Pascal BASTIAN

Chef : 1 restaurant Pascal Bastian, emblematic chef of the Auberge du Cheval Blanc, reinvents Alsatian cuisine after 16 years in Lembach. With a generous yet modern approach, he combines tradition and innovation, offering an authentic and refined culinary experience.

Presentation

For years, Pascal Bastian must have heard, not only from his customers, but also from journalists and guidebooks, that he was in "thehouse of Mischler". After being named "Grand de Demain" in 2009, the chef is now a "grand d'aujourd'hui" and, after sixteen years in Lembach, Jean-Georges Klein's former second-in-command at L'Arnsbourg can enjoy : all those who come to taste his cuisine or stay with him are at the"Cheval Blanc des Bastian".

The former 18th-century coaching inn is more than ever a stronghold of the Northern Vosges. Together with his wife Carole, they have spent years transforming it into a modern hotel, with supreme comfort and luxurious fittings, to bring the entire house up to the highest standards.The monumental fireplace, stained-glass windows, coffered ceilings and trompe-l'œil paintings by Edgar Mahler have all been preserved.

Today, Pascal Bastian is a free-spirited chef, who cooks with precision and generosity, as he sees fit. If he has learned from Philippe Etchebest (at Les Reynats in Périgueux, then at Saint-Emilion), he can now showcase both his technique and his passion for his beautiful region. The best products with the best technician and the overriding desire to convey positive emotions form the backbone of his approach. And while he makes a real effort to source his ingredients locally, he is always attentive to the extreme quality of his ingredients, whether they come from here or elsewhere.

How has his cuisine evolved in sixteen years? "It's still generous, but of course we're making progress. It seems to me that we're perhaps moving towards a form of simplification, less fuss, so as to always stay in tune with the right taste. We're evolving our recipes, creating new dishes, while maintaining our gourmet touch. There's only one recipe I've never been able to take off the menu, and that's foie gras raviole. Sometimes we're even asked to add it to a menu. We're also here to say yes...".

"We're lucky to have been able to reinforce our front-of-house teams, with a new maître d'hôtel from Lalique, and a head sommelier.Sometimes, it's not as easy in the kitchen when we're a little short-staffed, but we do everything we can to make things work". And when asked about those famous hidden menus seen in some of the younger establishments, the chef is categorical: "That's not really my vision of the restaurant. People who come to my place and spend a little money, it's above all to enjoy themselves, they don't want us to impose anything on them. We always have menus and a menu with plenty of choice.The food is important, but so is the service, but these days the two are blurring into one. Customers come when they know they're going to have a great time.