Back To Basics

GUESTS AT The Datai Langkawi over a recent weekend were treated to a rare sighting - not the elusive clouded leopard, but the famed father-and-son cooking duo Michel and Sébastien Bras of the former three Michelin-starred restaurant Le Suquet in their hometown of Laguiole, France.

We say 'former' not because they lost the stars, but that theirs is the first restaurant that the Michelin Guide has allowed to return them. Chefs have publicly renounced their stars before, but Michelin had never paid heed before this. And so, Le Suquet was not included in the 2018 guide for the first time since 1999.

Speaking through an interpreter during a break in preparation for their three night cooking stint from Dec 19 to 21, Chef Sébastien explains that after two decades of cooking within the constraints of the guide where a simple misstep could lead to a drop in their ranking, he wanted to simply break free and do "what allows me to be happy and enjoy what I am doing".