The Founder
The Story of Clément
There are chefs who cook because they learned to. And there are those who cook because they cannot imagine doing anything else. Clément is the latter.
Born into a culture where the table is sacred and a meal is never just a meal, he grew up understanding food as a language - one fluent in memory, generosity, and artistry. At 15, he was already standing in a kitchen. By his twenties, he was standing in some of the greatest ones in the world.
His path led him through the grandes maisons of Paris - Four Season George V, Le Bristol Paris, The Peninsula Paris - kitchens where precision is non-negotiable and excellence is the only standard. It was alongside Chef Éric Fréchon, MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in 1993, three Michelin stars and one of France's most celebrated culinary figures, that Clément truly understood what cooking at the highest level demands: not just technique, but a total commitment to the beauty.
Alongside Chef Éric Fréchon, I truly understood what cooking at the highest level demands: not just technique, but a total commitment to the beauty.
He went on to open his own restaurant in Paris - earning a Michelin distinction in the process, a Table Recommandée and Bib Gourmand - before his instinct for discovery pulled him further afield.
He had always been drawn to Asia. Something about its markets, its textures, its extraordinary relationship with produce and ritual had stayed with him since his earlier travels across the continent. So when the moment came to begin something new, Hong Kong felt inevitable. A city of extraordinary energy, global sophistication, and a deep hunger for beauty.
Maison Pastel was born here.
