Tunji Onisarotu is Sous-Chef at the Parisian restaurant Le Comptoir des Fables. His passion for cooking was first ignited 11 years ago, when he was studying law in Nigeria. Curious about what being a Chef entailed, he decided to start up his own catering business alongside his studies, which eventually led him to realise that cooking was rooted in his DNA. Torn between pursuing his dream of becoming a Chef and completing his studies to become a lawyer, he decided to do both: he obtained his degree, passed the Nigerian bar exam, and then turned his attention to cooking, heading to France to study at Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

What is your professional background?
After studying at Le Cordon Bleu, I did an internship at the Matsuhisa restaurant at the Le Royal Monceau hotel, where Chef Hideki Endo took me under his wing. My first job as a Commis was at the restaurant La Perouse, under the direction of Chef Maxime Le Meur, and I learnt a great deal while I was there. During the pandemic, I worked in several pop-up restaurants, including Créatures Paris, where I discovered 100% vegetarian cuisine. Once the pandemic was over, I joined the Forest restaurant, rising through the ranks from Commis to junior Sous-Chef. I then accepted a position as Chef de Partie at Le Violon d'Ingres to really push myself, before being appointed Sous-Chef at Le Comptoir des Fables alongside Chef Guillaume Dehecq.

What is your best memory of your time at the institute?
It's the time I spent with my peers, learning the nuts and bolts of being a Chef. One of the memories that instantly springs to mind is making a giraffe head out of chocolate, a painstaking task that took us 12 whole hours. Despite the enormity of the task, it taught me to be calm and focus on the details, because in the end it's the tiniest details that make the biggest difference.

What is one of the most important things you learnt during your time at the institute?
When one of the Chef Instructors was chatting to me about creating attractively presented dishes, he gave me a piece of advice that I'll never forget and that still resonates with me today: cooking is first and foremost about taste; presentation always comes second. Never the other way round.

You're Sous-Chef at Le Comptoir des Fables. What does your job entail?
As Sous-Chef, I'm responsible for running the kitchen, and I work with the Chef to create the menus. I’m also in charge of running the pass.

What do you like most about your job?
Sparking emotions through food. That’s what makes me want to get up every morning and do it all over again.

What phrase can you always be heard uttering in the kitchen?
"It’s an artist’s life”. I know the expression can have several different meanings, but for me, it refers to the sacrifices made in the kitchen and the meticulous attention to detail we put into our work as Chefs, sometimes with very little reward, to express our art, which is the art of cooking.

What advice would you give future students who are keen to follow in your footsteps?
If you're really passionate about what you do, be humble and willing to take guidance from absolutely everyone, and take the time to hone your skills. There’s no knowing how long it will take, but make every moment count.