Wolfgang Puck

With a global restaurant empire of 80 sites, a stack of bestsellers behind him and an open contract to cook at the Oscars, the chef knows more than his share about world food, finds Mark Sansom

Fried chicken is the one dish

that resonates for me. When I moved to LA from Austria, it reminded me of the wiener schnitzel of home. I think I’ve perfected the recipe over the years: use panko breadcrumbs, make sure you leave the bone in to keep it juicy and don’t start with hot oil – 160°C/325°F is ideal. A honey, chilli and lime drizzle at the end completes it.

Barcelona is my favourite city

in the world to explore. For food inspiration, I love it. It’s got the perfect mix of casual boquerias, tapas bars and fine-dining restaurants. I never like to book, I just go into where looks good. But everywhere I go I order grilled gambas. They’re the best in the world. Elsewhere in Spain I love San Sebastián, but food there can be a little too intellectual – like at Mugaritz, http://www.mugaritz.com – and if a dish needs a lengthy description, it’s missing something.

Without a doubt, my favourite thing

to eat is a quality rib-eye. You can probably tell from my style of restaurant. I like to keep it simple: lots of black pepper, good sea salt, Béarnaise sauce spiced with mustard and crispy fries. In fact, I think I’m going to have one for lunch.

London has become

the culinary epicentre of the world over the past 20 years. Back in the Eighties it was all stuffy dining rooms, now there are young chefs like nowhere else in the world. I eat at The Ledbury when I’m there, http://www.theledbury.com, and I just tried Tom Sellers’ Restaurant Story near London Bridge, http://www.restaurantstory.co.uk, a real dining experience with original imagination. This is the one technique that can’t be taught, no matter how long you’ve spent at the pass.

Champagne is my drink

I don’t do cocktails or drink that much when I’m busy, but when I do indulge, it’s always Krug.

The piece of kitchen kit

I can’t live without isn’t my knives or grill, but my espresso machine. I can’t function without a shot of Ethiopian coffee before service. It’s a habit I’ve picked up from my wife, who roasts beans herself.

The restaurant

I’m most proud of is my first venture, Spago. It’s been going 33 years and it’s just had its best year. But if I could give one piece of advice to home cooks, it would be to invest in some German knives. Spend about £100 but don’t buy too many – three is all that you need. Look after them and they’ll look after your food.

The secret to a successful restaurant

is evolution. It needs to stay relevant. I make sure each of my sites put in wholesale changes at least twice a year, be that on the menu or the interiors. It’s similar to the fashion world in that respect. It’s all about coming up with something new. Having the power of the chequebook helps you to move with the times, of course.