Belgian Chef Christophe Hardiquest, who closed his famous restaurant Bon Bon at the end of June, takes over the restaurant La Mere Germaine in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France, as of August 3rd. The celebrity chef also announced that he will reopen his two-Michelin-starred restaurant Bon Bon in Brussels with a new format.

Chef Christophe Hardiquest shocked the Belgian culinary world when he announced earlier this year that he was closing his restaurant Bon Bon to pursue other projects. The successful chef, who said that he wanted to create new projects, also expressed that he did not want to give all his attention and energy to a single restaurant. Because the Belgian chef had been there while his restaurant was open, this situation limited him from pursuing other projects.

Chef Christophe Hardiquest, who will also head up La Mere Germaine on August 3, announced that he will reopen his old restaurant, Bon Bon, with a completely different concept after a short hiatus. The Belgian chef stated that the new Bon Bon’s kitchen will be more comfortable and its staff will be reduced.

Expressing that France continues to be a good reference in terms of gastronomy and its presence there is important for him, Chef Hardiquest added that he will focus on creating a contemporary Provence cuisine. As in Brussels, the chef announced that he will create a vegetable-based cuisine focused on “smart proteins”, which he sees as local meat, which he will bring from specialty growers, while focusing on climate change and entertainment.

Chef Hardiquest, who has recently researched Provence cuisine in order to recreate both traditionality and modernity in his dishes, said that while talking about Provence, he looked at Nice, Marseille, Chateauneuf du Pape and Avignon. The chef, who aims to focus on cooking with all different products from nose to tail, using products that are not usually served in restaurants, explains his aim as enabling customers to discover new products.

Christophe will be part of the team from Brussels to join his French colleagues at the restaurant.