Ben Gayral got one of the most important phone calls of his life in December.
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The Toulouse man was called by his father – Alain Gayral from Le Petit Patissier on Sturt Street – and asked if he wanted to be the chef at his new restaurant, which would be opening in only a couple of months.
“I stayed up all night all thinking about, but we decided yes,” he said.
Since that December 10 phone call, he and his girlfriend left their jobs, sold all their belongings, left their apartment and said adieu to their city.
Gayral and his father are behind a new French restaurant on Sturt Street, called Bistro Ratatouille.
Its focus is traditional French cuisine, and the simple lunch and dinner menus – with six mains only on each – draw from all over the country.
Gayral senior said they would be providing a change in the local culinary scene.
“Why French food? It means something different and good (for Ballarat),” he said.
The venue has a prominent deck out the front so diners can enjoy the sun before it leaves for the winter.
The well-known and well-liked Petit Patissier said he was struck by the venue before finally signing the lease on it last year.
“I saw this house, it was empty for two years, and every time I go past I say, ‘this is the best spot for a restaurant, with the patio outside,’” he said.
Gayral junior said they had tried to bring a French sensibility to the reality of the quick Australian lunch.
“It’s more on the thumb, quicker for people that don’t really have time,” he said.
“For lunch we’re trying to get a menu that’s not too expensive, we know at lunch you don’t want spend 25 dollars.”
“People tell me lunch is usually just a sandwich, so I don’t know how they can do that.”
Their dinner carte ranges from salads to confit de canard to a classic blanquette de veau.
Prices for lunch range from $9.50 to $11.50, and dinner costs between $18.50 to $26.50.
The restaurant will be open for lunch on Wednesday and for lunch and dinner from Thursday.
Bistro Ratatouille, 614 Sturt Street. 0449 953 730.