Master Chef Gaspar Stantic says he is a work in progress.

Never mind that he's received hundreds of culinary prizes around the world, has cooked twice for Britain's Queen Elizabeth, or that he is good friends with Mario Batali and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The Switzerland native views food and its preparation as an evolving experience for both chef and patron.

"The training never stops," he notes, as he sits sipping coffee on the patio of his newest enterprise, Gaspar's New American Cuisine on Bank Street in New London. "My journey is a search for meaningful food experiences."

That journey began more than 40 years ago, when young Stantic began to cook alongside his first teacher - his mother. He became a chef's apprentice at 14 years old and completed his Master Chef training in Vienna. From there, Stantic's skills landed him posts in high-profile hotels and restaurants in a dozen countries from France, Holland and Germany to Japan, Hong Kong and Kuwait.

In the 1980s, Stantic arrived in the United States. Aside from a post as executive chef of the Helmsley Palace in New York City, Stantic also worked for Donald Trump as a culinary adviser during the real estate mogul's Atlantic City casino-building days. Of his brusque former employer Stantic says, "You don't speak, you just listen."

Stantic later opened seven restaurants in Dallas. Zagat lauded two of them - the eponymous Gaspar's and Gershwin's Restaurant - as must-go restaurants in the area and in 1992 named Gaspar's as one of America's Top Restaurants.

No wonder, then, that Stantic takes a wider view when it comes to the restaurant business.

"The focus of the journey is always about celebrating, enjoying and respecting the world," he states.

Stantic's new restaurant in New London aims to throw that celebration daily. Old World charm mixes nicely with post-modern sentiment throughout the cozy-chic space, where colorful contemporary art hangs on the walls and antiques bedeck the fixtures. Soups arrive in Le Creuset crocks and dinners might arrive on mismatched, elegant China. A recent menu - featuring wienerschnitzel alongside more familiar fare like prosciutto-wrapped haddock and heirloom tomato salad - reflects the same balance.

As for those meaningful meals he strives to prepare, Stantic notes that a memorable meal need not be fancy or extreme; what makes a meal special to Stantic is food that engages the five senses, coupled with service and an atmosphere that encourage a relaxed meal and good conversation.

Take one of Stantic's upcoming seasonal appetizers, which features only four ingredients: smoked salmon, mango, creme fraiche and Osetra caviar. The simple dish offers color, texture and sweet and savory aromas as it sits attractively wrapped on a white square plate.

Simplicity, of course, does not sacrifice flavor, the key to which is fresh, local, ideally organic ingredients, according to Stantic. He regularly shops farmers markets and Fiddleheads in search of the region's bounty that informs his menus. During a recent visit, he gives a fall menu more thought and quickly recalls some favorites from his repertoire that he hopes to serve soon: corn gelato with tuna carpaccio; cucumber sherbet; and "Soup from the Atlantic." As the summer winds down, keep an eye out for soups with autumn squashes (say, a sweet potato and chestnut soup), seasonal salads, and lobster many ways.

For all his training and accolades, Stantic knows the secret to a great dish is to let the essential nature of each ingredient shine through.

"The art of cooking is the balance," he says. "Simple elements create great things."

Gaspar's New American Cuisine is at 385 Bank St., New London. For info, call (860) 440-3663 or visit www.gasparsrestaurant.com.