Interview with Chef David Gallienne - Le Jardin des Plumes in Giverny

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Discover the restaurant


The winner of Top Chef season 11 has chosen Charvet to equip the kitchen of his restaurant (*)

About the Chef...

David Gallienne is passionate about cooking and in love with nature and the land since he was little. Originally from Normandy, his passion for cooking began with a love for the land before arriving in the kitchen with his grandmother! After 4 years of apprenticeship, he finished vice-champion of France in 2007 of the Olympiad des métiers (13th internationally in Japan). He worked for 10 years in a Michelin-starred Maison in Normandy and was Executive Chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Rouen before arriving in Giverny as Chef and Entrepreneur with the invaluable help of Eric Guerin.

"By choice, I opened my kitchen on the dining room, to put everyone on the front of the stage because behind a Chef there is a whole team and because without his team, a Chef is nothing !"...

The period of health crisis and entrepreneurship

''It's a complicated time where you have to constantly reinvent yourself, question yourself. The only word I can say is we have to fight. For us it's a 7 days a week job to continue to exist. The main thing is to be present, to take action and to look further ahead. I'm already thinking about 2021 and 2022! We must try to keep this positive in us. We must be united. We took a lot of action and again I think it pays to work".

The restaurant Le Jardin des Plumes

''We have 35 seats, 8 hotel rooms, it is a house with a large park and a bucolic location, a small haven of peace, less than an hour from Paris. It is a place located in the mythical village of Claude Monet, which lives a lot in foreign tourism. After the Top Chef show we were full for lunch and dinner for many weeks and even when we had to close at the end of October, we were still full for many weeks. Our menu changes every month and respects the season. I am very attentive to nature and to producers since they are also the ones who make the menu. The plant is also very close to my heart because it is thanks to this that I "fell into the boiling pan".

The suite and the Charvet brand

"The installation of the Charvet suite was finalized at the end of January 2020. I knew Maison Charvet before launching this project, it is a House that fits perfectly with what I defend: the local and also the French. The local, for to have worked with the company LANEF which distributes the brand. For me, Charvet is so at the forefront! To achieve optimal quality, cooking, mastery of our cuisine, we need, in starred houses, to be equipped equipment that meets customer expectations and our specifications.
I grew up 10 years with Charvet equipment and I did my first cooking in a fully equipped Charvet kitchen. Obviously, this is a House that I particularly like. Orienting myself to this brand has been quite natural for me. Charvet is: know-how and precision".

The choice of a 100% electric suite

"An electric stove saves a lot of time for humans. Unlike gas, water will boil in a few seconds on induction. It is also a benefit because with gas we will have heat releases which will be quite significant and we all know that with global warming, the gases which can be emitted are not good for health ... and when it is already 40 ° degrees in a heat wave, cook with gas c "Hell is in the kitchen! Once you've tested induction, you can't do without it. There is also an advantage in terms of consumption".

A modular suite rather than a bespoke suite

"I like my kitchen to change and I like to shake things up. With modular it's very easy to shake things up if tomorrow you have to rethink the kitchen.
I knew what I wanted and I totally trusted Olivier from ANEF with whom I share the same values. The Charvet team was also super responsive, I think that's one of the qualities of this house. The project was done remotely (while filming the show) and I'm very proud of everyone's work. We worked in extreme conditions".

Zoom on the 4-zone electric plancha : a real plus !

"The advantage is that you can use the different zones, so you avoid wasting energy on the entire plate, you can simultaneously simmer, snack, the multifunction is super interesting. is ideal for a small kitchen like that of the Jardin Des Plumes ".

What are the next challenges ?

"We have acquired a second house in Giverny to make it an extension of the hotel part of the Jardin des Plumes in which we can come and drink tea or eat a pastry and snack. There will also be the possibility of access to a wellness area. This opening is scheduled for June 2021. In the medium term at the end of 2021, I will be releasing my first cookbook with a focus on people working with me (my producers, etc.) . In 2022, several support or opening projects are planned in the surrounding area and internationally ".

What products do you like to work with ?

"I like all savory or sweet products. I am also a big fan of baking. I also love products around plants like aromatic herbs, flowers etc ...".

What are your favorite dishes ?

"Traditional sharing dishes such as veal blanquette, pot hen, pot-au-feu etc ... sharing dishes !".