International
Maximilien KUZNIAR
Chef : 1 restaurant
Maximilien Kuzniar wasn't destined for the kitchen. His dream? To be a top-level sportsman, more precisely a judoka. But a scooter accident changed everything for this self-taught man, who initially studied law. However, his teachers imagined him following a more artistic path.
At the age of 23, he moved to London to learn English. While there, he met a Colombian student from Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, who gave him confidence in his abilities. A year later, on his return to France, he was introduced to management, but remained driven by the idea that the best training is "on the job". In 2012, with his BTS in hand, Maximilien Kuzniar undertook a catering degree with an international focus.
He then built up his experience in various establishments, starting with Itinéraires, Sylvain Sendra's Parisian restaurant. It was then that he realized how much the passion that drives the chefs, despite the harshness of the job, is perceived by the guests.
In 2013, chef Juan Arbelaez invited him to join him in the kitchens of Jean Imbert in Paris. At this key moment in his career, things were clear for him: "I really wanted to learn, I wanted to make it my profession, and have my own restaurant." A few months later, Juan Arbelaez took over the reins at Plantxa, Boulogne-Billancourt. Hired as a commis, Maximilien Kuzniar gradually worked his way up to become chef.
It was in 2018 that his career took a new turn: "He started out as a home chef, which enabled him to travel the world, before seeing his restaurant project delayed by the health crisis of 2020. In 2021, Mano opened in Boulogne-Billancourt, revealing a market cuisine rooted in today's values. An address where, the chef is formal, "you can come in shorts and flip-flops, we won't judge you."
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