Danico Xplorer: A World Tour of Flavors with Corentin Gaudin
Fresh from India, Corentin Gaudin, bar manager at Danico, sat down with Jigger Daily to talk about the concept and process behind his Xplorer menus. He also shared his thoughts on India's emerging cocktail scene and Japan's influence, which shaped the bar's current menu.
Danico Xplorer: focusing on the flavors of a country
The Danico Xplorer concept was launched in 2022.
Our bar has always been focused on flavors from around the world, but we decided to refocus the project to have a clearer direction. This led to the idea of offering a menu centered on a single country. And to be credible, part of the team travels each time to the country in question. In summary, it's a six-month menu featuring the flavors of a single country.
Five countries are planned, and we will likely allow ourselves a sixth country as a bonus. Then, we will continue with the same project, but with some small variations.
The choice of destinations has been quite simple so far. The first country was Indonesia, as it is a favorite of Nico de Soto, and we have always had this culture around pandan – an Indonesian product – at Danico. It has even become somewhat of a running gag, and we continue to use pandan even though it is not found everywhere in the world. So, in each menu, there is always at least one cocktail featuring pandan.
As for the second menu, we opted for a country located on the other side of the globe, Mexico, to have flavors very different from the previous menu.
Japan easily made its way onto the list. It is a culture we love, which resonates with everyone, as it is quite well represented in the media and even in gastronomy in Paris.
Next, regarding the last two countries, we had extensive discussions. There was a flurry of ideas, and we eventually made a decision. India was a natural choice: it is a civilization in Asia, but very different from Japan and Indonesia.
Finally, the fifth destination is still under discussion: we are hesitating between South America and North Africa. In summary, we choose based on our own affinities, but also on regions where customers may not typically go or explore in depth.
Menu preparation: a charter and a journey
The menu changes every six months - it's quite demanding - so a charter has been established: we always offer two Milk Punches, two or three dry or bitter cocktails, one Frozen, and drinks served as Highballs.
This allows us to check certain boxes in advance; we know that this appeals to customers while providing taste diversity. Then, in terms of flavors, I ask the teams to gather as much information as possible before embarking on the journey, so that upon our return, we have a solid foundation. However, the on-site phase is so enriching that we still have 80% of the journey to complete afterward.
Specifically, the trips are organized by the sponsoring brands of the countries that host us, culminating in a guest shift at a bar. With the establishments that welcome us, we organize a cultural itinerary around food, temples… Everything that can happen in the cities, to enrich ourselves as much as possible and understand the culture; not just focusing on food and cocktails.
This matters to us because Danico Xplorer tells an authentic story around a menu designed like a travel journal. We don't just want to create Japanese cocktails, but also to understand the local culture, how it all originated, and inevitably, food comes into play at the end. That’s why we stayed two and a half weeks in Indonesia, ten days in Mexico and Japan, and now eight days in India.
Recipe creation steps and involvement of Nico de Soto
From our stay, we generally bring back several unique ingredients, fruits of our encounters with suppliers on-site.
For example, in Japan, we established connections with a French importer of products who supplies us with sugar, salt, and spices that are hard to find in France.
We return with products, notes, and ideas. From that moment on, everyone researches; we conduct collective and individual tastings quite regularly.
During the creation process, we imagine all ideas first without alcohol. The goal is to create flavor combinations between typical dishes or drinks, spices, and fruits from the chosen country. Once that is laid out on paper, the question of choosing the appropriate alcohol arises. Of course, there are exceptions where we immediately know which pairing will harmonize between flavors and a type of alcohol. But generally, we start with the base flavors.
Nico de Soto gives us the freedom to create recipes, and when we are ready, we test them with him. He then provides his feedback, his expertise - because his palate is quite extraordinary, you have to see it to believe it. But he trusts us.
I would say on average that Nico is the author of four cocktails on the menu: sometimes, the drinks are almost ready to be made, with the recipe finalized, and at other times, he gives us flavor combinations, and it will be up to us to work around them. The other eight cocktails are the work of the team.
What is highlighted is the overall flavors of the cocktail, not just a single ingredient or the alcohol. For example, in the Zaru Soba - currently on the menu - we do not only emphasize the roasted flavor of the barley shochu, even though this shochu was specifically chosen for that unique taste. It’s a very fine line that one must be aware of.
Differences and challenges between menus and by country
The most complicated menu was Indonesia, as it was the first time I was in charge of such a project. I was used to participating in menu launches at Danico or during my previous experiences, but initiating such a project, with the responsibility of choosing the design - with the help of my graphic designer - to highlight the drawings and colors was a new experience. It was about developing a project over two and a half years, and if the first menu failed, the next four could be compromised.
Indeed, how to work solely with the flavors of a single country? Do we fall into clichés? Obviously not, so it was necessary to conduct thorough research.
But there can also be very simple things in some countries that can even be found in France. In this case, it is necessary to work with them differently so that customers are surprised.
Fortunately, this first menu received good feedback, which the team was proud of.
The overall setup of the Indonesia menu took nine months. But the actual creation lasted six months. After that, it became easier. The Mexico menu was quite quick to design, as was Japan. As for India, we are rather ahead of what we are doing. Now, it takes three or four months, which is still very long.
In my opinion, the current menu dedicated to Japan is just as good, if not more flavorful, than those of Mexico or Indonesia. In fact, there is not really a difference. I wouldn't say there is a country with more flavors than others; they are simply very different. For example, the way Indians work with spices is extraordinary - and you don't necessarily see that elsewhere - while in Mexico, the cuisine is also very spicy, but they use very distinct types of spices.
A look at the Japanese and Indian cocktail scenes
There is everything in Japan: very classic places - as one might imagine - like High Five, where fifty-somethings craft classics with ease, but also other types of establishments.
We had the chance to visit SG Club, the bar of Shingo Gokan, and it is quite innovative, with practices that we are used to seeing around the world. I also think of The Bellwood, which is also in the 50 Best. They even have a mini room at the back of the bar where there is an Omakase - a piece-by-piece sushi service - with a sushi master in front of you. The scene there is complete, and I fell in love with Tokyo.
In India, we stayed in Bangalore and Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Overall, the cocktail culture there is quite young, but we were surprised with Jules Daudin, my bartender, because in this circumstance, generally, you first find more classic establishments before they develop, but the Indians are already using very advanced methods. They don't work much with local products, or when they do, it’s not the theme of the bar; they don’t highlight it.
The bartenders are all locals, as the salary for a bartender is very low, perhaps ten to twelve times less than in France; so being an expatriate doesn't make sense, except perhaps in the case of a big offer in hotel-type establishments. In the two cities we visited, we did not discover any spirits unknown in France. However, we tasted products from Goa called Feni (note: the only spirit with a GI in India). It’s an alcohol, somewhat like a liqueur with many flavors, and generally, the spirit is made from coconut or cashew.
A thematic menu does not constitute a bar's DNA
I believe there is not necessarily a need for a themed menu to be recognized. Moreover, there are not that many bars in Paris that offer one. However, it is a good idea to have a theme: it provides a guiding line, and for some customers, it is important. But not having one does not seem penalizing to me.
Bar Nouveau, The Cambridge Public House, or Fréquence do not have a themed menu, and for me, currently, they are among the best bars in Paris.
What matters is to convey what we are trying to create: flavors, balances, adaptation, flexibility towards customers. We have a menu, of course, but we must also know how to be flexible. At Danico, we chose to have a theme because we had a main concept: flavors from around the world. However, it is vague, so it was necessary to refocus the idea and frame it. But the theme is not the most important; it is not what bars should focus on, nor customers, for that matter.
The DNA of a bar is made up of the whole: the decor, the team, the types of drinks we will offer. Customers come to Danico for the styles of cocktails, which are not particularly different from what we did before Xplorer: clarified drinks, cocktails with the Rotavap, recipes with flavors from around the world, and the research that follows.
Today, I estimate that at least 85% of our clientele is distinct from that of the restaurant and comes solely for the bar, whereas when I arrived in 2020, the ratio was 50/50.
A journey made of encounters
I attended hotel school in St Quentin-en-Yvelines, and after three years of high school, I wanted to focus on a bartender certification - the ten who made this choice out of a thousand students were somewhat the stars of the school - because it was both about creation and talking to customers.
However, I almost quit halfway through the year because my first internship was in a hotel where I was made to make coffee all day, being told that cocktails were not for me - even though I had never made any. My teacher wanted to send me back to the same establishment for my second internship; I explained to him that I would then quit the certification.
While waiting for a solution, the students were serving at the Grand Prix Bacardi, won that year by Jérôme Kaftandjian (note: in 2015 for the Park Hyatt Vendôme). During the evening, my teacher met Aurélie Panhelleux, whom he already knew - there was also Julien Lopez - and he proposed to take me on as an intern. The chemistry between us was immediate; I spent my two-month internship at CopperBay and completely fell in love with the cocktail world.
After returning to school to finish my certification, I started at Baton Rouge for Joseph Biolatto for three months. Then, I worked in a hotel, but also at Silencio – I was working seven days a week – because I found the club very beautiful. At the time, it was very well paid, and the bar manager, Rob Mc Hardy, had a great reputation.
I really wanted to work there; I enjoyed it, and then one day, Julien Lopez – with whom I had stayed in very close contact, as it was my dream to work at CopperBay (I want this to be well noted in the article!) (note: wish granted! 😉 ) offered me the vacant bartender position. That lasted four years. Aurélie and Julien gave me all the keys and taught me to grow, to be a better person, both in the industry and in everyday life. I owe them eternal gratitude; it is truly thanks to them that I am where I am now.
In 2020, I joined Danico, recruited by Thibault Méquignon - who was about to leave - and Guillaume Drouot, who needed a bartender. I worked two intense years with him, where I learned a lot. Finally, in early 2022, Nico de Soto offered me the vacant bar manager position because I was Guillaume's assistant, and I took the plunge.
Danico: 6, rue Vivienne 75002 Paris.
Open every day from 6 PM to 2 AM.