THE PARIS OF CHEFS. This week, make way for Dominique Crenn, the most French of Californians, who is inaugurating Golden Poppy in the 9e.
By Laurence Gounel
© DR
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” Paris remains my favorite city in the world warns the chef, who has lived in the United States since the 1990s. At the head of three addresses in San Francisco – including the three-starred Atelier Crenn –, Dominique Crenn is preparing to infuse her vision of Californian cuisine into the of the hotel La Fantaisie Paris, which will open in mid-June. A long-awaited table around a shared kitchen and promoting small producers. “What made me decide to ‘come back’ after so many years? The human values, sustainability and product quality that we share with the small hotel group Leitmotiv. »
Bistronomic, Golden Poppy’s first ambition is to embody the diversity that characterizes West Coast cuisine, mixing all the influences of the different waves of immigration – Chinese, Japanese, Latino… – and thus illustrating what is true “fusion” cuisine. A genre in its own right, rich and noble when it feeds, as here, on carefully sourced products. “This table is a conversation, and is inspired by everything around me. I come with humility. »
Engaged since her beginnings, Dominique Crenn has formed a feminine brigade without preconceptions: “I don’t care where they come from. What matters to me is their humanity and the reflection they bring. “Already experienced in going back and forth for a few months and resident of Île Saint-Louis when she is Parisian, the chef is a real “local” when it comes to sharing her address book.Its market: the red children’s market
“It’s one of the oldest markets in Paris and, every time I visit the capital, I go there… I find the street food that I love so much, with a variety of stalls, lots of young people, who work excellent products. We always make acquaintances there, that’s what I like too. »
39, rue de Bretagne, Paris 3e. From Tuesday to Sunday.
Her discovery : Haitian Mama
“Maria (my partner) and I love Haiti very much… which I discovered in 2017 by getting involved in a coffee producers’ organization. This address is a concentrate of this small fusion that we find there, this mixture of Africa, Spain, France, etc. with its own strong identity. The place embodies a small family home with two sisters in the dining room and the mother in the kitchen. It’s colorful, and everything here tells their story. I go there for the grilled fish and this mixture of spices and fermented products. A big favorite. »
20, rue Labat, Paris 18e. 20 euros a la carte.
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His wine merchant: The label
“It’s on Île Saint-Louis, right next to a little bistro where we go all the time. I love this address because you can only find natural, organic, biodynamic wines there and with references that you don’t see elsewhere. Hervé, the boss, can talk for hours about a wine, he is passionate. »
10, rue Jean-du-Bellay, Paris 4e.
His bistro: Bistro Paul Bert
“It’s both classic and modern, in a typical bistro setting. As soon as we have foreign friends passing through Paris, we take them there… Bertrand and Gwenaëlle’s welcome has something to do with it either. They are great, source great products and make me think Paris is a village. With easy connections, producers that we recommend… Special mention to their lightly spiced shepherd’s pie. »
18, rue Paul-Bert, Paris 11e. 50 euros a la carte.
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His gastronomic table: Table
“We have been friends for more than ten years and this is an encyclopedia for me! Bruno Verjus is generous, curious about others, and his cooking is without lies. Each of his plates tells a story. It goes straight to the point, does not take itself seriously and has no other ambition than to promote its producers. The real artists are not us, but them… And, in this, we share the same values. His success is completely deserved. »
3, rue de Prague, Paris 12e. 400 euros the menu.