By Coline Poiret
The heat wave which overwhelms the city of La Rochelle is breaking records this Monday, July 18. In restaurants, kitchens become furnaces, forcing managers to adapt
With their feet in the water, customers of La Gigas can enjoy oysters, prawns and the classic mussels and fries on the terrace of this oyster hut. Marina Poupeau is the manager. It was she who made the decision to close her establishment on Monday noon due to the high temperatures. “We prepare the mussels a la plancha, at 80°C, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees, it is not possible to open the kitchens”, she confides.
Last year already, it happened that La Gigas was closed on an ad hoc basis, during very hot weather. “It’s also for customers, we can only welcome them on the terrace. It will be too hot, if people come they will suffer from the heat, ”continues Marina Poupeau.
A charter to respect
La Gigas is not a restaurant, but an oyster tasting establishment. “With this status, we must respect a charter. It prevents us from offering meat or anything. Our menu is limited by this text”, explains the manager when asked if she intends to adapt her menu to high temperatures, by exclusively offering “fresh” meals, for example.
