Master chef Christophe Gregoire was born and raised in the Les Vosges region of France, also home to the country’s greatest heroine, Joan of Arc, and famous for its spa resorts, pristine lakes, mountains and rustic farmhouse inns.
After practicing and teaching around the world, Christophe met Josephine while working in New Caledonia. Living, working and raising a family in Bungendore, Christophe and Josephine complement each other in life as well as their passion for food, bringing their hearts full of vitality and warmth to Le Très Bon.
Bungendore village may seem a world away from Christophe’s French heritage. However, the two share something vital — the perfect granite soils for producing fruity, floral red wines and growing truffles, berries and other essential ingredients in French cuisine Christophe is passionate about fresh, local produce, which Bungendore’s providores put at his fingertips, including organic meat.
Some would call his style “slow food,” however, the much older French term terroir is a better description. It means “a sense of place”, the idea that a region’s climate, soil and physical shape of the landscape add distinctive flavours to its agricultural produce.
This, Christophe believes, is the difference between a meal and a lasting gastronomic experience. The Le Très Bon menu is a labour of love from master chef Christophe Gregoire. Like an alchemist, he transforms choice, fresh produce into authentic French dishes that warm your heart like the stone hearth in a rustic farmhouse kitchen. Where possible, he uses organic ingredients and changes the menu to match the whims of the season.
Not that Christophe’s menu is without elements of surprise. His gift is signature blends of herbs and spices, and sometimes exotic dishes, inspired by his travels and the tropical flavours of French colonial islands, sit alongside the expected foie gras, truffles, escargot and game.