The World Gourmet Summit, Asia’s foremost gastronomic event will be held from 9 to 28 April 2007. Among the visiting culinary masters is 2-Michelin starred Chef Reto Lampart, of ‘Lampart’s Art of Dining’, located in a beautiful Swiss village in Hägendorf.


Famed for his seasonal Mediterranean cuisine and his great love for detail, Chef Lampart took time out to share his views.. .

On Food and Cooking

What is your favourite ingredient to work with and why?  What is the most difficult and why?

I do not have a favourite ingredient. To me the most important factor is the quality of the ingredients/products, and the challenge of discovering new products.

The most difficult thing is not to create a dish from a product but to search for the best raw products of unique quality.

If there is one dish that would test the skills of how good a particular chef is, what would that be?

In my view, there is not one single dish that can prove the abilities of a chef-cook. There is so much more that is needed to be successful - culinary continuity over years, to be able to withstand the pressure to perform, to provide guidance to a permanently changing kitchen-brigade. And, to be constantly creative and to express this in new menus.

Amongst all the many dishes that you have prepared for so many people and occasions, what do you consider as your personal proudest achievement?  And why?

There is no single dish of which I am more proud than of any other one, or that I want to emphasise. Those are often momentary feelings and inspirations for a special dish at a certain moment or occasion. With every new creative idea that I realise in my restaurant and that I perfect, I am convinced that they are all unique.

What is your favourite

a)            gourmet dish

b)            comfort food

c)            ethnic cuisine

a)            veal-tenderloin-carpaccio on risotto with white 
          truffles (tuber magnatum pico) or turbot

b)            veal-cotelette

c)             Italian pasta-dishes

Nature or nurture – what makes a truly great chef? 

What skills can be taught and what cannot?

The basic terms in cooking, ‘the handcraft’ can be learned, but the creative part and the innovative part cannot be taught by anyone.

Who or what is the biggest influence in your style of cooking that has remained constant in your illustrious career?  Have there been any changes or developments over the years?

My second education as a pastry chef influences my creations today - mainly the art, the color- and harmonic-settings. All the main steps in my professional career have left their marks and with time, these have come together to form my unique style.

On Gourmet Cuisine

Do you think that  elite events will impart a snob value to gourmet cuisine by appealing only to those wishing to flaunt their wealth and in effect place gourmet cuisine beyond the reach of diners who are more passionate about the food but without the cash to flash?

There are certainly many people who like to eat well but do not have the understanding for such a big festival. Yet, there are others with strong enthusiasm for gourmet cuisine but cannot afford it. You have to take into consideration that there is no single event that can satisfy everyone. In Europe guests react  positively to the opportunities in exploring the cuisine of a chef-cook from a foreign country.

Such food and wine events are increasingly becoming popular, especially in Asia, as a means of introducing gourmet cuisine and great chefs to a public who might never have had the opportunity to taste such food nor hear of the chefs. 

For the diners attending such dining events, what would be the essential difference in dining experience, if any, in tasting the chef’s cuisine in such a setting as opposed to traveling to dine at the particular restaurant where the chef is resident? 

It is certainly a great experience to present one self at a festival of this size in front of a huge crowd, but it will never be the same as cooking in one’s own restaurant. The atmosphere and the surroundings are not the same, the spirit of the company and the philosophy of the entire staff cannot be fully replicated. However, a festival such as the World Gourmet Summit will provide the opportunities for all to sample the creations of top chefs from around the world, in Singapore.

The Future of Gastronomy

What is your opinion of molecular gastronomy? 

There are impressive findings and ideas that have arisen from this. I think it is important to ask how much this has to do with the handcraft of cooking.

Do you think that molecular gastronomy represents a noteworthy evolution in cuisine development or is it merely a passing fancy? 

Yes.  What fascinates me is the exploration of new forms – the combinations and the interaction of colours and consistency of the products. Unfortunately it is most impossible to recognise the product. In my opinion, molecular gastronomy is a momentary trend.  I don’t think it’s a good idea to follow trends.