Justine VIANO

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

For Justine Viano, it all began in middle school! With little interest in her studies, the teenager watched TV cooking shows and asked herself: "Why not become a chef?"With this goal in mind, she enrolled at the hotel school in Louviers (Eure). "It waswhen I did my vocational baccalaureate internship at Domaine Saint-Clair, in Étretat, that I realized I'd made the right choice," she recounts. Omar Abodib, the owner of the establishment, wanted her to join the team at his new Parisian address, Le Ratapoil du Faubourg. "To keep her waiting, the businessman offered her a job with his events company. "I was a bit of a boss myself."

"I didn't really like Paris and I was a bit restless. Then a sommelier friend told me about the Couvent des Minimes, where he worked and where recruitment was underway." Justine Viano obtained a position as chef de partie in this restaurant in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, from 2015 to 2017. In 2016, she took part in a tasting evening at La Magnanerie, in Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban. There she met her future partner Stephan Paroche, who owned the premises at the time. In 2017, he sold his establishment, as the young couple wanted a change of scenery. They headed for the Alpilles, where they took charge of the kitchens at Le Hameau des Baux, in Paradou (Bouches-du-Rhône).

In 2019, a new opportunity presents itself... at the end of the world. The couple flew to Vietnam to develop a resort project including villas and restaurants. "We trained the teams and worked on the maps, but then Covid came along. The tide was turning. The situation was becoming too tense. All our efforts fell by the wayside. We had to return to France. Nevertheless, it was a very enriching experience, as it was the first time we'd been involved in the opening of such a large-scale establishment. A blessing in disguise:in 2020, Stephan Paroche and Justine Viano were entrusted with the management of the Château & Village Castigno's various food outlets in Assignan (Hérault): La Petite Table, Le Thaï and La Table. "Thecuisine we offer is essentially plant-based, with a hint of Asia," says Stephan Paroche, "and their beautiful four-handed cooking has enabled La Table de Castigno to maintain its 3 toques from the outset.

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