The Chef’s cuisine draws on many influences, from a childhood in the countryside to the discipline of top kitchens, and a culture of sharing forged through encounters with renowned chefs and winemakers. He inherited his passion for taste from his mother, each dish bearing the imprint of the seasons and vegetable garden. “She passed on her values rooted in the soil: those of flavours, the seasons and sharing.” As a child, he spent hours in the bakehouse of Father Desnous rather than attending his services, and prepared apple doughnuts on returning to school “out of sheer indulgence”. His vocation became stronger throughout his career, marked by chefs with high demands: “Cyril Lignac, family and team spirit; Yannick Alléno, integrity; Olivier Bellin, expertise in the bounty of the sea”. He still talks about his first taste of Wagyu beef in Japan with Chef Laurent Poitevin, “an explosion for the palate”. Dinners held by wine-producers complete this heritage: evenings when each vineyard’s terroir was revealed by tailormade menus, in perfect harmony with the vintages chosen. These experiences deepened his sensitivity to food-and-wine pairings. At Drouant, Romain Van Thienen’s cuisine reflects this interplay of influences. He perpetuates the institution’s soul while imbuing it with his contemporary vision. The menu celebrates a “cuisine of memory” in classics such as the “Vol-au-Vent” and bold creations such as the hare “à la royale” with sea urchin sauce. When he leaves his ovens, Romain returns to his homeland, the Berry region. His fondness for the local terroir is expressed in simple pleasures: the livestock market of Les Grivelles, or a fishing expedition. “My mother passed on to me her culinary values, my father, his passion for fish farming. For me, the enjoyment of fishing is rather like that of sitting down at an enticing table.”