Hugo Roellinger

Hugo Roellinger's culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in his familial heritage and a profound respect for the marine environment of Cancale, where his family's Maisons de Bricourt are established. He is a fervent advocate for seasonal, local, and reasoned cuisine, emphasizing a conscious approach to cooking as "the most noble act of nourishing," built on trust between chef and diner. His overarching vision revolves around an "ode to the living" and protecting the oceans and biodiversity, drawing directly from his past as a merchant marine and his introspective journey at sea. Central to his ethos is the exclusive use of fish and marine products since 2015, establishing an "iodine line" in his cooking. This commitment extends to meticulously sourced ingredients, from Breton lobster to an array of seaweeds supplied by Jean-François Arbona, a long-standing family collaborator. Roellinger sees cooking as a narrative of "voyage, métissage," a beautiful blending of cultures inspired by Saint-Malo's history as a port for explorers returning with exotic spices, a legacy meticulously upheld by his sister Mathilde's Épiceries Roellinger. His cuisine aims for light, limpidity, and transparency, inviting diners on a silent journey that reconnects them with themselves and anchors them in the present moment. Chef Roellinger's technical mastery and artistic approach are uniquely shaped by his "iodine line" and a deep exploration of marine resources. His kitchens eschew traditional chicken broth in favor of a proprietary "marine water"—a cold infusion of seaweed steeped for 48 hours in precise proportions—which forms the fluid, non-sticky base for his vinaigrettes, broths, and supports all his dishes, embodying his pursuit of light and transparency in flavor. A pioneering aspect of his work is the "algotheque," an astonishing aging cellar where various seaweeds (wakame, dulse, royal kombu, sea lettuce) mature for a minimum of one year at controlled humidity. This innovative technique refines the seaweed's "primitive taste," stripping away any fishy notes to yield softness, roundness, and an imprisoned "memory of the sea." He applies similar experimental aging techniques to other marine products, such as dried scallops from a 2017 vintage. His plating and flavor profiles are described as a "luminous stroll, poetic at times, hair-raising at others," rich with the nuances of spices inherited from his family's mercantile history. Signature dishes include a continuously evolving "Homard au cacao, vin xérès et trois piments," a homage to his father, and the emblematic dessert "Le Fumet du Littoral" (The Foreshore), a visually striking composition of creamy sesame, praline, kombu seaweed ice cream, sponge cake, and sesame sand, designed to evoke the changing coastline and childhood memories. Other notable dishes include "Sea bream with seaweed and malt vinaigrette" and "Scallops in seaweed jelly, horseradish almond milk," showcasing his innovative integration of seaweed and seafood.

Career

• Trainee at Michel Bras
• Trainee at Pierre Gagnaire
• Trainee at Michel Guérard
• Trainee at Troisgros family

Mentored by Michel Bras, Pierre Gagnaire, Michel Guérard, Troisgros family, Olivier Roellinger.