A French chef and a resident of Palanga have opened a restaurant in the resort: the menu changes weekly Business

Le Pari restaurant is located in a building on J. Simpson Street, where the hotel is located. This street is quiet, attracted by people who avoid the hustle and bustle of J.Basanavičiaus Street. This is where you can enjoy the time without the hum of the car.

Juliet meets with a wide smile and asks to wait until she serves customers. The latter, without starting the conversation, praise the chef’s baked cheesecake and say that it is the most delicious cake eaten in Lithuania. And not in vain, because Benoit is a professional chef who has worked in the best restaurants in Paris.

The couple was joined by food.

Born in Normandy, Benoit and Juliet de Palanga met in Paris, where the woman reached the age of 19 and has lived 25 years.

“I wanted to discover a new country. I was no longer interested, I was bored and I wanted something different. I always dreamed of living somewhere else, not in Lithuania,” he said.

Juliet told him that France was attracted to its beautiful language, its history.

“And not too far away, it’s not the United States or Australia. Upon arrival, it was necessary to learn the language, because, apart from French, there is nothing you can do if you want to put down roots. Therefore, I learned the language well in two years. Then the sciences and the works followed ”, he affirmed. Lithuania worked in Paris as a haute couture workshop teacher.

And Benoit had told her mother since the age of five that she would work in the kitchen and she never changed that plan.

“Why? Because all my childhood I watched my mother do it. Even later, when I was a teenager, I did an internship in restaurants, I wanted to see if I really liked counterfeiting, but then I even ‘hit’ myself even more. Because of that, When I was 16 years old, I asked to be included in the student lists of the hotel institute, ”he said.

Benoit said that every year the best worker in France is chosen. And she was lucky enough to work for him. The man worked here for two years, during which he gradually moved up the career ladder. Benoit has been in the first position for more than 20 years, chef.

And Juliet doesn’t talk much about the love story between the two with Benoit.

“We met at the restaurant, we fell in love …”, the woman smiled.

The quarantine gave a boost

It’s no secret that the quarantine was quite painful for many restaurants. It’s true, although Juliet’s job didn’t suffer as much, she said she decided to move work home more often.

“You will not be alone … This is how we mature our thoughts. For me, this year is like a long quarantine. But when you don’t have to fly and stress, there are thoughts that may have slept. There was time to cook food at home and dress the tables very well at home. He was cooking and I was decorating. And we thought interesting things could be done, “recalled D. Gosselin.

According to Juliet, the idea had been going on for some time, but was ripe when she finally got tired of doing nothing.

“The idea was no longer flattering, it was growing,” he said.

Why then Lithuania and Palanga, and not Paris or other big cities? According to Juliet, there are already many local chefs in those markets, and Benoit stressed that she really likes our country.

“Lithuania is similar to my native Normandy: many cows in the fields, many apples. Even the landscapes are similar. Cows, apples and sea air,” he said.

The opening of the restaurant in Palanga was not only motivated by the fact that Juliet came from this spa. The family also noted that even though there are French restaurants in the Lithuanian resort, the chefs from France were missing.

“Why not? We wanted to help people discover that real taste,” said the Lithuanian.

It is true that Juliet emphasizes that so far they have not moved to Lithuania permanently. The family wants to try their new activities during the warm period.

“Our home is still in France. Clearly blocked. But I am optimistic. Everything has to work. Why not? After all, it is not beginners who create a restaurant”, is convinced the interviewee.

A different menu every week

The owners of Le Pari try to change the menu every week. According to Juliet, French cuisine is very broad, so they have no idea how to be satisfied with the same products all the time. Also, it would not be interesting to work this way for you.

Finally, they are not limited to French cuisine, since Benoit has done internships in a few months and in several restaurants in Asia, Indonesia and Spain.

“Benoit knows not only the main ways of cooking in French, but also in the cuisine of other countries,” Juliet said.

For example, this restaurant serves Berber and North African cuisine.

“By the way, Berber cuisine is very dominant in France. Also throughout North Africa. Every chef knows how to make Berber dishes. Likewise, the cuisine of the Antilles or Creoles, where there are former French colonies, is also specific, colorful It is dominated by tropical fruits, “he said.

According to Juliet, her cooking philosophy is simple: all food should be fresh, not semi-finished products.

“The basic philosophy here is,” emphasized the interlocutor.

The family is also not worried about competition. According to Juliet, if there were similar restaurants nearby, only one could speak of great competition.

“But our style is completely different. In addition, most restaurants do not change the menu weekly. Competition is not our biggest headache. Those who love us will come,” she is convinced.

The hardest part is the bureaucracy and staff shortages

According to Juliet, the most difficult thing was not finding the place, but the bureaucracy that the young entrepreneurs had to face.

“I used to think that France was a country of paperwork, but it doesn’t work. I hadn’t thought about it for months. Doing less would make it easier for companies to boost the economy and create new jobs. Also, you shouldn’t rush to other countries. There are many illogical things, discrepancies, “he said.

Benoit and Juliet were also surprised that it was difficult to find staff.

“I have never had to work in Lithuania. All my life I worked alone in France, where I had a completely different work culture. Benoit was surprised that people were not afraid to work here. The girls worked in the kitchen and ran away, saying it was too difficult. Now we have found one that I like here, “he said.

According to Juliet, at first she thought she couldn’t look for employees, but talking to the owners of other restaurants revealed that the situation was similar everywhere.

“I just realized that maybe I couldn’t search. But no, that’s not the problem here,” summed up the interlocutor.