Beijing's 20 Most Interesting People: Ignace LeCleir

We have a saying here at the Beijinger that even if nothing interesting could be written about 99 percent of Beijing's approximately 20 million people, there would still be 200,000 great stories remaining. To us, what makes a person interesting was not only their long-term presence in Beijing, but that they had done something of note within the last 12 months. Here is one of our picks, and you can always find more in our October issue, now out on the stands.

Ignace LeCleir
Proprietor, Temple Restaurant Beijing
Years in Beijing: 6

Why he’s interesting: Having first come to Beijing to open Maison Boulud, the Belgian native parlayed his success there into one of the capital’s most acclaimed dining venues, Temple Restaurant Beijing, which won seven the Beijinger Reader Restaurant Awards this year.

What he says: “I like the people [of Beijing]. I like the diversity. I came from New York and I was concerned it wouldn’t be like that. I went back recently and I felt the energy there wasn’t as much as here. Here you can go 100 miles an hour or you can relax and take it easy.”