Fusion of taste and harmony
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday August 29, 2009
The noisy, harried life of the typical kitchen is not for this culinary artist, writes Carli Ratcliff.ALEXANDRE BOURDAS loves food but he loves life more. His tiny one-star Michelinrestaurant, Sa.Qua.Na., an abbreviation of Saveurs, Qualite et Nature (Tastes,Quality and Nature) is more than a name; it is this chefsway of life.His philosophy is very different to that of other Michelin star chefs. Many work frenetically in seething kitchens behind grand dining spaces, serving vast numbers of diners, lunch and dinner, seven days aweek.In contrast, Bourdas opens his restaurant for only threeweekday lunch services, extending to a lunch and dinner service onweekends just seven sittings aweek. His restaurant seats just 20 diners:The right size to allowvery personal attention, he says.Situated in the town of Honfleur, in the Normandy region of France, Bourdaschose the area for its access to the forest and the sea.Proximity to producewas paramount. I wanted access to vegetables pulled from the ground that day and to fish pulled from the water the day I cook it, he says.While the operation sounds small-scale, its all about the big picture: Good food enriches life.We cant enrich others lives ifwe are not happy, rested and motivated.When you are relaxed you are inspired and you can provide a balanced experience for everyone. His philosophy has been shaped by his timeworking with the famous Bras family attheir restaurant in Laguiole, France, (Sebastien Bras is also attending the foodfestival) and as head chef at the Bras restaurant in Hokkaido, Japan. Michel Bras(Sebastiens father) taught Bourdas to tune into the seasons, he says, encouraging me to leave the kitchen, towalk through the countryside as part ofmy routine, giving me an understanding of what grows when.His time in Japan had further impact.Bourdas insists his food is not a hybrid of French and Japanese cuisines but ratherFrench food influenced by the Japanese notion of harmony.The Japanese demand for quality and precision, their considered presentation offood and the calm delivery to the table, results in a unique harmony, he says, whichis a state he aspires to achieve.I dontwant a restaurant with stressed chefs arguing with harried floor staff. Theenergy permeates the dining experience.Australian chef Luke MacLeod is Bourdass right hand. Having trained under Raymond Capaldi and Gary Mehigan in Melbourne, ahead of positions in severalthree-star Michelin restaurants in France, MacLeod has experienced high-voltagekitchens led by highly strung chefs dishing out regular tirades.He says life, as head of Bourdass brigade, is very different. Alexandre is more exacting than any chef I haveworked for, he says.But he is also the most relaxed and the most down to earth a top bloke.In Sydney, Bourdas will demonstrate his cooking and discuss umami (the fifth taste)with Australian chef David Thompson and Kumiko Nimoya fromJapans UmamiInformation Centre.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
Share This