Alexandre GONIAK

Chef : 1 restaurant Opening in 2022 in Cadillac, the AGA restaurant has already been awarded 2 Gault&Millau toques. A great success for its chef Alexandre Goniak.

Presentation

It was during an internship at La Bastide de Gordes during his BTS in hotel and catering management that Alexandre Goniak discovered a real passion for cooking. With his diploma in hand, he worked in a gourmet restaurant in Germany for 18 months, before joining Le Chapon Fin, in Bordeaux, as commis and then chef de partie.

Accustomed to traveling since childhood, as his father was posted to the military, Alexandre Goniak flew to Australia, "to discover other ways of working and to learn English. I was also very attracted to the fusion cuisine practised there". He stayed in Melbourne for two years as second chef, where he met his future wife.

On his return to France, the chef held a series of positions in Normandy and Montpellier, before deciding to open his own restaurant. The young couple fell in love with Cadillac, a small medieval town. AGA opened in May 2022. The chef practices "a sober, precise cuisine, with a French base and an influence of world cuisines". The lunch menu evolves according to his desires and the products of the moment. In the evening, the menu is 100% surprise. "What drives me is always to challenge myself, to be creative, to work with the raw product and draw out its full potential."

Alexandre Goniak likes to play with spices, flavors and textures, and has set himself the challenge of "getting customers to love products they've neglected, like salsify or Brussels sprouts". It's a winning bet, since customers leave delighted! And while he doesn't have a signature dish, he does have a predilection for meat, fish and vegetable pies. "It's a perfect blend of technical skill and gourmandise."

His hopes for the future: to bring something new, develop takeaway sales, and win recognition from guidebooks. "We're already delighted with the Gault&Millau rating, but I'm always aiming higher!"

B. V.-L.