Jean Michel Loubatieres – Director & Executive Chef

Jean Michel Loubatieres – Cuisine Boleh

In this interview, Jean Michel Loubatieres, director and executive chef of Cuisine Boleh, tells of how the pandemic has changed him as a chef and person and his approach to life and business.

What do you do?

I manage the company, create menus for weekly menus and private chef experiences.

How did you get into the industry?

I got into the industry very early as my parents owned a butchery in Toulouse (France). I started to help them very young, at the age of 10. This is how I began to love working with food.

Share with us a story from behind the scenes.

I encounter many fascinating people during my private chef functions, and I have so many stories to tell. During one of my last dinners, I was challenged to custom a special dinner for a food and wine pairing. My customers were so happy that they invited me to join them to try some exceptional wines like a delicious brandy from 1885.

 What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?

I will never forget the taste of a delicious lobster (super fresh, just grilled with an aromatic tomato sauce) cooked for us in a small hidden restaurant’s terrasse with à view of Santiago de Cuba rooftop, a beautiful full moon in the background and salsa music in the air. This moment was where time stood still.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

The best part of the job is that you give happiness to people and this is priceless.

The worst part is the long hours, but it’s just a detail when you live what you do.

Jean Michel Loubatieres favourite food and beverage pairing?

One of my favourite food and wine pairings (to stay in Southwest France, my home town) ) is undoubtedly a nice BBQ vine branch duck breast with a Graves or a Pomerol. The blood and firm tannins make a very nice pairing in the mouth.

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

Are you sure you want to know? OK, one day I had a booking for a table of six women. They took my most expensive fine dining menus and had a great night. Actually, it was a group of luxury prostitute friends who just wanted to have a good time. They were super cool and very down to earth. Super classy and nice with the staff!

Another great experience was to have served a Malaysian tenor! We had the privilege to hear him singing a capella in a small room. The walls were literally shaking when he sang!

There are some more stories I cannot tell because it involves VIPs, and I promised confidentiality.

This is the privilege to be a private chef, living extraordinary moments with extraordinary people.

The perfect day off would be…

The perfect day off would be a nice bubbly brunch to start the day, followed by sports and activities with my family and a good Netflix to finish the day.

A day in the life of Jean Michel Loubatieres is…

… waking up early. Doing some paperwork, bringing the kids to school, preparing the food orders, driving to do the deliveries, groceries, teaching some virtual cooking classes, taking care of the social networks, planning the activities for the next week, and finally, sleeping late,

What do you do for fun?

Karaoke. Of course, I am singing very bad but with passion!

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Cuisine Boleh?

We are known for our cooking classes and private chef experiences.

Nowadays, we are more focused on food delivery (weekly menu) and online cooking classes. We have excellent feedback on it, and this is actually what is make us live today. 

You can follow our activities on :

FB : chefjeankl

FB page : cuisineboleh

IG : chefjeankl 

How has the pandemic changed you, your perspective or the way you operate?

The pandemic totally changed the way we worked. We lost 80% of our business due to the lockdown. Now we just cover our costs with our incomes. But they are good opportunities too, we stay aware, and we believe that after the rain comes the sun.

What’s something you’d like people to know about being a chef as a profession?

Being a chef is definitely not an easy job in terms of working conditions, but it can bring you a lot of joy and self-esteem. Nowadays, it is trendy to be a chef, and people don’t look at you the same they used to 20 years ago.

What’s your view on the food/drink scene in KL?

The food scene in KL improves more every year. New concepts, new young Malaysian chefs bring the food scene to another level.

How has the pandemic changed you as a person?

The pandemic definitely changed me as a person and as a professional too. Indeed, it was impossible to give up as a father, so I had to show my kids that even if the worst is happening, with heart, ideas, and motivation, you can overcome anything.

How has the pandemic changed you as a chef?

The pandemic changed me more as an entrepreneur than as a chef. Indeed, I totally had to change my business model if I didn’t want to close my company. No more cooking classes (social activity) and no more catering due to MCO. So, we are selling now a weekly menu on delivery and online cooking classes (private and for companies).

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

For the upcoming months, I want to invest and offer something different to my customers. Stay tuned cause we are a small company and ideas comes very fast. Even in the storm, there are some opportunities. Also, we still cannot travel to see our family overseas, so it’s a good time to do things you never had the chance to do before.

Find more interviews similar to this one with Jean Michel Loubatieres here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.