Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Q&A

No country loves its food as much as the French, and no Frenchman is quite as passionate as Gilles Pudlowski. France’s most influential food critic has been publishing his Pudlo guides annually for almost two decades, and they are now available in English for the first time.

Gilles Pudlowski

01 Where do you live and why?

I live in Paris and Alsace. France is simply the most beautiful country in the world and Paris is the capital of gastronomy. Victor Hugo said: “One ‘lives’ in Paris. One merely exists elsewhere.”

02 What does Alsace offer you that Paris doesn’t?

Alsace is the most attractive region of France and the most exotic. It’s geographically close to Germany but far away by the mind. Also, here the food and traditions are preserved.

03 What’s your favourite restaurant in Paris and why?

It depends on the day, the week and the need of the moment. I love bistros such as Aux Lyonnais (32 Rue Saint Marc), renovated by Alain Ducasse, and Chez Géraud (31 Rue Vital) in the XVIème arrondissement. But I’m also very respectful of La Tour d’Argent (15 Quai de la Tournelle), where the quenelle de brochet is the best in the world. If a gourmet wants to learn anything about food and tradition, he must come here first.

04 When was the last time you had a memorable meal and what was the occasion?

Three days ago in Lasserre (17 Avenue Franklin D Roosevelt). What Jean-Louis Nomicos makes with tradition associated with modernism is wonderful. The occasion was, as always, work. I had gelée de petits pois and pigeon André Malraux with duck liver.

05 Having been a food critic for so many years, are you capable of switching off or are you always a critic?

I’m more and more critical. I have 30 years’ experience, so it’s more difficult to be surprised and astonished.

06 Have you ever had an embarrassing experience with a chef whom you’ve given a bad review?

Yes, of course. Each time I give a bad review, I’m embarrassed for the chef. At Moissonnier (28 Rue Fossés St Bernard) I had a very bad experience. The chef and his wife were charming and they were happy I was there, but the meal was a disaster and it was my duty to write very naughty things.

07 What’s the worst meal you’ve ever had?

La Grange de Pierrette in Val Thorens. It’s a nice place in the French Alps, where you’d expect simple and regional food, but it was so stupid, so complicated. Lire jarret de veau with orange and grapefruit and grapes? Rubbish!

08 How does French cuisine compare to English food?

When English food is made by Gary Rhodes, with Dover sole well cooked, it can be divine. But elsewhere… For me, French cuisine is always the reference.

09 If you had to recommend a city outside France, based on the quality of its food, which would it be and why?

Mantova, Italy, with its tradition of Parmigiano, aceto balsamico, sbrisolona and tortelli di zucca, and for its restaurants and trattoria such as Trattoria dei Martini (Piazza Carlo d’Arco 1) and Ristorante Aquila Nigra (Vicolo Bonacolsi 4). It’s a dream for a gourmet and for a romantic traveller.

10 Which culinary trends excite you most at the moment?

When I was growing up, I was astonished by all creations, all new dishes. But I saw and ate so many stupid things. So now I believe in tradition, tradition, tradition.

11 Where do you go to relax from the pressures of work and life?

Alsace, in my home, where I forget the noises of the world.

12 Are you a good chef?
What’s your favourite meal to cook?

I’m not a good chef. I just try to be a good journalist and an honest writer of guides.

13 Can you recommend a local deli or market that visitors to Paris shouldn’t miss?

Le Marché Saint-Quentin near Gare de l’Est is good and picturesque. Also the market at Château d’Eau. Both are in the Xème arrondissement.

14 How often do you eat out in a week?

Every time. I never eat at home.

15 Do you ever get tired of fine dining and just fancy a McDonald’s?

When I’m tiring of fine dining, I choose a good bistro or a nice pizza. McDonald’s is a pure horror.

16 Why do French people take their food so seriously?

Because food in France is a mixture of culture, tradition, roots and identity.

17 What’s your motto for life?

Bien faire et laissez dire.

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