The chef who has registered the names and recipes of his restaurant so that no one can copy them

S'AgaróIf until now it had been thought impossible to own the names of dishes and recipes, the chef of La Tour de Plata, Yannick Frances, thinks otherwise: currently, the Paris restaurant has registered the names and preparations of the dishes the Mysterious Egg, the Tour de Plata Duck and the crepe Mademoiselle (made with four with Mademoiselle Marnier). These three dishes are precisely the ones that Frances cooked on Friday, October 17th at an unprecedented dinner at the prestigious Candlelight restaurant, inside the Hostal La Gavina, in S'Agaró. The dinner, with eight hands, was completed with recipes from chefs Romain Fornell and Oriol Fernández, who prepared pâté en croûte and lobster fritters, which were applauded for their creativity and quality.

The restaurant room was dressed for the best occasions. The pianist played songs from a classic repertoire; the classic tableware, large in green tones and with beautiful floral designs, and on the table the Mystery Egg, one of the starters prepared by the Michelin-starred chef Yannick Frances, originally from Nice. "It was one of the first dishes I made when I started in the profession, and I change the ingredients as the seasons change," explained Frances, who was wearing the jacket that shows he holds the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), the highest recognition a French chef can achieve in his profession. The dish consists of a round pastry, eaten with a spoon, that at this time of year contains autumn ingredients. The soft, smooth texture contrasts with the crispy exterior. We Catalans might think it looks like the Barceloneta bomb, but the French know well that anyone who makes it in their restaurant will receive a call or a fax from the lawyers at La Tour de Plata. "And when this happens, they stop making it, because we take care of telling them they can't continue doing it," the chef explained.

La Tour de Plata restaurant began its history in 1890, a date that denotes its long-standing prestige, but there are even more facts that keep this restaurant, located on the Seine, among France's favorites: from the beginning, it has featured duck (cooked in various preparations) on the menu, and Delair numbers the ducks it serves. Currently, according to Frances, they have cooked more than a million ducks. From then on, many stories are linked to this dish.

At the Candlelight restaurant, the current chef of La Tour de Plata explained some, such as that King Henry IV first saw a hairpin in the dining room of La Tour de Plata restaurant because it was used by some Italians (The invention has always been associated with the Italian Leonardo da Vinci, but recent studies have not confirmed this.). Another: During the Nazi invasion of Paris in 1940, the restaurant walled up the wine cellar, which houses bottles of great historical value, so no one could enter. Historians have said this is true, and the French chef himself confirmed it, but it is believed that the Nazis never actually attempted to enter, as has sometimes been claimed.

The last prawns from Palamós in October

At dinner at the Candlelight Restaurant at the Hotel La GavinaLa Tour de Plata did not opt for press duck due to the difficulty of transporting the machinery to press the ducks in front of diners, but instead cooked the duck that bears the restaurant's name, cooked at a low temperature. A tender cut, which eaten with your eyes closed would have made you think it was buttery, but in no way duck, it was so tender. "It's the second most expensive dish on our menu; the most expensive is press duck, at 440 euros, and at least two people per table should eat it," explained the French chef, who also added that since he started working at La Tour de Plata, he has changed the recipe so that the duck is presented in two courses, and always hot. The sauce, made with the juice from the duck's pressing, its blood, cognac, pepper, and Madeira wine, is made in front of the diner. To continue, chefs Romain Fornell and Oriol Fernández were in charge of cooking Palamós prawns, in a dish that included a pil-pil sauce made with the coral from the crustaceans' heads and a mayonnaise with chives. The prawns were the last of the month, because the fishermen on the trawlers in Palamós reported that the ban began on October 16 and will extend it until November 16.

Regarding French and Catalan cuisine, the chef at La Tour de Plata believes that they travel on very different, parallel roads, with no common ground. "In France, we continue with starters, first course, main course, and dessert, while in Catalonia, restaurants serve tasting menus with many dishes," says Frances, who believes that if this model were replicated in France, French diners would tire. "They wouldn't be able to stay three or more hours eating thirty dishes," he opines. He adds that French restaurants emphasize theatrical presentation, something that isn't seen as much in Catalonia. However, the chef emphasizes the respect that many Catalan restaurants have for their produce.I ate at La Taverna del Mar, and I really liked the purity of the fish. "They teach you right before cooking them; in France, a product rarely leaves the kitchen without a lot of prior preparation," concludes the chef at La Tour de Plata.

The Dinner of the Stars, finale of the 2025 season at Hostal La Gavina

Hotel La Gavina has revived its All-Star Dinner, a dinner-concert that hadn't been held for over sixty years. The dinner filled the hotel's lobby with tables of diners and music, hosted by Doc Scanlon's Cool Cat Combo and singer Sybila. In the kitchen, chefs Romain Fornell, José Pulido, and Oriol Fernández prepared truffle and foie gras soup for the first course; amberjack for the second course; and a creative chocolate dessert to close the meal. The Pere Ventura winery was responsible for pairing the dishes with wines and cavas. With this dinner, Hotel La Gavina bids farewell to the season that began last April and announces that it will reopen next year at the end of March and plans to hold another All-Star Dinner just as summer begins. This was announced by hotel director Joan Carles Casanovas in front of the dinner attendees and the Ensesa family, the owners of the hotel.