Exclusive Interview with Chef Daniel Boulud; catch him tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

New York foodies have another reason to tune into the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon program the next couple weekdays. Conan's heir to the throne will be hosting some chef-centric guests including Chef Daniel Boulud (Daniel) tonight and Chef David Chang (Momofuku) next Monday.

Chef Daniel Boulud will be teaching America how to make the most of their holiday leftovers with a tasty-sounding Turkey and Sweet Potato Hash with Soft Poached Egg (find the recipe here). Hopefully he will do so with the help of Jimmy and possibly the other guests tonight, Fred Armisen ("SNL") and Carey Mulligan ("Brothers"). I wonder if Carey will be talking about her reported flame Shia LaBeouf?

I recently had a chance to ask Boulud a few questions during a "Top Chef" viewing at Astor Center. He shared the night's hosting duties with Chef Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi. Read more on the event in my previous post here. We discussed life after Daniel earning 3 Michelin stars, American cuisine and future endeavors:

Charles Thorp: So has anything changed at Daniel since the 3rd Michelin star?

Chef Daniel Boulud: No I don't think so. For me and my team, the pride we had for the restaurant did not start with the 3rd Michelin star, it started a long time ago. Even though it is like our "Grand Slam" we have taken it all in stride.

CT: It has been announced that you, Chef Wolfgang Puck and Chef Mario Batali will all have restaurants in the same Singapore resort, The Marina Bay Sands. Along with Santi Santamaria of Barcelona, Guy Savoy of Paris and Tetsuya Wakuda of Sydney. What do you think of that culinary line-up?

Boulud: I think that it is amazing that America is so well represented there. It says a lot about how the US is considered internationally on a culinary level. I really look forward working in such great company!

CT: I saw you enjoying yourself at the Le Fooding event this year, working alongside a number of top chefs from France. What do you think the differences are between French and American chefs?

Boulud: First I have to say that I thought the event was just great. I saw none of my previous diners there. It was a very young crowd that was texting and Twitter-ing. I thought that was very refreshing. I actually don't think there is any difference between French and American cuisine. French cuisine was always about discipline, about ingredient, about creativity, but also about simple. I see America as very similar in these rights. It's also great to see more Americans being inspired to try cooking at home and eating better food.

Chef Boulud will also be announcing the new "Text A Turkey" holiday donation program for Citymeals-on-Wheels on Fallon. The project is a cooperation between Citymeals-on-Wheels and American Airlines, it is a sweepstakes that anyone can enter by texting a number and donating to Citymeals. For more information on the operation check their website here.

Fallon. who you might have seen yesterday in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Gibson Guitar float, has done well in his time-slot and is doing a great job in locking in the younger audiences. Re-occuring skits like "7th Floor West" and "The Real Housewives of Late Night" have become online sensations, and his heavy online presence has helped to draw in new viewers.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon airs at 12:35 am (11:35pm Central) on NBC. For more information visit their website here.

Daniel is located at 60 East 65th Street, between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue. The restaurant has earned amazing recognition including 3 Michelin stars and a 28 Food Rating by Zagat. The best way to make a reservation is via OpenTable (click here) or by calling (212) 288-0033. Please note: you must make all reservations at least a month in advance.

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You can email the author of this post at charlesnthorp@gmail.com.