Louisa Chu's Stage at ADPA

[Bux]

In a sense, it's always seemed a strength of French cuisine that it's so dominated other cuisines. When I was a student and ate in those Greek and Balkan restaurants in the fifth (they were not the gyro/souvlaki/doner kebob sandwich places they are now) I didn't realize they weren'ty French restaurants. My guess is that any Greek person would have also found them absolutely French.

By the way, langoustine ceviche sounds lovely.

[hollywood]

no good Mexican/Mexican-American food in Paris!

Does that give you any ideas, Louisa?

Pan, ideas? Like I should get myself back to LA ASAP - or go visit my friends in Mexico? Cordon Bleu did an event with the Mexican embassy last year - and while I heard Mexican friends who worked it that the food was good, even there it was more French than Mexican.

hollywood, a langoustine ceviche? Chilaqueles aux truffes? Foie gras tacos? But how cross cultural? Not very - not for lack of knowledge or desire - most of the chefs have done stints in the States and Japan - but that's just not what the client wants there. And even when we do use non-French ingredients, we fully assimilate them into French form and tastes.

Moby, you heard it?! My own family doesn't bother listening! Thanks.

Louisa, those dishes sound terrific. I think Pan was thinking you should open Casa Louisa in Paris and welcome the throngs who've been missing out on or just missing Mexican.

[Pan]

I think Pan was thinking you should open Casa Louisa in Paris and welcome the throngs who've been missing out on or just missing Mexican.

Precisely!

Louisa, don't be so self-effacing.

[fresh_a]

True, Mexican food simply does not exist in Paris. I've been to a few of the so-called best Mexican restaurants here, one known for having the "Best Chili in Europe", and it was simply dreadful, and the funny thing was, when asking about the owner's origins, I was told she was Polish!

[Louisa Chu]

Bux, what were those places like? Were they doing dolmas gratineed? I love the sandwich grecque places in the 5th, but compared to the ones I grew up with in Chicago, I wonder where all the spices have gone - can barely taste the stuff. And langoustine anything's good. I helped plate for a banquet recently and we had a few leftover - the chef de partie and I cracked those babies open - fast - before chef could catch us.

hollywood, it'd be Casa Luisa wouldn't it?

Pan, I know enough about good Mexican food to know I know nothing! I just learned about epazote!

fresh_a, you'd think a Mexican restaurant claiming to have the Best Chili in Europe might have been a tip off?! And don't even get me started on good Polish food - I grew up with Polish neighbors - and homemade pierogies - I guess here we'd have to do them stuffed with a Robuchon-esque pommes puree.

[Bux]

Bux, what were those places like? Were they doing dolmas gratineed? I love the sandwich grecque places in the 5th, but compared to the ones I grew up with in Chicago, I wonder where all the spices have gone - can barely taste the stuff.

hollywood, it'd be Casa Luisa wouldn't it?

I don't remember the food exactly, but they were the sort of places where you sat down for three simple courses--no sandwiches--including "fromage ou dessert." In many cases, the dessert might be packaged ice cream or a slice of patisserie bought tarte. My French was inadequate, my knowledge of food was quite nil and my interest just beginning. Much of the menu was likely to be beyond my grasp in any case. I remember a lot of rice rather than potatoes and grilled skewers of meat--shish kebob--and more egg plant than in most restaurants. No, I don't recall stuffed grape leaves au gratin, but the standards of the time were often served. Cocquille St. Jacques au gratin, oeufs dur mayonnaise, salade russe, salade de tomates, etc. all filled out the menu.

In those days, a lot of my meals were had in very cheap restaurant seving a sausage or small piece of steach or pork chop on a plate filled with fried potatoes. Even that was rewarding in comparison to the food I knew in the states. When I returned to Paris in the colder months, I discovered the joys of a simple vegetable potage. I learned it was always available in a certain kind of restaurant even if it was not on the menu. I don't know if I was nostalgic about the joys of food that were everywhere in Paris for next to nothing, or for my ingnorance and the ease with which I was impressed. Ignorance can really be bliss.

I don't know if I became jaded, or if the simple pleasures of the table in Paris all but disappeared for a while. Equally, I'm unsure if I've now become a bit jaded by the finest cooking in the world or if there's been a renaissance at the simple end of Parisian bistros, but I'm learning of and enjoying places that remind me of the ones I first knew.

At anyrate, I didn't know the difference between French food and Greek food when I left for Paris, or from Paris, the first or second time. For that reason, I suspect your Mexican restaurant should be called Casa Louise or Chez Luisa. You don't want to make the natives too uncomfortable.

[hollywood]

For that reason, I suspect your Mexican restaurant should be called Casa Louise or Chez Luisa. You don't want to make the natives too uncomfortable. 

Yeah, somebody might accuse you of globalization. Is there a French equivalent of Spanglish?

[Bux]

Is there a French equivalent of Spanglish?

Parlez-vous franglais?

[hollywood]

Is there a French equivalent of Spanglish?

Parlez-vous franglais?

Hope Chirac's not lurking about.

[MobyP]

Louisa -

modesty aside, any news?

[Louisa Chu]

Moby, modesty?! Oh no, that's not it - it's running around with my hair on fire - not literally, thank God.

Promise to post more later - big day, going to Robuchon for lunch, walking tour of neighborhood artisans for Les 7 Jours du 7eme, and La Nuit Blanche tonight - but just a few things - new ADPA fall menu kicked off this week, finally starting to get the touch - and respect - in gastro boulangerie, and big talk with Chef Piege about moving to cuisine in the next couple of weeks - even my patisserie/boulangerie chefs fear for me.

[Louisa Chu]

As of this week, I'm staging in gastro cuisine. Two months in boulangerie/patisserie - done - just like that. The pressure in gastro cuisine is sick - but I like it. The first day, one of my first jobs was - sure enough - leafing parsley - but psychotically detailed and at lightning speed - everything we do is like a Japanese tea ceremony on crack. But then for the next job - still first day - they hand me a platter of ecrivisses and a tub o' caviar. With two ordinary kitchen knives I'm expected to magically form perfect bars of caviar on the ecrivisses - adding three eggs here, four eggs there. I'm now fairly certain that I can now be one of those people who work with molecules under electron microscopes. During service I primarily do one of the amuse-bouche - served in a martini glass, it's a tablespoonful of foie gras mousse, topped with a langoustine tail lightly coated in langoustine reduction, finished with foie gras foam, and garnished with three perfect tiny chervil leaves. Must sleep now - will write more later.

[Pan]

Hang in there, Louisa. Sounds like a heavy-duty learning experience, and not for the uncoordinated. What are the staff meals like lately?

[MobyP]

will write more later.

What is gastro cuisine? Is it cooking for the people who really deserve it?

Edited October 16, 2003 by MobyP (log)

[edm]

I love the sandwich grecque places in the 5th

Have u tried that small greek place near Jussieu ? From the subway station, head to the "jardin des plantes". Well, not far after that good patisserie-chocolatier, there's a sandwich place. And it's pretty tasty stuff !

Sorry, cant remember the adress though !

At lunch time, there's a big line-up. Just follow the crowd. get a sandwich, get a nice bench in the "jardin", and then head to the "mosquee de paris" for a "the a la menthe" and a pastry.

Now that's a pretty enjoyable lunch !

[Louisa Chu]

Caviarsation - one of the things I do. And it's langoustines - not ecrivisses - the latter's for one of the amuse-bouche - that's how tired I've been.

Pan, thanks. Psychotically heavy-duty - and yeah, learning more than I ever believed was humanly possible. No, not for the uncoordinated - I pretty confident now that if the fate of civilisation depended on me stringing a line of caviar on to dental floss with great speed and explosions around my head, rest assured that I can do it. Staff meals - every day, twice a day on Thursdays and Fridays, our only lunch service days - in the personnel restaurant. On first appearance like a typical cafeteria - but then you realize you're in France when you see the cheese platter - the most amazing aged Gruyere last week. Today I had a veal brochette for lunch and I forget which fish - firm white-fleshed - with an herb vinaigrette for dinner - too out of it to remember. We had all you can drink wine but it seems to be gone now. Mornings, free continental breakfast - pain au chocolat and cafe au lait, etc. at will. Remember the movie The Game? It's like that when you walk into the dining room - we're all in costume. Funny thing is that the patisserie people all really stick together - whereas the cuisine people - especially gastro cuisine - are all over the place.

Moby, gastro cuisine - arguably for the people who least deserve it! It's the savoury side of ADPA - where the big boys play. And it is mostly boys - only one female cook. And then there's me - apparently I'm the first female stagiaire ever at ADPA - as if I needed more pressure.

edm, I'm sure I've passed it - I used to live not far from there. I know the sandwich place coming from Jussieu but away from Le Jardin des Plantes - towards Maison Kayser - the best French paninis - is that the place you're thinking of? And yeah, love the mint tea thing at the mosque - but no dogs allowed!

Edited October 18, 2003 by loufood (log)

[Pan]

Thanks for your response, Louisa.

What distinguishes gastro cuisine from the rest of the cuisine at ADPA?

[Louisa Chu]

Pan, yes, it's confusing. All the cuisine is gastro cuisine at ADPA - there are just different restaurants/foodservice at the Plaza. And we talk about cuisine as being savoury versus patisserie which is sweets. Here's the breakdown of the kitchens at the Plaza Athenee Hotel.

ADPA - in-house we're just called "Gastro" - includes one big cuisine/savoury kitchen as well as a small patisserie/pastry kitchen/room on one side. All the breads are done downstairs by one guy - my bud Jerome - in Centrale - the central boulangerie/patisserie - more on that later.

Le Relais Plaza - also a Ducasse restaurant - technically it's all AD foodservice all the time at the PA. They have their own savoury kitchen but all their breads and desserts are done in Centrale. The Relais has their own dining room but they also do all the room service - and at the PA we like to talk about how room service is not just meals sent up to your room but that each room is like a private dining room of the Relais - and technically of Alain Ducasse. It's at the Relais where he's doing the Fou de France promotion - where he's inviting young guest chefs for 2 weeks stints at a time to promote French cuisine.

Le Cour Jardin - the courtyard garden restaurant open only in the summer. They have their own savoury kitchen but all the desserts/breads done once again in Centrale.

The Sandwicherie - they do all the food service for the bar and the savouries for tea. All tea sweets done in Centrale. They have a tiny pastry room for Cour Jardin dessert plating.

Centrale - downstairs - patisserie in front, boulangerie in back. Everything from some gastro work is done down there by the gastro pastry chef, to daily petit fours/tarts/desserts for the Relais/tea/banquets/the Cour Jardin when it's open. The Centrale pastry chef - who's considered the pastry chef for the Plaza Athenee in general - is a sugar and chocolate freak - he does these amazing five-foot high, spiraling, spinning, mesmerizing sculptures - sometimes just as a stand for a single cake. For VIP clients of course, but it's crazy.

And finally there's the Personnel Restaurant kitchen - they do all their own savouries but dessert is usually leftovers from Centrale the one service before.

Edited October 18, 2003 by loufood (log)

[Pan]

Thanks for the explanation, Louisa.

[Louisa Chu]

This coming week was supposed to be the last week of my stage at ADPA. But I've asked Chef - Chef Jean-Francois Piege who's leaving in February to take over at Le Crillon - if I could work on New Year's Eve dinner. He said that I could - if I could get an extension on my Convention de Stage - my working papers. After a surprising amount of red-tape I got it - just last week. So when the clock strikes midnight for 2004 I will hopefully be having a glass of champagne with all the other cooks - celebrating a good service on what could be the most expensive restaurant meal in the world - 680 Euros - for food alone.

[robert brown]

What's the menu?

[Bux]

What's the menu?

To paraphrase the old saying, if you have to ask what you're getting, you can't afford it.

It would be interesting to post a few of the lavish New Year's Eve menus starting with AD/PA.

[robert brown]

Bux, what's the original? You mean, "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it."

I liked one of the waiters at the Louis XV this past summer who did this kind of pirouette around the table, placing with a grandioise gesture a .50 euro piece of nougat on everyone's plate as if he were saying." Wow, look at this; we're not done yet. Aren't we generous?" When it comes to cheap shows of "generosity", Ducasse is a specialist.

[Bux]

Bux, what's the original? You mean, "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it."

Oui.

[menton1]

Congratulations, Louisa!! It should certainly be a "bonne année"!

What are your plans for 2004? Will you be going back to California? (Did you discuss it with Karli?)

BTW, I just saw "Something's Gotta Give", and I would tell all Egulleters to take note of the Paris hotel-- it is the Plaza Athenée!