Members focus > CHEF EMMANUEL BILLAUD, CAFÉ 15
May 23, 2007
When the Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel opened five years ago, it brought
a new “French touch” to Washington, D.C.
With the arrival of Emmanuel Billaud as Chef of the hotel’s Café 15 restaurant in 2006, another dimension was added: a fresh, innovative approach to bistro cuisine that has become the favorite of locals and out-of-town visitors alike.
Billaud works with Philippe Piel, the Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel’s head chef, in bringing the best in modern French cooking to a city that has an international taste by definition and high expectations for the food it is served.
“We have a clientele that ranges from hotel visitors and local business people to foreign diplomats and government officials,” Piel explained. “Our goal is to provide a ‘bistro chic’ menu that is in line with today’s trends and is convivial. Chef Billaud is well suited to this style of cooking, and he always is looking for something new to surprise and delight.”
Billaud is motivated by the challenge of offering bistro-style fare but with a more elaborate touch that sets Café 15 apart from other restaurants. He also places the emphasis on using fresh, local products, while seeking ingredients that will help keep the cost of a meal within the bistro price range.
An example is his “two-way” wild mushroom soup. A plate is brought to the table with a centerpiece of mushroom and fresh herb gelée, over which hot lightly-creamed mushroom broth is poured. “This has been one of our many successes, and it allows the server to bring a part of the preparation process right to the table,” Billaud explained.
One of the vegetarian main dishes prepared by Billaud is blanched white asparagus served with a creamy hen-of-the-wood mushroom sauce. The sauce uses a local product that tastes similar to the more expensive morilles, resulting in an excellent combination between the French influence and a dish that is reasonably priced.
A specialty of Chef Billaud is eggs, and he is always looking for new ways to present what often can be a very plain element of a restaurant’s menu. A favorite at Café 15 is his cracked soft boiled egg hot appetizer. The three-minute egg is removed from its shell, and served on the plate with sautéed mushrooms, truffle oil, chives, veal jus, and topped off with aged parmesan shavings.
“Café 15’s clientele really appreciates meals that are simple and fresh, and that offer something different — all with a world influence,” Billaud said. “Our predecessors in the restaurant business created all of the basic recipes, and it is up to the current generation of chefs to associate the flavors, sauces and ingredients for a modern approach to the cuisine of today.”
Café 15
Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel
806 15th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
Tel: 202 730-8800
Website: www.sofitel.com
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