Le Lausanne Palace dresse «La Table» The Lausanne Palace lays “La Table

Courtois. Franck Pelux a aussi l’intention de faire découvrir aux Suisses l’un de ses plats signatures: la choucroute de poissons, accompagnée d’une mousse de pommes de terre fermentées. Un souvenir de son épopée strasbourgeoise, mais aussi parce qu’il affectionne particulièrement les saveurs acides: «Elles permettent de tenir la longueur sur un menu, de l’entrée au dessert.» Des desserts qu’il imagine peu sucrés, à l’instar de cette pomme verte, nuage de vanille et sorbet au foin. La carte et le menu «Au gré du temps» sont volontairement vagues, faisant la part belle aux produits et laissant la magie opérer lorsque les convives découvrent les assiettes, si joliment racontées par Sarah Benahmed et son équipe. Une cuisine servie «avec goût et avec vue», comme aime à le souligner Ivan Rivier, le directeur du Lausanne Palace, qui a eu un véritable coup de cœur pour ce jeune duo… à découvrir sans tarder.

La Table du Lausanne Palace

Rue du Grand Chêne 7-9, 1002 Lausanne Réservations: restauration@lausanne-palace.ch, +41 21 331 32 15

C’est Christian Bertogna qui chapeaute désormais le pôle gastronomique du Lausanne Palace en tant que chef exécutif des cuisines des quatre restaurants de l’établissement. Originaire de la province de Côme, en Italie, il a bâti sa carrière à la rencontre de différentes cultures entre l’Italie, la France et la Suisse. Depuis 2019, il était sous-chef exécutif de l’établissement.

The Lausanne Palace lays “La Table”

Franck Pelux and Sarah Benahmed are taking orders at the gourmet restaurant in the Lausanne Palace. On the menu: contemporary French cuisine, local products and influences from elsewhere.

– Text Elodie Maître-Arnaud

Closed since Edgard Bovier retired at the end of June, the gourmet restaurant at the Lausanne Palace reopened its doors on September 17. Modestly renamed “La Table”, it is run by Chef Franck Pelux in the kitchen and

Sarah Benahmed as room manager, a couple both in real life and on stage.

Son of a Burgundian restaurateur – here he reinvents poached eggs with a Pinot

Noir and dried meat – Franck Pelux has perfected his know-how in triple-starred kitchens – Yannick Alleno in Courchevel and Arnaud Donckele in Saint-Tropez.

Confirming his appreciation for authenticity with these chefs, he asserts his love for classic French cuisine – although he daringly knows how to update it! – and for butter, “a fabulous flavour enhancer”. From his culinary adventures in Asia (China and Singapore), however, he has brought back a few flavours that he incorporates here and there in his creations, such as this leek consommé with

Japanese overtones, or this umami red tuna. His most recent kitchen: the Crocodile, in Strasbourg, where he was in charge for two years, notably adopting the recipe for dampfnudel, a steamed

Alsatian bun. Sarah Benahmed has been by his side for years. A graduate of a hotel school, she watches over the guests and her team with discretion, caring and professionalism, in a refined setting.

LOCAL PRODUCTS

Settled in the Vaud capital since this summer, the couple took the time to meet local producers. “You have to adapt to your environment,” the chef says. The menu includes fish from the Ouchy fishery, Gruérienne poultry from the Belle Luce – he especially cooks the skin “like Sunday family time” – or Genevan lentils from Ferme Courtois. Franck Pelux also plans to introduce the Swiss to one of his signature dishes: fish sauerkraut, accompanied by a fermented potato mousse. A reminder of his Strasbourg saga, but also because he is particularly fond of acidic flavours: “They allow you to go through the entire menu, from starter to dessert.” Desserts that he imagines as slightly sweet, like this green apple, vanilla cloud and hay sorbet. The board and the constantly evolving menu are deliberately vague, prominently featuring the products and letting the magic begin as soon as the guests discover the dishes, so beautifully described by Sarah Benahmed and her team. Cuisine served “with taste and perspective”, as Ivan Rivier, the director of the Lausanne Palace, likes to point out. He fell in love at first sight with this young couple…to be discovered without delay.

La Table du Lausanne Palace

7-9 Rue du Grand Chêne, Lausanne 1002 Reservations: restauration@lausanne-palace.ch, +41 21 331 32 15

Christian Bertogna now heads the gastronomic division of the Lausanne Palace as executive chef of the kitchens of the establishment’s four restaurants. Originally from Como, Italy, he has built his career reaching out to different cultures between Italy, France and Switzerland. Since 2019, he has been the establishment’s executive sous-chef.