Manogeran SHASITHARAN

Chef : Mantra Starting with a former, unassuming wine bar on Rue Rodier in Paris’s 9th arrondissement, Malaysian chef Manogeran Shasitaran has transformed Mantra into a haven for Franco-Malaysian cuisine, earning it 3 Gault&Millau toques.

Presentation

Born in Malaysia, Manogeran Shasitaran discovered cooking at a very young age thanks to his mother. After arriving in France in 2008 following a stint in England, his career took a rocky start before a pivotal encounter in Joigny with David Le Corre during the Paris-Nice race.

A Career at France’s Leading Restaurants

If further proof of the benefits of multiculturalism were needed, one need only step inside Mantra, where, alongside Jonathan Caron—a Parisian entrepreneur and restaurateur who previously ran the restaurant L’Innocence— Chef Manogeran Shasitaran offers cuisine unlike any other—a fusion of his native Malaysia, China, and India (two countries that inspire him immensely), and, of course, France, where he traveled extensively before settling in Paris’s9th arrondissement, having worked notably at Marc Meneau’s L’Espérance, La Côte Saint-Jacques in Joigny, and Le Saint-James during Jean-Luc Rocha’s tenure.

From the Picardy Coast to the 9th arrondissement

In 2023, Jonathan Caron entrusted him with the kitchens at L’Itinérance in Mers-les-Bains. Together, they developed a cuisine where the Picardy coast regularly engages in a culinary dialogue with Malaysia. The restaurant—now led in the kitchen by Chef Victor Benoît—served as the testing ground for their collaboration. Mantra, a small restaurant opening in late 2025 on Rue Rodier in the 9th arrondissement, is its natural extension in Paris.

A cuisine blending childhood memories and French technique

Behind the open kitchen, the chef blends childhood memories with French culinary expertise. On the plate, there’s little room for meat, yet there are no vegetarian menus: instead, fish, shellfish, and crustaceans—caught by small fishing boats—take center stage. Fermented ingredients, including shrimp paste, provide structure to the dishes. French culinary techniques remain understated, serving a deeply Malaysian culinary expression.

This uncompromising cuisine was quickly recognized with 3 toques from Gault&Millau, barely a year after the restaurant opened.