The Quai des Saveurs opens this Thursday, December 19. Meeting with one of the chefs of this innovative bistronomic restaurant supported by the CCI of Vaucluse following a call for tenders launched by SNCF Gares & Connexions.
With his almond-shaped eyes and his dazzling smile, Saïd Soumalia enjoys life to the fullest, this young man. Born to a Comorian mother and a Mahori father, he arrived in Bollène from Mayotte when he was only 13 years old. He first took a Bac Pro Cuisine in Valréas and entered the École Hôtelière des Fenaisons in Avignon where he passed his BTS. He started working in a kebab shop, then became a pastry assistant at the Hôtel d’Europe. In 2022, he won the Rabelais Prize for young talent in gastronomy and a silver medal in the World Skills competition, as well as a “Meritorious Young Apprentice” Prize from the Society of Members of the Legion of Honor of Vaucluse .
From the Élysée to the central station
In 2023, he is invited to the Élysée to share the galette des rois with the President of the Republic. And his CV was enriched with an additional mention when he found himself chef in a restaurant near Place Saint-Didier, Alice et ses Merveilles, which he has since left. And a few months ago, when the idea of creating a restaurant on the redesigned forecourt of the Gare-Centre d’Avignon was born, his teachers, including Patrice Leroy, naturally thought of him so that he would take the reindeer of the kitchen. “I’m proud of it. There will be 11 of us with 6 apprentices plus around ten in the dining room to serve customers from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., from breakfast to evening tapas including lunch with starter – main course – dessert,” says this prodigy.
Patrice Leroy, technical director of the École Hôtelière des Fenaisons, is taking care of the installation of this new restaurant. “It’s not every day that an establishment comes up, facing the ramparts of Avignon, a stone’s throw from the main artery, Rue de la République. It was the desire of the president of the CCI who notably manages the training of apprentices, Gilbert Marcelli, but also of the General Director, Tomas Redondo to move quickly. In fact, we got the keys on August 29. Under the leadership of the architect Andrea Bortolus who coordinated the construction site every day, weekends included, all the trades took turns to build this restaurant at great speed. Masons, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, glaziers , carpenters, tilers, painters. The furniture is installed, the counter with its impressive porcelain plates, two outdoor terraces. “Given the small size of the kitchen, we optimized the space with compact, state-of-the-art equipment. ‘All-in-one’ equipment that allows you to cook in the oven, steam, low temperature and roast. Everything saves water and electricity,” adds Patrice Leroy.
As the Quai des Saveurs comes out of nothing, everything is new: 600 glasses, 800 place settings, 900 plates of all sizes, dishes for serving. “For wines, we work with Inter Rhône to offer mainly AOCs from our Côtes du Rhône and promote the work of Rhône Valley winegrowers. For alcohol, it’s the same, priority at Manguin de la Barthelasse and the Distillerie A. Blachère in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for coffee it’s obviously the Maison du Bon Café in Châteaurenard,” he explains. .
He continues to list the producers: “for fruits and vegetables, it will be Provence Primeurs from the MIN of Avignon, but also the Semailles integration association of the green belt. For cleaning and ironing tablecloths, napkins and tea towels we chose Amidon 84. For its part, Élite Marée will take care of the fish and shellfish, but we will also buy trout from the specialist in Isle-sur-la Sorgue , the poultry at Hugon, the bull for our stews will come from Châteaurenard like the lamb from Crau, the poultry will come from Vedène and the goat’s cheese from Apt and Morières. »
On Saïd Soumaila, the chef, and his second Naël Tangard, 20 years old, Patric Leroy is inexhaustible: “I have been following them for years, I have accompanied them in competitions. Naël will be at the World Skills in Denmark in September then at the French Olympiads in Marseille in October 2025. They have talent, they want it. I am happy that with the president of the CCI, we have put their foot in the door, they are full of desire, they have the future in their hands, for sure, they will succeed. »
For the menus, priority is given to seasonal fruits and vegetables and local producers. “I know Saïd’s creativity, he has carte blanche to develop great recipes. Moreover, the SNCF asked us for something other than steak and fries or sausages and mash dishes for the 3 million travelers who pass through this square each year, adds Patrice Leroy. This is their challenge, I’m sure they will take it up! »
Patrice Leroy, who started as a student of Michel Receveur at the École Hôtelière and started at L’Auberge de France of the Tassan Family at the top of the Place de l’Horloge, is delighted, in his turn, to help these promising young people as well as the apprentices who were selected for this Quai des Saveurs.
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