“Food For Thought” is a photographic and documentary project exploring the links between cooking and immigration in Paris and the Île-de-France region.
I wanted to tell people’s life stories, focusing on those for whom cooking represents much more than just a job: a source of stability, a means of survival, and sometimes a gateway to a form of integration.
The series explores the potential of cooking to act as a catalyst for integration, whether social, cultural or administrative. I examine how this profession enables people to find their place, forge connections or rebuild their identity in a new country.
I developed this project through several immersive experiences: at a training school, in a community canteen, and alongside chefs of various nationalities, including a chef from the world of haute cuisine.
These encounters informed an approach that is both documentary and journalistic.
I chose black and white and natural light to refocus attention on the people, their gestures and their expressions, setting aside the visual appeal of the dishes and colours.
The focus is thus on the human stories they convey.
Through "Food For Thought", I offer an embodied perspective on immigration, showing how cuisine can become a space for integration, connection and the reconstruction of identity.
First lesson for a pre-training class at the École des Cuistots Migrateurs, an introductory course designed to help students acquire the technical and professional basics of cooking before moving on to the commis chef training programme, on 16 January 2026, in Montreuil, France.
For sixteen years, Juan Manuel Leon Marquina lived in a state of uncertainty. Born in Venezuela, he left his country at the age of 23 and embarked on a journey that took him to Argentina, Spain and Denmark, before settling in France.
At each stage, he worked in kitchens, settled in and built a life for himself, without ever knowing how long he would be able to stay.
Having arrived in Paris a year and a half ago, he now works as a chef at Cortado Cantina. His daily life is divided between shifts and administrative procedures. He initially obtained short-term residence permits, valid for a few months, which he had to renew amidst uncertainty.
In 2026, he secured a four-year residence permit. A newfound stability, which he describes as a turning point. For the first time since he left, time is no longer defined by waiting or urgency.
This change opens up new horizons. Juan now envisages a more personal, freer style of cooking, and is beginning to look beyond the necessity of staying.
Since childhood, one dream has remained: to go to Vietnam.
Chef Juan Manuel Leon Marquina pulls back the curtain at Cortado Cantina before the arrival of customers on 21 March 2026 in Paris (3rd arrondissement), France.
During preparations for the evening service, on the left a member of staff unloads crates of fish, whilst on the right chef Manogeran Shasistharan fillets whole mackerel, on 24 March 2026, at Mantra restaurant, Paris (9th arrondissement), France.
Two pupils from the École des Cuistots Migrateurs are seen reflected in the door of an oven during their second cooking lesson on 26 January 2026 in Montreuil, France.
Two students from the École des Cuistots Migrateurs are taking part in a French and drama class focusing on expressing emotions through cooking, on 9 January 2026, in Montreuil, France.
A portrait of chef Juan Manuel Leon Marquina in his flat, reading a recently acquired book on the relationship between cuisine and art, on 30 January 2026, in Paris (11th arrondissement), France.
The "École des Cuistots Migrateurs", based in Montreuil, supports people from migrant backgrounds in finding employment in the catering industry.
The programme begins with a compulsory preparatory course, which includes French language lessons, drama workshops and cultural outings, such as visits to museums or the Korean Cultural Centre, to promote integration and cultural openness.
At the end of this stage, a selection process grants access to a three-month intensive culinary training course, leading to a diploma as a kitchen assistant.
Students in the preparatory class at the École des Cuistots Migrateurs take part in a drama lesson in the school hall, focusing on spatial awareness, on 9 January 2026, in Montreuil, France.
Abdulnasser, a student at the École des Cuistots Migrateurs, looks at paintings during a cultural outing to the Korean Institute on 3 February 2026 in Paris (2nd arrondissement), France.
A framed poster bearing the inscription ‘Wallah, we are the people’ can be seen at the Darna canteen – formerly the Syrian Canteen – on 12 December 2025 in Montreuil, France.
Simaro, head chef at BMK Folie Bamako, checks that the dish is cooking properly whilst preparing a ravitoto (a dish made from pounded cassava leaves cooked in coconut milk) on 5 February 2026 in Paris (11th arrondissement), France.
Maram Hussein and Nathan are draining pasta as they prepare for the lunch service at Darna – a former Syrian canteen – on 12 December 2025, in Montreuil, France.
At his appartement, chef Juan Manuel Leon Marquina blows on the centre of an arepa, a corn flatbread from northern South America. In Venezuela, it is traditionally given as a newborn’s first meal. 30 January 2026, in Paris (11th arrondissement), France.
At Cortado Cantina, chef Juan Manuel Leon Marquina selects artichokes from a crate whilst preparing for the evening service on 21 March 2026 in Paris (3rd arrondissement), France.
Instructor Housny offers advice to Abdulnasser and another student during a cooking class at the École des Cuistots Migrateurs on 23 January 2026 in Montreuil, France.
Simaro, 35, is a chef of Malian origin.
Before arriving in France in 2018, he travelled through several countries: Mali, Senegal and Mauritania, then returned to Mali for six months before continuing his journey via Morocco to France. On his arrival, he worked in a variety of jobs: as a removal man, a dishwasher and a cleaner, before turning to cooking.
For the past four years, he has been working at BMK Folie Bamako in Paris, an African restaurant where he was partly trained. Founded by a family of Malian origin, the restaurant aims to build connections and promote African culinary traditions.
Today, Simaro lives in France with part of his family, whilst his parents have returned to Mali. He is considering moving to Germany, where some of his relatives live.
Simaro, head chef at the BMK Folie-Bamako restaurant, in the kitchen during the busy period, on 5 February 2026, in Paris (11th arrondissement), France.
Chef Juan Manuel Leon Marquina cuts an avocado in his kitchen to add to a dressing on 30 January 2026 in Paris (11th arrondissement), France.
Chef Simaro fills two bowls with rice to prepare Mafé (a dish originating from Mali) at BMK Folie-Bamako on 5 February 2026 in Paris (11th arrondissement), France.
Manogeran Shasitharan, known as ‘Jack’, is a chef whose life story is marked by exile and resilience.
Born in Malaysia and adopted in Australia at the age of 17, he soon lost his adoptive parents in an accident. He then moved to England, where he began studying medicine, before arriving in Paris.
For two years, he lived in extreme poverty, sleeping at Charles de Gaulle Airport and staying in various shelters across the Île-de-France region. He applied for numerous jobs until he secured a position as a dishwasher. Spotted for his potential, he was supported by a chef who helped him train.
Having arrived in France in 2008, he worked in fine dining establishments, notably at La Tour d’Argent, before becoming a chef in several regions. Today, he runs his own restaurant, Mantra, in Paris.
On the left, kitchen assistant Vincenzo is blending a mixture, whilst in the centre chef Manogeran Shasitharan is piping a mousse onto artichoke hearts, and on the right a waiter is preparing to take the dishes out to the dining room, on 26 March 2026, at Mantra restaurant, Paris (9th arrondissement), France.
At Mantra restaurant, chef Manogeran Shasitharan is busy in the kitchen during the evening service on 26 March 2026 in Paris (9th arrondissement), France.
On the left, Maram Hussein and a volunteer are mixing ingredients for the lunch service. The volunteer helps out from time to time to support the team at Darna – formerly a Syrian canteen. 12 December 2025, in Montreuil, France.
Chef Manogeran Shasitharan gives instructions to his team whilst sharpening his paring knife on 24 March 2026 at Mantra restaurant, Paris (9th arrondissement), France.
At the Cortado Cantina restaurant, chef Juan Manuel Leon Marquina carries a packet of pasta over his shoulder on 21 March 2026 in Paris (3rd arrondissement), France.
Maram Hussien is busy preparing for the lunch service at Darna – formerly the Syrian canteen – on 12 December 2025, in Montreuil, France.
At Mantra restaurant, chef Manogeran Shasitharan holds an artichoke intended for the fourth course of the menu, on 24 March 2026, in Paris (9th arrondissement), France.
Interview Juan Manuel Leon Marquina "Food for Thought"
