Not everything I write ends up on SmartShanghai. Earlier this year, I sat down with Paul Pairet, whose Ultraviolet restaurant has three Michelin stars, and, incidentally, my old boss and the man who brought me to Shanghai all those years ago, for a wide-ranging conversation about the restaurant industry and his life. We ended up talking for almost two hours from everything about his stubborn independence to the French kitchens he burned out of and even his stint as a DJ.

At turns reflective and self-deprecating, this is the Pairet that I know in person, talking about some very interesting topics (for people who follow chefs.) The interview was for a Japanese website, Foodion, that is primarily geared to F&B professionals and hosts in-depth interviews with chefs from around the world. Check them and the interview out here.