Portrait – In his restaurant Yam’Tcha in Paris, this pioneer has passionately mixed French gastronomy and Chinese traditions for fifteen years, an art of fine dining that he loves to share with his family as much as at his Michelin-starred table.
Maturity and loyalty
“My restaurant Yam’Tcha is 15 years old, so I have dedicated a third of my life to it… That’s a lot. During this time, my personal life has changed, but not my kitchen. I stick to Franco-Cantonese tastes, but I have matured over time, freed myself from many complexities. If I have an idea, today I ask myself less questions to implement it, and it takes less time to create a menu. And I have easier access to excellent suppliers. After all, the team around me is also more precise and diligent in his work. And above all, we must not forget our customers who follow us and with whom we are very connected. This makes us very happy.”
Passion and quality
“I wasn’t destined to cook, even though I loved cooking since I was little. I didn’t think about it, it wasn’t an option. After my BA I naturally went to college. I chose to major in German and it was in Germany while I was doing my DEUG (yard + 2nd equivalent old diploma, editor’s note) that it clicked. I worked in a restaurant to earn some money and developed a passion for this profession. We did simple things there, but it pushed me over the edge when I went back to Dijon to finish my studies invaded me. So I stopped everything to go to the Ferrandi school in Paris, and my parents were very supportive. Then I had the opportunity to work with Pascal Barbot; along with him, my taste palette expanded and my demands increased, especially regarding the quality of products.
” data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >
Bao and bouillabaisse
“At Yam’Tcha, the menu changes all the time because it’s the products we get that dictate the dishes. However, I play and maneuver with a variety of techniques (such as Cantonese cooking) and products that are related to the identity of our kitchen. these are standards for our customers. Of course, there are some dishes that we are asked for, for example, the stilton bao. We serve it at Yam’Tcha, but it is prepared at our neighboring shop (we also have a third address: Lai’Tcha Bistro) because this is where we make it best. This summer, with the Olympics, the shop was closed and we didn’t offer this bao. THE: dumpling (ravioli) that replaced it was appreciated, but people were still a little disappointed. The Yam’Tcha version, revised with Chinese-inspired octopus, potatoes and okra, is also a classic that it is charming.’
Good food and family
“I owe what I am to my parents. They always made sure we ate quality products from our village in Burgundy, Barges, where they have a garden to grow vegetables. When my sister and I go to see them, we look forward to eating. For us, for example, my mother prepares onion soup from my father’s vegetable garden, it wouldn’t occur to me to add curry, as I can. with whom we dined on Sundays and who cooked all the things we loved: creamed ham, poached hare… a taste of the good stuff For example, on Sundays, when we get together, I cook simple but creative dishes like the recipes I envisioned. Madame Figaro. And always from exceptional ingredients. This requirement also applies to my team. I consider that the meal is unifying and deserves to be of high quality. For a long time I was the one preparing. That’s nine meals a week for 15 to 20 people. Today, I have less time, so I delegate a few, but I’m happy to continue doing them two or three times a week.”
Osmanthus flower and soy sauce
“I go to China much less often than before. Covid has slowed down my travels. Chi-Wah Chan, my former partner and father of my three children, with whom I started the Yam’Cha adventure, still goes there regularly, obviously returning with a luggage full of goods, such as dried seafood, which is difficult find in France, mushrooms, osmanthus flowers… It’s great. That said, I see that everything is no longer the same as it was fifteen years ago. I find here, for example, much better soy sauces or wonderful spices, especially at Saveurs du Cachemire.”
” data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >
The past and the future
“When the documentary about my work was broadcast on Netflix in 2016, I was in high demand for all kinds of collaborations. I closed the door on these offers and told the team that everything will continue as before. However, I have new wishes. I would like to have a small hotel in the village with a bistro, a yard to dry the linen sheets so they smell fresh and a nice plot of land to grow vegetables, raise chickens… It would also be close, no doubt, some kind of eloquent secretly, continue to take on gastronomic challenges.
Yam’Tcha, 121, rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris. yamtcha.com:
Source: Le Figaro
