Thomas Keller, the French Laundry

In September 2006, I went on my first trip to Australia. I took several chefs from my team with me to Sydney, including Corey Lee, then the chef de cuisine at The French Laundry, and Mark Hopper, our executive chef at Bouchon, for the Starlight Children’s Foundation hosted by my colleague and friend, Neil Perry. During my visit, we all went to Quay restaurant, along with another good friend, Heston Blumenthal. It was the perfect time to relax and unwind after a whirlwind of events. We came for a late lunch and were immediately struck by the views of Sydney harbour surrounding the restaurant. But the bigger surprise came later at the table.