French cooking in WA

PATRICE Falantin's cooking classes at SEN5ES, in Perth, are not just for serious foodies, but culinary events that the famous French chef wants everyone to enjoy.

Parfait ... Patrice Falantin works his magic. The chef's new restaurant concept Patrice's Table has been a sellout.

PATRICE Falantin, the executive chef at SEN5ES in Perth, says he has food and cooking in his blood.

But his motto of keep it fresh, simple and healthy will appeal to those who don't like the traditional heaviness and richness so often associated with French cuisine of the past.

Serious foodies have another place to indulge with the opening of his modern French restaurant on the ground floor at the Novotel Langley – on the corner of Hill Street and Adelaide Terrace.

It's where Falantin has now launched his new restaurant concept Patrice's Table with cooking "events" that have been a sellout so far.

As Falantin says, they're for people who are passionate about cooking, where they can meet other people who feel the same way and want to learn more about food and where it comes from.

Participants learn to prepare, cook and serve a sumptuous three course meal.

His wish is that afterwards you sit and enjoy the meal with a glass of wine (or two).

He says he draws on all the elements of nature and the five human senses we all take for granted – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch – to blend beautiful modern surroundings with dishes inspired by global tastes, all with a French twist.

Falantin has been involved in hospitality since he was 11, when his parents ran a hotel restaurant at Vendee, on the Atlantic coast of France.

He's won many awards and worked at Harrods, where he was cooking with truffles from Italy weighing in at $18,000 a kilogram. French foie gras and wild salmon from Scotland were other ingredients he prepared as chef traiteur at Harrods.

He was later appointed as the youngest ever executive chef at the Four Seasons in Sydney.

At Loxley on Bellbird Hill in the Blue Mountains in NSW, Falantin created and set up his cooking classes and culinary corporate challenges, known as Patrice's Table.

He says the events offer fun and laughter while people learn to cook with friends or colleagues.

"You can meet other people, talk to the chef, do something more hands on," he says. "It's not a classroom teaching event ... more relaxed."

Corporate Challenge Packages are also available.

A cooking class with a maximum of 12, where you prepare, cook and serve a three course meal from scratch is described as straightforward and practical.

It's a four hour class and includes a three course meal with a glass of wine per course. Cost is $120 per person.

Another class known as Team Building develops each of the 12 participants' sense of time management, creativity, presentation and passion for excellence. They are divided into three teams and given the ingredients. They then prepare, present and serve three courses in three hours. Falantin judges and decides the winner for best dish.

Cost is $150 per person and participants can have "minimal culinary knowledge".

Another course is known as a cooking demonstration with dinner to follow with a maximum of 30 participants.

Falantin is said to demonstrate his "passion, creativity and flair" using local produce to create a sumptuous three course meal.

"They can ask me questions along the way," he says. "I can do more dishes with this and demonstrate six to seven."

Cost is $120 per person.

From June 15 to July 15 it will be an even more French month at the restaurant and hotel and the courses will have more of a French twist. He will create a different menu each time.

The restaurant will serve chocolate croissants for breakfast, at the bar every evening around 5pm French wine and cheese will be served, from Sunday to Thursday there will be French three course meals and from Friday to Saturday a six course degustation menu will be available.

"And snails will be on the menu," Falantin jokes.