There’s no denying the beauty of the dishes an Instagram user who goes by the handle “Chef Jacques Lamerde” posts to his account. But look a little closer at them (or the chef’s pseudo-surname) and you’ll see something that spoils the illusion of sophistication — a corndog, perhaps, or a Bugle or a Pop-Tart.
Yes, Lamerde takes the kind of junk food you might find at a 7-Eleven and transforms it into dishes that wouldn’t look (but would definitely taste) out of place in a high-end restaurant, for an audience of roughly 44,000 followers. And though he may choose to remain anonymous, at least he’s as entertaining dodging questions about his identity as he is concocting fancy dishes that incorporate lunchmeat; “BRO I AM THE NITROUS IN UR ISI CANNISTER. I AM THE LECITHIN IN UR ESPUMA. I AM THE SPECIAL LITTLE TICK MARK ON TOP OF THE E IN SOIGNÉ !!! I AM THE SPIRIT OF NEXT LEVEL THAT IS IN US ALL !!!” he told First We Feast.
Below, we’ve collected some highlights from Lamerde’s Instagram — but you’ll clearly want to follow him to stay up to date with his creations.