René Redzepi is one of the most renowned global names in food -- his restaurant was ranked number 1 for many years on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list; he oversees the influential MAD symposium; he has graced countless magazine covers (and even some, like his recent stint on Time magazine, can spark endless blog posts, conversations and controversy); and a reservation at Noma is still among the hardest to attain anywhere.
But even with all of that to keep him busy, apparently Redzepi also had time to keep a journal. And that journal, along with a book of recipes and a book of photos, is encapsulated in the new 3 book compilation, A Work in Progress.
The book chronicles Redzepi's ups and downs in 2011, and it's certainly not sugar-coated. The book includes the difficulties of the creative process, Noma's financial issues and the creation of MAD. If you ever wanted an inside look at Noma - or at any top restaurant -- this is a no holds barred account of the day-to-day.
In the video above, we sit down with Redzepi in the wine cellar at New York's Il Buco restaurant. He is candid about why he made the book so honest, noting that he believes, "that you should only do things that you are not afraid of talking about and so what happened through that period is fine, put it out there... You'd be amazed at how many chefs have read this [and said] 'You as well René?'"
He also believes that chronicling his failings gave him greater perspective to succeed, something he hopes the book can do for others. He said, "When I wrote the journal I went back to it... And could see there is a process of things. Failing the way we do is a natural thing... It's just about how you handle the road to that final, great success. I see it now as a progress"
For the full interview with Redzepi, watch the video above.
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