Could you tell us about your background and what inspired you to set up La Table Nomade? After working for four years in IT consultancy and project management in France, I decided to pursue my true passion: cooking.…
Could you tell us about your background and what inspired you to set up La Table Nomade?
After working for four years in IT consultancy and project management in France, I decided to pursue my true passion: cooking. At the heart of La Table Nomade, my cultural roots, family traditions and childhood memories play a central role. With an Amazigh heritage on my father’s side and an Arab heritage on my mother’s, my childhood weekends were spent immersed in life on the family farms, nestled in the heart of the Atlas Mountains. These precious moments helped shape my identity and culinary vision.
Furthermore, the influence of my mother, who has dedicated a book to Moroccan culture, continues to deeply inspire the spirit of La Table Nomade. In 2017, I undertook an intensive programme at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, combining management training with creative culinary techniques. After gaining experience in fine-dining restaurants and working on an entrepreneurial project in France, I returned to Morocco, driven by a desire to modernise our culinary heritage. It was in 2019 that I founded La Table Nomade, a concept that combines my passion for gastronomy with the freedom to cook anywhere and create unique experiences for my guests.
How would you describe La Table Nomade’s culinary philosophy?
La Table Nomade is based on the idea of a mobile, personalised cuisine. Each menu is designed as a bespoke experience, influenced by my Moroccan roots and enriched by my travels around the world. The focus is on discovering flavours, blending tradition with modernity. I prioritise quality ingredients, whether local or exotic, to offer cuisine that awakens the senses and tells a story. Moroccan spices play a central role in my cooking. They represent a strong link to my roots.
Morocco’s rich and captivating culinary heritage inspires me to explore and revive recipes that were once popular but have now been forgotten. Preparing our dishes, whilst time-consuming due to processes such as preserving olives, clarifying butter and drying meat, presents a challenge. My aim is to reinvent these traditional methods to adapt them to contemporary gastronomy.
Do you have a memorable anecdote from a previous event that perfectly captures the essence of La Table Nomade?
At an event in Portugal, where I worked as a private chef for two consecutive years, a group of guests were swept away by the magical atmosphere of the evening. They broke into an impromptu dance between courses. This moment of improvisation perfectly captured the spirit of La Table Nomade: an experience where spontaneity and conviviality are at the heart of every gathering.
What challenges and joys does one encounter when combining cuisine, music and art within a single event such as "Nomad Night"?
The main challenge is to create harmony between these different elements so that each discipline can express itself without overshadowing the others. But that is also what makes these events so unique: when everything comes together, it creates an experience. For our next collaboration with Art Kelen, guests can expect a perfect fusion of art and gastronomy.
The menu will be designed to interact with the artworks on display, with each dish echoing the origins of the works and their artists. It will be a complete sensory experience, where art, music and cuisine will complement one another. We are thus offering guests a unique visual, auditory and gustatory journey. It will be an opportunity to explore the deep connections between art and cuisine, and to create an even more immersive experience.
Finally, what message would you like to convey to those who aspire to combine their passions in a similar way to yours?
I would say that you should never be afraid to follow your passions, even if they seem distant or unconventional. The key is to stay true to yourself and find ways to connect these passions to create something unique. Authenticity and perseverance are essential, and it is by staying true to your values that you will be able to create experiences that resonate with others.
