a chef from Lyon in Senegal

This is the story of a Frenchman in love with Senegal. Every morning, Paul-Henri Chahmerian boards a canoe taxi to get to work. A few months ago, he opened his restaurant, Le Bouchon Lyonnais in Dakar. “It’s my own metro. In the morning, by canoe, it’s 4-5 minutes. It’s a feeling of freedom and supreme pleasure”, he rejoices. The chef has changed continents but the menu has remained the same: duck breast, and even frog legs are on the menu. These small dishes attract both expatriates and locals. “He is the pope of French gastronomy in Senegal”says a customer. “It’s an extraordinary place, he has a crazy talent this gentleman”adds another.

Local products

The chef hardly imports anything. He works with fresh and local products, starting with his fish. “For a restaurateur, there is no better, it’s paradise. We have fish from the sea at the table”, says Paul-Henri. But some foods are harder to find. For the duck, for example, the chef has to drive an hour to get to an open-air farm run by Sylvie, another Frenchwoman. In the kitchen, chef Paul-Henri Chahmerian is demanding and invents dishes according to his creativity and experience. That evening, his restaurant was still full.