Christophe Moret, Hot new chef at L'Abeille, Shangri-La Hotel in Paris
Since January 2015, there has been a talented new toque on the block at L’Abeille, the achingly chic 40-seater restaurant located in the garden setting of the handsome listed 19th century former " Hôtel particulier " of Prince Roland Bonaparte. Meet Executive chef Christophe Moret!
L'Abeille at Shangri-La Paris
Meet Christophe Moret!
Christophe Moret
Born in the Loiret region, near Orléans, with more than twenty years of experience in French gastronomy, this huge talent has his own precise culinary identity, his passion influenced from childhood by his grandparents who were market gardeners.
The lovely region of Loiret
“ I remember the fragrant vegetables and herbs in their " potager ". I would always help, then we’d cook in the farmhouse kitchen, followed by traditional desserts like clafouti. No wonder I never wanted to be anything but a chef ”, he grins.
Following an apprenticeship, chef Moret worked with Chef Bruno Cirino at " Grand Hôtel Saint Jean-de-Luz " and then at " Château Eza ", before teaming up with superstar chef Jacques Maximin, in 1989, at the quirky, historic, " Nice Théâtre ", near place Massena, built originally as a Niçoise outpost for the " Folies Bergère " .
Château Eza
In 1990 he became " Chef de partie " alongside Alain Ducasse, at the Michelin three-star restaurant, Louis XV, in Monaco. "Monsieur Ducasse inspired me with his passionate curiosity for all cullinary things ”, he admits.
Alain Ducasse
With this open-mindedness and curiosity in his tool-box Moret, married with two children, Camille and Gabriel, spent time at " Le Royal Monceau " and " 59 Poincaré ".
" Le Royal Monceau "
Then in 1998, he was appointed Head Chef at " Spoon, Food & Wine ", Paris, an edgy, no smoking, concept restaurant and bar, on rue Marignan, created by Alain Ducasse. At " Spoon ", Moret excelled at blending unique and exciting tastes and flavours from all over the world. Always with this insatiable curiosity, in 2003, Moret became Head Chef at the three-star restaurant, Alain Ducasse the " Plaza Athénée " where he stayed for seven years.
Plaza Athénée Paris
Then came an offer from " Lasserre ", temple of French gastronomy on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Paris, created by René Lasserre in 1937. Moret became Executive Chef in the two Michelin Star restaurant, famous not only for its cuisine, but also for the opening roof designed by Touchages, and the tiny kitchen garden at the front.
Lasserre
And now, Moret, the art-loving, motor-bike riding, chef who also likes picnics on the grounds of Musée Rodin, eats " chez " his chef friends such as Fréderic Vardon at " Le 39V " and Kei Koboyashi at " Kei ", follows the Orléans Rugby Team, joins Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, bringing his astonishing creativity and a new style of cuisine to the hotel’s culinary kingdom.
Shangri-La Hotel Paris
" Becoming Executive Chef at Shangri-La HotelParis, is a wonderful opportunity for me to join the group and to devote my skills to the service of this incredible Parisian Palace. I am honoured to take up the copper pans of the three restaurants ( L’Abeille, Bauhinia, Shang Palace ) and to be given the supervision of the hotel’s culinary concepts. I will pull out all the stops to make Shangri-La Hotel , Paris, a shining landmark on the Parisian and international gastronomic scene. I really want our guests to live a unique experience at our restaurants ".
Bauhinia Restaurant
Stefan Bollhalder, General Manager of Shangri-La Hotel , Paris explains, " Christophe Moret impressed me with his expansive, authentic cuisine, his great technical skill and his strong culinary personality. It is my firm belief that he will enable us to write a new chapter in history, leading the hotel to the summit of French gastronomic cuisine."
Moret adds: “ Throughout my culinary career I’ve lived by the credo that one should take time, give time, live life to the full. Carpe Diem! ”
Meet Christophe Moret!
Christophe Moret
Born in the Loiret region, near Orléans, with more than twenty years of experience in French gastronomy, this huge talent has his own precise culinary identity, his passion influenced from childhood by his grandparents who were market gardeners.
The lovely region of Loiret
“ I remember the fragrant vegetables and herbs in their " potager ". I would always help, then we’d cook in the farmhouse kitchen, followed by traditional desserts like clafouti. No wonder I never wanted to be anything but a chef ”, he grins.
Following an apprenticeship, chef Moret worked with Chef Bruno Cirino at " Grand Hôtel Saint Jean-de-Luz " and then at " Château Eza ", before teaming up with superstar chef Jacques Maximin, in 1989, at the quirky, historic, " Nice Théâtre ", near place Massena, built originally as a Niçoise outpost for the " Folies Bergère " .
Château Eza
In 1990 he became " Chef de partie " alongside Alain Ducasse, at the Michelin three-star restaurant, Louis XV, in Monaco. "Monsieur Ducasse inspired me with his passionate curiosity for all cullinary things ”, he admits.
Alain Ducasse
With this open-mindedness and curiosity in his tool-box Moret, married with two children, Camille and Gabriel, spent time at " Le Royal Monceau " and " 59 Poincaré ".
" Le Royal Monceau "
Then in 1998, he was appointed Head Chef at " Spoon, Food & Wine ", Paris, an edgy, no smoking, concept restaurant and bar, on rue Marignan, created by Alain Ducasse. At " Spoon ", Moret excelled at blending unique and exciting tastes and flavours from all over the world. Always with this insatiable curiosity, in 2003, Moret became Head Chef at the three-star restaurant, Alain Ducasse the " Plaza Athénée " where he stayed for seven years.
Plaza Athénée Paris
Then came an offer from " Lasserre ", temple of French gastronomy on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Paris, created by René Lasserre in 1937. Moret became Executive Chef in the two Michelin Star restaurant, famous not only for its cuisine, but also for the opening roof designed by Touchages, and the tiny kitchen garden at the front.
Lasserre
And now, Moret, the art-loving, motor-bike riding, chef who also likes picnics on the grounds of Musée Rodin, eats " chez " his chef friends such as Fréderic Vardon at " Le 39V " and Kei Koboyashi at " Kei ", follows the Orléans Rugby Team, joins Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, bringing his astonishing creativity and a new style of cuisine to the hotel’s culinary kingdom.
Shangri-La Hotel Paris
" Becoming Executive Chef at Shangri-La HotelParis, is a wonderful opportunity for me to join the group and to devote my skills to the service of this incredible Parisian Palace. I am honoured to take up the copper pans of the three restaurants ( L’Abeille, Bauhinia, Shang Palace ) and to be given the supervision of the hotel’s culinary concepts. I will pull out all the stops to make Shangri-La Hotel , Paris, a shining landmark on the Parisian and international gastronomic scene. I really want our guests to live a unique experience at our restaurants ".
Bauhinia Restaurant
Stefan Bollhalder, General Manager of Shangri-La Hotel , Paris explains, " Christophe Moret impressed me with his expansive, authentic cuisine, his great technical skill and his strong culinary personality. It is my firm belief that he will enable us to write a new chapter in history, leading the hotel to the summit of French gastronomic cuisine."
Moret adds: “ Throughout my culinary career I’ve lived by the credo that one should take time, give time, live life to the full. Carpe Diem! ”
Mars 2015
By Margaret KEMP
