A look at five of the chefs taking part in Good France

PARIS, Feb 25 — On March 19, over 1,300 dinners will be held worldwide as part of Goût de/Good France, a global celebration of French gastronomy organised by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Participating chefs, who have been selected via an international committee presided by Alain Ducasse, are required to serve a traditional French menu. But that doesn’t mean they will not also pay homage to their local cultures. Each chef is free to set his or her own prices, and 5 per cent of the proceeds will go to a local NGO. Here is a closer look at five of the chefs representing the event in five gourmet hotspots.

Neil Perry, Sydney, Australia

One of the most influential chefs in Australia, Neil Perry has established something of a culinary empire, with several restaurants located between Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. At the centre of this empire is his Sydney restaurant Rockpool, which spotlights the port city’s fresh seafood and has earned praise from some of the world’s most influential guidebooks. Perry also designs the business and first class menus for Qantas Airways, Australia’s national carrier.

The Good France menu: To start, Rockpool will serve croissant-shaped canapés filled with ham and cheese or crab meat and parsley, buckwheat crepes with Raclette cheese, and a salad with poultry giblets. Next up is a warm entrée of veal sweetbreads with chestnuts and spinach, followed by pan-fried abalone. Price: $A200 (RM568).

Australian chef Neil Perry has created a name for himself in Australia's vibrant culinary scene.

David Bouley, New York, US

The American chef already honours French culinary traditions at his namesake restaurant in TriBeCa, so it is only fitting that he is taking part in this worldwide celebration. Trained under some of the leading names in France, including Paul Bocuse and Gastron Lenôtre, Bouley currently boasts one Michelin star to his name.

The Good France menu: Bouley will prepare a Pennsylvania-raised chicken, Carolina shrimp and Cape Cod scallops. Guests will also savour a 24-month aged Comté cheese. Price: US$55 (RM198).

Kiyomi Mikuni, Tokyo, Japan

This culinary master is among those who artfully combine two of the world’s most renowned cuisines: French and Japanese. His hotel and restaurant, which is part of the Relais & Châteaux collection, doesn’t shy away from combining traditionally French ingredients like thyme and rosemary with fragrant Maitake mushrooms and other Japanese delicacies. Truffle soup “à la Bocuse” is also on the menu.

The Good France menu: Kiyomi Mikuni will prepare a Brittany lobster in a golden umami aspic, a roasted Challons duck with honey wasabi sauce, and pan seared foie gras with yuzu and aged soy miso vinaigrette. Price: ¥20,000 (RM607).

Chef Nadia Santini was named the world’s top female chef in 2013.

Nadia Santini, Canneto sull’Oglio, Italy

Named the world’s top female chef in 2013, Nadia Santini is participating in the Goût de/Good France initiative through dal Pescatore Santini, the restaurant that has been in her family since 1925. Today the eatery, which was the first Italian restaurant ever to earn three Michelin stars, serves up traditional Italian dishes updated with a modern sensibility.

The Good France menu: Santini will prepare a lobster and champagne gelatine terrine; Ossetra Imperial caviar with ginger; pan-seared goose foie gras with Sauternes, passion fruit and green apple; roast duckling breast with Gevrey-Chambertin sauce and mustard-infused pear; and a chocolate tart fragranced with Cognac. Price: €175 (RM717).

Jean-Paul Bondoux, Buenos Aires, Argentina

This French chef brings the signature dishes of his native Burgundy to South American foodies at his restaurant La Bourgogne, which is part of the Alvear Palace hotel. Despite being thousands of miles away from his hometown of Luzy, Bondoux maintains close ties to French culinary traditions. 

The Good France menu: The French chef will honour his native country’s gastronomy by preparing oysters in a seafood aspic, roast veal chops with thyme flowers and Anna potatoes, sweetbreads sautéed with morels, a truffle-infused brie, a blanquette of scallops and mushrooms, and finally crêpes Suzette flambéed with Grand Marnier. Price: 1,200 Argentine pesos (RM496). — AFP-Relaxnews