Alan Geaam
It’s a rare event for me to go to an up-market, fine-dining restaurant. They are often pretentious, over-priced and disappointing. But when such a restaurant is hidden away in the back streets of Paris, it becomes awfully tempting.
I had walked past the restaurant Alan Geaam many times at its address at 19, rue Lauriston in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. But its austere facade never tempted me.
Today somehow temptation overwhelmed me, and I had lunch at Alan Geaam, which was spectacular. It offers French cuisine with some Lebanese “marqueurs”, reflecting Geaam’s background.
Born in Liberia, Alan Geaam left the country at a very young age to escape the civil war. The family moved back to Lebanon, where they were originally from, and where they were once again confronted with the civil war. It was in this context that Alan Geaam grew up.
From his mother, he received the love of cooking, the pleasure of sharing and gathering around the conviviality of a table. From his father, he learned how to manage a business and make it work.
Throughout his childhood and adolescence, he watched cooking shows on television that highlighted French gastronomy and its great names, and this is how his dream of becoming a chef was born .
With this dream in mind, he arrived in Paris in 1999. He worked a series of odd jobs in construction and as a dishwasher in a Lebanese restaurant, eventually landing his first position as a chef. He learned French along with basic culinary techniques and took boxing classes.
In 2017, Alan Geaam took over Akrame Benallal’s restaurant on rue Lauriston, formerly 2 stars in the Michelin Guide. In this new restaurant, which he named Restaurant Alan Geaam, he offers French gastronomy, which blends Lebanese influences. A year later, in 2018, he received his first Michelin star, becoming the first and only Michelin-starred chef of Lebanese origin in France.
Alan Geaam is a chef with a unique background. He didn’t train in the kitchens of any culinary giants; he knows most of them through their books or the press. Passionate about cooking since his very beginnings and driven by a desire to share, this self-taught chef spent 20 years learning, understanding, enriching himself, and finally finding “his” culinary identity.
I ordered the “business menu” which costs only 58 €. You are offered the appetiser, starter, main course and dessert “of the moment”, with no choices.
The appetiser (“amuse bouche”) was a delight. Asparagus for starters with a variety of sauces. Veal for main course. And a stunning array of red fruits and sorbet for dessert.
To stick to the theme, I had some white and red Lebanese wine. They were very much “ripe” Mediterranean wines, but pleasant to drink.
Beyond the cuisine, the restaurant has a very convivial atmosphere, facilitated by the numerous staff members who offer kind and attentive service. The other customers were nice, and I made friends with my neighbours.
Alan Geaam is an excellent restaurant, and very much worth trying. And if you are a poor pensioner like me, the business menu at lunchtime is a good option.
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