Florimond Hannoteau, a self-taught man who pours his heart into his dishes
Originally from Lille, chef Florimond Hannoteau shares his passion for cooking and explains his journey from the north of France to the helm of Le Boulevardier Restaurant in Montreal.
The Hannoteau style
Fresh out of his studies in science, he found a job as a waiter in a small inn in Belgium, where they spotted his talent, “they trained me once they discovered my potential to organize a kitchen." After that, one thing led to another, and he went from working alone in the kitchen of a grill restaurant to managing a little more staff at each new restaurant until he ended up in charge of a team of six cooks in a hotel.
That’s when the adventure began. “My wife and I wanted to leave France. She dreamed of a country where it’s hot and they speak Spanish… so I suggested Canada (laughs)!” Once in Montréal, Florimond continued his gastronomic adventure at Ikanos on rue McGill, then at Hotel Monville, and now at Hotel Le Germain. His style? That of a bon vivant who loves when heart is poured into the dishes.
How would you describe the menu you created for Le Boulevardier?
A French menu first and foremost, but with a variety of choices for everyone. It's important to have a wide range of choices, especially in a hotel in downtown Montreal. We have meat, fish, vegetarian dishes, and a menu inspired by French brasserie cuisine created in consultation with my sous chefs. I come up with the ideas, they create the dishes, and then we prepare them together. I like to have a good sauce and a good central element on the plate to enhance the customer's enjoyment. I’m also particularly fond of a surf and turf dish. I created a carbonara-style scallop and cream of bacon dish which worked very well and is still on my menu.
What is your vision of local cuisine?
When we can find a Quebec product that works with our menu, we use it, for example, Kamouraska lamb or wild mushrooms. However, I prefer a short food supply chain, what’s around me, the terroir rather than a region, and I have kept these reflexes as a French chef. The Gaspésie, for example, is further away than Boston in terms of distance.
His involvement in gastronomy and the hotel industry
You belong to two organizations, the Académie culinaire de France and the Chaîne des rôtisseurs, can you tell us about them?
The Académie culinaire de France brings together professional chefs, cheesemakers, bakers, and so on - all the culinary professions. The second is a worldwide gastronomy association that brings together both hoteliers and restaurateurs.
The Académie has a strong reputation, it's respected and it's great for helping chefs in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere in the world. The Chaîne des rôtisseurs broadens the network of Montreal hoteliers. Members from all over the world will come and eat in a restaurant that is part of the Chaîne des rôtisseurs - Le Boulevardier is one of them - knowing they will be well received.
Can you tell us about the Tablée des Chefs?
It is an association run by Jean-François Archambault. He has created a social movement and set up several incredible mutual aid, development, and educational initiatives around food and catering. With the solidary soup project, for example, we harvest vegetables to produce a meal, which is then donated to schools. There is also the educational aspect, which is very important to me, and which helps to inspire young people to become apprentices in the kitchen and to love this profession that I am so passionate about.
Rapid fire questions
What is your specialty when you have people over?
A dish perfect for sharing like roast chicken.
Music or no music when you’re cooking?
Music during set up, no music during service.
What dish takes you back to your childhood?
French fries because I’m from the north of France.
A guilty pleasure?
A good glass of wine.
What is your favourite and least favourite dish to cook?
I love working with seafood… a little less so with salad.
Name a product you couldn’t live without.
Butter.
What cookbook would you recommend?
The books of Auguste Escoffier.
