Forget the concept, focus on the food

Louise Oakley

The lengthy biographies and words of wisdom imparted by Caterer Middle East's july issue  cover stars, La Petite Maison Dubai general manager Cedric Toussaint and executive chef Izu Ani, provide plenty of food for thought.

Both have forged successful careers in the world of Michelin-starred restaurants and fine dining, but stepped out of this prestigious circle to launch the third La Petite Maison restaurant.

The rationale behind their moves was simple — a return to honest, tasty food using the finest ingredients coupled with a back-to-basics approach to service and style.

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La Petite Maison is, as the name suggests, a French restaurant, with the original outlet located in Nice. Recipes were tweaked and adapted when the second restaurant opened in London’s Mayfair, and Ani has added his own touches to the menu in Dubai too, but fundamentally, the cuisine has stayed true to its roots.

As Ani tells Caterer Middle East in our exclusive interview on pages 12-15, this is because “the produce is of the utmost importance”.

As the Middle East continues its efforts to be recognised on the global culinary stage, the industry is fortunate enough to regularly welcome new restaurants and international brands to the region. But, more often than not, these outlets are marketed in terms of the concept they offer — not the food.

Chef Ani doesn’t harp on about the French background of La Petite Maison, but instead talks about dishes he has created throughout his career, from an ‘invisible lollipop’ at Vanilla in London to the fresh burrata and tomatoes offered by his current kitchen.

He wants to talk about ingredients and their origins, not labels and names. And importantly, with a 40-50% repeat base of regular customers, it seems the diners share this knowledge too.

Often, in Dubai, marketers will promote a restaurant because of its design, its location or its special offers and as a result, this is what diners will remember when reporting back to family, friends and colleagues.

At La Petite Maison, the food is the focus and therefore, it is the part of the experience that guests communicate via that all-important marketing tool — word of mouth. In short, the food speaks for itself, a goal all good restaurateurs should strive to achieve.