Michel Roux Jr is impressed by efficiency and versatility of iconic restaurant’s first SelfCookingCenters.
Le Gavroche is one of the world’s iconic restaurants. The kitchen has just been completely refurbished and now includes two pieces of equipment that owner Michel Roux Jr had not had installed before: a pair of Rational SelfCookingCenter combi steamers. “Rationals were the kind of ovens I’ve always wanted in my kitchens,” he says. “Having worked with them for a couple of weeks it’s become apparent what we were missing.”
Maintaining two Michelin stars is no easy task. “The quality of the equipment is vital. It has to be the best,” says Michel. “The efficiency and the versatility of the Rationals make them stand out. The different cooking processes mean you can cook so many different things in them: sous vide, terrines, patisserie, roasting… absolutely everything.
“The Rationals are being used all day long, for mise en place in the mornings, getting food ready for service, and then during service as well.”
The kitchen refurbishment was carried out by Eximius Projects. The two six-grid Rationals at Le Gavroche feature a patented dynamic air mixing technology, called HiDensityControl, which precisely controls the speed of the unit’s fan to channel the heat and humidity to exactly where it is needed, giving ultra-precise temperature control throughout the cabinet. “Temperature accuracy is very important, especially for fine dining when you want to get everything absolutely right,” says Michel. “You know the temperature you see listed on the outside of the Rational is definitely the one that’s on the inside.”
HiDensityControl not only delivers the outstanding cooking quality Le Gavroche demands, it also allows chefs to maximise output, since they can load up to 30% more food, compared to previous models, into the same size cooking cabinet. That’s especially important in kitchens where space is at a premium.
Michel has been impressed by how simple the Rational combi steamers are to operate. “They are incredibly easy to use – the controls are concise and precise.”
Sustainability is a key buying consideration for Le Gavroche – for example, the new kitchen has replaced gas with induction hobs. “The Rationals are a sustainable choice for all sorts of reasons. For example, the self-cleaning system means we don’t have to have a separate water softener and it is very simple – it just leads you through the process. It really is child’s play.”
Myrational.co.uk has full details of Rational’s free live combi steamer cooking demonstrations, which take place at over 90 venues around the UK and Ireland.
For information and brochures, or to arrange to come to a free SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses ‘Rational CookingLive’ seminar, contact your dealer, freephone Rational UK on 0800 389 2944 or see www.rational-UK.com. Visit the iPhone app store for the Rational SCC Expert App.