Station Manager
For those who remember, the old version of Geneva’s Eaux-Vives station was already home to a top-flight gourmet restaurant. In 2000, a certain Serge Labrosse laid down his knives at the Buffet de la Gare, which quickly became all the rage at the time. Two decades later, the talented Andres Arocena took over the stoves of the restaurants Gigi and La Micheline. Located above the brand-new metro exit of the same station, one is an Italian trattoria and the other an elegant modern bistro. Even if the surrounding landscape has changed over time, discovering the creations of this ingenious chef is well worth a stop at the station.
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Vinaigrette
It was making shortbread with his grandmother that brought the chef back to his deepest taste memories. At the age of 7, he made it a point of honor to prepare the vinaigrette for the whole family at Sunday dinners. “A sauce of any kind allows for infinite combinations and gives free rein to our imagination”. His culinary influences are Basque and Spanish, linked to his origins. Born in Venezuela, young Andres spent most of his childhood between South America and the Atlantic coast. From a very early age, he understood that his future lay in the world of pots, knives and chef’s hats.
The young apprentice lands an internship in the restaurant of the legendary Martin Berasategui, three Michelin stars and world-renowned chef. An honor for Andres, who had no idea how difficult the job would be. “When I arrived I was just a kid. In the middle of a brigade of 60 cooks, I knew nothing and was afraid of everything,” he recalls. He had no choice but to make his mark! More motivated than ever, and aware of how lucky he is to be working in such an establishment, he arrives in the kitchen first, stays on in the afternoons to perfect his skills, and leaves last.
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Basque connection
The turning point in his career came in 2010 with the Arzak family, just a stone’s throw away. Another house, another privilege, as Juan Mari and his daughter Elena are also at the pinnacle of Basque and international gastronomy. The icing on the cake is that Andres has the privilege of working in the restaurant’s culinary research laboratory. An honor reserved for just one chef a year. The objectives of this place are innovation and creation. “The challenge was a daily one. Why not combine braised lettuce with 80% dark chocolate? In this environment, there are no limits to creativity. Adults put up barriers all by themselves, you just have to think like a child. After a year, he left the Spanish region for the shores of the Mediterranean with chef Gerald Passedat before moving to London for three years, where he obtained the position of sous-chef at the Ametsa restaurant, still overseen by the Arzak family. In just six months, he was awarded a Michelin star.
Travel cuisine
Love at first sight lured him to Switzerland. It was at Edgar Bovier’s Lausanne Palace that he put down his kitchen knives for four years. “Thanks to Edgar Bovier’s trust, I was able to take a step forward. He gave me everything I needed to progress in life. Andres Arocena is ready to move up a gear and take sole charge of a brigade of cooks. Yves Grange and his daughter Camille, a recent graduate of theÉcole Hôtelière de Lausanne, as well as Nicolas Gonet, gave him a chance and asked him to take charge of the project for the restaurants at the Gare des Eaux-Vives. This was a major challenge for the thirty-something, and a page was turned around two distinct concepts. The first arcade will be dedicated to transalpine cuisine, and the second to the world of bistros.
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A bright future
While hoping to emerge from the health crisis, Andres has quickly emancipated himself with Basque-influenced travel cuisine. Like the stuffed squid with its creamy squid ink sauce and bell pepper coulis, the chef sets the bar high. But it’s the egg, crispy on the outside and candied on the inside, that really does the trick. Accompanied by porcini mushrooms, topped with a lightly-bodied poultry jus and garnished with strips of Iberian ham, the starter is an elegant gourmet delight. The hake steak, with its patatas bravas and lightly garlicky sabayon, is a subtle tribute to the sea. Pork belly lacquered with Hoisin sauce and dipped in a saffron siphoned corn mousse is an extreme delicacy.
With his technically accomplished cuisine, Andres Arocena’s culinary charm is at work. As his creative triangle evolves around the product, the taste and the aesthetics of the dish, La Micheline has a bright future ahead of it. End of the line, everyone enjoy!
