How I Built This with Guy Raz

Eleven Madison Park: Daniel Humm

May 3, 2021

Daniel Humm, chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park, shares his inspiring journey from aspiring cyclist to culinary visionary. He candidly discusses the challenges his restaurant faced during the pandemic, including a transformative shift to an all-vegan menu. Humm reflects on the pressures of running a Michelin-starred kitchen and his evolution toward sustainability in fine dining. He also reveals the emotional impact of giving back through community initiatives and how cooking for those in need redefined his culinary purpose.

01:10:26

Episode guests

Daniel Humm

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Resilience and Reinvention in the Culinary World

8min

From Cycling Dreams to Culinary Passion

15min

From Swiss Chaos to Culinary Heights

17min

Culinary Minimalism: The Art of Simplicity

4min

Navigating Success and Strain

8min

Navigating Crisis: A Restaurant's Response to the Pandemic

4min

Reimagining Culinary Purpose

17min

Innovative Community Support Through Culinary Ventures

3min

Daniel Humm dropped out of school at 14 to become a competitive cyclist, and supported himself by cutting vegetables and making soup stock at fine restaurants in Switzerland. When he eventually realized he'd never become a world-class cyclist, he pivoted to the equally competitive world of fine dining, and soon became a rising young chef in Switzerland, and then San Francisco. In 2006, he was wooed to New York to re-imagine the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, and began drawing raves for his painterly presentations of duck, foie gras, and suckling pig. The restaurant was recognized in 2017 as the world's best, but was forced to shut down during the pandemic. When it reopens in June, it will generate a new buzz in gastronomy: this time by revamping its menu to be entirely plant-based.

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