Creating the menu for the dazzling post-Oscars Governors Ball for 30 years has undoubtedly helped to make Wolfgang Puck a world-renowned chef.
The multifaceted Austrian-American also has a glittering career as a restaurateur, running around 20 eateries and counting, thanks to the impressive reputation for his restaurants’ longevity.
Puck is now taking on the Saudi capital, and in May 2023 opened Spago by Wolfgang Puck – or simply Spago, his award-winning flagship restaurant – at the capital's finest and newest hotspot destination, VIA Riyadh.
I sat down with Puck to talk to him about find new inspiration and passion in Saudi, and how we can connect with each other, cross-culturally through a mutual love of good food and the storied local history behind flavours and dishes.
On Embracing Arabic and Saudi Culture
“I really like the Arab world, and to go somewhere I don’t know well, where I can discover the culture and the food and learn something new,” Puck, known for his fusion of formal French techniques and Asian and California-inspired ingredients and aesthetics, tells List. “I never thought I would cook with camel to make our camel sausage pizza or make empanadas with ground camel, but now I am doing so.” The celebrity chef adds he loves the variety of fish available in the Gulf region too.
“Saudis are very hospitable, friendly, and want to take care of you,” Puck says, emphasising how so much of their hospitality also takes place around serving, sharing food and dining as a group. The LA-based culinary magician underscores how well-travelled Saudis are, and how open they are to international food. They’re the ideal guests, according to Puck, because they love to eat and experiment. Experimentation, alongside the incorporation of fresh ingredients of the highest quality, has long been a crucial part of Puck’s cuisine and a recipe for his success.
On Being Comfortable with the Classics
Spago’s Riyadh outfit is relatively new and offers the restaurant’s much-loved specialties, such as Big Eye Tuna Tartare Cones, Japanese hamachi sashimi, and grilled octopus, but also fuses local ingredients and favourites. “Our brand is our brand, but then we adapt it with certain ingredients depending on where we are,” Puck says. “We love spices, for example. We must make the local people feel comfortable.”
On Experimenting and Creating Cultural Connect Through Food
Additionally, the 74-year-old loves to experiment and explore new cuisines. “We played around with camel meat for a while and found ways to incorporate it into the camel sausage pizza and empanadas,” he explains. “It’s very important to get involved with the local populace,” states Puck, mentioning how he would be visiting a Saudi farm the next day. Last year, when he visited Riyadh, he was able to get beautiful strawberries and vegetables. “Whatever local thing we can find is crucial. We always try to use the resident community to provide us with food. Last year, I also visited a wonderful farmer’s market.”
Puck, who has over 40 years of experience, is big on cultural exchange, particularly through food. He believes in its power to bring people across the world together. “Everything has to start with food,” he says, adding how he’s also open to arrange an exchange between chefs in California and Riyadh. “Food is a big part of connecting with people,” the daring and inventive chef muses. “If you have dinner with somebody, you know the person so much better two hours later, sharing so many stories together.”
With so much negativity around, Puck states enthusiastically how he believes the world’s leaders should potentially sit down over a good meal and learn more about each other. “We are more similar than we think,” he says. “We all want the same things – to feel good and be happy. Sitting down for a good meal in good company is a beautiful thing. If we do it more often, maybe we would resolve a few things.”
On Building a Culinary Empire
After first learning some tricks from his pastry chef mother, a 14-year-old Puck began his formal training, working for some of France’s best restaurants like Maxim’s of Paris and L’Oustau de Baumanière. After a stint in Monaco, he was advised to try the American market, which already had a developed food scene.
At 24, he took on the challenge and adventure and moved to Indianapolis, where he worked for several years at La Tour restaurant. When he moved to LA, the resilient Puck started working as a chef and then partner at Ma Maison, helping to usher in California Cuisine, which propelled his rise to fame. Puck then opened his first restaurant, Spago, which quickly welcomed the glitterati.
The restaurateur now has eateries in diverse cities, including the Michelin-starred CUT by Wolfgang Puck in Singapore.
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Open daily from 7pm-1am
VIA Riyadh, Makkah Al Mukarramah Rd, Al Hada, Riyadh 12912
