Twin peaks of creativity
- Source: Global Times
- [10:57 July 01 2010]
- Comments
Steak in a Red Wine Sauce at 6Sens by J&L Pourcel. Photo: Shen Sijia
By Shen Sijia
Arriving at the entrance to "6Sens by J&L Pourcel" a little before 11 am there is already a winding queue of diners waiting for lunchtime tables. The reputation of the twin brothers who are behind this, the France Pavilion's sole resident eatery, evidently precedes them. Jacques and Laurent Pourcel have seemingly conquered all before them, even claiming a coveted three-star Michelin ranking (for Le Jardin des Sens in Montpelier) before their mentor and former boss Michel Bras was awarded the same honor (at Michel Bras in Laguiole).
Once inside, the open plan kitchen affords plenty of opportunity to watch the pair at work, although only Jacques is in Shanghai at present. As in many French restaurants, transparency is a key word. The preparation and process of cooking is treated like one more pavilion exhibit. Quickly processing the orders as they come in, Jacques is someone who doesn't talk or smile much while scanning the orders hanging above the serving area. Little wonder 6Sens executive director Gilles Bihi-zenou refers to his star chef as "a man who is like a machine." "He comes in early and he finishes late. Since the middle of April he hasn't asked for a day off."
To date, the Pourcel brothers have been involved with 18 restaurants globally, of which they are partners and investors in 12. Although both are at pains to point out they don't see themselves as entrepreneurs or businessmen.
"For me, the food always comes first. The majority of my day is concerned with the food and nothing else: the sourcing of great ingredients, the creation of new recipes, and of course, cooking with the team in the kitchen," Jacques told the Global Times.
The brothers' seaside hometown of Adge, on the south coast of France, has been an obvious inspiration for their Mediterranean menus as well as the remarkable skills they have developed for cooking seafood.
"I've been going to the local fresh markets every day since I arrived," said Jacques. "And there is some produce here that I've never seen in Europe, such as mini-lobster and bamboo shoots. This is fascinating to me and we are hoping we can create a unique Mediterranean-style cuisine out of these ingredients."
The brothers' latest restaurant, on the top three floors of a building on Shaanxi Road South, is currently being renovated with an official opening date slated for August. And while the menu at "Maison Pourcel" has not been officially finalized on paper, Gilles Bihi-zenou insists "it is all but complete in the chef's head." "Jacques is spending a huge amount of time - almost without rest - in making sure the restaurant will make a big impression. We certainly recognize how tough the competition in this city will be. We have no illusions on that score."
