It
was
after
a
culinary
apprenticeship
and
a
tour
of
France
with
the
greatest
chefs
such
as
Philippe
Million,
Guy
Martin,
Jacques
Pic,
Alain
Senderens
that
Philippe
Excoffier
became
a
chef
for
personalities
such
as
Jack
Lang,
Yves
Saint
Laurent,
Sylvia
Marnier
Lapostole.
Called
by
the
American
government
in
2001,
he
became
the
chef
of
the
residence
of
the
United
States
Ambassador
in
Paris
for
10
years
before
opening
his
eponymous
restaurant
in
one
of
the
most
beautiful
areas
of
the
capital, very close to the Eiffel Tower.
The taste of the earth, beautiful and true
You
don't
improvise
as
a
cook.
My
vocation
comes
from
afar,
from
sensitive
dispositions,
from
a
deep
love
for
nature,
since
my
Savoyard
childhood,
modest
and
greedy.
A
vegetable
garden
fed
the
whole
family,
a
vegetable
garden
very
rich
in
vegetable
varieties.
Each
day
has
its
hours
of
work,
each
season
its
new
products.
We
plant,
we
cultivate,
we
pick,
we
cook.
But
we
also
preserve,
organic
before
its
time.
I
learned
very
early
the
meaning
of
the
product
of
which
nothing
is
thrown
away, a complete economy which is lost today. A rich taste education, which bore fruit since I dreamed of becoming… a pastry chef.
I
began
my
apprenticeship
in
beautiful
renowned
houses
including
Jacques
Pic
with
whom
I
perfected
pastry,
and
then
launched
into
vegetables
and
fish,
Guy
Martin,
young
leader
of
Château
de
Divonnes;
I
discovered
the
pleasure
of
beautiful
houses
and
satisfied
my
perfectionist
impulses
which
very
quickly
led
me,
at
17,
to
responsibilities.
Military
service
took
me
under
the
flags…
of
the
Republic
and
I
became
chef
of
the
kitchens
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture
in
1992
then
under
the
rule
of
Jack
Lang.
I
remain
with
the
Minister
at
the
end
of
my
service.
I
then
go
through
the
Senderens
brigade
but
I
miss
the
warm
atmosphere
of
past
years
and
one
thing leads to another, I will cook in private dining rooms and begin an atypical journey.
Private tables at the Residence of the United States Ambassador
The
Ambassador
of
the
United
States
asked
me
to
join
in
2001,
at
just
29
years
old,
as
chef
of
the
Embassy
and
the
attached
residences.
Dinners
in
small
groups,
receptions,
cocktails,
at
the
head
of
a
brigade
of
20
cooks,
the
opportunity
to
add
my
personal,
modern
and
creative
touch.
French
service
on
silver
platters,
large
dinners
for
up
to
150
people
and
reception
for…
2,500
guests,
we
will
have
to
innovate,
find
ideas,
agreements,
arrangements,
and
to
do
this
I
will
begin
fruitful
complicities
with
my
suppliers,
meeting
them,
looking
at
their
way
of
managing
crops
and
breeding,
finding
new
products...
without
forgetting
to
immerse
myself
in
books
to
stimulate
my
imagination
and
my
palate.
At
the
same
time,
I
have
to
manage
this
enormous
machine,
control
costs
and
for
11
years
I
will
successfully
impose my culinary line. It’s a serious health problem that will put an end to this hectic life.
A now personal adventure
A
year
later,
I
decided
with
my
wife
Michèle
to
open
a
restaurant
on
a
human
scale,
and
began
a
new
adventure.
I
found
a
fund
to
acquire
in
2011,
rue
de
l'Exposition
in
Paris,
did
some
work,
put
together
a
wine
list,
got
my
bearings
in
a...
very
small
kitchen
for
the
happiness
of
40
guests.
I
understand
that
I
have
to
find
my
personal
signature
far
from
the
splendor,
simplify
my
culinary
approach
and
banish
its
effects,
to
offer
real
tasty
cuisine,
above
all
emotional.
Working
more
willingly with sardines than langoustines, I thrive in the search for the sublime green bean, perfectly crunchy...
Returning
to
the
complicity
with
yesterday's
suppliers,
I
continue
to
move
forward
with
excellent
market
gardeners
and
artisans
with
whom
I
always
share
taste
emotions.
Listening
to
each
of
them,
I
bring
together
my
childhood
memories
today.
The
taste
for
dialogue,
the
desire
to
please,
this
is
what
underpins
the
existence
of my restaurant and the incredible challenge that constitutes the transition from a sumptuary restaurant to a modest, singular, enthusiastic, sincere restaurant.
It
was
after
a
culinary
apprenticeship
and
a
tour
of
France
with
the
greatest
chefs
such
as
Philippe
Million,
Guy
Martin,
Jacques
Pic,
Alain
Senderens
that
Philippe
Excoffier
became
a
chef
for
personalities
such
as
Jack
Lang,
Yves
Saint
Laurent,
Sylvia
Marnier
Lapostole.
Called
by
the
American
government
in
2001,
he
became
the
chef
of
the
residence
of
the
United
States
Ambassador
in
Paris
for
10
years
before
opening
his
eponymous
restaurant
in
one
of
the
most
beautiful
areas
of
the
capital,
very
close
to
the
Eiffel Tower.
The taste of the earth, beautiful and true
You
don't
improvise
as
a
cook.
My
vocation
comes
from
afar,
from
sensitive
dispositions,
from
a
deep
love
for
nature,
since
my
Savoyard
childhood,
modest
and
greedy.
A
vegetable
garden
fed
the
whole
family,
a
vegetable
garden
very
rich
in
vegetable
varieties.
Each
day
has
its
hours
of
work,
each
season
its
new
products.
We
plant,
we
cultivate,
we
pick,
we
cook.
But
we
also
preserve,
organic
before
its
time.
I
learned
very
early
the
meaning
of
the
product
of
which
nothing
is
thrown
away,
a
complete
economy
which
is
lost
today.
A
rich
taste
education,
which
bore
fruit
since
I
dreamed
of
becoming… a pastry chef.
I
began
my
apprenticeship
in
beautiful
renowned
houses
including
Jacques
Pic
with
whom
I
perfected
pastry,
and
then
launched
into
vegetables
and
fish,
Guy
Martin,
young
leader
of
Château
de
Divonnes;
I
discovered
the
pleasure
of
beautiful
houses
and
satisfied
my
perfectionist
impulses
which
very
quickly
led
me,
at
17,
to
responsibilities.
Military
service
took
me
under
the
flags…
of
the
Republic
and
I
became
chef
of
the
kitchens
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture
in
1992
then
under
the
rule
of
Jack
Lang.
I
remain
with
the
Minister
at
the
end
of
my
service.
I
then
go
through
the
Senderens
brigade
but
I
miss
the
warm
atmosphere
of
past
years
and
one
thing
leads
to
another, I will cook in private dining rooms and begin an atypical journey.
Private tables at the Residence of the United States Ambassador
The
Ambassador
of
the
United
States
asked
me
to
join
in
2001,
at
just
29
years
old,
as
chef
of
the
Embassy
and
the
attached
residences.
Dinners
in
small
groups,
receptions,
cocktails,
at
the
head
of
a
brigade
of
20
cooks,
the
opportunity
to
add
my
personal,
modern
and
creative
touch.
French
service
on
silver
platters,
large
dinners
for
up
to
150
people
and
reception
for…
2,500
guests,
we
will
have
to
innovate,
find
ideas,
agreements,
arrangements,
and
to
do
this
I
will
begin
fruitful
complicities
with
my
suppliers,
meeting
them,
looking
at
their
way
of
managing
crops
and
breeding,
finding
new
products...
without
forgetting
to
immerse
myself
in
books
to
stimulate
my
imagination
and
my
palate.
At
the
same
time,
I
have
to
manage
this
enormous
machine,
control
costs
and
for
11
years
I
will
successfully
impose
my
culinary
line.
It’s
a
serious
health
problem
that
will
put an end to this hectic life.
A now personal adventure
A
year
later,
I
decided
with
my
wife
Michèle
to
open
a
restaurant
on
a
human
scale,
and
began
a
new
adventure.
I
found
a
fund
to
acquire
in
2011,
rue
de
l'Exposition
in
Paris,
did
some
work,
put
together
a
wine
list,
got
my
bearings
in
a...
very
small
kitchen
for
the
happiness
of
40
guests.
I
understand
that
I
have
to
find
my
personal
signature
far
from
the
splendor,
simplify
my
culinary
approach
and
banish
its
effects,
to
offer
real
tasty
cuisine,
above
all
emotional.
Working
more
willingly
with
sardines
than
langoustines,
I
thrive
in
the
search
for
the
sublime
green
bean,
perfectly
crunchy...
Returning
to
the
complicity
with
yesterday's
suppliers,
I
continue
to
move
forward
with
excellent
market
gardeners
and
artisans
with
whom
I
always
share
taste
emotions.
Listening
to
each
of
them,
I
bring
together
my
childhood
memories
today.
The
taste
for
dialogue,
the
desire
to
please,
this
is
what
underpins
the
existence
of
my
restaurant
and
the
incredible
challenge
that
constitutes
the
transition
from
a
sumptuary
restaurant
to
a
modest, singular, enthusiastic, sincere restaurant.
