At Opidom Jérôme Roy rising star of Touraine gastronomy

He wasn’t expecting it, but in January 2021, Jérôme Roy was awarded a star in the Michelin guide. For those who know him and have followed the brilliant career of the Loches native, this was no surprise. But for him… it was! That said, he humbly but fully accepts this distinction.

A modest chef and a wealth of talent

Jérôme Roy was so not expecting to receive a Michelin macaron this year, that he wasn’t even watching the red guide ceremony when it was awarded to him. He was having a quiet lunch with his family when friends phoned to congratulate him! Admittedly, it had only been a few months since he had returned to his native Touraine to acquire Opidom, his own restaurant (November 2019). Admittedly, the Covid period was not the most propitious time to get noticed… But the talent is there, already spotted and rewarded previously in fine establishments. In a few words, and skipping a few stages (including stints in Tokyo, London, Moscow and Geneva), here is the brilliant career path followed by Jérôme Roy:

Bac Pro Cuisine at the Lycée Bayet in Tours, with a CAP in pastry-making in 1997.
From 1999 to 2001, he worked with Thierry Marx at Cordeillan-Bages and rose from commis to chef de partie at the Mandarin Oriental Paris.
From 2001 to 2006, he honed his skills as chef de cuisine at Michel Troisgros, excuse the pun….
Then it was another emblem of French gastronomy, Pierre Gagnaire, who entrusted him with the stoves of a restaurant he opened in Courchevel (Les Airelles)
In 2008, again for Pierre Gagnaire, he went to Seoul to launch the restaurant of the “Seoul Hôtel Lotte”, then in 2010, in St-Tropez, “Colette by Pierre Gagnaire”
In 2012, Pierre Gagnaire placed him at the “Couvent des Minimes”, in Mane (Alpes de Haute Provence)… Where, among other accolades, he was awarded a Michelin star in 2016!

However, Chef Jérôme Roy remains surprisingly modest. Shunning the limelight, when he’s not enjoying unspoilt time with his family, he concentrates on his cooking, experimenting, ever refining his recipes…

Near Opidom To discover around Fondettes

A culinary experience not to be missed

Some people don’t dare go through the doors of a Michelin-starred restaurant, another world for them… If you’re one of them (but also if you’re not), push open the doors of Opidom in Fondettes anyway: you’ll be welcomed in all simplicity by Valérie, the Chef’s wife. Afterwards, you’ll immediately feel at ease in a place that’s both sober and cosy. The team on duty are not stuffy at all, but approachable and rather relaxed, while proving to be very attentive. In short, you feel good at Opidom. And when the amuse-bouches and then the various courses arrive, then you really feel very, very good!

I’m going to make you salivate by revealing the tasting menu that I chose last summer… Well, not really chosen, because the five-course menu is devised by the Chef according to the market and the intuition of the moment. So that was the surprise! On this particular day, after the amuse-bouches, which were excellent of course, came:

Ceviche of tuna, infusion of bones and oriental condiment, salad of salicornia
Fricassee of whelks, seared foie gras, almond milk with vegetable plankton
Roasted squab with Sarawak black pepper, Mousseline of burnt potato, preserved lemon and rocket
Sainte Maure de Touraine, fresh herb pesto, raisin paste with balsamic vinegar
Strawberry crisp, rhubarb compote, jasmine tea cream.
And an after dessert!

Highlights

Reason #1

Original flavours

Reason #2

A very friendly front-of-house team

Reason #3

Modern and sober decoration

Everything was absolutely very well presented and absolutely exquisite. Originality, subtle flavours and product combinations, exotic touches, precision of cooking, proposal of wines to match the dishes: everything was brought together to give us an unforgettable moment. Personally, it was the first time I’d tasted whelks outside of a seafood platter. But what an experience it was: a – at first sight – very daring marriage with foie gras and almond milk with vegetable plankton, but a highly successful one! If this signature dish is on the menu when you go to Opidom, I highly recommend it.

Jérôme Roy’s cooking is always light, natural and gourmet. But also extremely precise. He grows his own garden of herbs, which he blends with surprising meticulousness: his “homemade” herbes de Provence are made up of 27% of 3 different varieties of plant and 19% of the fourth! In tune with the times, the Chef favours local, fresh and seasonal produce. But while he uses a lot of Touraine produce, thanks to his experience in the south of France and abroad (and to his careful sourcing), he also adds subtle, original touches to his creative cuisine. So, if you want to see for yourself, book your table at Opidom!

From fork to pen

Gourmet and gourmand, Hubert Giblet works in the Val de Loire Terres de Gastronomie association, which organises the Automnales de la Gastronomie festival, as well as gourmet strolls once a month. As part of the Azay-Chinon Tourist Office, he is also in charge of events initiated as part of the Vignobles & Découvertes label.