Chef Manon Fleury signs on for good at Datil, Paris

Datil as the name of an ancient variety of plum from Lot-et-Garonne. Datil also evokes an American chili pepper, or dates in Spanish. Datil, now as a restaurant that breaks codes, first and foremost on a managerial level. This new definition is fueled by chef Manon Fleury, who shares her title role with four other collaborators, including her partner Laurène Barjhoux. There's no ego here, just the ambition to promote experienced chefs. On the plate, the former fencer, now the leader of a committed cuisine that insists on local, seasonal sourcing, is continuing her plant-based explorations, without denying herself animal proteins or future occasional collaborations with foreign chefs, she confided to us.

How long have you been working on your project?

Manon Fleury: As soon as I leave Le Mermoz, in January 2020. Given the health crisis, everything slowed down and it was complicated to plan ahead. But I kept on looking for a location. What's more, when I had the opportunity to cook at Elsa in Monaco and then at Le Perchoir Ménilmontant, it pushed back the deadline even further. This maturing phase was necessary, if only to feel ready. I was able to consolidate my team.

Pauline Gouablin

The organization of the brigade is indeed atypical: it revolves around no less than four cooks, all appointed as chefs. Why this choice?

M.F.: It was a decision taken just a few months before the opening. I received applications from very experienced women. What's more, my colleague Laurène Barjhoux and I had already worked with all of them. They knew our cuisine and our way of working. We didn't want to deprive ourselves of their talent.

The result gives the impression of a certain sisterhood, at a time when women are still far from being in the majority in positions of responsibility in the restaurant business. Do you accept this choice?

M.F.: It's true that we liked the idea of breaking away from the very hierarchical organization of what is usually done in the kitchen. I wanted to promote the profiles of women with proven track records, so that they'd feel confident about taking up a position of responsibility elsewhere in two or three years' time. Of course, we can't imagine a totally horizontal organization. We also need leaders in the kitchen.

Is it inevitable that women cook together to make them more visible?

M.F.: I fully accept my feminist point of view and this form of sisterhood. I have a tendency towards positive discrimination, because we still hear all too often that there are no female profiles in our profession. And yet I receive a huge number of them! That said, we don't exclude male profiles. In fact, we have several men working in the team. There has to be a balance, and I hope to train them too.

Pauline Gouablin

While your commitment is commendable, aren't you afraid that people will talk more about your commitment than about your cooking?

M.F.: Absolutely. I'm afraid that I'll always be labelled as a committed chef, even though I fully accept my position, not only because this is a subject that needs to be addressed, but also because we need to talk about it if we want things to change.

You are also committed to defending an agricultural sector that respects the living world and the environment. You invite your customers to eat with a conscience. Do you think that people come to restaurants not just to eat, but also to think?

M.F.: Our committed values are at the service of sensitive, seasonal, embodied cuisine. Our customers can come simply to enjoy themselves, without intellectualizing the cuisine. However, our profession has suffered from a lack of reflection. For too long, we've forgotten to take an interest in where our food comes from, if not in what goes on behind the stove... If the younger generation doesn't ask itself these questions, nothing will change.

Pauline Gouablin

How is your cuisine different from what you used to serve at Le Mermoz or Le Perchoir?

M.F.: Between Le Mermoz and the residences, I had the opportunity to experiment a lot. At Datil, we took stock of the situation to structure a more thoughtful kitchen. For example, at the chalet on the Daumesnil islands, we prepared a gougère as an amuse-bouche, which was eaten hot, whereas at Ménilmontant, I prepared hyper-millimeter plates. We realized that gougère eaten with the fingers had a regressive side that has its place on a gourmet menu.

At Le Perchoir Ménilmontant, your signature dish was exclusively plant-based. Why didn't you make the same choice for your first restaurant?

M.F.: We didn't want to close any doors, firstly because we enjoy cooking meat and fish. And then, when you meet fishermen and breeders, you also realize that you have to support certain farming systems, such as small boat fishing or scallop diving.By using these suppliers, we prevent them from being replaced by industrial fishing.