By Shari Darling

Chef Roland Passot La Folie, San Francisco, CA

“AIready in my mind I know that it's (a combination of foods) working, "says Passot
in his wonderful French accent. “For example, I make a Pig's Feet,
Lobster and 5weet Bread Terrine. This is not always something chefs would combine any of these three ingredients together. But they go very well together
because of my classical training."

Chef Roland Passot

“Balance is the key to success!" Most of us have heard or quoted this old adage at one time or another. It could certainly be the mission statement for the renowned restaurant, La Folie, in San Francisco, owned and operated by Chef Roland Passot.

While the tragedy of September 11th, 2001 has influenced the decline of business for many restaurants throughout North America, La Folie is still operating full speed a head. The reason Chef Roland Passot has always been committed to balancing a ~few things—an instinctive talent to create spectacular cuisine and his commitment and ability to market the restaurant and please his customers.

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“AIready in my mind I know that it's (a combination of foods) working, "says Passot in his wonderful French accent. “For example, I make a Pig's Feet, Lobster and 5weet Bread Terrine. This is not always something chefs would combine any of these three ingredients together. But they go very well together because of my classical training."

Chef Roland Passot began his culinary career at age fourteen, apprenticing under Chef Paul Lacombe at Leon de Lyon Restaurant in France's gastronomic capital of Lyon. He made his way to the U.S., working in Chicago and Dallas. While at the French Room, Passot received accolades and prepared dishes for the royal and famous. In 1988 Passot, wife Jamie and brother Georges, opened La Folie (2316 Polk Street) in San Francisco. The 70-seat restaurant is renowned for its interesting cuisine. Using French cooking techniques with an instinctive relationship to food, Passot creates intetesting and certainly unique dishes that combine usual and sometimes exotic ingredients. Under normal circumstances such combinations could be very dangerous for most chefs. But, under Passot's guidance and hands, these dishes actually harmonize and are balanced in color, flavor and texture.

According to Passot. many young and up-and-coming chefs attempt to be different, crazy and creative by taking “any" unusual ingredients and putting them together. The idea, he says, is not in being the leader of invention, but ultimately making sure rhe dishes work and are 'marketable' to his customer. This, he says, he simply knows instinctively.

Passot's cuisine is considered by many food critics to be works of art that simply taste great! This unique style, along with his outgoing and genuine personality has earned him much praise and many awards. In fact, in 1991 he was inducted into the prestigious French Chefs' organization Maitres Cuisiniers de France.

Passot's ability to market also makes La Folie an interesting restaurant to visit. Most restaurateurs look at food costs and expenses in relationship to gross income and customer flow to judge the success of their business. Passot's style, again, balances this hard core approach with an acute awareness of the ambiance created in the restaurant on a daily basis. Passot refers to this as the soul of the restaurant. He looks for definitive signs of customer comfort to judge his success on a daily basis.

"At the end of the evening I walk by the dining room and look to see if people are kicking their shoes underneath the tables," says Passot. "And I look for the smiles on the faces of my customers. I want them to feel so comfortable that they forget that they are even in a restaurant. My ultimate goal, day after day, night after night, is to make people happy. This is my philosophy."

Happy is perhaps one word to describe how food critics and customers alike describe how they feel while dining at La Folie. If you ask them, you're more likely to hear other adjectives such as blissful, enthusiastic and ecstatic.

Chef's Recipes and Other Related Links:
Blanquette of Sweetbread and Lobster

Duo of Lobster & Albacore, Citrus Lobster Salad with shaved fresh Hearts of Palm and Micro Green, with an Albacore Tartare on a Celery Root and Apple Salad

Chef Roland Passot Bio