Our Chef Dany Fec

Dany Fec goes to Japan

The very much "nouvelle cuisine" galette chef, Dany Fec, closed his restaurant "l'Autel de la crepe" in Lanvellec, north Brittany, last July to come to Tokyo and start a new adventure.

In his new restaurant in Mejiro he'd like to introduce the Japanese people to his light and savory galettes and his numerous creative blends of fillings. His decision to move to Japan has taken everybody by surprise and became first page materials in the main newspapers of west of France. Some of his customers used to travel more than 100km to stop and eat one of his famous galette complete. One customer from Paris even moved his summer vacation forward by two weeks just to be able to dine one last time at his restaurant before its closure. As one of his customer wrote in the guest book: "What a (bad) idea to leave us disappointed ("nous laisser sur notre faim") and go to Japan! Brittany is losing one of its best crepe chefs."

Why has Dany closed his well-known restaurant, recommended by the famous "guide du routard", and decided to come to Japan? "Japanese people are used to buckwheat flour (soba-ko) and are looking for dish with subtle mix of flavor. They could be interested in my cooking style. I like going to unknown territory, without any pre-conceived ideas." Curiosity and passion for adventure have always been Dany's driving forces.

Dany likes to take up to the challenge. At age 45, he decides to change the course of his life. The former Michelin-starred restaurants head waiter and former owner of a night watching company goes to Brittany to train as a crepier. He first owns a stall in the open market of Lannion, a small city in Brittany. There he succeeds in building a long list of faithful customers. Thanks to their support he decides to open a restaurant in 2006 in Lanvellec, "l'Autel de la crepe". On top of his restaurant he starts an operation of catering. He gets the title of "artisan-crepier" and also teaches at the local cooking school. He can eventually let go his creativity, imagine galettes and crepes that are out of the ordinary, mixing hot and cold, salty and sweet ingredients.

Now in Tokyo he wishes to use local ingredients to create original and tasty galettes. And to pair them with ciders and wines from the large cellar of his restaurant. "But always at a reasonable price!"