Restaurant
It is one of the finest addresses in Strasbourg, made famous by the name of the Westermanns. For seven years, Eric, the son, has been composing the dishes behind the piano.
Latest edition : 26 April 2020
In the kitchen, he's a jack-of-all-trades. When he returned to Strasbourg to work alongside his father, the latter did not really know what place to give him.
"Chance did things well," says Eric. As the entrance manager had a health problem, I replaced him. Afterwards, it was the turn of the fishmonger to have a problem, then the roaster. In a short year, I made a pretty turn in the house. It also legitimized the difficult status of the boss's son a little, smiles Eric Westermann, visibly happy with this status of "stopgap", a very rewarding experience. Anyway, I didn't want to be dad's second. »
A dad whose work has been crowned with three stars in the sacrosanct firmament of the Michelin guide.
But when his parents decide they want to do something else, Eric asks himself questions. He likes this beautiful house, the gourmet kitchen. On the other hand, there is no question of entering the “3-star format with fewer and fewer customers but more and more difficulties”. We also had to find ways to reduce costs.
“I wanted a restaurant that was less elitist, more affordable. Out of honesty vis-à-vis the Michelin guide and our customers, I warned the people in charge of the guide who then took the decision to automatically withdraw its three stars from the Buerehiesel . In the context of such a transmission between father and son, it was perhaps not entirely logical, but it was ultimately the right decision. With a business menu at €35, a new clientele came and the old ones came back out of curiosity, saying to themselves that they weren't losing much at €35”
A year later, the Buerehiesel won its first "new" star.
"Where others are jubilant, I was almost crushed," admits Eric Westermann. Was it necessary to bring out the silverware, the suits for the waiters? No question of going back into this spiral and while everyone was waiting for a price increase, nothing has changed. Why change? Since we were rewarded for the work provided. »
In seven years, the price of menus has hardly changed: 37, 68 and 95 €.
The beautiful Westermann kitchen is set in an authentic Alsatian house in Molsheim, dismantled in 1895 for the industrial exhibition in Strasbourg. The terrace overlooks the vast lawns of the Parc de l'Orangerie. In 1970, Antoine Westermann and his wife took over what had previously been a simple bistro. “It was a difficult start, they were only 24, not really old enough to settle down. But since none of the fine houses wanted an obscure Westermann... So my respective grandparents mortgaged their houses. » The work and the stubbornness of the Westermann couple are rewarded with 3 stars and praiseworthy notes from the various gastronomic guides.
As the young family lived just above the restaurant, Eric saw "live" all the constraints of the restaurant profession, with parents who work non-stop. He therefore chooses in full knowledge of the facts to embark on this profession which must be done “by choice and not by obligation if one wants to succeed.
“Instead of learning, I chose to do my baccalaureate, which allowed me to spend an almost normal adolescence. I continued with a BTS, then a few internships, at the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, at the Crillon in Paris, with Jacques Thorel at the Auberge Bretonne. »
Of the time spent in an establishment in Megève, he hardly talks about it. “It was madness... But at the same time it serves as a lesson to me and I sometimes say: be careful, don't do the same! »
Eric Westerman completes his training with internships in bakery and in a butcher's shop. Buerehiesel cuisine is strongly influenced by Antoine Westermann's recipes, such as frog legs à la carte for 35 years or Bresse chicken in baeckaoffe with candied lemon, artichokes, potatoes, tomatoes, baby onions, white wine and poultry jus.
If he does not touch these essential recipes, Eric adds his touch with cooking methods such as poaching a fish in olive oil.
“You have to be curious, have your eyes open, know how to choose quality products, be a good technician. And having that love of good food that makes all the difference and turns a simple meal into a moment of celebration. »
The Buerehiesel
Parc de l'Orangerie, Strasbourg
Open Tuesday to Saturday, noon and evening
Closed Sunday and Monday.
Small business at noon, Tuesday to Friday.
Tel: 03 88 45 56 65