Three women, twelve men. And in the end, there was to remain… only one. At the end of an evening rich in emotions, the 27-year-old chef Louise Bourrat made short work of her opponent, the Belgian Arnaud Delvenne, by winning, despite some hazards during the service, the coveted title of ‘ ‘Top Chef’, season 13 (53.81% vs. 46.19%). The Portuguese-born cook, at the head of her own restaurant in Lisbon, managed to sublimate a daring menu with Asian flavors during the final, shot in early January at the Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris, and broadcast this Wednesday evening on M6. The last representative of the red brigade, led by Hélène Darroze, managed to conquer the taste buds of the 80 guests of the Red Cross and the four members of the jury. For us, the rock’n’roll cook, particularly abused on social networks, returned to her evolution during the culinary competition and its final. Interview.
How does it feel to be the third woman (after Stéphanie Le Quellec, season 2, and Naoëlle D’Hainault, season 4) to win ”Top Chef”?
-It’s a difficult question, I admit that for the moment, I still haven’t realized. I tend to always relativize and distance myself from things. Maybe later, at least I hope so (laughs).
Did you watch the broadcast of the episodes and follow the comments on social networks?
-Yes, I watched a few episodes here and there, when I had time. On the other hand, on the most hateful platforms, I haven’t set foot there and I won’t set foot there, it’s not worth it. I prefer to stay in real life. Before, I followed the Instagram page of ”Top Chef” because I was curious to see preview excerpts from the episodes, but I stopped, because the comments… I was really pissed off . As a result, I no longer look at anything, I protect myself. People are not tender.
Not tender and very misogynistic comments for some…
-Yes, it brings to the surface problems such as gender inequalities, including the legitimacy to succeed. We see that it is not yet recorded in everyone.
Let’s go back to January. In what state of mind did you approach the final?
-Sincerely, before setting both feet at George V, in a fairly serene way. We had a little month break between filming the semi-finals and the final. I took the opportunity to go home, resume a normal life, see my loved ones after being behind closed doors for two months and of course go back to the restaurant, where I had a lot of work, my whole head was in Lisbon ( …). I didn’t prepare for the final, I didn’t have much time, I didn’t do any full-scale training or stuff like that. I went there with my ovaries and my knife (…), I put on the armor and then we hit the pile. I don’t know if it’s the best way to do things, but in any case, it’s the only one I know.
During the ordeal, you received help from the enemy brigade. Between cooks, do we always stick together?
– It depends on who! At home, everyone works in the same direction and with a common goal, but unfortunately this is not the case everywhere. I have heard so many stories, especially among the starred ones, where there is such a spirit of competition that some go so far as to sabotage the setting up of the other to be seen well by the chef. , to be the best and get promoted. However, we should always stick together: we must not forget that cooking is above all about sharing and conviviality, not performance and competition.
In this menu, which dish are you most satisfied with?
-None ! Perhaps the starter, the amberjack, the dish that came out the best and was the ‘safest’ for me: I’ve been doing it for a very long time in restaurants, it doesn’t require a lot of work, it’s quite fast… It’s just a matter of having the right ingredients. I also really liked the main course, but to go out for 80 people I shot myself in the foot. In fact, I didn’t realize it, I’m not used to banqueting. It was complicated and that’s what put us in the juice. The dessert could have been magnificent if the cooling cell hadn’t broken down during the service and we hadn’t ended up with milkshakes instead of ice cream… But hey, those are the hazards! On paper, I like all the dishes. In the production, we were very ”borderline”. But hey, it’s over.
This season, you shone in several events, including the famous edible tablecloth that you made American chef Mike Bagale eat. Is this one of your best memories?
-Yes and no. (She is hesitating). It was a test which was magic but really difficult, to have the idea perhaps exploded me more than the realization itself. My best memories are rather those that were shared, like tests with other candidates: the black box, the restaurant war, all the tests I did with Wilfried and Thibaut… Towards the end of the competition, the test of the hare at the royal one of Sébastien was an incredible moment. Somehow, I wasn’t alone since I had my great-great-grandmother’s cookbook with me. Frankly, it was so abused this story! I told myself that I really had a lucky star.
And the worst memories? On the first test perhaps?
-There were some, but not on the first test. It was the front that was especially terrible for all of us. The day that preceded it, we were all in a state of intense stress, the belly in bulk, my head was about to explode… However, I felt more pressure on the first test than on the final. It would have been a shame to prepare yourself psychologically to face this competition and not manage to get into it, especially when you doubted a billion times by saying to yourself ”What if I do a whole mess and in fact I come back in three days, I will pass for a puppet…”
You were afraid of disappointing the people who counted on you…
-The more I advanced in the competition, the more the fear of disappointing moved away. Every week, being there was a bonus. And towards the end of the road, I said to myself ”It’s good, I did what I had to do, and if I have to stay longer, it’s only more”. I was already so satisfied and grateful. At that time, if I had to leave, I knew that I would be at peace with it.
Have friendships been made with other candidates? Do you see any of them?
– Almost with everyone, with more affinities with some than others. Despite the distance, we see each other often: we were together last week, we will see each other again next week, Thibaut has already come to see me in Lisbon… We are very often in contact, we have made several conversation groups on whatsapp.
The agreement with Hélène Darroze, your brigade leader, is obvious, she does not hide her ”mom” side. Rather destabilizing or on the contrary galvanizing?
-It galvanized me! That’s what I went to look for her. We kind of chose each other. When I was asked on the first test which leader I wanted to go with, I said very clearly that I wanted to go with her, even if it was a reflection that took a very long time, and I changed ten times opinion! In fact, I would have loved to be with each chef, be it Philippe Etchebest, Paul Pairet or Glenn Viel, all for different reasons. I chose the voice of reason. In my restaurant, the fact of being surrounded by many women is something that did me a lot of good, it relieved me of a weight and a lot of stress. There was more understanding, indulgence, sisterhood, solidarity. With Hélène Darroze, even if we have a very different cuisine, I said to myself that I had embarked on an experience in which I did not have the codes, where the stress is at a level that I have never even touched of my whole life, so I might as well put myself with someone with whom I could recharge my batteries and reassure myself.
Do you have an example to follow, a favorite contestant in previous seasons of the cooking contest?
-Adrien Cachot is, for me, an absolute legend. I also really liked Sarah Mainguy last year, I find myself quite close to her in terms of personality and cuisine. I remember Alexia Duchêne, from season 10, quite precocious, with a very marked culinary identity for her age. I’m also thinking of Mory Sacko from season 11. This kind of candidates who have a fairly marked identity, modern, raw and natural at the same time, slightly casual, for me it’s the new generation who is shaking up the codes , with the desire for better management, better appreciation of the land, ecology, women, young people, well-being in the industry… It’s rather inspiring.
What are your immediate and longer term plans?
-I don’t have any immediate project apart from perpetuating the restaurant, continuing to aim for perfection every day, while giving great working conditions to my team. They have really deserved them, they have worked hard and made a lot of sacrifices in recent years. I wish them, as well as my brother and myself, to take advantage of the fact that things are going well, that the restaurant is full several weeks in advance, to take the time to live, to be happy . The money, it goes, it comes. Time is priceless, we don’t get it back. Then, very slowly, I will start my next baby, which will be to move to the countryside and open a restaurant in an area, while keeping the first establishment because I am still a city dweller. I dream of having a place with a garden, more space and equipment, of being able to grow my vegetables and pick them, of being closer to producers, fishermen, favoring short circuits… And then enjoying of this well-being that we feel in nature, to be inspired by it.
When would that be?
– Not before the end of next year. I am not someone who likes stress! When people talk to me about good stress, I don’t agree: stress is bad for your health.
I imagine that you have many clients who come to Lisbon just because they saw you in the contest?
– Oh yes, about fifty a day! And they often ask me for the edible tablecloth. I haven’t put it on the menu yet, it needs to be reworked and the size of the current kitchen does not allow it, but I like the idea of this little nod to ” Top chef”. Adrien Cachot and Matthias Marc did it in their respective establishments (the trompe-l’oeil dessert and the apology for excess, editor’s note) but not right away. Good things come to those who wait for…