Hubert Keller, Chef/owner, Fleur (Mandalay Bay) & Burger Bar (Mandalay Place)

“The process is between the chef and myself. We’re basically creating the dish by talking it over, and then we start drawing it on paper. Mostly all the dishes I’m doing are created on a piece of paper first. I sketch them. The visual is so important. Even if it’s a small bite or if it’s at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, you’re still discovering with your eyes first. Flavor has to follow, the temperature of the dish has to follow, the spice has to be right, then you have a winning dish. Some chefs look at the walk-in, some they go to the market. For me, it’s late night when I sit down and it gets quieter—that’s when I do the best work. That’s when I take a pencil and start drawing something and have an idea of a dish, of an ingredient, and then I take off.”