The first time we met David Toutain, he had just come back from New York, was getting ready to join l’Agapé Substance’s kitchen brigade and looking for the final dishes that would welcome his creations. He spoke quickly, his incessant ideas seemed to be bubbling over his words; his enthusiasm was captivating. We knew then and there that we were dealing with a unique personality. A couple of months later, we found him on a platform at the end of his communal table, sending out gusts of thrilling dishes from his minuscule kitchen. The Agapé Substance chapter. David Toutain introduced us to his combinations of sea urchin and coffee, porcini mushroom and praline, black sesame and eel, foie gras and green apples, as well as his airy gnocchi and dehydrated salsify…Through him we discovered a whole new world. When we found out that he was leaving AS to travel once again, we were anxious for him to return ad open up yet another world of flavors.

This thirty-something cook has had quite the array of experiences. He has worked with some of the greats, including Alain Passard, Marc Veyrat in France,  Andoni Aduriz in Spain, Corton in New York, and many more. From his long apprenticeship he has retained impeccable techniques, a mastery of vegetables, an attention to detail, and above all, a passion, always intact. Today, he has found his own treasure chest on the rue Surcouf. In this sparse décor made of raw wood, the cadence is slower, but the trance remains the same. This man incessantly creates. And so we let ourselves go, taken aback by each composition, each intention, both legible and unique. Chez Toutain, there is a perpetual sense of renewal, never spinning out of control. Intimate but multi-faceted. Dizzying.