Georgiana Viou, Michelin-starred chef: “I cook food that comes from the soul”

Her gaze is frank and determined. Her gestures, clear and quick, betray boundless energy. The first time we spent time with Georgiana Viou, it was in the kitchen. Right in the heart of the reactor, at a time when we had to concentrate to send out a hundred plates during the "Cheffes!" event in April at the Friche la Belle-de-Mai in Marseille, which we had been invited to participate in as commis chefs for the evening. A bit authoritarian, the 48-year-old Beninese chef had ordered us to peel the plantains a little faster. We wondered how on earth we could increase the pace when we already felt like we were at our maximum, but we obeyed.

“In the kitchen, I have a “mother” side. I am with my teams as with my children: a little tough sometimes but very protective. I am demanding because I expect them to be punctual, attentive, rigorous, but we can also have fun,” she admits. She analyzes: “At the beginning of my career in catering, I only saw my children during the holidays. That must have had an impact on my way of managing a brigade.” In 2010, the general public discovered her through Master Chef, of which she was a finalist. Without giving her the royal road, the show propelled her sunny personality. The rest was paved with encounters: chefs Lionel Lévy, Sylvain Sendra and “Hissa” Takeuchi, with whom she trained. In 2011, she opened the Atelier de Georgiana , p