Daniel Boulud Talks To WSJ About Why Obsession Matters

In the May issue of the Wall Street Journal Magazine, chef Daniel Boulud discussed with The Columnists why obsession happens to be a pretty important quality in a chef. Boulud would know. 

The French chef and restaurateur behind more than a dozen restaurants around the world including Daniel, his beautiful flagship restaurant in New York City, recently turned 59 and is as dedicated to his work as ever.

"By nature, chefs are already pretty obsessed people," says Boulud. "It takes a lot of perseverance and stamina to be able to become a great chef. If you want to be an Olympic swimmer or champion, you have to obsess about training for something like eight hours a day. Cooking is usually 12 hours a day."

Boulud's restaurant DB Brassierie will open in Las Vegas later this month, and his first restaurant in Boston, Bar Boulud, is slated to open in fall 2014.

 "Everyone I know who is a chef like me has a devouring passion about being truly creative and attending to perfection all the time," continued the chef. "Your ambition drives your obsession and your obsession drives your ambition. I don't know which comes first."

Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.