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There’s one ingredient you will never find in the 35-year-old French restaurant, located in Sydney’s San Souci: ice cream.
You can look through the freezer but it won’t be there. You can even ask for a scoop to be served with the house specialty, crêpe Normande, but your request will be rejected on principle.
“I don’t carry ice cream in the restaurant at all,” reports head chef and restaurant owner, Philippe Lebreux. “I will not serve crêpe Normande with ice cream."
Over the years, Lebreux's ice cream refusal has become lovingly familiar to regular diners. "People sometimes tell their friends, ‘visit Chez Pascal and tell Philippe that you want ice cream on your crêpe’ [to stir the pot], because they know what I am going to say: no!”
Chef Philippe Lebreux of the French restaurant, Chez Pascal, with his house specialty: crêpe Normande. Source: By Yasmin Noone
Why this crêpe and ice cream should never meet
Crêpe Normande is a caramelised apple pancake that must always be finished with a generous splash of Calvados – a brandy from Normandy that’s traditionally made of apples – and nothing else.
“You order and eat this crêpe because you like Calvados. As a chef, you don't then cover up its flavour with ice cream. No one would be able to taste the Calvados."
I believe in the authenticity of the dish. If you veer away from the recipe as it was intended, it is no longer the same dish.
When you first experience Lebreux’s delicious signature dish, it’s clear that the apple pancake exists to hero the brandy. It's not the other way around - the order is something to be appreciated.
Its alcoholic mouthfeel is no accident (that’s why it’s not suitable for children). In fact, the dessert's strong Calvados flavour is a delicate, satisfying and celebrated feature that Lebreux will forever defend. It's also what makes the pancake regional and unique.
“I believe in the authenticity of the dish," he says. "If you veer away from the recipe as it was intended, it is no longer the same dish.”
Lebreux’s dedication to the art of French cuisine has never faltered in the many years he's spent as a chef. "I still love cooking. I love everything about French food. I love butter and sauces – I spend hours making sauces," says the trained saucier. "Even when you bake a cheese soufflé and see it rise, it’s just magic. I don’t think I will ever lose my love of food."
The 74-year-old chef is a valued local character in southern Sydney’s restaurant scene, known for his friendly and jovial demeanour, and commitment to the restaurant he named after his son. With no plans to retire any time soon, he leads the kitchen and runs the show every opening night.
Philippe Lebreux: “I believe in the authenticity of the dish. If you veer away from the recipe as it was intended, it is no longer the same dish.” Source: Yasmin Noone
Lebreux always wears traditional French cheffing attire, complete with a tall white hat known as a toque blanche. In between courses, he often takes a break from the kitchen to visit the dining room to chat to his guests. He’s even been known to encourage romance among his diners, offering a long-stemmed rose to lovers on a date.
Just don’t test the charming Mauritian-born chef on the matter of crêpe Normande and ice cream. Lebreux is a purist and believes that most traditional French recipes have stood the test of time because they haven’t been tampered with.
The recipe for crêpe Normande was given to Lebreux by his teacher when he left Paris for Australia in 1971, after he finished his apprenticeship. The mentoring chef was from Normandy.
“He said: ‘Philipe: I know that you are going to an English country but you have to promise me that when you make crêpe Normande over there, this is how you will always make it. It is imperative that it you always serve it with Calvados.”
His teacher explained that outside of France, Calvados may be an acquired taste and some diners will want to mask its flavour. “The diners won’t be able to help themselves and ask for cream or ice cream. But it’s a no!'
"It’s been over 50 years since he said that to me. When I first started making the crêpe in Australia, I said no to serving ice cream with it. I still say no.”
The culinary reality is that once you add ice cream or cream onto a warm pancake, it melts and makes a mess. You would also lose the spirit of the caramelised dish and intended brandy appeal.
“The crêpe is the specialty of the house. If you don’t like it, then you can order another dessert. But this is the way crêpe Normande is done.”
For safeguarding the traditional recipe of crêpe Normande, you can thank Lebreux. It now remains as delicious as it is authentic.
