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The former chef of the Le Pampre restaurant in Metz city center has just opened his new address in Petite-Hettange (40 minutes from Luxembourg-city). In a completely renovated space, the chef wanted to create a responsible restaurant, offering a seasonal cuisine combining technical expertise and (a lot of) creativity.
It was raining on the day we arrived, but there was no gloom waiting for us inside. In front of the building, where the initials AB adorn the façade, a flower-filled path runs alongside buildings clad in Vosges wood, leading to the entrance to the restaurant at the back of the house. A majestic hundred-year-old cedar and wildflowers greet us. Through the huge bay window you can see the restaurant’s modern, welcoming interior, in shades of beige, grey and light wood.
It’s time to push open the glass door to discover the world of Alexis Baudin.
In the chef’s mind: going for the Michelin star
At 53, Alexis Baudin has put his heart and soul into this new project. “I’ve invested everything here. I live above the restaurant. But I’m confident it’s going to work out,” says this shy but passionate chef.
After 8 years running the kitchen at Le Pampre in Metz city, he sold the business and decided to set up his own restaurant, in his own image. “I wanted to get closer to the countryside,” he adds. It took a year and a half of work. “After the opening, I couldn’t bring myself to say it was mine – it looked too much like a magazine restaurant,” he says. And yet, it’s all his.
The chef, who admits with a nostalgic smile that when he started out he collected posters of Michelin-starred chefs whose names he knew by heart, makes no secret of his ambition to win the holy grail of gastronomy here. The decor, the concept, the team and the kitchen have all been designed with this objective in mind. A total commitment that demonstrates the strength of character of this chef, a truly passionate.
“Right from the start, I said that one day I’d have a Michelin star and I’d get there”.
Local, seasonal, responsible
There’s no room for routine here, as the menu changes every month to reflect the seasons as closely as possible. The chef sources his fruits and vegetables from local producers but hopes eventually to have his own kitchen garden. “I have 25 ares of land just a few minutes from the restaurant, I just need to find a market gardener”. The restaurant’s garden grows aromatic herbs and edible flowers that are used in the dishes.
With a view to sustainability, the chef recovers rainwater and will soon be installing a compost. “We decided not to put tablecloths on our tables to control our water consumption (the laundry is on site, editor’s note)”.
This passionate chef will also soon have his own bakery attached to the restaurant. “I’ve bought a bread oven, and I still have to work on my recipes to make it as good as the one I’m currently working with (Pains et Tradition, editor’s note)”, he confides.
A cuisine combining technique and great creativity
In the dining room, once you’ve settled in next to the large bay window facing the garden, the ballet of dishes can slowly begin. As soon as the sourdough bread and its accompaniments arrive, the tone is set. “The olive oil has been mixed with beeswax to keep it from being liquid. We don’t want to be like everyone else”. To be then spread on the bread like butter. Amazing.
For starters, “you start with the dessert”, says the chef with a smile, as he brings out a plate with 3 cherries. Inside, there’s no question of biting into a fruit, but instead, a foie gras delights our taste buds.
Each dish is a feast for the eyes, with so many details to admire. “All our dishes take a long time to prepare,” explains the chef. On the plate, the textures are varied, the seasonings perfect and the cooking mastered. A particular favourite is the monkfish, cooked at a low temperature for 1 hour and then grilled, to make it both firm and tender.
On the sweet side, the young pastry chef (24) took us back to our childhood memories with a strawberry and basil dessert on a Breton palet, in strawberry juice, “just like it was left in our ramekins when we were kids”, explained the maître d’ with a smile. And what about the rice pudding mousse, creamy and enhanced by pearls of yuzu for a very pleasant acidity in the mouth.
It was raining outside, but certainly not inside this new address, which is certainly worth the way for a gastronomic getaway.
La Table Alexis Baudin
11 route Nationale, 57480 Malling
Pictures: Laurent Dupont.