Romuald Oudeyer has been into food since he was a child. He studied at the Loire Valley Hospitality School, before working his way up to Michelin-starred restaurants and , where he worked alongside .
"You work with an amazing team in these restaurants and you learn a lot, but it’s very intense," he tells SBS French. "The vibe is more relaxed in Australia… Maybe it’s the sun."
It’s his Australian wife who brought him to Melbourne; with not much convincing needed.
He initially worked at in Melbourne's South Yarra and the city's , but wanted to get his own thing going.
"We didn’t have enough funds to open a restaurant in Melbourne so we thought we would bring a gastronomic restaurant into people’s home,” he tells SBS French.
The Romu experience
The first step to get the French chef cooking for you and your friends at home, is to get in touch with him through .
His menu changes every season, and you’ll be able to pick between several dishes for a meal going from three to six courses, serving between six to 24 people.
Obviously, Oudeyer is a master of traditional French cooking, but he also offers a more modern take: "My style has changed since I arrived in Melbourne."
Cured pork loin, shiso jelly, chocolate miso and eggplant puree, and nasturtium flower. Source: Simon Shiff
"I used to mostly cook traditional French food, but after five years in Australia, I now use many other techniques.
"I worked with a lot of Japanese chefs so I tend to incorporate more Japanese products now."
You can see this influence on the current menu where marron is served with marinated peach and shiso vinegar, and Gippsland veal with an olive tapenade, yellow zucchinis and zucchini flowers.
What really matters to him, more than the type of cuisine, is to use local produce: "My olive oil comes from Gippsland, my truffle from Red Hill, my fish from Yarraville and my meat from Tasmania."
Crispy tuna and nori, Ottway shitake, water melon radish, turnip, broccoli and wasabi puree. Source: Romuald Oudeyer / Simon Shiff
He also works with other Frenchies who started their business in Melbourne, like .
Easy as
You won’t need to think about much when you hire Oudeyer, only a tablecloth and serviettes. His team will show up two hours before the meal with plates, cutlery native flowers, and printed menus.
Oudeyer does most of the prep before, so you don’t need to have a perfectly equipped kitchen.
"All I need is an oven and four stovetop elements," he explains.
"For everything else, we’re adaptable."
The three-course menu starts at $140 per head + the cost for the staff. Oudeyer and his team offer their services in Melbourne and country Victoria.
White asparagus, broad bean, native pepper berries and yogurt and sorrel. Source: Romuald Oudeyer / Simon Shiff
