Ignace Lecleir

Where They Are Now

Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) in Beijing, China, is built around polished, international cooking presented with careful composition. Its format is clear: two tasting menu options, each carrying the diner through a measured sequence of flavor and texture before a dessert finish called Le Grand Dessert. The approach is controlled rather than showy, with precision doing the heavy lifting. The operating language around the room is plain, and that plainness suits the house. Ignace Lecleir describes the work in terms of consistency between guest-facing service and kitchen discipline: “I would say ‘passion’ remains as the constant key factor in terms of the way I work, whether I am with customers or with our staff.” Read as a professional brief, it points to a restaurant built on the same standards across the pass and the floor. The pressure of service is not softened in his view, only acknowledged. “It is very important to have passion in the restaurant business, as the hours are long and situations can get quite intense.” At TRB, that reality is part of the craft: long hours, close attention, and the need to keep both hospitality and execution steady when the room is full and the work is live.

In Their Words “I would say “passion” remains as the constant key factor in terms of the way I work, whether I am with customers or with our staff.” “It is very important to have passion in the restaurant business, as the hours are long and situations can get quite intense.”