Bon Appetit Welcome to the Paris end of the South Pacific
Bonjour, Messieurs et Mesdames!
Welcome to New Caledonia, the Paris end of the South Pacific.
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be the Gourmet Ambassador in Australia for New Caledonia – one of the most beautiful island groups in the world and a very special place to enjoy a gourmet holiday.
Oui, New Caledonia is tropical France, and naturellement, French is the spoken language and French food is the dominant gourmet cuisine of the island, which also offers many other types of world cuisine.
You will find wonderful French breads, cheeses, wine, patisseries, patés and, of course, excellent French restaurants.
During your stay make sure you try some of these exquisite restaurants and savour the best of the French Pacific experience.
I’m amazed at the number of good eateries in Nouméa and in the bush, and I consider New Caledonia to be the most exciting gourmet destination of the Pacific region.
Many of the top chefs have trained in France’s most highly rated establishments and are now sharing their knowledge with younger chefs.
When I first visited Nouméa 15 years ago, I went straight to the market to discover what the locals were cooking and was not disappointed. Today, the colourful food stalls, managed for the most part by Melanesian, Vietnamese and Indonesian locals, display a huge variety of fresh tropical fruits and superb vegetables, as well as fish, seafood (local prawns and oysters), and a good delicatessen and takeaway section. And it’s a great place to enjoy a delicious French-style breakfast. However, I suggest you get there early so you don’t miss anything.
If you are picnicking in Nouméa or preparing a meal in your apartment, I urge you to visit the closest supermarket, as the fresh food section of French supermarkets is quite astounding. You’ll find many easy meal ideas, as well as wonderful French cheeses, smallgoods, such as French patés, terrines and foie gras, excellent pre-prepared French meals and salads, and great value French wines.
On the way back from the supermarket, don’t forget to pick up a baguette in one of the many boulangeries dotted around the suburbs.
Nouméa also offers many specialised gourmet stores, including butchers selling good meat and pre-prepared meals, chocolate shops, cake shops where you’ll find wonderful croissants, take-away shops and specialised liquor stores.
New Caledonia offers a great selection of beer, and the locally brewed Number One beer is obviously very popular. Another great bonus is the top quality of Nouméa’s drinking water, and there is a local mineral water called Mont Dore.
Enjoy your stay and bathe in the wonderful hospitality of New Caledonia.
Bon Appétit!
