world when he shut down his three-Michelin-starred 23-year-old family restaurant Oud Sluis in 2013. A year later, he opened The Jane in Antwerp, gaining two Michelin stars within 12 months. His more casual establishment Pure C Bar & Restaurant, a stone’s throw away from Oud Sluis, also received a star within 18 months.
Le Pristine in Antwerp holds a star, too. Herman clearly knows his way around the kitchen. Yet, he admits he might have spent too much time in its bowels. “When I was younger, I was in the kitchen every day, working hard from 8am to 2am. I had no time for my family and children.”
Then, he experienced a sudden epiphany. There was no flash of inspiration or a doctor’s warning, just the realisation that the restaurant would have to close if anything happened to him. Herman had to learn to trust his team of chefs.
Photo: Grand Hyatt Singapore.
He advises his young peers to learn from his mistakes and to let go. “You need space and freedom to create new dishes. Travel, sit down, dream. In the heat of daily operations, you’ll never have time for creativity.”
Still, he acknowledges that the culinary world today differs vastly from the one he inhabited when he started, in part because of the rise of social media.
Everyone is a food critic now and the fine dining scene has exploded, with chefs venerated as rock stars and popular restaurants sometimes having years-long waiting lists. Already, there has been pushback. Several chefs, including Marco Pierre White, Sebastien Bras and Magnus Nilsson have returned their Michelin stars while René Redzepi recently announced that Noma was closing its doors permanently by 2024.
Herman doesn’t believe there is a bubble. “There will always be fine dining. Some young, crazy chef will create something amazing. And it’s good to have fresh blood.”
In keeping with his ethos of trusting his team, he’s brought some of his best collaborators, many of whom he has worked with for several years, to Singapore. Herman understands the competitive and intense nature of Singapore’s dining scene. But he’s quietly confident that Le Pristine Singapore will hold its own. “And we have a fantastic partner in the Grand Hyatt,” Herman smiles.
It’s time to get back to work.
