Cuisine focus: French food

Devina Divecha, June 16th, 2014

Meet the Experts

Daniel Hoefler, chef de cuisine, Traiteur, Park Hyatt Dubai
François-Xavier Simon, outlet chef, Choix and Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire, InterCon DFC
Izu Ani, head chef, La Serre Dubai
Neil Foster, executive chef, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
Stuart Collins, executive chef, Qatar Luxury Group

Caterer Middle East investigates the authenticity of French cuisine in the region, chefs’ biggest challenges, and what the latest trends are

Would you say French cuisine is popular in this region?
Daniel Hoefler, chef de cuisine, Traiteur, Park Hyatt Dubai: French food is all about passion and culture, which is highly appreciated here. France has an incredible diversity when it comes to ingredients; every region is so unique and there is so much for chefs to choose from. People travelling to, and living in, Dubai associate this food with fine dining but the restaurant scene has proven there is so much more to it.

François-Xavier Simon, outlet chef, Choix and Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire: It has taken its prime place in Dubai within the multi-cultural audience, especially with the growing French community. This is based on the latest stats shared by the French Consulate stating that we have a minimum of one French family that visits Dubai every day.

Izu Ani, head chef, La Serre Dubai: After getting some negative press for being very heavy and using lots of butter, the French style of cooking is becoming more and more popular again. I think the Southern French cuisine is particularly well suited to Dubai because of the warm climate.

Stuart Collins, executive chef, Qatar Luxury Group: Yes. There are many expatriates in the Middle East who are looking for a taste of home, but also a great appreciation for the cuisine by many others.

Are recipes tweaked to suit a local audience?
DH: We stick to simple preparations using French techniques; we don’t want to overcomplicate our dishes and I cannot say that we try to adjust to a local palate.

FS: We do have a traditional French kitchen and follow all the French basics of cooking, however we are inspired by quality products from different parts of the world and alternative ways of cooking.

IA: An intelligent chef always adapts to their local environment. In my experience, if you don’t, then things don’t tend to last too long. However, we try to stay authentic as much as possible and true to the original concept, in the dishes that we serve and the style of cooking. One example of a dish that has been tweaked is the tarte flambée. In France it is served with lardons but we’ve adapted it with cherry tomatoes instead. Funnily enough, despite changing one of the key ingredients this is one of our most popular dishes.

Neil Foster, executive chef, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray: The recipes are as authentic as they can be. The depth of training needed within classic French techniques/cooking can often be adapted within a team, particularly when working with different nationalities so there are always slight variations.

SC: The biggest difference is not using alcohol in the recipes. Many French dishes call for it, but we choose to work without to ensure our menu is available to all. We also take inspiration from the local cuisine and incorporate elements of it into our menu where possible.

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Do you rely on importing ingredients or are there local products used on the menu?
DH: We source fresh seafood, poultry, truffles, vegetables and fruits all year round from France but we also source fantastic ingredients from other countries in Europe, Australia and the UAE. We get products delivered from France twice a week and we love to work with seasonal products as much as possible, like running a white and green asparagus promotion in May and June.

We strive to be as sustainable as we can be without compromising the authenticity of our dishes, so we do source fresh local fish every morning to our hotel. We work according to the French philosophy to use the freshest ingredients possible, which are then often locally sourced.

FS: Most of our products are imported from France and we try to work with the same products as in Paris and the same suppliers, if possible. With our existence in Dubai for a couple of years, we have come across few good products, for example Omani prawns, dates, camel milk etcetera which we love to work with.

IA: A lot of chefs like to focus on locally sourced produce or everything organic, but given our position in the world and the climate, this is impossible for us. We source ingredients from all over the world with a focus on artisan suppliers across Europe.

The supply stream can be difficult at times, but we have a manager purely dedicated to this as the quality of ingredients is so important to the food that we serve at La Serre. What we do source from this region is fruits and vegetables, and more locally, from Abu Dhabi Organic Farm, which has excellent produce.

NF: The use of local ingredients is within Jumeirah’s best practice and interest. Any creation on a menu is always sourced from local producers. The expectation of customers is to have a mango from India — we may not be able to achieve this but we can adapt to what is around us and create the best dishes using the local suppliers.

SC: The supply chain is a little unreliable. We do import directly from Rungis market, ensuring we can offer a consistent menu. We also bring products that are not available locally, ensuring we deliver a quality offering to our guests. The food we serve is simple and speaks for itself, not over-worked; we need fresh naturally grown products to allow us to do this.

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Biggest challenges?
DH: Challenges occur when a shipment is delayed or when the products supplied are not of the quality we expected. We then need to be very creative with our solutions without compromising the quality of our cuisine.

IA: The biggest challenge is staying true to ourselves and not giving up on our principles — whether that applies to ingredients, belief in the product or suppliers. It is so easy to fall into the trap of being everything to everyone, trying to please every stakeholder and diluting the product you are offering.

NF: The use of authentic seasonal ingredients from various regions in France, for example cheese or seafood; it is sometimes difficult to get the ingredients you need from the particular regions.

SC: The supply chain. We change the menu in-house to ensure that everything is available at all times.

What are the latest trends in French cuisine?
FS: Definitely the healthy approach as well as light bites.

IA: Basic, simple food made using the best quality ingredients. This trend is not specific to French cuisine but I think it’s definitely what people are gravitating towards more and more. The sharing concept seems to be a reoccurring trend, particularly in this region.

NF: The local and most notable trend is the infusion of a secondary dining cuisine with the classic French cuisine — and then to mix it with a relaxed casual dining experience. Example, French–Vietnamese cuisine, such as one of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray’s restaurants, Voi.

SC: We don’t follow any trends. We focus on delivering what would be found in a traditional brasserie in France. It is about home comforts and simplicity.