International
Karina LAVAL
Pastry Chef : 1 restaurant
"My mother's whole family comes from the kitchen," says Karina Laval. So it was only natural that she should follow the same path from an early age, eventually opting for pastry-making. During her studies, the young Mauritian honed her skills at the Hôtel Labourdonnais in Port-Louis, working with chef Nizam Peero and her future husband, Franco Bowanee. "The chef taught us everything, he's the one who gave us the chance to do this job."
In 2006, the couple flew to the United States to work in the French bistro at The Willard hotel in Washington. Two years later, they returned to Mauritius to work with chef Nizam Peero, "to recharge our batteries".
Then a new opportunity presented itself. "Our current bosses often came to Le Labourdonnais on vacation. They were so pleased with the result that they asked Franco and Karina to join them at Château de Vault-de-Lugny (Yonne). They did so in 2009. Since then, Karina Laval has never left her post as head pastry chef. She was awarded the Pâtissier Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 2023 trophy.
I. B.
Its restaurants
Its news
Our partners
Food products, kitchen equipment, tableware, service solutions...
See the full list of partners who place their trust in Gault&Millau
All our partners
