Back to the future with one of Quebec’s top young chefs!

Francois Blais looked forward to the day he would return to his native Quebec and lead a renaissance of traditional French Canadian cuisine. When the opportunity presented itself to join the team at the Auberge Saint-Antoine as executive chef, Francois knew his time had come!

The Auberge Saint-Antoine, owned by the Price family of Quebec, is a unique hotel facing the Saint Laurence river in Quebec’s Old Port. In a world where location is everything, Llewelyn Price and Francois Blais wanted their new restaurant Panache to be the centrepiece of a revival of Quebecois cuisine, a cuisine rooted in its rich history, but tempered by the culinary realities of today’s trends. This fusion of old and new, of traditional and modern is reflected both in the restaurant and the Auberge.

Nothing was spared in creating a refined environment that wraps the guest in modern luxury while remaining a tribute to the historical and cultural roots of Quebec. A number of archaeological digs on the site have yielded a wealth of artefacts that make up a varied collection that is today displayed throughout the Auberge. To categorise the Auberge as a boutique hotel does not do it justice; it is in fact a refined luxury museum hotel, unique in the world.

While he had thoughts of chasing the sun in the Caribbean after graduating from culinary school, Francois never strayed further than Montreal and the Laurentians. He commented; “I’ve worked in only five restaurants to date, but they were all reputable tables and they’ve helped shape my development and confidence as a chef”. Francois’ natural ability in the kitchen quickly earned him recognition and he was presented by his peers with the “Best Young Apprentice” award, distinction attributed to the young chef showing the most promise in the province of Quebec.

His mentors include some of Quebec’s finest chefs and their influence is evident in the cuisine that is offered in Panache and the reverence it attributes to Quebec’s culinary traditions.

The chefs that have shaped Francois’s background and outlook on cooking are still very active today. They were instrumental in developing his creativity and his desire to someday chart his own course. His mentors include Anne Desjardins of L’eau à la Bouche in the Laurentians, Daniel Vezina of the “Laurie Raphael” in Quebec city and Normand Laprise of Le Toque in Montreal.

In the past year Francois has further defined his own cooking style – “My cuisine is based on the traditions of French Canada, the cooking our parents and grandparents use to serve us growing up. Slow cooked meats and stews were regularly served during my childhood and this is kind of food our body is asking for in northern climates. I have adapted my cooking and menus to include smaller portions, less and different sauces and an increased awareness on calories and nutritional content.”

The menus at Panache are rotated on a seasonal basis, with one item being changed every week. This schedule captures the essence of the season and does not keep the kitchen in turmoil with constantly changing menu items. Signature dishes include: Goat Cheese Shepherd’s Pie, Spit Roasted Duck, and Pot au Feu.

The challenge for Francois is always to keep the freshest produce, fruits and ingredients in stock to create his menu and dishes. In terms of fruits and vegetables, Panache has several suppliers, most of them coming from within the Province of Quebec. For example, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries all come from “La Ferme du Coteau”, also owned by the Price Family. Winter forces Francois to seek local hydroponic and greenhouse operations for vegetables and he looks abroad for his supply of fruits. As do most great chefs, he spends considerable time with various suppliers and at the local farmer’s market selecting goods and produce for Panache as he consider the choice of the best ingredients key to the success of his cuisine.

The design and construction of the kitchens at Panache is a story of co-operation and solution selling from Garland Canada and its sister companies from Manitowoc Foodservice. A new project in a historical building creates a never-ending stream of challenges. The city of Quebec is very strict regarding structural changes permitted to buildings of historical importance. This consideration eventually led to the creation of two kitchen lineups to meet the needs created by space constraints and food service operations on different levels of the building.

Francois was clear when he started specifying cooking equipment for Panache. “I bought Garland because we had a 20 year horizon for the equipment. We wanted something that would last and the other stoves just weren’t the same as Garland.” The modular design of Garland Master Series and the overall size of the equipment that caters to full size baking pans were critical factors in the decision. Francois gained tremendous exposure to Garland and Delfield refrigeration systems during his time at Le Laurie Raphael, which was the first restaurant to use these products in Quebec and he was quick to bring them over to Panache in his design.

Panache is located on the the main floor and its kitchen is well organised for undisturbed prep work The downstairs kitchen is responsible for banquets, pastry and breakfast. The two kitchens compliment each other and have been created in a mirror design to maximize the efficiency and productivity of the staff.

Again due to space restrictions, a critical component of Francois’s design is his use of Delfield refrigerated compartments. “At hand” or “ready” storage is a valuable commodity in the main kitchen, as there is not enough space for large refrigeration or freezer units. Stocks have to be refreshed for each meal or day and to minimize the negative traffic flow on the line, the stock has to be at hand and this is where Delfield saved the day. Francois was emphatic; “I couldn’t run my kitchens without the Delfield counters and refrigerated storage units. It’s what keeps the flow going on the line and peace between the cooks.”

Probably one of the greatest solution selling success stories in the Auberge kitchen was the need for air purification. Auberge is situated next to the Museum of Civilisation and could not under any circumstances vent grease laden air or odours into the air intake area that services the museum. Garland Canada in conjunction with Vent Master worked out a solution that result in Auberge venting clean, odour free air into its neighbouring environment. A unique combination of reactocell® technology combined with square GEF fans that fit into the overall architecture and vented upwards did the trick. There has not been any angst from the Museum and Auberge met all its requirements with the city planning and approval bodies.

Even after all the trials and tribulations of creating this world-class restaurant, Francois continues to believe being a chef “is the most beautiful job in the world.” It takes dedication, focus and a great team behind you to support and contribute to the drive to success. This is the reason that Francois Blais chose Garland Canada and Manitowoc Foodservice as his kitchen partners for Panache.