Haute cuisine making the rounds at affordable Paris cafes
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
SOMETHING has changed at those simple, inexpensive, often boisterous bistros that made Paris the world's capital of culinary tourism the food.
The reason is that a number of young chefs, fresh from their apprenticeship with haute cuisine masters, today prefer to exercise their talents in the casual atmosphere of a bistro, rather than face the expense, pressure and fierce competition of vying for a Michelin star.
As a result, fewer Paris bistros are today a destination for people who want "relaxed, restorative, everyday chow", as the late RW Apple once described it.
Instead, you can now enjoy such dishes as haddock carpaccio a l'orange and juniper, veal kidney fricassee and salsify with gingerbread, and truffle ice cream, but in a casual atmosphere and usually for only €28 to €45 for a three-course menu.
The phenomenon has been given an unofficial name, bistronomy, melding bistro and gastronomy. The man generally credited with developing this marriage of culinary cultures is Yves Camdeborde, who spent 10 years working with a top chef.
When Camdeborde struck out on his own, at age 28, he quickly realised that he did not have the financial means to match his grand culinary ambitions.
So he took over a modest bistro in Paris and, out of necessity, decided to serve his elegantly prepared dishes in a casual ambience and at affordable prices. But his philosophy remained that of a master chef:
"Cooking is very simple. It is above all the raw material. And that you are able to discover that raw material in the plate, through its taste and its texture."
Camdeborde's bistro, La Regalade, became a model for a generation of young chefs who have redefined French bistro cooking and offered an alternative to diners who wish to enjoy haute cuisine without the usual stiff ritual and wallet-breaking prices of Michelin-starred restaurants.
Today, the 42-year-old owns the hottest new bistro in Paris, Le Comptoir, in the heart of Paris tourist country.
And La Regalade has been taken over by Bruno Doucet, who retained the original bistronomic recipe of gourmet cooking and relaxed dining while adding his own personal touch to the menu.
Located far away from Le Comptoir and the heart of the French capital, in the unfashionable district of Belleville, Argentine exile Raquel Carena is enjoying as great a success with her version of bistronomy as is Camdeborde.
Carena opened Le Baratin in 1987, taking over an abandoned bistro and teaching herself to cook from books to feed the workers who renovated the place. Cooking soon became a passion.
Long a secret known only to those who lived within walking distance, Le Baratin has become a favourite of many Parisians and the city's chefs, including Camdeborde.
Little wonder, since Carena's definition of "grand cuisine" is strikingly similar to his: "Get the best out of a raw material, without artifice."DPA
The reason is that a number of young chefs, fresh from their apprenticeship with haute cuisine masters, today prefer to exercise their talents in the casual atmosphere of a bistro, rather than face the expense, pressure and fierce competition of vying for a Michelin star.
As a result, fewer Paris bistros are today a destination for people who want "relaxed, restorative, everyday chow", as the late RW Apple once described it.
Instead, you can now enjoy such dishes as haddock carpaccio a l'orange and juniper, veal kidney fricassee and salsify with gingerbread, and truffle ice cream, but in a casual atmosphere and usually for only €28 to €45 for a three-course menu.
The phenomenon has been given an unofficial name, bistronomy, melding bistro and gastronomy. The man generally credited with developing this marriage of culinary cultures is Yves Camdeborde, who spent 10 years working with a top chef.
When Camdeborde struck out on his own, at age 28, he quickly realised that he did not have the financial means to match his grand culinary ambitions.
So he took over a modest bistro in Paris and, out of necessity, decided to serve his elegantly prepared dishes in a casual ambience and at affordable prices. But his philosophy remained that of a master chef:
"Cooking is very simple. It is above all the raw material. And that you are able to discover that raw material in the plate, through its taste and its texture."
Camdeborde's bistro, La Regalade, became a model for a generation of young chefs who have redefined French bistro cooking and offered an alternative to diners who wish to enjoy haute cuisine without the usual stiff ritual and wallet-breaking prices of Michelin-starred restaurants.
Today, the 42-year-old owns the hottest new bistro in Paris, Le Comptoir, in the heart of Paris tourist country.
And La Regalade has been taken over by Bruno Doucet, who retained the original bistronomic recipe of gourmet cooking and relaxed dining while adding his own personal touch to the menu.
Located far away from Le Comptoir and the heart of the French capital, in the unfashionable district of Belleville, Argentine exile Raquel Carena is enjoying as great a success with her version of bistronomy as is Camdeborde.
Carena opened Le Baratin in 1987, taking over an abandoned bistro and teaching herself to cook from books to feed the workers who renovated the place. Cooking soon became a passion.
Long a secret known only to those who lived within walking distance, Le Baratin has become a favourite of many Parisians and the city's chefs, including Camdeborde.
Little wonder, since Carena's definition of "grand cuisine" is strikingly similar to his: "Get the best out of a raw material, without artifice."DPA
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