Hailed as the queen of French cuisine and with an astounding 10 Michelin stars attached to her restaurants, Anne-Sophie Pic is one of the world’s most celebrated female chefs.

Her career began in 1992, when she was 23, at Maison Pic, her family’s restaurant in Valence, France – the same year her father Jacques passed away. Shortly after the restaurant failed to retain its third Michelin star in 1995, Pic took over the business and spent the next decade trying to earn back its three-starred status. In 2007, her dream was finally realised.

“It was very important for me to help reclaim the third star,” says Pic, reflecting on her efforts in restoring the restaurant’s glory. “It was a way of paying tribute to my family’s legacy.” Chef Pic recently travelled to Hong Kong to inaugurate Cristal Room – her first outpost in the city – at Forty-Five in Landmark. We asked her about some of the restaurants that have inspired her cuisine and culinary philosophy.