Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai
48 restaurants from India participated at the recently concluded Goût de France/ Good France project, an initiative launched by H E Laurent Fabius, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, in association with celebrated Chef Alain Ducasse, to celebrate French cuisine across various restaurants worldwide on March 19, 2015. The Goût de France/ Good France project was inspired by Auguste Escoffier, who launched the ‘Dîners d’Épicure’ (Epicurean Dinners) initiative – serving the same menu on the same day in several cities across the world – in 1912. Over 1300 restaurants from five continents participated at the Goût de France/ Good France project wherein dinners were served simultaneously at these participating restaurants.
Elaborating about the event, Yves Perrin, consul general, Consulate General of France in Mumbai stated, “The objective of this project was to pay homage to the essence of French cuisine and the value it integrates because in France, cuisine is an important part of its culture. 48 restaurants from India participated in this initiative.”
During this event, each chef offered a French-style menu at their restaurant with a traditional French aperitif, a cold starter, a hot starter, fish or shellfish, meat or poultry, a French cheese, a chocolate dessert, French wines and digestifs, while also highlighting their own culinary traditions and cultures. Some of the participating restaurants from India included – The Legacy Grill, The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata; 24/7, The Lalit Ashok Bangalore; Artisan, Sofitel Mumbai BKC Hotel; The Qube, The Leela Palace New Delhi; Le Cirque Signature, The Leela Palace Bangalore; among many.