French chef in Russia: “Sanctions are like a challenge we enjoy“ | David Hemmerle, Grand Cru

🇫🇷 Meet David Hemmerle, the French head chef at Moscow’s “Grand Cru“ restaurant, one that boasts a Michelin star ⭐ and listed in the prestigious La Liste ranking! 🍷🍽️ David has been living and working in Moscow since 2001. He has a Russian wife, his kids were born in Russia, and he hopes to obtain a Russian citizenship soon. 🇷🇺 Was it difficult to leave France and start a new life in Russia during the early 2000s? Yes, it was! 😓 David experienced the era of Russian gangsters, fur coats, lots of girls at the same time, living in an old apartment with carpets and a Soviet-era red telephone. ☎️ Is it difficult to work in such a top-rated restaurant with all these sanctions slapped on Russia? No, it isn’t! 😀 “Sanctions are like a challenge that we enjoy: we are artists, so we improvise,“ says David. In addition, it also means that money doesn’t go outside the country because of