Guy Martin starts up in Japan
The head chef of Le Grand Véfour is addicted to Japan. For over 30 years, he has spent long periods in the archipelago, sometimes for three months, and has maintained continuous contact with the Japanese. He has been the culinary advisor for Le Pont du Ciel for aeons. And Guy Martin has now chosen to fill the position there with Pascal Lognon, who trained at Le Véfour.
In Osaka, the jewels of the sea, the alevins (young river fish), shellfish, and scallops are the cornerstones of the menu. A fine eye for elegance and presentation is the priority. Here, the language of Molière is spoken, and the décor of Le Pont du Ciel has nothing exotic about it. The French touch is certainly there, in the ambiance, the furniture, the crockery...The wine coming from French soil and Japan.
This is the beauty of Le Véfour and the culinary refinement of Guy Martin who have beguiled the Kobayashi family, leaders in the construction industry, like Bouygues in France. And that is also how Le Savoyard of the Palais Royal secured him as advisor. Like the Troisgros family, Martin is crazy about Japanese culture: he loves Kabuki theatre, attends sumo fights and watches samurai films. For him, Japan is like a second home. Author of many books, Martin often spends his holidays there and could well decide to start a whole new professional life there one day. Who knows?
Pascal Lognon, Chef at the Pont du Ciel
His career: "I trained at Fauchon for five years, and then I moved on to La Fermette Marboeuf and to the Relais du Parc. I then worked with Joël Robuchon and at the Bristol with Michel del Burgo whom I followed to the Taillevent for three years. I also worked as a Chef at Le Pavillon Henri IV in Saint Germain before joining Guy Martin at Le Grand Véfour. I stayed there for two years and, in January 2006, I transferred to his restaurant in Osaka where I took over from the previous Chef, Pierre Gay, who had been there for eight years."
His staff: "I have 12 people in the kitchen. They are all Japanese and I speak to them in French."
The restaurant: "It has been around for about 30 years and has always been managed by French chefs as the owner, Mr Kobayashi, loves French cuisine. We have two services of about 50 settings each. At lunch time it is mainly for business men whereas in the evening, it is more families and friends. The clientele in Osaka are different from Tokyo's where people are discreet and disciplined. Osaka is a little bit like Marseille, people are a little crazy and the atmosphere can be quite uncontrollable at times..."
The cuisine: "I am working with the local products according to the seasons, and also with other products that I am directly importing from France like pigeon, foie gras or truffle. I cook them à la française in collaboration with Guy Martin who sometimes uses the internet to send me menus which I adapt here."
Adaptation: "The main problem is the language, really. Not with my teams who understand French thanks to the previous chefs, but with the outside world. It is very important for me to be able to speak with my clients. I have been here for a year so I am gradually getting there... But when I first arrived I had to adapt very fast: the Japanese culture and behaviour are very different from ours."
This is the beauty of Le Véfour and the culinary refinement of Guy Martin who have beguiled the Kobayashi family, leaders in the construction industry, like Bouygues in France. And that is also how Le Savoyard of the Palais Royal secured him as advisor. Like the Troisgros family, Martin is crazy about Japanese culture: he loves Kabuki theatre, attends sumo fights and watches samurai films. For him, Japan is like a second home. Author of many books, Martin often spends his holidays there and could well decide to start a whole new professional life there one day. Who knows?
Pascal Lognon, Chef at the Pont du Ciel
His career: "I trained at Fauchon for five years, and then I moved on to La Fermette Marboeuf and to the Relais du Parc. I then worked with Joël Robuchon and at the Bristol with Michel del Burgo whom I followed to the Taillevent for three years. I also worked as a Chef at Le Pavillon Henri IV in Saint Germain before joining Guy Martin at Le Grand Véfour. I stayed there for two years and, in January 2006, I transferred to his restaurant in Osaka where I took over from the previous Chef, Pierre Gay, who had been there for eight years."
His staff: "I have 12 people in the kitchen. They are all Japanese and I speak to them in French."
The restaurant: "It has been around for about 30 years and has always been managed by French chefs as the owner, Mr Kobayashi, loves French cuisine. We have two services of about 50 settings each. At lunch time it is mainly for business men whereas in the evening, it is more families and friends. The clientele in Osaka are different from Tokyo's where people are discreet and disciplined. Osaka is a little bit like Marseille, people are a little crazy and the atmosphere can be quite uncontrollable at times..."
The cuisine: "I am working with the local products according to the seasons, and also with other products that I am directly importing from France like pigeon, foie gras or truffle. I cook them à la française in collaboration with Guy Martin who sometimes uses the internet to send me menus which I adapt here."
Adaptation: "The main problem is the language, really. Not with my teams who understand French thanks to the previous chefs, but with the outside world. It is very important for me to be able to speak with my clients. I have been here for a year so I am gradually getting there... But when I first arrived I had to adapt very fast: the Japanese culture and behaviour are very different from ours."
Novembre 2007
