Previously at the helm of Allard, one of the last remaining, authentic gourmet bistros in Paris, Laëtitia Rouabah takes over the Benoit kitchen to bring a contemporary flair to the new menu, drawing inspiration from her seasoned bistro experience and New York’s varied, market-driven products to create familiar yet unexpected flavors.
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What do you like about Alain Ducasse's bistro cuisine?
What I love about Alain Ducasse's bistro cuisine is the emphasis on fresh and authentic products, sometimes transformed and in other instances, very simply prepared. It's upscale, traditional and sincere, but at the same time, it's adapted to our times and our clients' desires. Every day we strive to find that perfect balance between the excellence of French cuisine and the small Parisian bistro, without losing the inherent generosity and the establishment's deep-rooted history.
What inspires you about New York?
New York!? It's New York for a pure Parisian like myself. It's the United States; grand, magical, but mostly, a dream come true! It inspires within me the future, change, audacity, a new culture, new ingredients and more importantly, numerous discoveries. Culinary, historical and human.
Is there an ingredient that you've discovered here & love working with?
I haven't necessarily discovered a special ingredient yet (I'm still working my way around the greenmarket and local artisans) but where I used to work in Paris, I didn't cook with grains much and I'm very excited to be able to do that here. I can tell that New York is a city where people are aware of their health and try to be careful about what they eat.
Bonus question: Which dish from the new menu do you feel is bound to become a favorite?
I feel like the corn velouté is extremely popular. Guests are impressed by the visual when the dish is set before them on the table, but also reassured when they get to savor it with the crispy lump crab beignets that come with it. It's delicious.
