Setlle for afterglow if there is no anticipation

Waiting in front of Septime in Paris. foto: Renée K.

At the age of 55, she changed course; she obtained her qualifications at the French Le Cordon Bleu gastronomy school and is now working as a chef in various restaurants. She writes about her experiences in the hospitality industry for Food Inspiration. This time she decides not to let the gloom get her, and shifts attention from later to then.

“Septime, I only want to work there if I have my Chef's qualifications”, said classmate Elvi in Paris. Albert Sastregener ** Chef Bo.TiC, - knew immediately: “Aliança 1919 in Anglès. That's how I want to be”. Both are one-star Michelin restaurants named by Chefs I've seen work and whose judgement I take seriously. Septime in Paris is number 24 on the list of the world's 50 best restaurants. Is it better than Aliança, number nothing? What connects them and what makes them different? 

Perfect egg. beurre noisette and truffle at @Aliança 1919 in Angles, Spain

I did not manage to keep the deadline for this column. It seemed like a fun topic. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, despite the abundance of spare time thanks to all cancelled kitchen services, events and speaking engagements. (in The Netherlands we are back in semi-lock down with all restaurants closing at 17.00 hours) I'm not the only one. The resilience is gone. General dullness has settled in many hospitality and gastronomy hearts. Christaan Weijts in the NRC: “Gurus and fridge magnets say that you have to live 'in the here and now', without expectations. But the here and now seems pretty worthless to me without the then and the later. Rejoicing is an essential part of experiences.” Creating something without rejoicing, making plans with reservation, does not lead to joy. Weijts advises mental balancing and setting small goals. He buys a small pasta machine, but I already have one. So I decide to shift my attention, from later to then. From anticipatory pleasure to a good after-feeling. Back to work, finish this column. A nice small goal that deserves a lot of effort. 

It was sheer luck, the table I managed to book at Septime in the 11th arrondissement of Paris for the end of September. A “Shaker” interior with blonde wood and simple lines. A warm welcome, by relaxed hosts clad in denim aprons, who know their ingredients, preparations and natural wines. Lunch is a five-course carte blanche. The flatbread with melted Comté and Vadouvan (French curry mixture) is unctuous and round. Five small plates follow with tuna tartare, candied fennel, small beans with trout eggs, lacquered octopus and a crème brûlée with marigold oil. Fresh and exciting. Rustic style, with some eclectic flavour combinations. No creams and crisps. The dishes and atmosphere are a breath of fresh air compared to the pandour of the mirror palaces and the whisper-chic in the rest of Paris. In 2013, Chef Bertrand Gerbout explains : “No damask, the casualness of a bistro with the flavours and tastes of a starred restaurant”. Nine years, three cookbooks and a lot of publicity later, he still does exactly what is deep inside him. Working with horticulturists, brewers, farmers and others who produce high quality products near Paris. 

The onion soup at Aliança

At Aliança 1919  it is more quiet. In October there are not so many gastro-tourists in Anglès, an ancient village in northern Spain. Once a canteen for farm workers, it was converted into a restaurant in 1953 by Lluis and Adele. In 2008 their son - Lluis - earns a Michelin star, which sadly extinguished when he died five years later. In 2020, Alex Carrera (ex-*** Can Roca and husband of granddaughter Cristina) managed to cook the star back. The history as a casino is tangible in the room. Round tables with damask and an abstract swallow. A nod to the protected birds that nest in the ridge. Great hospitality without the pointing at dishes with the little finger. The amuse-bouche is an olive. When you bite it, it shatters into thick vermouth drops. Nine small courses, traditional dishes reinvented, including a trilogy of the mushrooms freshly gathered in the forests, an ode to onion soup, venison with topinambour and Granny Smith sorbet with celery. Attention to the essence of the dish. Layered, the onion soup simmered for three days. Then you don't need any tricks for 'high on taste'. 

Septime in Paris foto: Renée K.

But what's the similarity between the two restaurants? I call my companions for both visits. Lien can recall the emotional reactions and feeling of Aliança's onion soup. Yet she is in love with the Costa Brava and knows a lot about taste. Paris expert Renée spends half her time there. She has not come across Septime's hospitality and dishes very often. I still taste the 64 degree egg with beurre noisette, bolete foam and brioche croutons... Who's better? This is personal.

Tuna with creme fraiche and Navette @Septime

Just like Bertrand and Alex, the Chefs who bear their souls and put them on a plate. They live and breathe the season, terroir and habitat. Around Paris looking for these small suppliers that produce enough is quite an effort. In Anglès they have been working for generations with apples from the next village, vegetables from the backyard and cheese from the goats around the corner. Then looking for a different preparation than your audience expects is worth an effort. A good after-feeling is not as great as anticipation, but if for sure chases away the gloom.  

translation of column in Food Inspiration - December 12. 2021