The Culinary Institute of America

Interview with Chef Alexis Gauthier of Gautier Soho in London

Chef Alexis Gauthier of Gauthier Soho is located in Soho, London, in a Regency townhouse. Gauthier Soho is a traditional fine-dining French restaurant serving all vegan fare. Chef talks about growing up in the south of France, being the first restaurant in London to create an all-vegetable tasting menu in the late 90s, and cooking techniques to bring the most out of vegetables. Since becoming vegan in 2014, Chef decided he no longer wanted his restaurant to profit from serving animals. He saw the pandemic shutdown as an opportunity to transition the restaurant to being 100% plant-based.
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Hummus with Baharat Crunch at Bubula Spitalfields Restaurant in London

Chef Ben Rand of Bubula Spitalfields in east London prepares his signature hummus with a date and baharat crunch. Baharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend with cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, cloves, and cinnamon. He fries shallots and adds dates, Baharat, Aleppo chili, and tamari to the hot oil. This is used as the umami-rich topping for the hummus.
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Eggplant with Curry Leaf Crunch at Bubula Spitalfields Restaurant in London

Ben Rand is executive chef of Bubula Spitalfields restaurant in East London. He shares how he makes grilled eggplant with peanut sauce and a fried shallot and curry leaf crunch, marinating the grilled and peeled eggplant overnight in a sauce of vegan dashi, miso paste, and tamari. To cut down on food waste, he blends candied peanuts with the leftover marinade, and uses it as the sauce on top of the eggplant.
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Interview with Marc Summers of Bubula Spitalfields Restaurant in London

Marc Summers is founder and CEO of Bubula Spitalfields restaurant in East London. This vegetarian Middle Eastern restaurant has a menu designed for sharing. The name Bubula means “darling” in Yiddish, and is what Summers and his grandmother used to call each other. He hopes to bring the feeling of comfort, care, and generosity he felt at his grandmother’s house to his restaurant.
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Tomatoes with Scallop Roe at Bibi Restaurant in London

Chetan Sharma is chef and owner of Bibi restaurant in the heart of Mayfair, London, which serves plant-forward, modern Indian cuisine. Chef Sharma demonstrates several preparations of locally-grown tomatoes, dressed in smoked scallop roe and green mango powder, alongside house-made ricotta infused with dried mint and nigella seeds.
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Smoked Kohlrabi at Bibi Restaurant in London

Bibi restaurant is located in the Mayfair borough of London, and serves plant-forward modern Indian cuisine in a fine-dining setting. Chetan Sharma,chef and owner of Bibi, and demonstrates kohlrabi nimbu pani, folding petals of smoked kohlrabi to form a rose and serving it with pineberries, kaji lemon ceviche, a jalapeño and egg white emulsion, puffed quinoa, and citrus leaf chaat masala.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Chetan Sharma of Bibi Restaurant in London

Chetan Sharma is chef and owner of Bibi restaurant in the heart of Mayfair, London. Bibi features an Indian-inspired and produce-led menu that Chef Sharma describes as accessible fine dining. Chef Sharma talks about starting to cook at age 17, working in Michelin-starred restaurants, and how his PhD in physics helps him run a restaurant. Bibi opened in 2021, and is named after Chef Sharma’s two grandmothers called “bibi,” which means “lady of the house.”
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White Asparagus Bavoise at Pied à Terre in London

Executive Head Chef Philip Kearsey, of Michelin-starred Pied à Terre restaurant in London, shares how he makes his vegan dish of white asparagus Bavoise with pickled green strawberries, hazelnuts and nasturtium.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!