Jérôme Abraham, born near Paris and raised in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, started his career at 15 and worked in France, Switzerland, London and Monaco before becoming chef at Saint Germain in Hong Kong.
My name is Jérôme Abraham. I am French, and I’m the chef at Saint Germain, a French restaurant in Hong Kong with Parisian charm, energy and the living spirit of Montmartre.
I was born at the end of summer 1979, on August 28, in Athis-Mons, close to Paris. But my hometown is Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where I grew up, in Provence, in the South of France.
Growing up in Saint-Paul-de-Vence was amazing. The area is so beautiful, one of the most incredible parts of France, so being and living there was the chance of my life. If you ever come to the Côte d’Azur, you just have to visit this place.
I was just 15 when I started my career, in early 1994. I was young and full of motivation, enthusiasm and goodwill. It’s great when you feel a surge of strength and energy and know where to direct it.
My first job is also my first great memory: discovering the industry, the work, the organization and, above all, the energy and atmosphere of the kitchen. It was like opening the curtain and stepping into a crazy, colorful world of cooking. Such wonderful memories.
I’ve been lucky enough to travel for my various jobs: France, Switzerland, London, Monaco and now Hong Kong. New cities, countries, customs, cuisines, cultures, people... That’s what allowed me to find and create my own style.
I also loved working in fine palace hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants with impressive chefs who taught me a lot. Those jobs allowed me to perfect my knowledge and style.
I always wanted to become a chef. It started, I think, when I was 13. The first reason was that I always loved eating well, good food, and that’s why I wanted to learn how to cook it.
My parents gave me this idea of pleasure: that food is enjoyment, a moment to share a nice time with your friends and family and enjoy good food together. Good cooking can evoke so many feelings and sensations.
And I always loved watching people cook. It’s amazing to think that you can create such astonishing flavors and tastes from simple products. All the senses are involved: first the touch of the product, then the smell of the cooking and of the finished dish.
Then the sight of the colors during preparation and of the plate at the end. And finally the taste of the ingredients and of the final dish, the different flavors. What matters is to keep the identity of each product, so that everything is mixed subtly enough for the ingredients to enhance each other without spoiling any of them.
It’s an industry you join because you’re passionate: passionate about food, flavors and tastes. You need to love creating, mixing ingredients and flavors, always finding new tastes by combining different products. So the first time, I started with a traineeship to try it, and I knew immediately it would be my life!
I don’t have a favorite dish. I love food in general and the stories you can create with it. I’m lucky to have been born in a country with plenty of good food, from meat to seafood, from vegetables to fruit.
But I have a preference for Mediterranean-inspired food, the southern French kind. I love the sun you find in those dishes.
I also love traditional, homemade cooking: the kind you can have at home, the kind your mother or grandmother prepares for you, which stirs up good childhood memories. I love adapting my recipes to the season and the ingredients of the moment.
Besides cooking and food, I love spending time with my friends. It’s really important to me, all the more so when you’re far from home. Watching movies is a way for me to release stress and clear my head.
Being based in Hong Kong lets me travel and discover new countries, new cultures, new food. I love traveling: it’s essential, and it brightens your spirit and makes you more creative afterwards.
It’s difficult to describe in words, but cooking is a real art. Just find some time and try to find a special approach to each ingredient. Turn on all your senses and surrender to the process; you’ll see, you’ll love it. I also hope you’ll like my food, so come to Saint Germain and try it!
The dish in the picture is roasted venison fillet, aromatic “Pomme Anna” and black trumpet mushrooms with venison sauce.
