Time flies...
Sbastien was so young then!
Time has come for Michel Bras
to pass on his world-renowned
restaurant to his son, Sbastien.
The Gargouillou recipe
prepared on May 28th.
My seasonings:
Olive,
mashed yellow peppers,
red peppers,
black olive,
sesame powder,
cucumber,
sorrel,
black olive oil,
barley.
A leaf
of celeriac.
An asparagus.
Cauliflower marrow.
Artichokes.
Broccoli marrow.
Red amaranth.
Pink radish.
Peas.
Chinese cabbage.
Dd's fresh tomato,
picked this morning.
These are new potatoes,
fried on one side.
Valerian.
Greek valerian.
Bloody sorrel.
Nasturtium.
Mertensia. Peucedanum.
Dog's tooth violet.
Orach.
Now, let's add a taste of sea.
A sea breeze over the plate.
All edible.
Rhubarb.
Dill.
White rose from our balcony.
Broom, end of the season.
Golden garlic.
Tulbaghia.
In honor of our few grape vines.
Nice and fresh.
Pea shoots.
Pansy.
For a bitter taste.
Poppy.
A classical aromatic rose.
From the garden.
Coriander.
Bear's garlic.
And I can only conclude
with an endive.
STEP UP TO THE PLATE
Have you checked
the Romanesco broccoli?
No, only the green, the yellow
and the two-colored ones.
Check out the Romanescos then!
You do them,
I have the herbs to check.
But I like to check
the herbs myself...
I'll check them for you.
Now I understand
why Wednesdays are a mess.
Wednesdays are fine.
You see,
I do everything on Saturdays.
That's done.
Did I get coriander?
He gets the easy job.
I have to sort out the rest.
I ordered 8 of them.
There are 5.
- Right, we need more.
- Let me check the beans.
Don't hurt yourself!
- Can't we make translucent jelly?
- It's the oil!
Right. Sure.
- I mean "clear. "
- Impossible.
Even if you emulsify the oil...
Whatever we do,
we use the seeds.
- For the flavor...
- I don't understand you.
We could make the jelly with seeds.
With seed oil?
Seed oil or not.
Oil can be emulsified.
You rest it for the flavor.
But it won't be translucent.
It will be,
if you lose the oil...
The syrup will be flavored.
We need to try.
I'm sure it'll work.
It's so strong.
On the subject of seeds,
your kids should pick some plums.
Our tree is full of them.
This weekend then.
Today or tomorrow.
Today, we have a wedding.
What time are you going?
Look at the sunrise.
Not yet.
It won't be for another hour.
Sorry?
Another hour before the sunrise.
You must vacuum thoroughly.
In the afternoon light,
it looks clean,
but when the evening falls,
we see crumbs everywhere.
Cleaning is your responsibility,
it needs to be spotless.
Make sure you remember faces,
whether they're regulars or not.
It matters.
- Do we have notepads?
- You didn't get them?
I hope you all have a pen.
And a crumb tray,
ours or your personal one.
You do need a pen
to take notes
about the dishes.
And remember to smile.
As of today.
Until October 31st.
Everyone OK?
As far as the menu is concerned...
questions are welcome.
They're all useful.
Really. Ask them now
or it will be too late.
Be careful!
I can get nasty about that.
The seniors know that.
You warned the team?
It's good to remind them.
With the endive dish,
there will be mashed split peas
and coconut milk.
And some poppy seed oil.
Please taste it again.
So you know the taste of it.
Go on.
The aroma is slightly grilled.
Can I interrupt...
I don't have the herbs list.
Sba is telling you all this
so you can answer
the customers' questions.
Don't give customers
long explanations,
by the time you finish talking,
the dish is cold.
Next thing... I heard Max.
Two things actually.
Don't introduce a dish
with superfluous explanations,
it's all there on the menu.
The poetry, we do it,
Sbastien and I.
Stick to the first two lines,
usually, they sum it all up.
Don't overdo it.
No need to chitchat.
They stop listening,
it's a nuisance.
Leave it there to avoid confusion.
Good, you remembered.
What comes after? The Gargouillou.
A last minute preparation.
No need to announce it.
From the start,
you need to get the hang
of this system,
and read the board.
Tricky in the beginning,
but throughout the platings,
you'll gain confidence.
Good evening.
For the plating,
if you're hesitating,
please ask.
This is teamwork,
there isn't a wall
in the middle or anywhere.
This kitchen is open,
we've always worked like this.
Teamwork.
Please always communicate.
Don't isolate yourselves,
stay connected with the others.
Alright?
Do you have the herbs...
for the sorrel emulsion?
Sorrel emulsion, please.
On top like this?
- Will it move?
- I think so.
I would put this, a little powder.
They mix it when they eat it.
Why make it complicated?
I feel there's something missing.
You have bitterness, sweetness.
I don't know.
Ginger brings a strong taste.
I find it well-balanced.
What do you want to add?
Another vegetable?
No, I don't know.
I don't understand
why you want to add something.
It's fine like this.
This is OK.
We'll put the final touch tonight
when plating up.
That's sorted.
Please turn off
the two warming drawers.
Summer
Here we go!
Through the rough?
At full speed!
Full speed!
Wicked!
Gorgeous.
It's slippery.
Take Grandpa's hand.
Can we go up there, Dad?
Dad?
- Off you go!
- Can I?
Catch it, Vro.
Show us you're no longer a Parisian.
Hold it properly. The abdomen!
Unbelievable!
Did you see Mom
holding the crayfish?
Don't eat the seeds.
I taught them how to eat them.
It's actually better that way.
Left here.
Over here, guys.
Faster!
I was the eldest.
I didn't have any plans.
So I made the wise decision
to cook with my mother.
Michel Bras, a cook from Laguiole,
in Parisian final contest
I was already dating Ginette.
When we got married, she helped
me in the kitchen for a year,
then she became the hostess.
1 star
2 stars
When passion beats all
The children were young.
I wished we could have spent
more time with them.
Oh well...
I remember
that they would often ask me
"What do you want to do
with your life?"
I was 20.
I had already chosen
to go to a hotel school,
but the question was:
If we invest money for more than
would you join us?
I don't know if my answer
influenced my parents' decision
to build this in Suquet...
I was also proud of this situation.
It's good for the ego:
Your parents need you,
so it makes you proud.
Building the Bras brand
I remember when he said to me,
as we were walking
by their old place,
he said to me:
"One day, I will live here
"with my wife.
I will be in the kitchen,
"and maybe she will be with me. "
It was on May 9th, 1987.
But personally, at that age,
I still didn't know...
what I wanted to do,
even though...
I expected
that if we were to stay together,
I would have to repeat
the family pattern,
and that is
to be the hostess like his mother,
while he's in the kitchen.
However, I don't think Sbastien...
I don't know if Sbastien
considered other options.
I believe that for him,
it had to be the only way.
When I see pictures of him,
wearing the chef's outfit
that Granny made for him,
I feel he had no other option,
but I also feel
that if he really didn't want to,
if he didn't want
to pursue that career,
it couldn't have happened.
Because we always have a choice.
He wouldn't have been
that good at it,
if it was against his will.
It's impossible.
This summer, Michel hired
my son Alban, his grandson,
in the staff.
So my son had to put on...
the cook's outfit
his father wore when he was his age.
My son asked for that.
I can assure you
there was no pressure on him.
As he wanted to,
Michel hired him in the staff
and he had already hired my daughter
the same way.
The grandfather was very proud.
So were the children.
So was Sbastien.
And I...
I felt... How did I feel?
I was moved.
The red sofa in fake leather.
And here's your brother, William.
The baby.
And here. No, it's you.
My brother's communion,
in front of the restaurant.
- You as a chef!
- We saw it.
In front of the gate out there.
The whole family.
Same old red sofa in fake leather.
Shall we go now?
- Where?
- Inside.
- You want to work?
- Remember?
I remember we had...
I can remember the vegetable rack
where we'd put all the vegetables.
At the time...
Not sure what dish it was,
but probably the Gargouillou.
When I was playing around
in the kitchen,
he would ask me
to go and get some of the veggies.
This used to be my main job.
Call it brainwashing!
He would play around.
He would put on his apron,
he was very little,
he would help with the pastry.
But I don't know...
I spent my life here.
My childhood.
When did you move up there?
In 1992.
He loved it.
He would never go out and play
or ride his bike,
he'd go straight to the kitchen.
He liked to play around
in the kitchen.
I didn't pass on much.
It runs in the family.
It's in the genes.
Alban will do the same.
- Don't you think?
- I don't know.
At his age, you played around
in the kitchen.
That's right.
Make sure Alban does the same.
Listen.
He will make his own decisions.
You need to help him too.
He worked with us in the summer.
Very good.
Dad initiated him to plating up
the Gargouillou.
Did he? That's good.
He must have been proud.
He's a baby though.
Sbastien was a baby too.
- Sure, but...
- He was in the kitchen.
Right...
I have pictures of him
with his apron.
- I made that apron for him.
- So what?
And the hat.
He needed one, so I made it.
Waiters, please!
Gargouillou!
Don't overdry the pumpkin,
will you?
As I was saying,
it's not a revolution,
there is continuity.
Our regulars, the locals,
they've known me
for quite a while now.
They are hardly surprised.
We often show the kitchen
to our customers and I meet them.
Vro and I have been here
for 15 years now.
It's been a while!
Time flies.
Sure.
Milk curd
fried bread
Hands off!
Belongs to Sba
milk skin
butternut spaghetti
Right. I don't know.
Chocolate
Laguiole cheese
blackberry jelly
bread crust
sweet herbs
Not 100% sure.
Needs improving still.
There.
Autumn
Let them do the...
What do we have to do next?
Nasturtium.
Tulbaghia.
Let's get some green beans,
we only brought back a few.
- You only did that at the market?
- Only that!
I did what you don't like doing.
Counting the boxes,
three boxes of this and that...
That's easy.
You got two crates full
this morning.
You're kidding me?
Think about it,
it seems natural
that the son should do more.
He shows off at the market.
Who was showing off this morning?
Certainly not me.
Mertensia.
Let's use some carrots today.
We need borage leaves for the pepper.
Flowers?
Leaves.
We add some to the dressing.
- Not too harsh?
- I tasted it last night.
Use the white borage,
not the blue one.
They need to grow, poor things.
Beet leaves
and winter cress, please.
- Leaves for the beet?
- Right.
Mashed chickpeas.
- I would place it further down.
- I'm trying something.
With the lemon, it will be tricky...
You put the foie gras there,
I would put it the other way.
I'm not left-handed,
I'm right-handed.
- This part... Here?
- Yes.
You stick it there and move up.
You put it there.
- No need to move the plate.
- It doesn't work for me.
It's not nice enough.
Bring it back.
Unless we leave it straight.
Not good.
I would have the squash here,
that way maybe.
I would stick
the foie gras next to it.
Anchovy on top here.
- And I would add the line of...
- Olives.
- And pepper juice too.
- Maybe at the back.
When you eat the dish,
they blend together,
that's what's interesting.
You see?
- Some of this?
- Yes.
Takashi.
Takashi, Olivia!
- I would've put it here.
- On top?
Don't touch it.
Takashi, Olivia,
you will be doing these.
I would have put one there.
We'll see tonight.
This is a trial.
Worried? Not worried in that way,
but concerned that this is
a difficult challenge for him.
Of course!
I'm always anxious about that.
They're our children.
It's not easy. We started
from scratch, as Michel was saying.
We climbed up the ladder gradually.
It's easier to go up...
than remain at the top.
I feel sorry for them.
They're up there,
and they need to stay there.
He has certainly not retired yet.
On paper, he has.
That's about it.
He says it will come.
Two years ago, we said
we wouldn't go in the evening.
This year, same story!
Two years ago,
I was there every night.
Right?
True.
But this year, I didn't go at all.
Except when he asks me.
He doesn't want to lose his touch
so he can cover for him.
He stays in the office.
He's not ready to retire!
I have new projects,
the Soulages museum, the "capucins"...
That's great.
I need to run these projects
in the right environment.
Right.
He's running the projects
in the kitchen.
Until last year, they were up there.
There's a shift.
Gaillac Grape Harvest Festival
Sba!
We know how strongly
Michel expresses himself,
but I believe Sbastien
has his own identity,
a different sensibility...
However, it remains
in the Bras family.
We've known Sbastien
since he was a child.
He's someone...
who might look very discreet,
but you can see
he's very much involved.
I have no concern.
It's a great thing.
It's almost...
It's the ideal continuation.
There's no guarantee.
Time, patience, intelligence.
It's a different path.
What I mean is...
when you have your back to the wall
with responsibilities,
when you're scared,
when you need to invest
and develop your company,
that's when you're being yourself.
Your cuisine will flourish properly
like a flower.
When he reaches that,
Sbastien will be Sbastien.
Actually, I think Sbastien
will be at his best
when Michel really retires.
Look, here comes the sun.
A few years ago,
I went to Kyoto
with friends, all cooks,
and we visited
some of the traditional restaurants.
Families pass on their companies
through generations,
much more than over here.
I don't know if this works
for restaurants only,
but the young people I met
taking over from their parents,
which is common in that activity,
they all expressed their pride
in repeating their tradition.
So it all depends
on your point of view.
In Japan, I would not change a thing
and stick to the 100-
or 150-year-old traditions.
There you go.
Why...
would I ruin everything
to start all over again?
Winter
What time is the cooking class?
- 3 pm?
- No, it's not.
What time is the cooking class?
So there are two ways
to prepare this.
First, we have the red part
which represents the runny heart.
Today, we're making a pumpkin cake.
You've all tasted it before.
When you cut the cake,
ou can see the heart is runny.
Thanks for listening.
You got the gist in Laguiole,
didn't you?
I created a dish
you eat in 4 or 5 bites.
The more you bite into it,
the sweeter it gets.
I would like to try and
do something similar
here in Japan
with Japanese ingredients.
This soy milk seems fat.
It's raw? Not pasteurized?
That should work fine then.
Brilliant.
Great, that should be OK.
Fine, great.
Soy milk
How long must I do this?
Until it's smooth.
Rice paste
Alright?
Here we go.
- Is it French or Japanese cuisine?
- No idea.
Any good?
I'm glad I managed the puffed rice.
The mochi.
Let's make another one
so the big boss can taste it too.
You're not allowed to speak!
All yours!
I need to sit down.
It's too pink.
You need to taste the whole thing.
With the tofu.
The mochi is ready-made
or you made it yourself?
- I made it! Are you kidding me?
- You never know.
Couldn't you use a spoon
to mold this?
A spoon? It snaps easily.
Taste the whole thing.
Hold on,
that's quite dark, isn't it?
The milk curd?
Dark?
I thought
the yuba had a light color.
Quite the opposite.
They fry it up.
Stop looking, taste it!
Food is for eating.
But you look at it first, you know.
I like that it makes sense.
You need to get your head
round it though.
Look at that!
Add some sansho powder.
I'm a pain,
I'm not your average customer.
You didn't eat it properly.
That's how you eat it.
You didn't think
of a dip, did you?
I didn't.
Can you thin it out for me?
Your rice cake is great, well done.
I can't really taste the yuba.
It's rather subtle.
Didn't you think of drying up miso?
Doesn't it dry?
There's a harmony,
but I feel I need more of the rice...
Maybe the rice texture?
Or maybe the seasoning.
It's tasty, I didn't expect that.
You should add
some dulce de leche.
I like the toast idea.
- I make that for the kids.
- A bit of that.
I had some underneath.
You need to add some.
He is stubborn as a mule.
- I'm not.
- You are.
Add some miso, there isn't any.
Hang on.
- I'm making a proper one for you!
- I like to make my own.
The funny thing is...
You probably didn't mean it...
Yeah, right!
The rice crust is less...
It's not as crispy.
It's more of a delicacy.
- I didn't mean it.
- You see!
To be remembered!
You will make it next time.
You need to work on the rice crust.
Bring something more to it.
It was fine in the middle,
but now it's too crispy,
I'd like more seasoning...
I ate all of it.
You see!
You weren't hungry.
I agree,
but what bothers me
is the first layer
which is not essential.
The milk skin doesn't enhance
the composition enough.
It looks like cardboard
or something.
I'm being a bit harsh.
There's an element that...
I used bread crust
for the first composition.
But for Japan,
I used rice crust instead,
this is part of the
traditional food here.
Fair enough.
But if you serve it here
and in Laguiole too...
You'll get two reactions.
They'll accept it here,
in Laguiole,
they won't really get it.
I like it better in the morning.
When the boats come in.
They have beautiful sunsets too.
Over the sea, it's amazing.
Stick to the kitchen, guys!
Spring
How could I describe it?
I feel two worlds are colliding.
I'm leaving one,
a work environment
where I would share a lot with Sba.
It doesn't mean
we won't be sharing anymore...
We carried out major improvements
this year.
He has a nice tool now.
And I think
I will project myself on...
That's why I think this kind of...
Can you call it a handover?
I don't know... I'm still around.
The time I spend in the morning
with the cooks
is important to me.
If I ever stop seeing them
and going to the market,
that'll be the end of me.
I'm dead.
You should see how careful I am
when doing the harvesting
in the morning,
and I see the way they do it...
The skylarks have gone to sleep now,
it seems.
Strange light at this time of day.
Those are the young ones.
They're still curious.
They're babies.
The end...
Alban, can you cut the veggies?
One tablespoon please.
A whole one?
Three tablespoons. Go on.
You mix...
Hang on.
Take a bowl
and you mix the cauliflower...
Dad?
...with the asparagus.
Let's do the cutting.
Same thing. Cut into cubes.
- Are you sad?
- Yes, I'm crying.
- Why is that?
- It's the onions.
Alright, that's OK then.
- Alban, your console?
- I don't know where it is!
Over here!
This is my grandparents'
old cowshed.
During the weekends and
the holidays, my parents were busy,
so I would come here.
From the age of 7 to 15,
I spent a lot of time here.
I can remember
that often in the evenings,
when my grandpa was done
with the milking,
carrying his large bucket of milk,
I would have a big bowl of raw milk,
freshly milked, frothy!
I loved it,
the taste was very strong of course.
Raw milk, just milked.
Still warm and frothy.
I had a big white moustache!
It was great, I loved it.
It was a very comforting moment,
It was always in here.
They don't milk them anymore.
Just for meat now.
No more milk.
Lots of good memories here.
I'm a country boy.
I was brought up here.
I wouldn't have minded
being a farmer.
Those were my formative years.
Half the time in the country,
half the time in the kitchen.
- Look how thick it is.
- Great.
Not so much!
Can you imagine my mom...
using a peeler?
I never knew your mom.
Shame.
She was nice, my mom.
Delicious, as always.
Is this a dessert?
That is the question.
It looks like a dessert...
Blackberry.
I don't get it.
Let me explain.
I'll start from scratch.
This dish is the story of...
It's my story.
You go from savory to sweet.
I looked back on what I did.
In Japan, we managed
a lighter recipe around tofu...
It was quite dense.
I got rid of the superfluous.
I crammed everything in one dish.
With this plate,
I could make three of them.
Don't you think?
I don't know. I liked that...
You need to have this here...
Let's do another one.
Heat up some milk.
I have some milk skin...
Not enough.
Some milk please.
I have enough skin...
No, I don't... I do.
Heat up some milk, same quantity.
It curdles quickly.
Making it less dense won't be easy.
There are two things
I want to keep.
Milk skin and chocolate.
Blackberry and Laguiole cheese.
Yes, blackberry and Laguiole cheese,
those were the fundamentals.
Maybe focus on...
milk skin,
Laguiole cheese, blackberry.
Chocolate.
We need something savory.
Keep the bread?
Keeping the bread.
Either crust
or crumbs with ham and pepper?
One or the other or both?
I don't know.
Maybe start off with bread,
Laguiole cheese and blackberry,
milk skin and chocolate.
Those three.
That's the idea,
we'll save all three combinations.
Three people.
Those three people are...
Bread can be the father,
Michel.
And my mother,
blackberry and Laguiole cheese,
that's who she is.
Milk skin and chocolate,
that's Granny Bras.
What I would like to share
with you today...
This should have been just
one composition...
I split it into three purposefully.
I call it "Pathway. "
In the beginning,
when I created this dish,
I wanted to compose a path
from savory towards sweet.
For the second dish, same thing,
childhood memories:
I associated blackberry jelly
with Laguiole cheese.
That was the second dish.
Thank you.
Please come
and take a closer look.
Where are the other plates?
When did you find this bear's garlic?
How many years ago?
Bear's garlic...
Some cheese.
There you go.
Is that enough?
One more then.