Sébastien Perrot is a passionate chef from Chablis in Burgundy with a love for life and adventure. If he’s not conjuring up dishes in his kitchen of the Mu restaurant at the Sofitel Grand Ducal then you’ll find him putting pedal to the metal on his bike. Things could have been very different though. “I wanted to join the French Navy.” But life had other ideas in store.
He spent his childhood in the countryside with his farming grandparents and butcher father. “I always ate good, local home-cooked food. I have fond memories of Sunday family meals and the wonderful aromas!” says Sébastien Perrot.
He couldn’t wait to get out into the real world, so he did an NVQ in cookery. He headed to Paris when he was 18 to start his first job. “I only wanted one thing: to experience something new and totally different to my old life. Two Yonne chefs based in Paris hired me and the rest is history!”
He earned his stripes at the then 2 Michelin-starred Méridien Etoile. “I remember being blown away when I first saw the kitchen.”
The ever adventurous chef snapped up a demi-chef de partie position at the Hôtel Concorde Lafayette Michelin-starred restaurant alongside Chef Jean-Claude Lhonneur. He was “a mentor who taught me a great deal about cookery techniques.”
“My dishes reflect my background, but I let my team express theirs too.”
He spent time in other Michelin-starred establishments in the French capital before it was time to make a career choice. “I loved the structure of hotels and having to have lots of different skills suited me perfectly. So, I decided to stay in hospitality.”
The chef joined the Accor Group as chef de partie at Sofitel Arc de Triomphe then gastro sous-chef at Relais de Sèvres. It marked a milestone in his career as Chef Perrot had to tackle new responsibilities such as managing a team and creating a menu. “I was lucky that Chef Miecaze gave me lots of freedom to experiment and hone my style.”
His sense of adventure resurfaced after his spell in Paris. Luxembourg set the scene for his next challenge. Chef Perrot was made chef at Sofitel Europe and took over Oro e Argento serving Italian dishes. “I only knew how to make French-style risottos with cream! I had to go to Italy to get to grips with the cuisine.”
He soon fell in love with this simple but delicious style of cooking, “focusing on my beloved good produce,” and spent years at Sofitel.
He was made chef at the new Sofitel Grand-Ducal in 2008 and took care of the grand opening: “Another big challenge!”
Since taking up his position at the Sofitel Grand-Ducal, his cuisine has evolved to adapt to the trends and desires of the clientele. “In our menu, we combine the quality of local products with simple dishes, so that our customers can experience a moment of sharing and conviviality around the plate.”
When asked today to define his cuisine, Chef Perrot smiles, a thoughtful look on his face. While he explains that he wants to offer simple and reassuring recipes, such as a beautiful entrecôte (from Luxembourg!) or a well-worked salmon, which will speak to all of their international clientele, he seems to be invaded by olfactory memories of his childhood. The same ones that pushed him to launch himself into this profession of passion.
“You can’t do this job without being ready to question yourself and to let yourself be impregnated by various culinary universes. My kitchen brings together my experience, but also that of my team.”
Chef Perrot, as a passionate cook and chef who listens to his brigade, trains his team as he was taught in the greatest kitchens, and gladly accepts to work on dishes that he knows little about, handed down by the younger generation. A chameleon-like chef who adapts to the whims of his encounters, without denying his values and his love of well-made cuisine.
MU Luxembourg
40, Boulevard d’Avranches — L-1660 Luxembourg
Tel. +352 / 24 87 73 10