In Paris, Belgian Chef Mallory Gabsi Is Redefining Modern Cuisine

"Tucked behind the Arc de Triomphe at the top end of the Champs-Élysées, I meet him in a jewel-box restaurant in Paris’ 17th arrondissement — just a few tables, an open kitchen and a space that feels both elegant and intimate. His philosophy of controlled chaos — emotion and instinct guided by structure — is evident in every dish: puff pastry amuse-bouches that demand careful precision (he cheekily calls them “Pâte à airbag — like little cushions you want to rest your head on”) and amuse-bouches he describes as “little pillows of comfort.” Spontaneous, imaginative and unfiltered, his cooking plays with contrast and whimsy: a delicate eel dish has become his signature and even a traditional Belgian eel in green sauce has appeared in seven different iterations on his menu. After stints in MICHELIN-starred kitchens like Sea Grill and Hertog Jan and a breakthrough as a finalist on Top Chefin 2020, his eponymous restaurant earned a MICHELIN Star and the Young Chef Award, and you get the sense he’s a master of reinvention who’s only just getting started." - Georges Rouzeau