ALBERTO HERRAÍZ, Chef of the Fogón

The Spanish rice-olution in Paris

Descended from four generations of chefs from Castilla la Mancha, Alberto Herráiz chose to come and work in France back in 1997. In this country, homeplace of the invention and codification of fine cooking, he opened his restaurant, the « Fogón Saint-Julien ». This is an ultra-specialized ‘arroceria’ where « bomba » rice reigns supreme, simmering in elegant paellas. A world away from tourist trade clichés, he starts his paella rice-olution, « the best-known and least understood dish of the Spanish culinary tradition! ».
This is a return to the fundamentals of the traditional « arroz en paella » (paella-cooked rice): cooked in a specific stock for each recipe with just a few different ingredients, creating a perfect balance of textures and identifiable, distinct flavours right from the very first grain of rice you taste. The exact opposite, in fact, of ‘mixed’ paella, which Alberto Herráiz views as a mere shadow of paella’s former self.
From this ultra-orthodox foundation, he creates new, sophisticated flavours such as rice « a banda sin banda » (rice flavoured with fish stock) rice with Iberian ham, rice with vegetables, lobster, snails…


A new approach to tapas

The distance that  Alberto Herráiz has chosen to put between himself and his native Spain has allowed him to recreate a relationship with his culinary roots that is both extremely pure and immensely creative. At the Fogón, he has come up with a daring new approach to tapas, marrying his perception of Spain’s gastronomic traditions with the latest cooking techniques. He has brought tapas from the bar to the table, creating ultra-creative, extra-sophisticated tapas in the shape of small, bite-sized creations, from a menu that changes each month.


A certain style, on a Whim

Alberto Herráiz’s work and style have made his restaurant a must on the Spanish haute cuisine trail in France. The Fogón has become  a true ‘cuisine d’auteur’ destination where Alberto Herráiz shares his vision and demonstrates his interpretation of Spanish cuisine. In 2005, the Fogón’s success took it to a more spacious location at 45 quai des Grands Augustins. Alberto Herráiz is a lover of contemporary art, and the restaurant’s trend-setting décor has made it the place to be seen.  It was he, for example, who designed the tables with their secret compartment, that he has called « Envie » (whim) – reflecting the spirit of the kind of cuisine that he would like to eat