Patrick Seurot : publishing director of Tama'a magazine
Patrick Seurot
Passionate about history, gastronomy and culture, Patrick Seurot publishes Polynesian magazines on a variety of themes. Among them, the bimonthly magazine Tama'a! is a great success in French Polynesia. Its goal? To enable everyone to (re)discover The Islands of Tahiti through their gastronomy. Polynesian chefs offer their exclusive recipes, putting local products at the center of the plate.
In 2006, Patrick Seurot fell under the spell of the islands and decided to move to Tahiti, where he launched his own communications agency, SMILE, and a wine club, the Wine Hundred Club. His passion for enology has led him to import a hundred different wines to Tahiti, in order to organize food and wine tastings. Through successful pairings, Patrick gradually discovered the treasures of the Polynesian lands. He then decided to do his best to promote local products and Polynesian gastronomy.
Today, Patrick Seurot is also manager of the Moorea golf restaurant, and publishes a dozen magazines available in print and digital versions. You'll find them in Air Tahiti Nui's E-Kiosk section and on tahitimagazines.com.
« Over the last few years, we have seen the emergence of a Polynesian cuisine with emblematic chefs who work with local ingredients in a thousand different ways.»
The variety and abundance of local delicacies guarantee many surprising treats for your taste buds. Patrick Seurot takes you on a tasty Polynesian discovery, full of delicious surprises!
Discover the best of local food
French Polynesia is a vast territory comprising five archipelagos of different topography and climate. As a result, you'll have the chance to taste hundreds of different products from every part of the territory: Tahitian vanilla, Marquesas honey, fish, fruits and tubers... there's something for everyone! As Patrick Seurot explains: "Our products are far more varied than you might imagine! In other words, we don't have just one variety of taro, uru or banana: we have dozens of varieties." The food lover gives you an overview of the must-taste products to try during your trip to French Polynesia:
- Uru : "It's an emblematic product that forged part of the recent history of the late 18th century and the Mutiny of the Bounty: the breadfruit tree. The legends surrounding it are numerous, and this tree is rooted in the culture and identity of Eastern Polynesia. You must try the uru cooked in various ways: on the barbecue, in a fermented paste, mashed, fried, in flour to make bread, or in kaaku (a Marquesan recipe)... it's a magical food!”
- Korori : “This is the adductor muscle of the pearl oyster. Enjoy it in ceviche or carpaccio, with just a squeeze of lemon and some Bora Bora salt, or mixed with tuna or parrot fish... it's a real treat for the taste buds!"
- Crustaceans : “The finesse of Varo (mantis shrimp) is absolutely unparalleled! It's even finer than lobster. There are also slipper lobsters and coconut crabs. These delicacies are unique because you can't find them anywhere else.”
- Bluefin tuna : “Here, you can find deep-sea tuna. It's not endangered, because the fishing practices are very respectful of nature. Polynesian waters are highly protected. So you have to taste the tuna, which is delicious cooked or raw!”
- Tahitian vanilla : “It outshines all the other vanillas in the world: it's very rich, with organoleptic qualities so complex that they enhance any dessert, and Michelin-starred chefs love it”.
Taste the cuisine of Polynesian chefs
Polynesian gastronomy benefits from high-quality products that are increasingly finding their way to the center of the menu. Numerous chefs and restaurants are contributing to this modern culinary culture. In Tahiti, for example, you'll find :
- Teao Maiarii, chef and manager of the Maru Maru restaurant (Papeete) : “He's a chef who knows his products inside out, a real connoisseur! The food at Maru Maru is excellent, and the chef works almost exclusively with products from Fenua (French Polynesia)”.
- Heiarii Hoiore, chef of the Hei restaurant (Papeete) : “There's a strong French influence, as he's worked with Michelin-starred chefs in mainland France and has an incomparable technical mastery. The chef also works perfectly with local ingredients, and his cooking is divine!”
- Fabrice Métais, chef at L'Auberg’in restaurant (Papeete) : “It's also an excellent establishment. The chef doesn't work exclusively with local ingredients, but when he does, it's excellent. He's a very good chef! ».
- Franck David, chef for over 20 years at Le Lotus restaurant in the InterContinental Tahiti Resort (Faa’a) : “It's a gastronomic restaurant. The chef is super talented and is helped in the conception of his menus by Bruno Oger who has two Michelin stars in Le Cannet, in the south of France. He comes in twice a year to work with the Lotus team and reinvent local products with a very intelligent, gourmet approach.”
Eat at a roulotte (Food Truck)
But beyond the local gastronomic and semi-gastronomic restaurants, you'll also find plenty of opportunities to eat well locally, and at low prices! For example, Patrick Seurot recommends trying out the "roulottes". These Polynesian food trucks can often be found on the side of the road, in squares like Vaiete in Papeete, or in parking lots like the one in the Aorai Tini Hau park in Pirae.
If you're on a tour of the island of Tahiti, don't miss Patrick's favorite roulotte: “The Ô Tumu Mape roulotte in Mataiea, near the Vaipahi Water Gardens. It's a great roulotte, serving mainly the fresh products of the owners' family fa'apu (vegetable garden) and fruit-picking. They make wonderful dishes. There, you can eat healthy, local food at low prices!”
Discover the various marae to immerse yourself in the islands' history
The Islands of Tahiti are home to hundreds of historic sites revealing Polynesian culture and traditions. The marae, ceremonial sites, are among the most fascinating archaeological remains in French Polynesia. "I have a degree in history. So, as soon as there are old stones, I'm happy! Whenever I'm on an island, I look for the first marae to see what it looks like and if there are any vestiges that haven't been altered too much."
Polynesia's most famous marae is Taputapuatea, on the island of Raiatea. For Patrick Seurot, it's a must-see: "You have to go and see the Taputapuatea marae because it's the only historic site in Eastern Polynesia to be listed by UNESCO. There's a real magic to the place... you absolutely must visit it!"
You'll find many marae in the Society Islands like Tahiti and Raiatea, but also further south, in the Austral Islands: "I'm less familiar with the Austral Islands, but I think that's where you'll find the highest density of marae in the world. So I'd recommend taking a guide to visit the ancestral trails and see the remains in the forest."
