7 p.m. sharp Wednesday evening.
With smiles on his lips and sneakers with the “Top chef” logo on his feet, Stéphane Rotenberg is ready to welcome the customers of the Bistrot Top Chef.
Outside, a long line stretches in front of the establishment located in Suresnes and open since last June.
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A unique evening
It must be said that the evening is unprecedented: for the first time, fans of the culinary competition will be able to taste the dishes of the candidates for season 14 currently on M6.
Every Wednesday evening – the day the program is broadcast – one of the participants comes to cook a unique menu and meet the customers.
When the operation was launched, the restaurant registered 3,000 reservations within hours.
"We are full on Wednesdays throughout the month of April and there are only a few places left for the following weeks"
welcomes the host, co-owner of the establishment.
He passes by to greet the guests and does not hesitate to take a few photos.
"Tonight, it's new so you're going to wipe the plasters"
, he throws at them, laughing.
For this premiere, Danny Khezzar takes over the kitchen.
A few moments before his first service – the restaurant offers one at 7 p.m. and the other at 9 p.m. – he strolls between the tables with a bun on his head and loose jeans.
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The equivalent of three finals
The pressure rises because the exercise is not obvious.
In the evening, he must “send” 300 covers (twice 150), the equivalent of three “Top Chef” finals!
An exercise all the more delicate as the young man, who works in Geneva at the Bayview, Michel Roth's starred restaurant, usually only does… 27 during his service.
In developing his menu, he also had to respect financial specifications (the menu is at the single price of 39.90 euros for a starter, a main course and a dessert) and brief the bistro team on his recipes.
Distance requires, everything was done by video.
"In Geneva, we were in a rush, I created my recipes at night and made technical sheets
," he explains.
The videos really helped, other candidates should do the same.
Afterwards, we made adjustments from 8 a.m. this morning until the last minute.
»
A stunning menu
The guests wait for the entrance while chatting.
“I saw the announcement on the internet and we had several things to celebrate as a family, so I booked
explains Angela, who came with her husband and three children.
We are all quite greedy and we like the show that makes us want »
All quietly seated in the different rooms decorated with crates and fruit and vegetables as well as pretty lamps, the customers are stamping impatiently to discover what Danny has concocted for them.
Tonight, it will be candied leek, Thai basil mimosa, burnt and pearl hay cream with green oil, lemon condiment for the starter, roast chicken supreme in butter, chicken sauce cappuccino and potatoes for the dish and finally vanilla crème brûlée in a siphon, candied apple, verbena ice cream, grated burnt vanilla pod for dessert.
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Creative and bistronomic
A menu that bluffs Stéphane Rotenberg, as he explains to the guests:
“He created a fairly creative bistro menu and I think he took a lot of risks.
He notably offers a trompe-l'oeil, his cappuccino is puree.
It's interesting because, with all the constraints, you're more likely to be in a “
Top Chef
”
event
than in a traditional restaurant!
It's not the easiest, but the candidates are players.
»
“Given his CV, he has potential.
But, even under torture, he must not tell you how far he goes”
Stéphane Rotenberg on Danny Khezzar
Eliminated during the second week of the competition, Danny is still in the race in "The secret brigade" supervised by Hélène Darroze.
“
Given his CV, he has potential.
But, even under torture, he shouldn't tell you how far he's going
,” continues Stéphane Rotenberg with humor in the face of the hilarious customers.
Danny's choice to launch these evenings in immersion owes nothing to chance:
"I knew he had the level if ever there was a galley in the kitchen"
, confides the host.
While tasting the dishes offered, guests can wait while watching the giant screens hung around the room which offer extracts from the different seasons and broadcast, from 9 p.m., the evening episode (most of the time without the sound).
"
We are big fans of the show and, watching television, we are frustrated that we don't like what we see.
It was the opportunity!
“
Explains Corentin Kerrest who came with his daughters Charlotte and Juliette and his wife Peggy.
"We can't wait to taste Danny's cooking, he left the competition too soon..."
Stéphane Rotenberg converses with the guests of the Bistrot Top Chef.
Marie Etchegoyen/M6
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A second service in stride
The service is launched.
Bérengère Fagard, candidate for season 14, comes to help her friend in the kitchen.
Victor Blanchet also passes a header.
Danny is delighted:
“Hugo and Marchon also want to come after their service.
It's fun!
We all get along very well.
While
the guests are feasting, Stéphane Rotenberg and Danny come to meet them.
The questions flow.
"What was the black powder on the mash?"
asks
a young woman.
"It was cocoa"
, explains the cook.
The end of the meal is approaching and the beginning of the stress of the second service too.
All the guests must leave the room so that the waiters set the tables again for the 150 new customers who are waiting impatiently outside.
And here we go again!
Stéphane Rotenberg and Danny welcome and answer questions from fans of the program who have come for this immersive evening.
In the kitchen, the pace is dense but everything is done without a hitch.
No false note comes to tarnish the event.
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A souvenir photo
The guests leave delighted with a small photo of the two stars of the evening.
Danny is too:
“I only have ultra-positive feedback
, he enthuses.
People loved the cappuccino puree.
One person even told me he hated leeks and ate them for the first time.
A little boy was also crazy about the mash, he told me it was the best in the world!
On
Wednesday April 12, César Lewandowski, freshly eliminated, will succeed Danny in the kitchen.
He too will offer a menu he has specially created for the show.
"The order of candidates is random
," explains Stéphane Rotenberg.
We choose according to their schedule and the different styles of cooking.
»