David Toutain: A 5-Course Meal
David Toutain, chef at the eponymous restaurant in Paris, talks to Gault&Millau about five dishes and ingredients that define his cuisine and his tastes, offering a perfect glimpse into his culinary world.
A chef with a meteoric rise, David Toutain (4 toques) has established himself as one of the most distinctive talents on the French gastronomic scene. At his eponymous Parisian restaurant, he creates signature cuisine that is at once technically masterful, sensitive, and plant-based.
Behind his dishes lies a precise vision: to create a dialogue between nature, texture, and memory. His dishes tell a story—often personal, always bold. From the smoky flavor of an eel to his grandmother’s pressure cooker, each dish bears an intimate imprint. Here, he shares five dishes that have marked his journey and shaped his culinary identity. Five creations that encapsulate the essence of David Toutain’s cuisine: inventive, sincere, and deeply rooted.
The dish he’s most proud of: Smoked eel, black sesame cream, and green apple
Among the creations that have left the deepest impression on David Toutain, this dish stands out as an obvious choice.“Customers still talk to me about it, even in Bangkok, where I was last week,” he confides. Through this dish, the chef distills everything that defines his signature style: a masterful interplay of textures, bold contrasts, and a graphic composition. Smoked eel meets a silky black sesame cream and the subtle acidity of green apple, in a skillfully balanced harmony.“It’s not perfection, but it reflects who I am: it looks simple, yet it’s very complex.”
Although this iconic dish has left such a lasting impression, it is no longer on the menu. Eel, an endangered species, is now subject to strict quotas.“We have to respect fishing regulations,” explains the chef. It’s a conscious, ethical decision, though not without a touch of nostalgia:“I had to take it off the menu, but it remains one of the dishes I’m most proud of.”
© DR
The dish that marked a turning point in his career: Monkfish tail and spelt risotto with meadowsweet
This dish marked a defining moment in David Toutain’s career. He conceived it even before opening his own restaurant, while working at Agapé Substance.“It’s the first dish I created in my own name, without anyone guiding me. My first dish as a chef, like a grown-up.” Both structured and delicate, the pairing of monkfish tail with spelt risotto scented with meadowsweet already reflected his taste for combinations of vegetables and grains.
He has never made this dish again since, but it remains etched in his culinary journey.“It was very important to me. I kept it on the menu for a long time.” A personal milestone, symbolizing his transition to culinary adulthood.
The Memorable Ingredient: Beets
For David Toutain, the beet is more than just an ingredient: it’s a Proustian madeleine.“I used to eat a lot of them at my grandmother’s house. She would cook them in a pressure cooker… I still remember the smell, the hissing, the pressure.” These childhood memories have become an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In fact, he continues to use this cooking method, subtly modernizing it.
Today, beets are a recurring theme in his cuisine, featured on nearly every menu. Right now, he’s serving them as cherrywood-smoked ravioli, paired with red amaranth.
The dish most popular with customers: Cauliflower, white chocolate, coconut milk
This dessert was born out of the urgency of a restaurant opening. In the middle of winter, David Toutain was looking to create a pre-dessert that was easy to serve, visually minimalist, and could remain on the menu year-round. He wanted something white, something sweet, and a touch of the vegetable world.“I jotted down three ingredients on a piece of paper: cauliflower, coconut, white chocolate. We made the recipe… and we haven’t changed it since.”
Conceived as a light transition at the end of a meal, this dessert was an instant hit. So much so that when it was temporarily removed from the menu, customers complained.“We had to put it back on themenu,” David Toutain says with a smile. Even today, it remains one of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes.
© DR
His guilty pleasure: Fresh almonds
Every summer, starting in August, one ingredient sets the chef’s heart racing: fresh almonds.“I can’t resist them. I prepare one, I eat one. I’m terrible!” he confesses with a laugh. While dried almonds leave him cold, fresh almonds, on the other hand, are an obsession. Their texture, their subtle flavor, and their rarity—the season lasts only two months—make them an exceptional product that he eagerly awaits every year.
© DR
He likes to pair them with chanterelles, soak them in almond milk, and combine them with apricots. A seasonal trio—delicate and precise—that illustrates his taste for subtle plant-based pairings… and his simple pleasure in cooking what he loves to eat.
