{{responseMessage}}
Before taking over the kitchens at Le Fitz Roy, Jonas Noël worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Scandinavia and Asia. Between two services, the Lorrain-bred chef told us about his career, his vision, and his ambitions.
“I love reawakening the palate.”
Before taking over the kitchens at Le Fitz Roy, Jonas Noël worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Scandinavia and Asia. Between two services, the Lorrain-bred chef told us about his career, his vision, and his ambitions.
“I love reawakening the palate.”
Learning about excellence before taking a first job as a head chef seemed like a sensible approach. Even more so as I made myself regularly change countries and establishments to learn as much as possible. At Les Crayères in Reims, I learned the foundations of French high-end gastronomy, then with Michel Bras in Laguiole, the fundamentals of a more direct cuisine of farm to plate. In Norway, the short seasons meant that at both Bagatelle and Re-Naa, I was able to familiarize myself with different types of preservation. In Hong Kong, at the Four Seasons Hotel, I learned how to manage a team of 15 to 20 people, while discovering Asian products. Finally, in Shanghai, after the opening of Joël Robuchon’s restaurant, I had my first job as head chef in an intimate hotel of 19 rooms, turning my hand to everything from the wine list to the accounts. Only then did I feel ready to return to France – and Val Thorens.
Learning about excellence before taking a first job as a head chef seemed like a sensible approach. Even more so as I made myself regularly change countries and establishments to learn as much as possible. At Les Crayères in Reims, I learned the foundations of French high-end gastronomy, then with Michel Bras in Laguiole, the fundamentals of a more direct cuisine of farm to plate. In Norway, the short seasons meant that at both Bagatelle and Re-Naa, I was able to familiarize myself with different types of preservation. In Hong Kong, at the Four Seasons Hotel, I learned how to manage a team of 15 to 20 people, while discovering Asian products. Finally, in Shanghai, after the opening of Joël Robuchon’s restaurant, I had my first job as head chef in an intimate hotel of 19 rooms, turning my hand to everything from the wine list to the accounts. Only then did I feel ready to return to France – and Val Thorens.
After years of gathering ingredients and techniques, I’m now more interested in minimalism: a source of protein, a sauce, a condiment, a seasoning, and a garnish. It’s a stripped-back approach for more legibility, with a respect for the seasons as a leitmotif, a play of textures as a regular feature and a few well-placed regional markers. Not to mention extremely discreet Asian touches, that give certain preparations a twist. At lunch, with our accessible menu, that gives, for example, a split-pea soup with smoked-cream quenelle and powdered burned bread, or a diot sausage from Savoy accompanied by a lentil stew with preserved lemons and grated ginger. At dinner, which is more sophisticated, beef tartare is simply seasoned with lemon, spiced up with smoked mayonnaise, and comes with a salad of cabbage and a gin-and-tonic jelly.
After years of gathering ingredients and techniques, I’m now more interested in minimalism: a source of protein, a sauce, a condiment, a seasoning, and a garnish. It’s a stripped-back approach for more legibility, with a respect for the seasons as a leitmotif, a play of textures as a regular feature and a few well-placed regional markers. Not to mention extremely discreet Asian touches, that give certain preparations a twist. At lunch, with our accessible menu, that gives, for example, a split-pea soup with smoked-cream quenelle and powdered burned bread, or a diot sausage from Savoy accompanied by a lentil stew with preserved lemons and grated ginger. At dinner, which is more sophisticated, beef tartare is simply seasoned with lemon, spiced up with smoked mayonnaise, and comes with a salad of cabbage and a gin-and-tonic jelly.
