Sorority on the Riviera
But it looks like Pinja Paakkonen is here for the long haul. The young Finn quickly made her mark, enchanted by the richness of the local terroir, and imprinting her frank but delicate touch on the menu. In 2015, after training in pastry at the École Ducasse, in Paris, she worked in different restaurants and bakeries, then spent two years in Copenhagen as a pastry chef, before arriving in Nice in 2022. Pinja boasts a kitchen minimalist, but also light. “I really like working with plants. I don’t want people to be weighed down when they leave the table. In my white butter sauce for example, I replace the wine with fermented rhubarb juice. »
At the end of 2023, driven by their strong connection, the two women had the idea of launching Pure & Vins, upstairs, designed as an intimate wine bar, complementary to the gourmet table. While Pinja’s style is marked by Nordic cuisine, here, she skillfully twists Asian influences: “It was a way for me to get out of my comfort zone. During trips to Asia, I discovered this way of balancing flavors between umami, acidity and sweetness which I find incredible. » She also keeps her zero waste principles firmly in mind. “We don’t waste anything here! The pea pods are used for “chawanmushi”, small savory Japanese flans. Stale bread is used to make pasta, and vegetable peelings to make “okonomiyaki” (a sort of Japanese omelette, editor’s note). » In the kitchen too, nothing is lost and everything is transformed!
Pure & Vins, 7 rue du Lycée, 06000 Nice (06 19 88 68 90).
pureandvrestaurant.com
Cozy atmosphere at Pure & Vins, in Nice.
© Laurent Benedetti
Discover the recipe for Sea bream, butternut squash and verbena oil
© Laurent Benedetti
