- For his first participation in Top Chef , Paul Pairet led one of his protégés, Adrien, to the final. He was opposed to David, starred chef in Hélène Darroze's brigade.
- The final took place at the George-V, a Parisian palace which has a three-star restaurant and two one-star restaurants.
- Trompe-l'oeil, travel to Indonesia and Italy, porcini ice cream ... The personalities of the two candidates were found in their dishes and especially in their desserts.
The final takes place in "the most star-studded palace in Europe". Stéphane Rotenberg sparkles. The last round of the eleventh season of Top Chef - broadcast this Wednesday on M6 - is held at the George-V, an establishment a stone's throw from the Champs-Elysées and with the trio of star restaurants (one three-star and two one star) at Michelin Guide . 20 Minutes , invited to dinner, tells you about…
This final opposes two very different candidates: Adrien, coached by Paul Pairet, "perched, anxious, but who knows where he is going, those around him a little less", laughs Michel Saran. And David, screwed up by Hélène Darroze, "already starred, who has his background, his experience, his certainties", continues the Toulouse chef. Stéphane Rotenberg refines the profiles: “One works alone in his restaurant with fifteen covers, the other with a brigade. "
Once in the octagon of the Top Chef kitchens , “you have to take out 300 people, be a brigade chef. It's not that simple, ”warns the presenter. I will make the observation with the desserts because it is me, with my palate fan of sauerkraut, that 20 Minutes sent to taste the dishes of the two candidates.
First dessert in which I plant my spoon, that of David. The Michelin-starred chef proposed a dish called “The shortbread with butter from my childhood, Cauliflower… with the flavors of the islands”. The statement caught my attention and that of the other seven people at my table even before the meal because of the cauliflower.
"It was love at first sight during the tests," says Hélène Darroze. Indeed, in the mouth, I am conquered by the vanilla, the coconut, the passion and the little touch brought by the cauliflower cut carpaccio way. It's simple, basic, but it's good. And visually, this trompe-l'oeil dish - a fried egg - seduces me. "David made dishes [for the final] that appeal to his restaurant," comments his chef.
Adrien's dessert is "a strong act", according to Paul Pairet
From the appearance of Adrien's dessert, conversations come alive. I take a slap. On the plate, a brown puddle, another yellow, green moss and a broken plastic cup ... I wonder: "But who wants to eat a dump?" The title of the dessert "Chocologie" is as enigmatic - but more tempting - than the visual aspect. “It fits well with whoever did it. It's original, daring, ”smiles Philippe Etchebest. Paul Pairet, Adrien's chef, is convinced by this dessert. “It's a signature dish, a strong act. "
I remain doubtful, not sure I want to taste it, but I'm still curious. Opinions are divided on the visual. When the waiter specifies "everything is eaten", someone asks "Even the cup? »Yes, because it is made of sugar, a new sham. The other elements of the dessert: chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, sponge cake, lemon coulis and porcini ice cream. All these tastes on the same plate do not convince me, but then not at all. What an idea this porcini ice cream! I do not finish my dessert and remain to contemplate the goblet.
"Adrien didn't trust anyone to mold them," says Paul Pairet. The 100 goblets of the banquet is him. "The audacity of the goblet, smiles Philippe Etchebest, can shock. But it is a strong message that is launched with this dessert. The Bordeaux chef appreciated. "We needed a manual," he explains before mimicking a spoon. You had to break the cup and take everything at the same time to eat everything together. "
Our file on "Top Chef"
With or without instructions, I did not like. But I keep in mind this little sentence from Stéphane Rotenberg: “It is rare for the public to vote like the leaders. These two desserts comfort me in the idea of sharing my total of 10 points to be awarded between the two candidates. And if my suffrage does not reward audacity, my visual memory and my taste memory will not forget Adrien's dessert.
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