Granddaughter of a Vietnamese restaurateur, self-taught cook and creative director, Alice Tuyet welcomes us today in her new restaurant Faubourg Daimant. We caught up with her a few months after our "Les Mots" campaign. Through embroidery, we gave a voice to ten cheerful, creative personalities, and Alice was one of them.
Driven by veganism, her goal is to pave the way for change: she wants to show that it is possible to cook differently. That is why she created the Daimant Collective, which gathers several restaurants pioneering vegetarian, vegan and plant-based cuisine. The latest addition to the list is Faubourg Daimant, nestled in a beautiful bourgeois house on rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, and offering hedonistic, plant-based cuisine with sauces, as well as innovative and enchanting cocktails.
Naturally, Alice chose to embroider "cheffe" on her Maison Labiche T-shirt. For her, this word is the concrete, black-on-white (red-on-white in this case) culmination of a fifteen-year-long journey. Today, describing herself with the word "chef" means fully embodying her identity and what drives her: feeding others and creating bonds around the dinner table.
It was without any hesitation that Alice agreed to talk to us today about the importance of words in her life. She worships them, and writes them down every day in her notebooks. Alice even reveals that she is currently writing her first book, in which she retraces her journey to becoming this „chef“!
Last but not least, Maison Labiche inspires her sense of savoir-faire, of beautiful things, of small collections and controlled production to contribute to a better future. Maison Labiche resonates with what she takes to heart in her daily life as a woman and a chef.
Alice’s Words
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Word of the day?
Poetry. It's a word I really like, because as well as being very literary, it comes from the Greek word "poiêsis", which means "creation". Creation is at the heart of my life.
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Who's your favorite author of words?
Gustave Flaubert. In particular, I have boundless admiration for "Sentimental Education".
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Your favorite quote or words?
"One never does good enough, but evil is always done once too often.” - Vladimir Jankélévitch
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A word in song?
“Et moi, je n’en pouvais plus. Elle n’en a jamais rien su. Ma plus jolie des mythos. Couleur menthe à l’eau.” ("I couldn't take it anymore. She never knew. My prettiest mythos. Water mint color.") For me, that's the definition of impossible love!
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The word that defines you?
Not one word, but three: never give up.
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The word that changed your life?
Courage, when I realized I'd have to live with him every day.
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The word that comforts you?
Consolation. A gentle word that touches me.
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The word that inspires you?
Generosity. I try to live it and embody it in everyday life.
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A word of love / A kind word?
Forever. In my opinion, there's no love that isn't unconditional and undefined in time.
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The word that annoys you?
Problem. I'm allergic to that word, I want to think about solutions
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The word that revolts you?
Petty. Pettiness has no gender.
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The most beautiful word?
Joy. It's a beautiful word. I want to live joyfully every day.
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Final word?
Promise.
