“I learnt to cook in exchange for salsa lessons”

Born in Ecuador, Dave Narvaez, aged 40, has lived in seven countries throughout his life. A life marked by ups and downs, which has shaped a spontaneous personality, much like his cooking.
“When I was eight, I used to sell food on the streets of Ecuador with my father. That was my first taste of gastronomy,” says Dave Narvaez, head chef at La Rascasse in Monaco. “I don’t really like talking about it,” he continues, his voice trembling slightly as he looks down.

From the working-class neighbourhood of El Cristo del Consuelo in Guayaquil to Monegasque haute cuisine, Dave Narvaez has made a name for himself. For the past six years, he has been in charge of the kitchen at La Rascasse.