Meet Alice Tuyet, chef and restaurateur

Tell us all about yourself

"I'm the granddaughter of a Vietnamese restaurateur, self-taught cook and creative director. I grew up between saucepans, tutus and notebooks. I danced ballet at a high level for a long time, before studying at HEC and Sciences Po. In 2021, I founded Daimant Collective in Paris, a collective of vegetal houses. My cuisine is joyful, committed and sensual.

For me, Daimant isn't just about restaurants, it's an art of living: a way of reconciling hedonism and conscience, glamour and ethics. Behind every plate, there's a concrete commitment to the living: plant-based cuisine, real CO₂ savings, care for animals and the planet. I wanted to dress sustainability in a sequined gown, to show that we can dream, create and marvel differently."

What does eating better mean to you?

"Eating better is a form of alignment. For ourselves, but also for the greater good. First and foremost, it's about pleasure. Three times a day, we get that chance: so I put it at the center. Secondly, it's a question of altruism and respect, towards animals, the planet and our own health. Eating better means more plant-based, more seasonal, more joyful. It's a cuisine that's good for the body, the heart and the conscience."

What inspires you when you create a dish?

"I want to transmit joy, gentleness and comfort. To offer an interlude, especially in tense times. I like dishes that seem simple, but that hide a real technique, reflection and a story. I often draw inspiration from our shared memories, like the "pasta for tomorrow" I serve at Daimant Saint-Honoré, topped with a reduced jus and smelling of roast chicken. That's where the emotion comes from."

In your cooking, there's a gentleness, a sensitive eye... a form of elegance that breaks the sometimes very 'masculine' codes of gastronomy. Is this your way of redefining the place of women in gastronomy?

"I often speak of 'bourgeois cuisine', for its large, generous, roasted dishes in sauce... But these were also dishes that women prepared, behind the scenes, on a daily basis, in bourgeois homes. It was a cuisine of care, not shock. A cuisine for nourishment, not for show. I'm not speaking for all women: each has her own way of inhabiting the kitchen. There's yin and yang in all of us. I put in my gentleness and my strength too."

What's your vision of beauty?

"Beauty is a reason for living. I look for it everywhere: in a landscape, a word, a smile, a gesture, a well-prepared dish. It's an elevation of the soul, proof that we're part of a whole. Everything that nourishes the living, everything that enhances life, is on the side of beauty. And the more alive we are, the more beautiful we are.

What role does beauty play in your work?

"Beauty is at the heart of everything. For me, it's a pivotal emotion. It connects, it uplifts, it gives meaning. And this meaning is expressed in three ways:

sense as sensation, a complete sensory experience,
meaning as direction, what we naturally tend towards,
and meaning as significance, which is the bearer of goodness.

Beauty guides everything I create: a plate, a place, a gesture."

Is make-up a way of creating for you?

"Yes, completely. I'm a real make-up enthusiast, almost a geek. I learn from the make-up artist at every shoot, testing and experimenting. Make-up is a form of well-being, a gesture for oneself. It makes you feel good, and therefore alive. Like cooking, it reflects my mood of the day. I like to compose a look that reflects my energy, my state of mind. But there's always a common thread: a fresh, healthy, healthy-looking complexion."

What are your make-up essentials?

"Way too much! But there are some must-haves: an eyelash curler (I have very straight Asian lashes), a rosy blush (I love the Multi Stick by Ilia), a little contour. And above all, lip products: balms, reds, oils, pencils... I'm obsessed with lips.

I also love the Blush & Bronzer Palette Oh My Cream Skincare, it brings an ultra-natural healthy-glow effect, a hint of rosy glow and just the right amount of everyday definition. It's a real instant mood booster, and practical too, because this palette goes anywhere. A bit like my vegetable kitchen, it's natural and feels good."

Is there a product that stays with you every day and helps you feel good?

"A moisturizing body cream. Always. No matter the format, I love having soft skin. I often wash my hands in the kitchen, so my skin dries out quickly. I like the sensory aspect as much as the care.(Dexeryl or Patyka depending on my mood.)"

How do you see the link between what we eat and the image we project, inside and out?

"Everything is connected. There is no separation. What you eat becomes energy, vitality, radiance. You feel better, you're more alive, and it shows. I believe in Brillat-Savarin's phrase: "Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are." When we eat in line with our needs and values, we become more luminous."

You recently inaugurated your new Daimant Saint-Honoré restaurant. How did you come up with this new address?

"I imagined Daimant Saint-Honoré as a flamboyant house in the heart of Paris. It's an incandescent place, where the power of the vegetable comes to the fore: vibrant sauces, vegetable rotisserie, chocolate mousse bar... The decor blends fashion, art and red passion, over three floors. Daimant's classics are on display, along with a solar-powered team who hold high the idea of fine dining that's plant-based, sexy and committed. Every dish served here is a gentle, joyful, but very concrete way of acting for a more beautiful world."

Find Alice Tuyet on her Instagram account on her account @alicetuyet.

And for all the latest culinary news from the Daimant Collective, click here.

Alice's selection

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