Jérôme Banctel, life is all or nothing!
We meet chef Jérôme Banctel in one of the library lounges of the Parisian palace La Réserve. Subdued atmosphere, hushed surroundings, measured words… at least as a prelude to the interview. The chef awarded his third Michelin star in the 2024 edition is a happy man, even relieved to have (finally) obtained it. This former disciple of Bernard Pacaud at L’Ambroisie and Alain Senderens at Lucas Carton has cooking in his blood and soccer in his heart. More in tune with his cuisine than ever, he cultivates the art of beauty and goodness against a backdrop of lime cooking. Far from matching the image one might have of a gourmet restaurant in a five-star hotel, the chef practices a free, clear-cut cuisine, composed of dishes in sauce, departing from the preconceived models imposed by this type of establishment. Introducing a man of freedom.
Foot vs. Food
“Breton from the land, not Breton from the sea”, as he says from the very first seconds of our exchange, he grew up on his grandparents’ farm. “I only saw the sea on vacations. It was a happy but hard-working childhood,” he recalls. Until he was fourteen, soccer was all the teenager could think about. He could have become a professional, but life led him to the kitchen. “I regretted for a long time that I hadn’t followed through on my dream, and I ended up at the hotel school out of spite. But now I feel better in the kitchen than on the soccer pitch.
The apprentice chef sets himself a new challenge, rolls up his sleeves, puts on his chef’s hat, sharpens his knives and sets off on an adventure, giving himself body and soul to this profession that is holding out its arms to him. “Whatever I set out to do, I’m capable of anything to achieve my goal. I have to be the best right away. It’s a character trait that has shaped the successive episodes in Jérôme Banctel’s life from an early age, and which still drives him today. An uncompromising attitude that is often misunderstood by those around him, but which has enabled him to become one of the best today. “As a general rule, people wait before giving. I give everything, right away. And life pays us back, maybe not immediately, but at some point.
Place des Vosges and Place de la Madeleine
Jérôme Banctel began his career with chef Michel Kerever, who taught him the uncompromising notion of “doing it right”. A severe but respectable character for whom the notion of learning takes precedence over manners. After a two-year stint at the Crillon Hotel, where he worked alongside budding chefs such as Éric Frechon and Christian Constant, he moved to the Place des Vosges to join the Ambroisie restaurant run by the modest and discreet Bernard Pacaud. “Everything is done in the calm and silence of a family home, with exceptional products. The cuisine is classic, the juices are exceptional, and the Pacauds don’t calculate or calculate very little. I’ve kept the house’s three stars with a poultry à la Kiev stuffed with foie gras and a rib of beef”.
Then, when Jérôme Banctel arrived as chef at Alain Sederens, everything had to be redone… in a different way, at any rate. Wearing a chef’s jacket over his shirt and tie, the chef at Maison Lucas Carton, Place de la Madeleine, is an exceptional taster with a demanding palate. As the inventor of wine and food pairing, he composes his menus by first choosing the bottles that will accompany his dishes. A culinary and wine revolution takes place in this gastronomic temple. “While I really learned the word rigor, this decade enabled me to refine my style and manage my costs to the penny”.
The Reserve decade
Jérôme then opened Le Gabriel restaurant in 2015, in a Paris devastated by the Bataclan attacks. The owner gave him carte blanche, but so did his gastronomic roadmap. Where to start? A single objective: to earn three Michelin stars. “We were fully committed, extremely determined, with a real desire to create. But at the time, I suggested Pacaud-Senderens-Banctel. I hadn’t yet found my DNA, so I mixed my knowledge”. He went on to win two stars in the first year of operation, and La Réserve is now positioned as an exceptional new destination in the French capital.
From 2016 to 2019, Jérôme Banctel’s cuisine freed itself from its culinary heritage, and creative emancipation began to manifest itself more and more. Was it necessary to free himself from his peers? With this in mind, he integrated lime cooking into his kitchen… a landmark moment that coincided with the withdrawal of butter and cream from all sauces. Only the health crisis succeeded in stopping Jérôme Banctel in his tracks, allowing him to take time for personal introspection. Thanks to his travels, he now incorporates a hint of Brittany, a touch of Turkey and a pinch of Japan into his universe. His dishes are an extension of his life. With patience, determination and self-sacrifice, he earned his third star last year. “It was imperative to get it, there was no other choice. I could never have lived without it. We’re telling you, Jérôme Banctel, it’s all or nothing!
