Antoine Commare
In this interview, Antoine Commare, founder of Twenty9 Homecooked Foods, tells how the business got started and some food memories.
What do you do and how did you get into the industry?
I am the co-founder of Twenty9 Foods, which offers home-cooked traditional French family-style food delivered directly to your home. Everything is cooked in their kitchen with no frills but with a lot of passion and quality ingredients. My wife Michele Sagan and I decided to launch Twenty9 Foods just before the CMCO. The situation has been tough on everyone. It made us re-consider our lives and the way we live. I, myself, I lost my job during this period. I then sat down with Michele to assess the situation, and a couple of days later, Twenty9 Foods was born.
What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?
There are so many memories when it comes to food. But there are two that stand out. Our family home in Normandy used to be equipped with an wood-fired oven. My mum used to leave some dishes to simmer for hours on it and it would fill the entire house with amazing scents. One of them in particular was the Pot au Feu. A mix of beef, vegetables let to cook together for as long as you can. I remember waking up in the morning and it would already be on a corner of the stove. There was no question about what was for lunch!
The second memory takes me back to Paris. I had the privilege to eat at Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant. There are no words to describe the feeling. It was not just a meal. It was an entire experience. The attention to detail in everything, every aspect of the meal was amazing.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The worst part is definitely the long hours and lack of family life. The best part, the smile of our customers after a meal at our Private Dining session. Discovering new products and recipes as well. What I learned and now enjoy is experimenting with new recipes and blending Asian ingredients in French recipes.
What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?
I would go with a rare tenderloin with a Nuits St Georges wine.
What’s one of the most memorable things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
It is not behind the scenes, but we had a group of friends that came for our lunch session. It was the Christmas Menu and it involved some, what we may call, gourmet ingredients. It turned out that one of the guests had never eaten foie gras, escargots, scallops, pâtés or terrines. Her only experience with seafood was fish and chips. I was delighted to be the one who made her discover all of these ingredients. She’s still not a fan of foie gras… but at least she got to try it.
The perfect day off for Antoine Commare would be…
… catching up with my kids and wife. I barely see them when working, especially after the busy Christmas period.
What do you do for fun?
I try to play rugby, go for walks in the jungle with my family or hit the roads with my wife on my Harley Davidson.
What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
We are constantly evolving and learning. We try to be ahead of the customers’ needs and likes. That’s why we are in the process of coming up with new formulas and services in line with our passion and way of work. We will be focussing on our Private Dining sessions with different choices and new dishes, and one super exciting project is the launch of Twenty9 Foods cookbook!
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