Charles Coulombeau and Jan Smink, both Taittinger Prize winners, have pooled their talents to provide a sensational tasting experience for their guests.
Just a stone’s throw from the famous Place Stanislas in Nancy is restaurant “La Maison Dans Le Parc”, of chef Charles Coulombeau. Winner of the “Taittinger” in 2020, representing the United Kingdom at the time, this young chef remains committed to continuing relations with other winners of the culinary award. Outside of the competition, Maison Taittinger often encounters a real brotherhood between the chefs who have won the Taittinger Prize, revealing a mindset specific to this competition.
A regular organiser of “four-handed lunches/dinners”, during which he invites a chef to join him at his premises, Charles Coulombeau thus invited Jan Smink, winner of the Taittinger 2023 and chef at restaurant “Smink” in Wolvega in the Netherlands.
It was a meeting at which two Michelin-starred individuals, at the cutting edge of creativity, combined their vision to create a sensational tasting experience for their guests.
Among the guests at this very special lunch, was prolific artist Charlélie Couture. His work spans many different forms of expression, including writing, images (painting, photography, installations, etc.) and music, making him what we might call a “total artist”.
Inspired by this memorable lunch, he jotted a few words on paper that Maison Taittinger, proud of the contestants and winners of its culinary award, is delighted to share with you below.
This lunch, initiated by Charles Coulombeau himself, could be viewed as an outline of what will happen very soon through an association created by Maison Taittinger. Winners of the Prize will have the chance to take part in charity projects, by creating meals aimed at raising money.
The young, Michelin-starred chef Charles Coulombeau invited me to an incomparable (as well as delectable) gastronomic experience at his restaurant “La Maison du Parc” in Nancy, where he had organised a “four-handed lunch”. In other words, it was a menu duet, for which he shared his stoves with also Michelin-starred chef Jan Smink from the Netherlands, along with two of his assistants. Truly top notch!
A feat of inventiveness and recipes in creation. Pure pleasure!
Our table of foodies didn’t come to judge this challenge, but the guests certainly knew what they were talking about. Among the guests, there were three chefs, two of which hold Michelin stars: Cédric Deckert of restaurant “La Merise”** from Alsace, Takashi Kinoshita* of restaurant “La Cueillette”, and the “zero-waste” influencer chef Nabil Zemmouri from Paris.
From the very canapés, you’d have thought you were in the final of a cooking show: “Dog cockle, skyr tartlet, crispy brioche, remeker and wagyu beef”. That gives you an idea of this sojourn for the palate, undertaken whilst seated at the edge of the park on a beautiful, blue-skied day. Every dish was a surprise that challenged our culinary habits: “Rabbit with summer truffle, squid and coffee powder” served with a Ravines Dry Riesling NY 2019, then “Kingfish with codium, kaffir lime and green curry”, accompanied by a 2020 Patrice Beguet organic orange wine, followed by “Miso bluefin tuna with kumquat and foyot sauce” with a glass of Morgon Lapierre, and so on.
Sometimes complex, intellectual or technical, always masterfully crafted by two learned and passionate men, each mouthful piqued my interest. I was trying to decipher the tastes, the mysterious flavours or the aromas and textures that were exploding in my mouth. The whole meal was punctuated with “ooh” and “aah”. Right up to the incredible dessert, “Fig with cardamom/calamondin and pistachios under a sheet of gelled milk with seaweed”.
Sesame marshmallow, chanterelle praline and cherry chocolate, we finished with petits fours washed down with a final swig of the excellent Taittinger brought in especially from Reims…
After a final, carefully selected coffee, we finally got up from the table, our hearts soaring, flattered to have shared in this thrilling, extreme craftsmanship, together.
And, despite the variety of dishes on offer, I must say that I felt light when I left the table. A clear mind and joyful heart, nothing like after some Pantagruelian meals, saturated with fatty foods by the kilo. Here, four or five bites per dish, interspersed with perfectly paced pauses to allow us to rest between each course. Great art – and I know what I’m talking about.
Thanks again to Chef Coulombeau and his brigade for this delightful duet at La Maison dans le Parc.
CharlElie COUTURE
