It’s an initiative that’s as ambitious as it is delicious. A delectable one-of-a-kind chance to savour France, 1,500 chefs will whip up 1,500 menus across five continents with the assistance of 150 embassies over one grand evening. Meanwhile, Qatar, too, is checking in as an enthusiastic participant as eight of its top French restaurants gear up for the big day.
On the back of a successful debut edition of Goût de France/Good France, the second, new and improved edition will, on March 21, celebrate the wonders of French gastronomy across the world. More than 1,500 chefs on all five continents are expected to join the event on the day of spring. From haute cuisine to fine-dining bistros, chefs from all over the world would serve special dinners simultaneously in participating restaurants by paying tribute to the merits of French cuisine.
As ambassador of France to Qatar, Eric Chevallier, told Community moments after announcing the event at his residence on Sunday afternoon, “Last year’s Good France was a first attempt, and we had more than 100,000 guests in 1,300 restaurants all over the world. We didn’t know how this experiment would fare. But since the test proved to be extremely positive, we thought we should continue with the second edition by upping both quantity and quality. We are happy that this initiative in Doha will be even better and more wholesomely developed than last year. We will also have additional restaurants participating in the event.”
As the chefs pay homage to the excellence of French cuisine and the value of sharing that it promotes by serving on the same evening more than 1,500 “French–style dinners”, the global event organised at the initiative of the renowned French Chef, Alain Ducasse, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is sure to fuel even more fascination for French delicacies.
Chevallier said, “The concept is to have on the same day, all over the world, restaurants serving a very special French gastronomic dinner, based on the fact that Unesco, in 2010, listed ‘The Gastronomic Meal of The French’ as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” In Doha, the French Embassy to the State of Qatar is contributing to Good France, along with eight restaurants in town that will pay tribute to a French cuisine that is “vibrant, open and innovative, while remaining true to its values of sharing, pleasure, and respect for good food and for the planet.”
In the words of Ducasse, French cuisine talks about “joie de vivre, delicacy, optimism, and pleasure – ideas that are all crucial to the image of France.” As Ducasse elaborates, “French cuisine is the interpreter of a cuisine that has evolved towards lightness in harmony with its environment. The common point of this event is generosity, sharing and the love for what is beautiful and tastes good. It will be a delightful interlude and an opportunity to celebrate French cuisine worldwide.”
If you wish to celebrate French gastronomy on March 21 in Doha, you can book your table in any of the eight participating restaurants: IDAM Restaurant at the Museum of Islamic Art, Panorama Restaurant at The Torch Doha, Liquidity Restaurant at Crowne Plaza Doha, Market by Jean-Georges Restaurant at W Doha Hotel & Residences, Yum Yum Restaurant at K108 Hotel, Prime Restaurant at InterContintental Doha-The City, La Villa Restaurant at Mercure Grand Hotel, or La Mer Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Doha.
The main objective of Good France is to promote French tourism by capitalising on the international visibility, and “send a strong message to the world, through dynamic and creative chefs.” As a note on the Good France website, the event carries the message that the French cuisine is contemporary and that traditional French cuisine is not a dominion of the 21st century culinary scene. This is why the participating chefs are encouraged “to blend their own culinary culture to that of France, rather than discounting it.” Apart from representing the heartiness associated with the pleasures of eating, food also becomes the symbol of France’s positive values, the note says.
“Last year, the chefs had to stick to a set menu. This time around, we have given the chefs a framework but have told them to feel free to experiment and try different things,” ambassador Chevallier said.
Dominique Morin, Executive Chef, Liquidity Restaurant at Crowne Plaza Doha, feels this liberty to play around the framework will bring out the finest of culinary creativity. “Also, while guests can order the full course, they can also choose to opt for individual dishes,” Morin said, “Having grown up on French cuisine, I am very happy to share my culture with the people of Qatar. At times, French food tends to carry the wrong impression that it’s too sophisticated, which is why I will lean towards serving more of comfort food using French products, which everybody can understand.”
William Khala, Chef de Cuisine of La Mer Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Doha, said, “Since we had great success last year, this year, we are swerving more towards classical flavours but by giving it a unique, modern spin that we do at La Mer. It’s still quintessentially French, and it’s still a set menu but it’s a more interesting menu based on the feedback we got last year.”
Khala believes that an initiative of such magnitude, impact and reach helps bring the chefs together. “The culinary scene of Qatar needs a bit more of a push,” he said, “Good France is a great start to put the word out there, to get the chefs communicate with each other, to do more promotions, and to let people and especially the locals know what French cuisine is all about. Qataris have their own way of dining. We want to try and make them think out of the box, present to them different flavours and ingredients. I think in the coming years, we can achieve this as the Qataris are keen to try something new.”
The early roots of Good France can be traced back by more than a hundred years. It was in 1912 that Auguste Escoffier, who was known as The Chef of Kings and the King of Chefs, started Les Dîners d’Épicure (Epicurean Diners): one day, one menu, served in cities around the world, to as many guests as possible. Last year’s first edition of Good France took the idea to the next level by “bringing all categories of restaurants together globally.”
Visibly proud about Good France preparations gathering steam in Qatar, ambassador Chevallier remarked in good humour, “It’s not because I am the French ambassador that I will say something which is obvious to everybody – the French cuisine is the best cuisine in the world. I will say that because it’s a fact.”
As Good France closes in, Doha can’t wait to discover this “fact” all over again.