French Chef in Baku

As a Frenchman, Jean-Luc Amann, Executive Chef of Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers, is extremely proud to have opened the first French restaurant in Baku, Azerbaijan - Le Bistro at Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers. Officially opened by the French Ambassador to Azerbaijan no less, Le Bistro has fast become one of the city's success stories and culinary hotspots.

Jean-Luc has grown very fond of his adoptive home in Baku and as a keen photographer, regularly takes to the city centre to record everyday life in this bustling "Paris of the East". He grew up in a small town in eastern France, near the German border but has since travelled the world, working in London, Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Oman where, at the Al Bustan Palace, he cooked for HM The Queen, HRH Prince Philip and many other famous faces.

A night owl, Jean-Luc enjoys the lights in the evening when dusk falls over the city and everything comes to life. He also enjoys the thriving local markets in Baku which, as the Azerbaijanis are very down to earth, friendly people, have a great atmosphere. He has already converted his Azerbaijani colleagues into French food enthusiasts with the most requested dish on the menu being his Salade au Canard Confit (Duck Confit) which is a comforting, homely dish - quite earthy and simple, similar to how one would cook at home.

Flying in key French ingredients for that special touch from Dubai, alongside Wagyu beef from Australia and America, Jean-Luc loves the local fruit and vegetables - especially in the summer time where the quality of the seasonal produce is second-to-none. With outstanding tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, cherries, nectarines and white and yellow peaches to fresh herbs and the country's trademark fruit, the pomegranate, he incorporates as many of the local ingredients as he can into his custom menus.