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Inspiration
Bouche, Inventive “Tapassiettes”
“Avoir l’eau à la bouche”, which means “mouth-watering”. This expression assumes its full meaning at 85 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, rightly named “Bouche”. A local restaurant in Paris’s 11th arrondissement – the undisputed hotspot for renowned establishments – where the beautiful and the best are found together. Supported by Antoine Bernadrin and Angela Kong – the two founders – this project reflects their shared vision for the restaurant: “What we like to eat, but also the way we eat it”. The formula here is simple: a short menu based on world cuisine made from fresh produce, at the same time staying true to French cookery techniques. Ranging from Asia to Latin America, the cuisine is prepared by local chef Florent Peineau, who likes to let his culinary creativity run wild. He is impelled to elaborate the menu through his limitless curiosity for new things. A subtle fusion of delicate dishes with offerings of street food, which the three collaborators like referring to as “tapassiettes”. Both for their retrograde, sophisticated, inventive aspects and for the philosophy of conviviality that they embody. There are so many seasonal dishes, the delicious flavours of which are enhanced by the accompanying wines. A selection of vintage wines chosen by Antoine Duvignacq, the sommelier of the restaurant Epoq in Biarritz. Because at Bouche, the teams value the importance of the overall dining experience, which even goes beyond the food! Music, tableware, decor: nothing is left to chance. As also evidenced by the curation of vintage furniture and the bespoke decor, which punctuate the different function rooms with various influences. By instinctively surrounding themselves with talent – such as the Atelier Leymarie Gourdon for interior design or even the Atelier Deux-Cé for graphic identity – Antoine and Angela have created the restaurant of their dreams. At the crosswords of Berlin Brutalist architecture, Japanese wabi-sabi and even elements of Mexican architecture, the restaurant catches the eye with the great attention to detail that has gone into it. A veritable mixing pot of diverse cultures that seduces those who are lucky enough to venture here. Cuisine to match the surrounding scenery.
Restaurant Bouche, 85 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud – 75011 Paris Open Wednesdays to Saturdays 7pm – 12.30am and Sundays 12pm – 3pm, then 7pm – 12.30am. Book a table via the website: www.boucheparis.com. For bookings for more than 10 persons, contact us via email: réservation@boucheparis.com or call us on 01.43.57.60.49.
Author
Juliette Bruneau
Photographer
Jeanne Perrotte
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TSF
Angela, Antoine, Florent: can you introduce yourselves?
Antoine & Angela
We’re the founders of the restaurant Bouche! Antoine has been working in restaurants for 10 years and Angela has had her own content creation studio, Our Story, for 5 years, and specialises in food, crafts and hospitality. In 2014, we launched (in parallel with our respective jobs) Noir Gaazol, a travelling concept store that we set up in pop-up spaces and music festivals. We wanted to give life to a more ambitious project, to create a place that brings everything we love together; the creation of Bouche was a logical step.
Florent
I’m 33 years old, and I started cooking at 28. I’ve worked for several Parisian establishments and have been the chef at Bouche since it opened in June 2021.
TSF
How did the three of you meet?
Antoine & Angela
We met Florent through a chef friend. We were looking for someone to take over the kitchen, and he was an obvious choice. Partly because we got on really well, partly because we quickly realised that we shared the same desires and vision.
TSF
Florent, what influences your cooking?
Florent
I’m largely inspired by travelling, meeting people. I love Asian cuisine in general, whether it’s South-East Asian or Korean and Japanese. But that’s not all! I also really love South America and the Mediterranean. Indeed, creativity’s everywhere (laughs) – I’m curious and always thirsty to learn. In my kitchen, you’ll find French techniques that I learned when training and in the establishments where I worked; elements of bistronomy alongside street-food influences that greatly appeal to me. Then there are obviously the seasons and the produce.
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Our menu changes every fortnight because, in addition to respecting the seasons, we wanted to have fun in the kitchen, give free rein to creativity!
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TSF
Tell us about the “tapassiettes” menu that changes at least twice a month.
Angela & Florent
We have a menu centred around fifteen dishes with different flavours that can be shared and sampled. It’s a common thread. Our menu represents what we like to eat and the way we like to eat it. We didn’t really set a framework. It’s a subtle mix between delicate dishes, street-food ideas like the Gua Bao on this week’s menu, beautiful pieces of meat, fish, French influences, and variously-influenced condiments. The menu is short because we focus on the freshness and quality of the produce. It changes every fortnight because, in addition to respecting the seasons, we wanted to have fun in the kitchen, give free rein to creativity, and challenge ourselves too! We make everything ourselves: the terrines, the bread, the sandwiches, the pasta, etc.
TSF
And for the wine list, why did you decide to call on Antoine Duvignacq?
Antoine
We met Antoine Duvignacq while on a weekend away in Biarritz, during a visit to Epoq where he is the sommelier. We wanted help with our selection of wines – ones with character to bring consistency and identity to our menu. We’re quite instinctive when it comes to choosing the people we work with. As we got on so well with Antoine – and he was available to help us – we worked with him a few weeks before the restaurant opened. He acts as a consultant to develop the cellar throughout the year, depending on available stock and arrivals.
TSF
Aesthetics have always been at the heart of your various projects, and Bouche is no exception. What did you have in mind when creating an identity for your restaurant?
Antoine & Angela
We attach a lot of importance to details: the place, staff outfits, the dishes, the music. When we go to restaurants, we’re very aware of the environment. So we were deeply involved in the creative process! We looked for a place where we could start from scratch. We imagined a beautiful space, bathed in natural light. Inspiration-wise, there were the raw, minimalist places in Berlin that we love, numerous projects with the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic, and Mexican architecture where there’s no barrier between the inside and the outside. For our identity, we wanted colours that would counterbalance the neutral palette of the restaurant. And texture too. There was a lot of paint on our mood board, and L’Atelier Deux Cé perfectly designed a graphic universe with abstract hand-painted shapes that are monochrome or bi-coloured. This identity also works a treat on different media: T-shirt screen prints, glass engravings, and the print on our menus.
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TSF
Who did you work with in-situ as you visually brought to life 85 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud?
Angela
For the graphic identity, we called on Atelier Deux Cé, and for the architecture, we turned to Atelier Leymarie Gourdon. We thought carefully about the decoration to give life to this restaurant, which we dreamed of for so long. We also collaborated with several ceramists, including Lucie Faucon, Léa Baldassari and Marion Graux. We bought a Muller Van Severen lamp for the back room, where you’ll find a large made to measure table by the carpenter Martin Keller. For the furniture, we found vintage chairs on Selency and had the seats reupholstered in leather. Finally, the Dejter and Marie Michielssen (for Serax) wooden stools are presented as sculpted objects.
TSF
Was this use of materials, concrete and wood in particular, the reason you called on the Leymarie Gourdon workshop?
Angela
Chloe, one of their founders, is one of my best friends. I absolutely love their work! It was fantastic to work with her on this project. It was so cool that she immediately wanted to work with existing features – to preserve certain elements and show off the natural beauty of the scraped walls or the concrete floor that we unearthed. She designed three stand-out elements that radically changed the space: the wooden ceiling, the corrugated concrete bar, and the facade with its bay windows. I also knew that she would choose the right companies and craftsmen. We wanted to feel supported and alleviate some stress during the 7 months it took to complete the site!
TSF
Where will we find you in the coming months?
Antoine & Angela
At 85, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, from Wednesday to Sunday. We’re thinking about opening a bit more in 2022! We’re also discussing a future project with Florent. On that front, only time will tell!
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We attach a lot of importance to details: the place, staff outfits, the dishes, the music. When we go to restaurants, we’re very aware of the environment.
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