A chic atmosphere for an exceptional dinner
As the new year approaches, you have not decided yet on your New Year’s program? Book your exceptional dinner at the La Pergola restaurant. Thus, you will start your evening in beauty, in a sweet and hungry atmosphere, before continuing the festivities as you please...
While waiting for D-Day, today we will show you behind the scenes an event that is not unrehearsed. What is the story behind the menu? What is happening in the kitchen? What dishes will be served?
A pretty sheet music
Let the sheet music be melodious and harmonious! This is the common thread and the will being displayed by the teams of La Pergola for this exceptional evening...
A colossal task is expected in the kitchen throughout the day on 31 December. But the implementation will have already begun two days before, requiring the availability of the whole brigade for the making up of a menu entirely homemade.
Millimetre organisation, rhythm and anticipation, faultless communication between the kitchen and the dining room... nothing will be left to sheer luck! And the success promises to be there for a performance in five services...
A duo of balances
If the balance of flavours and textures is a common slogan for any great cook, it is also between Gérard and Greg, the Chef of La Pergola and his Second in command, that a beautiful balance is established. Both creators of the menu which will be the star of the New Year’s Eve, they also manage the planning from A to Z, each detail having all its significance... But how did the inspiration come about to them?
As it is often the case, morning coffee moment is a particularly creative time. The only exercise imposed by the management of the establishment: that of creating an elegant and refined menu, at less than XPF 10,000 per person, for a quiet dinner distinguishing itself from the dancing evenings planned in other restaurants... No DJ or all-you-can-eat buffet at the Hôtel du Centre!
The duo explains why they first listed all the dishes they wanted to honour, before agreeing on a selection: the Saint-Jacques, the Wagyu, the Yuzu, the choice of a fine and delicate fish... Give a place to all proposals and a real brainstorming!
"We didn’t lack inventiveness; it bubbled with ideas about new flavours, products, textures, associations of tastes, emotions on the plate... At the moment, we exchange, rectify, cancel, adapt. It’s very exciting!"
And it was of course obvious for the two band leaders to meet the very French identity of Chef Gérard and the precious culinary experiences of Greg, who has travelled a lot, in addition to associating it with the Asian influence very present in New Caledonia.
"The great trust we have in each other is a real might to work together. We want to surprise the customer, invite him out of his comfort zone and, most importantly, stand out from the habits of beef filet or salmon cobblestone."
A foretaste of New Year’s Eve
Among the constraints of supply and prices of products, but also of dishes available for the enhancement of each creation, it is not less than a month that will have been necessary to refine the menu to perfection.
"The main problem is to make a choice three months in advance. We are never 100% sure of receiving all the products... and it’s true that it puts a bit of pressure! But you get used to it; it’s the charm of New Caledonia..."
The suggestions offered at the restaurant each week also contribute to the success of the long-awaited menu, since a few attempts have been subtly hidden for some time now. Hence, the whole brigade can work on this or that product, which allows the Chef to ensure the perfect grasp of the dish he has in mind.
In short, and as a last word, Gérard and Greg tell us their wish to impress customers and confirm that it is, as always at the Hôtel du Centre, to confirm a difference.
"The discretion of the Chef and the madness of the Second in command is the winning recipe of La Pergola. We are very complementary and absolutely confident for this exceptional dinner. It will be beautiful, delicious and full of surprises!"
