For Chef Alain Passard of Three Michelin-Starred L'Arpège, Both Veg and Meat Deserve to Shine

(SPOT.ph) Manila has played host to many great chefs and their cooking styles. We have become their kitchen, their playground, and most importantly, their diners. Hosting these masters of the kitchen has not only shone the spotlight on the freshness and flavors of Filipino ingredients; it's also influenced the cooking styles of our local chefs, allowing them opportunities to work side by side with some of the most celebrated names in the industry. Not to mention opening up the experience of noshing on some of the best culinary treats in the world right here in the country. The most recent example of this cultural and culinary exchange is with Chef Alain Passard, chef of three-Michelin starred establishment L'Arpège in Paris, who has gained fame for his take on classical French cuisine.

Chef Alain Passard makes a case for spotlighting the best of veggies and meat:

Best known for helming three-Michelin starred establishment L’Arpège, Alain Passard is a true legend in the realm of haute cuisine. He’s worked for the likes of Michel Kéréver of Le Lion d’Or of Liffré, Gaston Boyer of La Chaumière, and Alain Senderen of L’Archestrate—all renowned chefs of known restaurants, in their own right—and these experiences taught him the foundations of the classical French kitchen.

L’Arpège opened in 1986, racking Michelin stars along the way (three by 1996!)—yet famously made headlines in 2001 as the Passard announced he’d be taking meat off the menu. Given the chef’s mastery of meat—and the fact that this was in the early 2000s, i.e. well before casual food lovers embraced the plant-forward route as they do today—this had many of his fans in quite the shock.

At the time of this change, the restaurant already had those three Michelin stars to its name—which, as anyone who follows the global fine-dining scene would agree, is no small feat. They also boasted a loyal following in love with the different meats, roasts, and steaks it was serving. But Chef Passard found himself at a personal loss. He felt no joy in cooking with meats and thought that he had already maximized those ingredients as much as he could. As the chef himself famously remarked, “The only thing left to do when you are afraid to take risks is nothing.” And so he took the plunge.

It was a risk that proved to be a worthy one. Chef Alain Passard turned the tables on classic French cooking and made an all-vegetable menu, thus making the case for veg not as mere sides as they’re so often relegated, but as leading stars in a dish that are allowed to shine in their own right. Much to the surprise of colleagues and critics, L'Arpège kept all of its hard-earned stars despite all the odds. It has proven that elegance, precision, and all the art and science of cooking can be applied to vegetables—allowing them to be the star and to come up on top.

The words came to action at a cooking demo Passard held at Le Cordon Bleu in Ateneo de Manila on October 21. Passard prepared a simple composition of garden veggies—among them asparagus, carrots, radishes, haricot vert, and dill—and a silky dressing of citrus, olive oil, and honey to bring out the produce’s natural flavors. It tantalized with its sheer simplicity, spotlighting the vibrant colors and vivid tastes of the fresh produce comprising it.

Passard hails from Breton and holds the worlds of art and music close to his heart, having come from a family passionate about the said fields. Art, he explains in a media exchange during the Le Cordon Bleu cooking demo, is everywhere. He likewise considers even the plant-based fare he's helped bring to the forefront to be art.

L'Arpège has since brought back meat on their lineup, but continues to champion using the best fresh ingredients available. Today, the restaurant serves an ever-changing menu dictated by what is harvested from Chef Passard's gardens alongside selected poultry, seafood, and meat dishes.

By now, you must be wondering what such a distinguished chef is doing far from his restaurant: Chef Alain Passard's presence in Manila is partly due to the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of France-Philippine Diplomatic Relations in which he, together with Filipino chef Jessie Sincioco, prepared a meal for the many dignitaries and guests of the gala night. 

A look into the gala night menu prepared by Chef Alain Passard:

For the gala night menu, Chefs Passard and Sincioco worked together with the kitchen crew at Raffles Fairmont Makati under the supervision of Raffles' very own chef Bela. It was a multi-course fare to be served to over 100 guests, a feat sure to make any chef nervous, but Alain Passard, the seasoned master he is, was able to spend time with the crowd both before and after service. 

The meal starts with Passard's signature Hot Cold Egg, Maple Syrup with Four Spices. Here, a soft-boiled egg is imbued with intense onion flavors, along with a hint of what we believe to be anise and cinnamon tied together with the sweet taste of maple syrup. A perfect blend of creamy, sweet, and savory, this dish was as simple as it gets, but had a complex play of flavors as all the parts came together. It was a great way to prepare our taste buds for the feast to come.

The next course, aptly named Garden Composition, was a mix of fresh vegetables in what we believe to be a strawberry vinaigrette. To say we've never been more excited to try a salad course is an understatement. Chef Passard's reputation for treating vegetables as the star and with the utmost care has shown through this plate. Every component was well-dressed, and no vegetable was left unseasoned. Each vegetable retained its earthy flavor while at the same time complementing the overarching sweet-tart flavor of the vinaigrette. 

Our expectations were high for the main courses as both appetizers were exceptional. But nothing could have prepared us for the flavor bomb that was the Local Red Snapper with Calamansi Butter Sauce with Bihod. 

This plate was an absolute delight. Its only flaw was that we could only have one portion of it. The fish was cooked perfectly: think moist and buttery with an almost melts-in-your-mouth quality to it. The fish came swimming in a tart, briny calamansi butter sauce, which livens up the plate. The butter sauce brings a fresh citrus aftertaste taking away from any unpleasant fishy taste that you may expect from a dish that features not only a fish fillet but also bihod or fish roe. Bringing this plate together was a starchy sweet potato mash that's part-creamy and part-earthy; when eaten with the fish and butter sauce, it takes every forkful to more soulful heights.

The meat dish for the night was a steak accompanied by a herb-filled biscuit named the Louise Passard Great Heritage Rotisserie. The "Louise" there refers to Chef Passard's grandmother, to whom he credits his love for cooking. In many instances, the chef mentions that it was his grandmother who first introduced him to the art of using and controlling fire to create wonderful plates.

This homage to his grandmother features a juicy steak swimming in what we'd guess to be a red wine and pepper reduction. Add to that the flakey, buttery biscuit—which was made herby and earthy with what seemed to be a melange of parsley, green onion, celery, and mushrooms—was more robust than anything we've had that night, and you've got a plate worth all the accolades.

Closing the dinner and the evening is a Traditional Apple Pie. Note that this is not the similar Bouquet of Roses dessert L'Arpège is famous for; instead we got a traditional apple pie complete with a flakey top crust. Don't be fooled by its homely look, this humble pie packed the right flavors—perfect to end a night of great food. The pie's got your classic rustic flakey crust, and a tart-and-crunchy filling. It's perfectly sweet and gets a boost of lushness from the creamy sauce drizzled on top.

By the end of the event, we had a chance to compliment chef Passard on the wonderful feast he and his team prepared for all. But, in true Alain Passard fashion, he was very cordial and down-to-earth about this feat, even jokingly remarking that he didn't do anything specifically different but let the ingredients speak for themselves. 

About the gala

The 75th Gala Anniversary: France-Philippines Diplomatic Relations was held at Raffles & Fairmont Makati, celebrating the third quarter of the two countries' partnership. Apart from giving us a taste of Passard's cooking, it also featured the  Le Trophée Bleu: Sustainability Business Awards meant to honor companies with sustainable development goals; a Charity Art Auction in partnership with the León
Art Gallery and DF Art Agency; and a Brittany Coastline Meets Philippine South Pearls fashion show with a resort collection by esteemed local designers.

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