A “unique street food experience. Chef Philippe Etchebest is launching a new concept in Bordeaux from this Tuesday: “Signature by Philippe Etchebest”. It is an ephemeral place, installed at the Pop Up Club (Cours du 30-Juillet) where he will adapt his signature dish, mushroom ravioli, pan-fried foie gras, creamy mushroom. Served in its brasserie on the Quatrième Mur or its gourmet restaurant Maison Nouvelle, this dish will be adapted to be enjoyed on the spot, or to take home.
Gourmands will also be able to discover the chocolate ravioli (chocolate ravioli dough, chocolate ganache, chocolate streusel crunch and chocolate sauce to be enjoyed hot or cold). 20 minutes asked the Bordeaux chef about this new project.
Why are you embarking on this street food project in Bordeaux?
It all started with the success of my signature dish, the foie gras-mushroom ravioli, a dish that I created in 1996 and which has never ceased to follow me. People like it, at the brewery [du Quatrième Mur], we sell hundreds of them a week, and it has almost gone around the world. I like mushrooms and foie gras, and I find that the combination of the two works very well. So I said to myself, why not make the public enjoy it in a different, simpler, more playful way, by bringing it home or to work, or by eating it on a bench in the street, with a spoon .
How will the dish you are going to serve in street food version be different from the one you serve at the brasserie?
The structure will remain the same, but we have worked on the dough, on the mushrooms, on the creaminess… There is a readjustment so that it is easy to eat, practical, while remaining balanced.
Have you wanted to get into street food for a long time?
During the confinement, we offered take-out meals. It was a first approach, a test, despite ourselves! But I already had the idea in mind long before the Covid. I would even say that we were stopped in our tracks because of this pandemic. But it finally allowed us to test, before officially concretizing today this project that I had in mind for a while.
You will also decline the ravioli in a dessert version, all in chocolate. Is it a creation for the occasion?
Yes, this is a creation. It is very interesting, because it can be eaten warm or cold. The ravioli can be declined in many different ways, we will also offer a completely vegetarian ravioli.
What inspires you about street food?
I like this cuisine to eat on the go, I was particularly marked by street food in Thailand and Hong Kong. There’s a pretty strong street food culture there, and you eat some amazing stuff there. But even in France there is a craze for street food, because people want to eat quickly, it’s true, but they also want to eat well, and vary the pleasures.
Are you embarking on an ephemeral project, for a period of three weeks, is it a first attempt before concretizing this idea in a sustainable way?
We will take stock at the end of this pop-up. But of course I believe in this concept, otherwise I won’t get into it.
“Signature by Philippe Etchebest”, from September 12 to October 1, at the Pop Up Club, 8, cours du 30-Juillet in Bordeaux. Signature menu (Dish + dessert + salad) at 18.50 euros, vegetarian menu at 15.50 euros, or à la carte.