Philippine JAILLET

Chef : Le Boréal Philippine Jaillet, head chef of Boréal in Paris's 18th arrondissement, has built an elegant culinary world that reveals her eye for detail.

Presentation

A passionate self-taught cook, Philippine Jaillet has made her mark on the gastronomic scene with sensitive cooking shaped by her experiences, memories and travels. Today she is the chef of Boréal (2 toques), a fine dining restaurant she runs with her partner, Charles Neyers.

From art to gastronomy

Cooking entered Philippine Jaillet's life early on, notably through family recipe books. Among them, a notebook handwritten by her grandmother made a lasting impression on her imagination and sparked her curiosity. Yet her path began far from the kitchen: "I started with art studies in Brussels, which gave me an iron discipline. Then I turned to pastry, at Ferrandi, to bring a certain rigor that was missing from my life." This training gave her precision and technique before she joined prestigious houses such as Taillevent (3 toques) and Pierre Hermé.

It was later, almost by chance, that Philippine Jaillet discovered cooking, while working as an extra in a small bistro. The experience was a real revelation and changed her career path: "It was a turning point in my career."

She later met Charles Neyers, her partner: "We shared the same desire from the very beginning." Together they came up with cooking that reflects who they are, built around sharing and emotion, and "that keeps evolving every day".

Cooking guided by memories and seasons

After a stint in a tapas restaurant, the couple felt the urge to return to more structured cooking, built around a succession of dishes, "which lets us think in sequences". Blending her style with her partner's, the chef highlights produce with pared-back, subtle cooking that follows the seasons.

To create their dishes and menus, Philippine Jaillet draws on her personal memories, her travels and her family history. At Boréal, she and Charles Neyers translate these shared memories onto every plate. They also follow their inspirations of the moment: "As soon as we see a product we like, we don't hesitate to work with it. That's also what makes our work so rich", the chef explains.

Philippine Jaillet also took part in season 17 of Top Chef, an eye-opening experience: "Being shut in with people who do the same thing creates an incredible drive. That experience changed everything. I learned to trust myself, I go further into detail, and I take more time to develop my techniques."