Video summary
In this heartfelt conversation between José Andrés and René Redzepi, both renowned chefs reflect on their roles beyond mere culinary technique, emphasizing a deep sense of responsibility toward humanity. The dialogue opens with tributes to figures like Aline Ghabrayan in Beirut, who continued feeding her city despite personal tragedy, setting the stage for a discussion about service as an act of survival and solidarity. José shares his own journey from identifying simply as a "cocinero" or cook rather than a chef, acknowledging that while he runs many restaurants, his true purpose has evolved into something far greater: using food not just to nourish bodies but to feed spirits and connect people across divides.
The speakers explore the idea that their work is inherently selfish in its origin yet profoundly communal in its impact; they argue that recognizing one's need for others does not diminish greatness but rather amplifies it through mutual dependence. José explains how he felt drawn away from public appearances because he needed solitude, likening his desire to retreat into a cave as a universal human need during times of darkness or weakness. He clarifies that despite feeling overwhelmed by the pressure and complexity of managing forty restaurants, he realized early on that their power lies in feeding many rather than just the few who can afford fine dining, transforming food into an excuse for engagement and empathy among strangers alike.
Ultimately, both chefs conclude that while a restaurant can be great, its true value is measured by what happens around it—whether those surrounding communities are thriving or suffering. They express awe at how their shared presence creates energy and strength, noting that they rely on each other in good times but especially when facing adversity. The conversation ends with an affirmation of collective power: if everyone believes in this interconnectedness, where individual worth is tied to the well-being of others, humanity becomes a formidable force capable of overcoming even its darkest moments through shared care and understanding.
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Aline, [applause and cheering] are you
here? Aline, where are you?
And when everything happened in Beirut,
Aline was feeding Beirut.
Beirut.
>> [applause and cheering]
>> She lost an ear,
and instead of going home,
Aline went back to her restaurant and
began feeding the people of Beirut.
Kamal and Aline are the people making it
happen. They are the ones doing the job.
>> [applause]
[cheering]
>> Yeah, we're giving them back to
>> Yeah, more. More?
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah, okay. [laughter]
>> Yeah, over there.
And over here.
>> What?
>> Now everybody can see us.
>> What?
>> [applause]
>> What uh
What do you want?
I mean, seriously.
>> I was with Andoni
>> from Mugaritz.
>> Andoni
from Mugaritz, one of the
most amazing souls.
It's like the René of the Basque Country
or
vice versa.
Uh you are the Andoni
of Denmark.
Uh anyway, I love you, Andoni.
But what's going on? I mean, can I do
one thing
>> you on?
>> Can can
>> Uh oh r- What energy? What battery? How
do you do it?
>> Listen, my my wife tell me, "Don't
drink." And I say, "I don't drink. I
SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMIES."
>> [laughter]
[applause]
>> CAN
CAN I DO ONE THING on behalf of all of
you?
>> [applause]
[cheering]
[applause]
[cheering]
[applause]
>> And this is not only to you but all your
amazing team who made this amazing place
happen.
>> [applause and cheering]
>> So, what are you on?
>> [laughter]
>> How I
>> It's going to be the same question?
>> No, no, no. What I mean is
>> They only gave us 27 minutes.
>> Yeah, let's see about that.
>> Yeah.
Can we change the clock? I'm getting
nervous already.
I didn't want to come here because
because I lately I feel I want to be in
a cave.
I feel like
But but then
So, I told Renee
like
I'm sure I want to come but don't don't
give me the pressure to come.
Um
I'm not telling you I'm not coming.
Even my body is telling me I want to be
here with you.
But
but don't put me in the pressure of
coming.
I want to be in a cave. I think we all
need to be having that feeling.
But you know one thing I came yesterday.
I spent some good time with my daughter
who she spent few months in Sudan and in
Yemen.
And I didn't know if I wanted to come
not because I didn't want to be with
you, only because I wanted to be
with my daughter.
And then I arrived and then And saw all
of you.
All of you.
In this beautiful darkness. With
darkness is not something wrong.
In darkness is the moment that you
actually see light more clearly.
And I came because
I needed to be next to Andoni. I needed
to be next to Renee.
I need to be next to
Lisa. And I needed to be next to many of
you who I know.
Uh and I needed to be next
to the ones of you I don't know yet.
In the same way you don't even know what
the heck is this guy doing here with his
heavy accent.
So I needed to be here.
So
I guess I am I am
I'm here because I I need the energy of
the people.
>> Mhm.
>> Because at the end our responsibility to
the world is
to be selfish to ourselves, to who we
are.
And don't be afraid of recognizing
you're being selfish.
But it's communicating to everybody that
the selfishness comes from
I need you.
Because I'm only as good as the people I
have around me. I'm only as good as you.
And you are only as good as me. And if
we all believe in this [ __ ] we are a
very powerful group of people. We need
each other in our good moments and
especially in our dark, weak, and
moments of weakness.
We have each other. And that's what
you've done here, Renee.
>> [applause]
>> That's what you've done here.
>> Jose,
you see some things.
And you were in a bad moment right now.
What happened?
>> Can you repeat the question?
>> I mean you see everything.
The best you And but you also see a lot
of trouble things and right now you you
almost didn't come because you were
needed a cave, you needed
>> Yeah.
>> What happened?
>> Um
You you know when they
they describe me as a chef, right?
And I always tell people I'm not a chef.
I'm a cocinero.
I am a cook.
And I don't say that with disrespect to
chef.
It's only I don't think I've ever become
a chef.
I barely know how to run a kitchen.
I barely know how to even make money in
my restaurants and I have 40.
>> [laughter]
>> Don't worry. When I go bankrupt, he'll
be the big I mean, I know Rene will hire
me, so I'm okay.
I don't I I don't know what happened in
my life, but I realized that that I'm a
cook like always fed the few.
>> Mhm.
>> We all feed the few.
If you are in the
restaurant business, in the writing
business, in the wine business, we feed
the few.
>> Mhm.
>> But then I realized that we have the
power to feed the many.
And that power is not only
the power of physically feeding.
It's
It's also a spiritually feeding.
Food is used as excuse of us to engage
to each other. That's what you've done.
Yeah, you're a [ __ ] good cook.
I don't know if you know how to run a
kitchen.
>> Barely.
>> But whatever you do, it works, so you
I always said that I'm only as good as I
said before as the people around me and
it's true.
But obviously I realized that my life is
beyond the restaurants.
I didn't even dream about it. It just
happened.
I realized that the restaurant can be
great but what happens around the
restaurants
if it's not right,
it's something wrong.