In Lannion, he infuses a taste of Japan into La Mutante’s kitchen

In the La Mutante adventure, a cultural third entered the Lannion scene almost two years ago, it was he we had never spoken to you about, or almost. Nathan Carpentier, 37, has the same first name as Émilie, owner of the place with his partner Jacques. Usually, it’s his brother. When they asked him to join the adventure, Nathan did not hesitate for long. “I gave my message. I’m not going back to Paris. »

When we meet Nathan this Saturday, early in the afternoon, the service is over, or almost. Summer has come, the cultural season is well underway in the third place, which borders the hospital. It is not so long ago that the chef pulled out the ivy that invaded the facade of the centuries-old manor house. It was at that time, not so long ago and not yet completed, of major works. “I arrived at the time of the second imprisonment. “We place it at the end of 2020. The person approves it.

Tokyo, Kyoto

The kitchen ? “I never trained. I fell into it by chance. I was a bartender in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, where the Japanese chef Eiichi Edakuni frequented. “At the time, the latter had a business in Paris (“Guilo Guilo”, in Montmartre, since closed), and three others in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hawaii. “I asked him to come and learn on my days off. “Thus begins an adventure that will see Nathan work first as a simple clerk, in Paris, then in Kyoto and Tokyo, as he gains responsibility.

Regarding Japan, he retains the memory of a country where work is king. “Six days a week, long hours,” says Nathan, speaking of his own experience. A “learning the hard way but which taught me a lot”. On the plate, the chef maintains this quest for perfection. “It’s very much about the visuals. » The dish must not only be good, but also beautiful. He cites the taste of umami, queen in Japan, and evokes katsuobushi, this fat-free broth made from green algae and dried bonito (a fish, ed. note). “They have a culture of 80% satiety. At the end of a meal, people should not be completely full or heavy. »

After seven years in Eiichi Edakuni’s group, Nathan returns to Montmartre in a new restaurant. Not for a long time. At La Mutante, within a very vegetarian menu (“but which will open up local fishing”), Nathan distills his Japanese know-how. “It’s not always easy when you organize large events and want a family audience. I put my own touch on vinegared rice, sushi, makis, marinades, while remaining open to the French cuisine that I have not learned. “Will he one day return to Japan? “Yes, but on vacation, not to work!” »