He could have settled for two stars for his restaurant Custom madeat the palace Mandarin Oriental. But that would be misunderstanding Thierry Marx, a chef with a passion for adventure and martial arts, involved in the kitchen as well as in the world around him. Especially towards young people in difficulty.
Fourteen years after launching its first nomadic cooking school in Gironde, eleven years after its first reintegration school Kitchen manual(s) in Ménilmontant, here it is opening onor, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, table that Thierry Marx says he designed “on a sustainable business model” and imagined “for the students of his schools”. If the most brilliant of them, like Mory Sacko, fly with their own wings today, a handful of others see their efforts rewarded and their talent put forward.
A shell decor
But beyond the sincere commitment of a leader who draws on his schools to give work to his students, is the commitment worth the trip? For the customer, is it worth honoring Onor with his visit? Yes, for the promise of a pleasant moment around the chef’s creative cuisine with “simple and seasonal” signature dishes, according to executive chef Ricardo Silva, but really successful (soy risotto, lobster ravioli, sea bream petals…).
Yes, for good products, most of which are certified by the label Blue White Heart promoting quality sectors. Yes for the precision of the cooking of the chef de partie Margot Bourgeois, which allows the poultry or the scallops to melt deliciously in the mouth. Yes again, and this is important, for the smiling and kindly attentive service led by the head waiter Donia Remadna… And yes also for the chic and surprising decoration of Mathilde de l’Ecotais, which gives a little the impression of taking his meal inside a shell.
The price of commitment
However, is Onor committed against… inflation? The current cost of raw materials and energy obviously does not help, but at lunch, you will still have to pay 90 euros for four courses (in reality a starter, two courses, a farandole of mini-desserts, plus three canapés as an appetizer). It’s a little less expensive, 80 euros, for the 100% vegetable formula… But in the evening, the prices quickly panic to reach 150, or even 250 euros for seven services. Commitment has a price, and it is not given.