Classically French

Jean-Francois Rouquette, head chef at the Michelin-starred Pur'Grill at the Park Hyatt Paris, has brought his contemporary take on French classics to the Park Hyatt Dubai's open-kitchened Traiteur for just a few days this week.

Starting Wednesday night, you can experience his unique cuisine — including his signature foie gras creme brûlée — and watch the chef in action right in front of you. We caught up with Rouquette for a quick chat before he hit the stoves.

Your restaurant in Paris also has an open kitchen where diners can watch the chefs prepare the dishes. Do you like being on show?

It's not really about being on show, but about connecting with the diners. It brings something extra to the experience of being in a world-class restaurant. And it's not all about me, but about the whole kitchen staff working as a team. What diners are really watching is a symphony.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

My cooking is based on condiments, a balance between sweet and sour. The menu I've created for Traiteur is light – my cuisine has sometimes been called feminine, as it is delicate and based around a few aromatic flavours. I've adapted the menu to be what would be a summer menu in Paris. Back home right now, we're cooking game, root vegetables, things with an earthy flavour — but it's still 30 degrees here!

What is your must-try dish?

My signature dish is the creme brûlée with foie gras. It's been with me for 10 years, and it's been copied a lot — but then a chef never really owns a dish. I created it to be the garnish to a roasted duck dish, but customers always asked me to make as a dish in its own right.

I had to be careful with it — it could be too heavy — but it's been very popular. I based it on a classic sweet creme brûlée, which has eggs, sugar and cream, and is topped with caramelised sugar. There's always an element of sweetness with foie gras, so it works really well.

Why should Dubai's diners come and eat at Traiteur this week?

Food is something so positive. It brings guest together around a table with a spirit of sharing. And there's plenty of franchise restaurants supposedly run by great chefs — Rostang [at Atlantis], Gordon Ramsay [Verre] and Jamie Oliver [soon to open two restaurants in Dubai] but they are not actually there, cooking behind the stove. They may have trained their staff well, but here, you are getting the actual Michelin-starred chef.

Chef Jean-François Rouquette will be preparing his set menu priced at Dh550 at Traiteur daily from Thursday until Sunday from 7pm to midnight. For reservations, call 04 317 2222.