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David Toutain

Photo Credit: Thai Toutain

Editor's note: This is a guest blog interview post by Haute Residence member KC Martin. 

The idea of a laboratory, a unique space for creative infusion and thoughtful expertise, is what both 2 star Michelin Chef, David Toutain, and world-renown bespoke parfumeur, Blaise Mautin, share in common.

Their recent collaboration for the highly esteemed restaurant ‘David Toutain’  reaches new heights for the ultimate fine dining experience. Taste, texture, ambiance, and smell are all thoughtfully and meticulously redefined in the superlative dining experience at the newly opened ‘David Toutain’, located at 29 Rue Surcouf, 75007 Paris. +33 01.45.50.11.10

Photo Credit: Thai Toutain

David Toutain - Starting in Spain (Mugaritz) then to New York (Corton), and now in Paris, 2 Star Michelin Chef David Toutain expresses the most unique techniques and tastes in his cuisine d’excellence. In 2015, he acquired a first star in the Michelin Guide. In 2017, he was awarded 4 toques by the Gault & Millau guide and a Pudlowski Guide cook election of the year. In 2019, the Michelin Guide awarded him a second star, guaranteeing an exceptional cuisine after being guided as 2nd under chef of 3 Michelin Star, Alain Passard, of L'Arpège (Paris).

Blaise Mautin

Photo Credit: Cecil Mathieu

Blaise Mautin - Blaise Mautin is one of the world’s most exclusive, bespoke perfumers. Based in Paris, with extensive fragrance schooling in Versailles, France, Blaise has spent almost a quarter of a century creating and perfecting the most incredible and elegant fragrances and bath lines for the finest private global clientele and for over 50 of the most exclusive and celebrated 5-star hotels around the world, including in France the exceptional 5-star Arielles Le Château de Versailles Le Grand Contrôle, 5-star Parc Hyatt - Paris Vendôme, 5-star Le Bristol Paris, and 5-star Chateau de la Messardière - St. Tropez.

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The ‘David Toutain’ avant-garde dining experience begins with the Japanese tradition of ‘oshibori’ - a wet hand towel offered to customers and used to clean one’s hands before or after eating - a long-standing part of the hospitality culture in Japan. Cold, damp hand towels perfumed in the restaurant’s bespoke fragrance ‘David Toutain’ created by Mautin are offered upon arrival. Moreover, scented candles of the same bespoke scent are seen and smelled throughout the restaurant, including on the dining tables.

To the right of the entrance, a room awash in soft light opens onto a narrow corridor lined with various jars and display cases. Then, the chef's laboratory appears, like a dispensary, where herbs and condiments take precedence on the shelves. A kitchen laboratory between creation and tasting, this space becomes a gateway into a magical dining experience which is ‘David Toutain’.

Photo Credit: Cecil Mathieu

Q1. Gentlemen, it is such a pleasure to discover this new avenue of a luxury restaurant experience in ‘David Toutain’ (Paris). How did this collaboration come about between you? When was the idea born, and who sought out who?

DT: The idea to have a scent that can be identified with our restaurant had never been found until we met with Blaise Mautin. I met Mr. Mautin through our lawyer, and we just clicked. The experience of the restaurant is always evolving; whether it is on a plate, the design of the restaurant, and down to the simple flower arrangement. We want to give the maximum to our guests, and to our staff. There are many more ideas waiting to blossom, and we stay positive that this will arrive.

BM: I met Chef David Toutain through Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s lawyer, who is a great fan of my work. The experience we all had then was sincerely unique. David came to see me after lunch and we talked about our crafts. It seemed obvious that David was sincerely interested in my field of perfume and the essentials oils that I need to create my fragrances. I invited him to discover my fragrance lab and all of my essentials oils in Paris. This experience and discovery for David was the beginning of this successful first restaurant and fragrance collaboration.

Q2. David, tell me more about the concepts behind putting ‘David Toutain’ together. What are the dining experiences regarding the ingredients, textures, and menus that set ‘David Toutain’ apart from your restaurants in the past, and what is your vision for the experience of ‘David Toutain’ going forward?

DT: It has always been my dream to open my own restaurant. I took a year off after returning from traveling and spending time with my wife and son. I only had about 2 months to find my restaurant and make it work in Paris. The pressure was on and there was only one way, and that was going forward. I had probably visited about 30 restaurants before this restaurant found us. It was actually a restaurant my wife and I passed by a few times when we would take walks around Paris with our son. The dream and imagination had already started, without us knowing it. We imagined the color of the restaurant, the lighting, the guests, the food, the joy. The time was almost up when our broker called us and let us know that this space was available.

The concept of the restaurant is to showcase the seasonal ingredients with tasting menus. This gives us the freedom to create and adjust the menus depending on what is available at the markets and from our purveyors. I respect the past and my cuisine is modern with techniques with herbs and flowers. There is use of butter also, but still in a way that it doesn’t feel heavy. There are many menu products from Normandy, because I am from Normandy, and so I pay respect to it and to all of my experiences from my training and traveling. Now, at this time, I let it go and continue to improve for the guests, my team, and my cuisine.

Q3. Blaise, how long did it take for you to formulate the scent for ‘David Toutain’? What are the head, middle, and base notes that you used? And, what guided you to choose this specific combination of scents for the final bespoke fragrance creation?

BM: ‘David Toutain’ restaurant’s decoration is very pure and delicate. I wanted to present to David a very subtle fragrance based on the white flower fragrance which is a mixture between honeysuckle, rose, and Lily of the valley - the headnotes are based on the work of the honeysuckle flower’s delicate fragrance, the middle note has a hint of rose petals, and the base notes are the bewitching smell of the Lilly of the valley’s scent. Creating this bespoke fragrance took about 2 months.

Q4. David, you have some extraordinary, innovative cooking techniques that you focus on, creating mesmerizing dishes unique to the eye and to tasting such as ‘cucumber caviar’ and ‘smokey creams’, resulting in really unusual textures and tastes. Where do these techniques and flavourings come from, and are they completely your own creations?

DT: Ideas come to me naturally because in my head these flavours, textures, and temperatures work for me. Working with my team and sharing ideas are important aspects also; as are traveling, eating, tasting, experiencing life, and everything else in between. Further, I always remember the foundation of it all which is my grandmother, my mom, and my Normandy roots.

Photo Credit: Thai Toutain

Q5. Blaise, tell us about the idea of using bespoke fragrance candles in the restaurant. The dining public has often been discouraged, especially in Michelin restaurants, for many years from wearing perfumes when dining - sometimes to the point of excluding guests who desire to wear them as to not ‘interfere’ with the restaurant dining experience. The concept of a bespoke restaurant fragrance is a complete turnaround from this thought process. Tell us how embracing the fragrance experience in an exclusive restaurant envelops, rather than hinders, an exclusive dining experience.

BM: This is where I think David is a genius! He wants to give his guests an exclusive avant-garde experience above all from as soon as you arrive until the end when you leave. The idea of integrating fragrance in a Michelin star restaurant is another aspect of David that illustrates his extreme talent and willingness to take risks to achieve an ultimate dining experience at ‘David Toutain’.

The only thing you want to do is to come back to ‘David Toutain’ once you’ve been there. This place is truly amazing and so different from the traditional Michelin star restaurants.

Q6. What are some of the special reactions you’ve received from the dining public since opening ‘David Toutain’? Which one has been your favorite or the most surprising?

DT: It is always nice when the guests come back to our restaurant because that means they truly enjoyed the experience. My cuisine is personal, and to have clients enjoy it and recognise that, I am humbled.

BM: David Toutain’s work is beyond anything you’ve experienced before. I can assure you. I will let him explain the experience you have when you discover the smoky sauce he integrates with the eel and a special sweet wine from Austria. Every dish you experience at ‘David Toutain’ is incredible, and truly a ‘work of art’.

Q7. What are a few of your very favorite menu items at ‘David Toutain’? Please describe the preparation for these and the experience of the texture and taste involved in these dishes.

DT: There are a few classics that always remain on the menu such as the smoked eel, black sesame, and green apple; cauliflower, white chocolate, and coconut. Not a particular favorite of mine, but a dish that my son enjoys very much, is the egg, corn, and caraway seeds dish. This is a simple preparation of egg yolk cooked gently in its shell at 57 Celsius for 20 minutes, a mousse of corn that has been in flambé with whiskey, fresh corn and chive, and a caramel infused with caraway seeds to top it off. There’s a sweet, salt, fresh and different play of temperature and textures, and of course then memories.

BM: Every menu item at ‘David Toutain’ is exquisitely perfect..nothing further.

Q8. David, are the candles or bespoke fragrance available for guests at ‘David Toutain’ to purchase at the restaurant or online? If not, will this be something you’ll be considering in the future?

DT: We would like to share the candles with the guests in the future. It is a work in progress.

Q9. Do you feel that your collaborated bespoke restaurant fragrance trend will set a new precedence in the fine dining industry with other esteemed restaurants eventually following suit?

DT: It is important for me to be me and do what feels right. To work with Blaise Mautin feels very organic and natural, which I love. It is something nice and unique. If other restaurants and chefs want to follow suit, then yes, of course.

BM: David Toutain’s vision no doubt will be a great influence in the future for other gastronomic restaurants, you’ll see.

Q10. In each of your respective fields of haute cuisine and bespoke fragrance, you are both top experts. Please share a secret of your specialty that makes your expertise in it so unique.

DT: It is not a secret, but it is important to know your identity and to just be you, to be the very best of you.

BM: I believe when you put in a great deal of work along with your heart, love, and passion into something, you can move mountains.

The post Exclusive Interview With 2 Star Michelin Chef David Toutain And World-Renown Bespoke Parfumer Blaise Mautin On Their Recent Collaboration Of The Highly Esteemed Restaurant ‘David Toutain’ (Paris, France) appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Paris’ spectacular Eiffel Tower is breathtaking, especially for anyone viewing it for the first time from the Trocadero. Yet, Paris offers a plethora of exquisite things and places. This is my list of the top 8 other incredibly beautiful places to visit while you’re in Paris!

1 - Palace de la Concorde (Concorde Square) - A grand square in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 75008

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Built in 1772, it is the largest square of Paris. Until 1830, the square was renamed several times before finally being named ‘Place de la Concorde’. It is surrounded by Paris’ most distinguished hotels and is located next to Tuilerie Gardens and the Champs-Élysées. Next to the square you can find the Orangerie and the Jeu de Paume museums. There is a large Egyptian obelisk standing at the center of the Concorde Square which is called ‘Luxor Obelisk’. It is the oldest monument in Paris.

2 - Place de Furstemberg - A small picturesque square behind the Germain-des-Pres-church in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, 75006

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Noted as one of the most picturesque squares in Paris, Place de Furstemberg, can be found in the heart of the affluent 6th arrondissement, tucked in among the web of streets found between Boulevard Saint-Germain and the left bank of the Seine. The “place” is actually a road, but the surrounding buildings are placed around the central island and form a kind of courtyard, hence its title. The Haussmannian architecture that defines Paris is particularly noticeable both here and in the surrounding roads. This is authentic Paris.

Place de Furstemberg along the Rue de Furstenberg sits in what used to be the first Saint-Germain-des-Pres Abbey built in the 6th century by Childebert I. It remains a picture-perfect artistic and intellectual corner in old Paris, quiet and beautiful with pretty trees in the center, like a masterpiece painting.

Home to the Delacroix Museum, his home and studio, this little square is so romantic and makes your heart beat a little faster when you’re there. A fantastic, quiet place to get engaged! And, for Harry Potter fans, The French Ministry of Magic Headquarters, concealed underground, can be accessed through a “magical entrance” at Wallace fountain at Place de Furstemberg.

3- Pont Alexandre III - Quai d’Orsay in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 75008

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A decked arch bridge which crosses the Seine river in Paris. It connects the Champs-Elysees quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in Paris, and is classified as a French historic monument. It is perfect for viewing vistas of Paris from above the Seine, and for romantic evening walks. A functional bridge which doubles as a magnificent work of art, perfectly French.

The bridge was built between 1896 and 1900 in a Beaux-Arts style with its embellished Art Nouveau lamps, nymphs, cherubs, and winged horses at either end. It is named after Tsar Alexander III who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. His son, Nicolas II of Russia, laid its foundation stone in October 1896. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palais to which it leads on the right bank.

4- The Institut de France is the seat of the Académie Francaise - French Academy in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, 75006

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The Institut de France - Academie Francaise is located by the Pont des Arts, the footbridge that connects it to the Louvre Palace. The building originally accommodated the Collège des Quatre Nations. Its construction, funded with the legacy left by Cardinal Mazarin lasted from 1662 and 1680.

The Collège des Quatre Nations opened in 1688. It provided tuition to 60 young noblemen from Piedmont, Alsace, Artois and Flanders for the following 101 years.
The Institut de France was founded in 1795, but sat in the Louvre until 1805, when Napoleon transferred it to the former Collège des Quatre Nations.

La Coupole, as it is commonly called, is a true feat of architecture. Le Vau indeed succeeded in creating a dome circular on the outside and oval on the inside! This building, housing the rooms of the ordinary sessions of the academies, was classified historical monument in 1862.

The Institut de France regroups the Académie Française founded by Richelieu in 1635, the Académie des Inscriptions des Belles Lettres (Literature) and the Académie des Sciences founded by Colbert respectively in 1663 and 1666. It also includes the Académie des Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts) founded in 1816, and the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques (Moral and Political Sciences) founded in 1832.

The French Academy is a prestigious French academic foundation. It has been composed of 40 members Académiciens since 1980. The Institute manages approximately 1,000 foundations and museums and chateaux. The Académiciens are elected by a college of their peers and approved by the President of the French Republic, their patron.

The Immortels, as they are known, are in charge of various missions. One of them is to protect and ensure the proper use and evolution of French language and contribute to the addition of new words in the dictionary. This definitely qualifies as an inspirational place to visit.

5- Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens) - in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, 75006

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The Jardin du Luxembourg was created beginning in 1612 by Queen Marie de’ Medici, the widow of King Henry IV of France, for a new residence she constructed, the Luxembourg Palace. The garden is owned today by the French Senate, which meets in the Palace. It covers 23 hectares and is known for its lawns, tree-lined promenades, flowerbeds, model sailboats on its circular basin, and the incredibly picturesque Medici Fountain, built in 1620. The name Luxembourg comes from the Latin Mons Lucotitius, the name of the hill where the garden is located. Spectacular, in absolutely every season in a different way, the gardens are elaborate and would need many images to show the full incredible breadth of their presence.

6 - Palais de la Légion d’Honneur - in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, 75007

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The Palace of the Legion of Honour is a historic building on the Left Bank of the River Seine. It houses the Musée de la Légion d'honneur (‘Museum of the Legion of Honour’) and is the seat of the Legion d’ Honneur, the highest French order of merit. The building is also known as the Hotel de Salm. It is located at 64 rue de Lille, next to the Musée d’Orsay.

The museum is housed within the Hôtel de Salm, built in 1782 by architect Pierre Rousseau for Frederick III, Prince of Salm-Kyrburg. The building burned in 1871 during the Paris Commune, and it subsequently was restored by a subscription of medallists. Since 1804, this building has been called the Palais de la Legion d’Honneur and it is the seat of France's highest honours: the Legion d’Honneur (1802), the Medaille militaire (1852), and the Ordre national du Merite (1963).

Today's museum was created in 1925. It displays a history of France's honours, medals, decorations, and chivalric orders from the time of King Louis XI to the present, including Napoleonic souvenirs and more than 300 portraits. A special section is dedicated to foreign orders. Its library and archives contain more than 3,000 works.

7 - Palais Garnier - L’Opera national de Paris - Place de l'Opera in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, 75009

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If you can’t visit Versailles while in France, the Palais Garnier will take your breath away! Its ornate interior with gold gilding and crystal, layered with elaborate frescos and paintings will transport you to somewhere else enchanting. Plan to visit the Palais Garnier/Opéra Garnier for its acclaimed opera and ballet.

In the tradition of Italian theatre, the horseshoe-shaped "French" auditorium, so-called for the way the seats are arranged according to their category, was designed for the audience to see and to be seen. Its metallic structure, hidden by marble, stucco, velvet and gilding, supports the weight of the 8-ton bronze and crystal chandelier with its 340 lights. The house curtain was created by theatrical painters Auguste Rube (1817-1899) and Philippe Chaperon (1823-1906), following Charles Garnier's instructions. The ceiling painted by the famous Marc Chagall and commissioned by the Minister of Culture André Malraux was inaugurated on September 23, 1964.

At the end of a long gallery is the Rotunde du Glacier, a fresh and bright rotunda with a ceiling painted by Clairin (1843-1919) and featuring dancing bacchantes and fauna, along with tapestries illustrating different refreshments as well as fishing and hunting. Completed after the opening of the Palais Garnier, this salon evokes the aesthetic of the Belle Époque.

The vault of the Avant-Foyer is covered with mosaics of shimmering colours on a gold background. The view of the Grand Staircase is spectacular. The play of light between mirrors and windows in the Grand Foyer further accentuates the latter's vast dimensions. The ceiling painted by Paul Baudry (1828-1886) features themes from the history of music.

Each year, the Paris Opera presents about 380 performances of opera, ballet, and other concerts to an audience of 800,000 people, many of whom travel from abroad at almost 100% capacity seating. Truly astounding.

8 -Place du Tertre, Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, 75018Photo Credit: Shutterstock

This square in Montmartre which means “little hill”, was once frequented by many of Paris' greatest artists. Today, it is still and art haven for professional and amateur artists alike. It is located only a few streets away from Montmartre’s Basilica of the Sacre Coeur, near the summit of Paris’ elevated Montmartre quarter. The Place du Tertre was the heart of the prestigious Benedictine Montmartre Abbey, established in 1133 by King Louis VI.

The Montmartre Abbey thrived through the centuries until the French revolution under the patronage of the Kings of France. Place du Tertre was opened to the public in 1635 as Montmartre village central square. From the end of the 18th century until World War I, the whole Montmartre Boheme could been seen here: painters, songwriters and poets.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many painters including Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani were living here. The Musee de Montmartre, the former home and studio of Pierre-Augusto Renoir and the L'Espace Salvador Dalí, a museum principally dedicated to the sculpture and drawings of Salvador Dali, can be found near Place du Tertre.

With many artists setting up their easels here each day for painting, the Place du Tertre is a reminder of the time when Montmartre was the center in Paris for modern art.

There are many restaurants here and you can have your portrait done by one of the many artists at the square. It is like going back in time to the era of Picasso and Dali. The Dali museum is around the corner. This area absolutely makes you feel like you’re in the movie "Mignight in Paris".

Quick tip: there is an elevator on the left side of the giant stairs to Montmartre, if the stairs seem too daunting. At the top of the Sacre Coeur is a wondrous panoramic view of Paris.

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