Cocotte, a slice of Basque country in the Big Apple

Sébastien Pourrat is a man of taste and challenges. Born and raised in the Basque country in the South-West of France, he decided to take on New York and impose his style and ideas to recreate a piece of France in Soho, in the heart of the Big Apple. He doesn’t claim to be a Chef, but a creator; he says that the skies are higher in New York because dreams are bigger, and we believe him. This hedonist tells us about his arrival in the city that never sleeps and makes our mouth water between two dishes that only he can master. He spills the beans and tells us about an unlikely slice of life: a very French American dream.

Maison Sensey: How did it start?

Sébastien Pourrat : It started with a desire to see new horizons and to leave France and Paris. It meant going abroad because the environment I was in was saturated on every level. I felt like I was trapped and my whole being felt a calling to be elsewhere. I needed a breath of fresh air. My life made no sense anymore, I needed some change. I had this longing for freedom: freedom to create and to discover the unknown which was really lending me wings! I had earned my stripes in Paris.

Why New York?

My companion lived there so I was regularly travelling between Paris and New York. I remember feeling this incredible energy that made me realize that I was on the wrong side of the ocean. In New York, I was at home. The atmosphere felt familiar. I took the plunge in 2011. I left without anything, and without many contacts. The first year was hell. It’s like joining a battlefield where you don’t understand the rules. You think it’s the same as at home, but it turns out to be completely different, it’s a whole other culture, and business is very different over here. In France, we have a vertical approach, here people have a horizontal approach. It’s rather harsh at the beginning. Courtesy is not a thing here; things are a lot more straight-forward. And building your own company is admittedly faster than in France, but the model remains complicated. Many people give up, it’s a fight.

The US is a fantastic country for big businesses because everyone plays their part without helping anyone out. Each person finds their use but it’s a one-shot approach because what matters is the present moment and the money you can make in the now. Everything is factual here, it’s a very solitary experience. But people are incredibly kind and more importantly, the skies are higher! And that’s priceless… You dream bigger, you discover a new culture, it’s a gigantic melting pot. New York’s identity lies in its daily life. You feel at home because everyone is different. Here, we don’t have time to point out differences. There’s no room for normality, everyone is an adventurer, there are no normal people and I am no exception to the rule (laughs).

You’ve had several career paths: law, drama school, and cooking training before opening your Basque specialty restaurant in the heart of Soho. Tell us about it!

I wanted to open a restaurant that would be like a smaller version of my home country. But I struggled to find a place because rents are high. I looked for months. And by chance, I found an incredible place in the very heart of Soho. I kept running into problems. And most importantly, I had to understand the legal machine, which is not simple when you’re not American.

Some friends helped me for the works and design. I can say I went through my personal mirror by outdoing myself. I couldn’t stop there anyway; the wheel was already in motion. I opened Cocotte in October 2012 and once again the elements meddled in, as hurricane Sandy came just after the opening. We reopened in January, word of mouth played its role and Cocotte became a new favorite spot for New Yorkers. In 2012, I had a team of 6 people, and since 2013, we are 20 team members!
I am proud to be in the top 10 best French “bistronomy” restaurants in New York.

Make us dream, what’s on your menu?

My menu reflects who I am, a Gascon with Spanish influences – promising, right? I have dishes like a squid ink risotto, a duck confit terrine, a scallop carpaccio and my leek and foie gras terrine that I will tell you all about. I start by coating the terrine with pimientos del piquillo. I place a layer of leeks at the bottom, followed by a layer of foie gras and I end with a layer of leeks. Then, I fold the pimientos over the top to wrap it all and I leave to rest in the fridge overnight. This way, I can cut the terrine in thick slices and pour some sauce vierge on top of it. The freshness of leek and foie gras is a perfect match and flavors are well balanced. You can savor this dish with some sparkling Vouvray from Didier Champalou.

If you had to cook a dish that reminds you of Maison Sensey, which one would it be?

Without a doubt, it would be a scallop carpaccio; appealing and elegant in texture, with a hint of sourness. A refined and finished taste, but not pretentious. And to drink with it, a Savigny Les-Beaunes; a subtle mineral Chardonnay with hints of citrus, of a rare elegance. I think we have all the ingredients for a nice evening where one simply feels good, a moment where time stands still…

Do you have plans for the future?

I just opened a burger place just next to Cocotte. Our specificity is that we serve very high-quality meat. We need to go back to the basics, show what we can do, define what is high-end food. It takes a lot of attention. I wanted to create something fun with a burger spirit but with a gourmet twist.

I opened this place because I firmly believe that we should offer healthy and quality food to people;
I didn’t do it for business purposes. I really enjoy it, it’s a different way of defining the “food business”.  I am above all a creative person, I am not a chef, but I need to reach something else. This project is different and rewarding, and it has a stronger connection with the US. It is above all a message, and it’s the simplicity of buying a 7$ burger. And I love the fact that my clientele is very diverse; there are business owners, secretaries, hipsters… Burgers do not divide the clientele, not by their price, nor by their quality.

Cocotte, 110 Thompson Street, New York, (212) 965-9100

Interview by Barbara Sensey 
Paris