Vieux Port, Marseille. Photo by John Brunton for The National
Vieux Port, Marseille. Photo by John Brunton for The National

In search of the perfect bouillabaisse in Marseille



Ever since it was announced that Marseille beat the competition to be crowned a European Capital of Culture in 2013, the city has been racing ahead to transform itself, building a gleaming new state-of-the-art Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, and renovating and opening new hotels and restaurants. This is the final part of a metamorphosis that has seen the city shed its "bad boy" image as a seedy mafioso haunt dating back to the 70s cult US movie The French Connection, into a hot European destination and one of France's most exciting gourmet capitals. Today I'm heading straight for the morning fish market on the Vieux-Port, always my first stop on arriving in Marseille.

As the boats moor on the quayside, the wriggling catch is hauled onto stalls run by colourful fishermen's wives, who are surrounded by a lively crowd of shoppers bargaining for the freshest monk fish, sardines, octopi, conger eels, lobsters, sea bass and John Dory. This is no tacky show for tourists but a brilliant, vibrant market that must never be allowed to disappear. Amid the crowd I spot Gérald Passédat, a local boy who has joined the gastronomic elite of France's three-star Michelin chefs.

"I'm always on the look out for new flavours and smells that I use to create the 'bouillon' for cooking fish, and there is no better place to look than in the city's markets," Gérald says. He explains that visitors often do not realise just how rich the food tradition is in Marseille, from the waters of the Mediterranean to the olive groves of Provence, taking in influences from the original settlers here, Greek traders back in 600BC, to more recent immigrants from the Maghreb.

Gérald promises to take me on a gourmet tour of his hometown. From the port, it is a minute's walk to Rue de Vacon, a daily fruit and vegetable market that resembles a North African souq more than a cute "Marché Provençal", where traders stock everything from olive oil and wild thyme to spicy Moroccan harissa. Neither of us can resist the sticky Algerian pastries and "lokum" (Turkish delight), piled high in an oriental patisserie. The market runs parallel to the main boulevard in Marseille, La Canebière, and we are tempted to stop off at Toinou, the most famous seafood brasserie, whose vast shellfish display has a dozen different oysters, local "oursins" (sea urchins), and bizarre-looking "sea violets", or "sea squirts".

There are many reasons to loiter but Gérald insists we carry on because he wants to show me a fish restaurant, La Boite à Sardine. Only open at midday, this genuine fishmongers doubles as a restaurant, its half-a-dozen tables booked out every day as fish lovers choose between a classic "plateau de fruits de mer" or a live lobster straight off one of the local fishing boats. The tasty dishes of the day range from scallop carpaccio to grilled sea bass, while on Friday, everyone orders Provençal classics such as garlicky aioli, brandade de morue (creamy cod and potatoes), or raw vegetables served with an anchoiade. The place buzzes, orchestrated like a conductor by the genial owner, Fabien.

Gérald has to get back to his restaurant so after lunch I go for a wander around the unofficial town centre of Marseille, its Veiux Port, where the water filled with bobbing fishing smacks and the quayside lined with lively cafe terraces where the residents are noisily discussing politics or football.

I have my own favourite spot here, and chug across the Vieux-Port on the free ferry to La Caravelle, a Marseille institution. Situated on the first floor of the Hotel Belle Vue, their balcony has the perfect sunset view over the city, and drinks are accompanied by a delicious assortment of tapas - grilled sardines, marinated anchovies, black olive tapenade - and some cool jazz music. The menu features classic specialities such as succulent souris d'agneau accompanied by a tasty gratin de pommes de terre.

For dinner, I disappear down the backstreets behind the Caravelle, to try out one more gastronomic address, Restaurant Le Moment. Chef Christian Ernst proposes creative tasting menus from €48 (Dh233), with tempting dishes like scallops grilled on a bed of tart green apples and smoked swordfish, or sea bass roasted with wild fennel, confit onions and sea urchin foam.

If the Vieux-Port is the centre of town, then the heart of Marseille is Le Panier, the oldest neighbourhood, rising up from the water's edge in a steep maze of narrow streets and alleyways. This was once a rundown district, virtually a no-go area for the police, but which has been gentrified over the last few years as old buildings have been renovated, and abandoned shops turned into fashionable boutiques, chic bars and designer restaurants.

That is the new Panier, but there is still an edgy undercurrent here, and to sample a genuine slice of local life, nothing can beat the experience of lunch at the legendary Chez Etienne. There is no phone, no reservations, no credit card and, until recently, no prices - especially bad news when visiting Parisians asked for the bill. I am quite shocked to see locals puffing away at cigarettes inside the dining room, a typical example of how the Marseillais consider themselves above the law. The sign outside says "Pizzeria", and although Monsieur Etienne tells everyone his pizzas are the best in town, I have been tipped off that this is also the place to try other local specialities, such as fried supions, delicious tiny squids, followed by pieds et paquets, lambs' feet and intestines cooked for seven hours. This may not be the place for a romantic meal, but the raucous, friendly atmosphere and terrific food guarantees a memorable occasion, and the "addition" only comes to €25 (Dh122).

No gourmet trip to Marseille is complete without sampling a bouillabaisse, the dish that is the symbol of the city. Ask any local where is the best place to taste a genuine bouillabaisse and the immediate reply will be "in someone's home". And although it is on virtually every restaurant menu, the number of places that take the dish seriously can be counted on one hand. The traditional bouillabaisse contains a quite incredible selection of fish - rascasse, congre, grondin, lotte, saint-pierre, dorade and vive. Different recipes may add oursins, etrilles and shellfish, octopus and lobster - and always a good helping of saffron. So the first golden rule is to keep well clear of the tourist restaurants that offer bouillabaisse for €20 (Dh97). Quite simply, the fish will have been frozen and you will eat badly, because the minimum price a restaurant can charge has to be €40 to €70 (Dh194 to Dh340).

Bouillabaisse has its roots in simple Greek fish soups, brought here 2,500 years ago by the Phonecians. The direct origin of today's dish comes straight from the Vieux-Port market, where the fish that were too bony to sell to restaurants were boiled in a pan of seawater together with herbs from the garrigue and olive oil. This poor man's soup has slowly been transformed into one of France's landmark gourmet dishes. But the traditional way to serve bouillabaisse has not changed, with the thick soup served first, with crunchy toasts smeared with garlicky rouille, followed by the different fish accompanied by boiled potatoes. There are a couple of very reliable restaurants on the Old Port: the old-fashioned ambience of Le Miramar, with silver soup tureens and waiters dressed in dinner jackets, or the funky Chez Madie, which also has a great waterside terrace looking out at the towering Notre-Dame de la Garde church.

But I have reserved a table at Marseille's gastronomic temple, Le Petit Nice Passédat, and one of the greatest pleasures of dining here is that you will invariably find Gérald cooking in his kitchen. This is no celebrity chef always dashing off to the TV studio to be a judge on Masterchef or disappearing as guest chef on a luxury cruise liner. In recent years, he has dedicated himself to creating a renaissance of the bouillabaisse, inspiring other chefs to create their own fantasy versions - Lionel Levy at Une Table, au Sud (www.unetableausud.com) proposes a bouillabaisse milkshake, while Sylvain Robert at L'Aromat (www.laromat.com), has invented a bouillabaisse burger.

Sitting down in Passédat's elegant dining room, looking out over the Mediterranean, I ignore the usual tasting menus and order Bouille Abaisse, a complex deconstruction of the original recipe that is served over five different courses. The price, at €160 (Dh780), seems excessive, but this is quite simply one of the most spectacular meals I have eaten. There are many reasons to want to come back to Marseille, but nothing compares to discovering the perfect bouillabaisse.

If you go

The flight

Return flights with Air France (www.airfrance.com) to Marseille from Dubai via Paris cost from €628 (Dh3,050), including taxes.

The restaurants

Le Petit Nice Passédat, 1 Corniche du Président John F Kennedy (www.passedat.fr; 00 33 491 592 592); La Boite á Sardine, 7 Boulevard de la Libération (www.laboiteasardine.com; 00 33 491 509 595); Toinou, 3 Cours St-Louis (www.toinou.com; 00 33 491 540 879); La Caravelle, 34 Quai du Port (www.lacaravelle-marseille.fr); Le Moment, 5 Place Sadi Carnot (www.lemoment-marseille.com; 00 33 491 524 749).

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Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

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Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

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Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
THE SPECS

Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic

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Transmission: six-speed manual

Power: 518bhp

Torque: 625Nm

Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds

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The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Company profile

Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

Founder: Mamta Arora 

Based: Dubai 

Sector: Clothes rental subscription 

Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded 

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UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP

Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan

Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri

Brief scores:

Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf

Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)

Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17

Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)

Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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UAE tour of the Netherlands

UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match

The%20specs
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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5