Laurent Kalkotour still has a few old tools and cutting boards from his great grandfather's Michelin starred restaurant in the Charente region of South Western France, but purely out of nostalgia as the place was a distant family memory by the time Laurent was born. Still, a love of good food may indeed run in this young chef's veins, whether through his French mother or the Armenian traditions of his father and the family's Sunday afternoon feasts redolent with the aroma of spices. Surrounded by so much culinary inspiration, it's not surprising that Laurent decided to sign on for cooking school, which he began at age fifteen in Béziers, not far from his home town of Aix en Provence.

Laurent aimed high from the day he sought his very first job in the one Michelin starred restaurant, Auberge De La Fenière in Lourmarin. He was encouraged by Chef Reine Sammut's maternal approach and credits having started with her as a pastry cook as an invaluable experience. While going on to work next for Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo required traveling only a few miles east along the Côte d'Azur, the short journey would set the tone for the rest of Laurent's career.