Last year, accomplished Chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George opened Camphor, a classic French bistro with a spicy Indian twist.
It was an instant hit, and just nine months later, the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star, an impressive feat for the young chef-duo, both in their early thirties.
“French food is easy to find, but it’s usually the same dishes a lot of the time,” said Boonthanakit. “You get the French onion soup, steak tartare, a French omelet, and it’s all good. But we want to do it more for our palates. A little lighter, less butter. Camphor is our version of a French bistro, with this ever so slightly Indian touch to it. We kind of spice everything up a little bit. We don’t necessarily make Indian food, but it’s as if an Indian grandma were to cook French food.”
Boonthanakit explained the philosophy behind the Camphor dining experience and how it lives up to the “cinematic” vision people have of French cuisine.
“It’s still kind of a bistro, but it’s still fine,” he said. “You have like the nice service. You have the little accompaniments with the dishes. You have your amuse-bouche. We wanted to bridge everything together, and we didn’t really know if it would work. But so far, it seems to be going pretty well.”
George is Boonthanakit’s partner in Camphor. The chef shared his experience with working in fine dining and the dreams he had when opening Camphor.
“I was working the last seven years in a Michelin-starred restaurant,” said George. “I was a sous-chef there. So, I’m familiar with this restaurant already having a Michelin star... We dream about [having our own].”
That dream came true when Camphor received its Michelin star after less than a year of operation.
“It means that we’re on the right path, and at least we’re being noticed,” said Boonthanakit. “And people appreciate the food that’s being done here, the cuisine. It also means that there is a standard that we need to keep up to at the same time. So it’s amazing. It’s stressful. It’s all these things at once, but it’s all very good.”
Camphor is located in the Arts District and open Thursday to Monday from 5 to 11 p.m. Head over to Camphor’s website to make a reservation.
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