(Percé) One morning in March, young conductor Christophe Mamelonet's phone rang. He recognized the voice of one of his former teachers on the other end.

“He called to congratulate me. I said, ‘What do you mean, congratulate me?’” recalls the 27-year-old chef from the Gaspé, who is passionate about seafood.

The chef who runs the kitchens at La Maison du pêcheur in Percé didn't know it yet, but he had just been nominated for the title of revelation of the year at the Lauriers de la gastronomie québécoise. "He's the one who told me. It's a nice pat on the back. I really didn't expect that," says the chef, whom we met at his restaurant in Percé.

The winner will be announced on May 24. But regardless of whether he wins, this selection means a lot to Christophe Mamelonet and his family, who have experienced difficult times in recent years.

It's the journalist who broaches this delicate subject. The young man doesn't shy away. He lost his father in March 2015 in a road accident. Former Percé mayor and Liberal MP Georges Mamelonet, who co-founded the restaurant, was fatally struck on Route 132 by a drunk driver.

Then in December 2016, a second restaurant adjoining the first was ravaged by water when a devastating storm swept through the Gaspé Peninsula.

"It was a big challenge," he says, in a short sentence that says it all.

Restaurant of the "merroir"

The traces of the storm have long since disappeared. The Fisherman's House, clad in white slats, has been tastefully refurbished. The restaurant is set in a picture-postcard setting, directly overlooking the sea and Percé Rock.

At the time of the interview, the young chef was preparing for his season, which is scheduled to begin on June 4, pandemic permitting.

The Gaspé Peninsula is popular. And for tourists looking for local products (and "merroir"?), La Maison du pêcheur is a must-see. "I try to source my supplies here as much as possible. Right now, for example, I'm looking for skin-on cod. It's very difficult to get because all the cod you find in stores is filleted, not skin-on. We work with octopus, scallops in their shells, snails, and seaweed," lists the chef.

The seaweed is supplied by Antoine Nicolas, the halibut is purchased directly from the fishermen, the farmed trout comes from Raymer in Baie-des-Chaleurs, and the sea urchins from the North Shore.

"The snails come from France, but here, we're working to get bourgots from the Gaspé," says the man who studied restaurant management and obtained a professional specialization certificate in market cuisine.

Lobsters at the foot of Percé Rock

The Fisherman's House is an institution in Percé. Long before it became a restaurant, the building housed a sort of youth hostel frequented by many protesters, including future FLQ members Paul and Jacques Rose.

The city council closed the place in 1969. Shopkeepers accused the young people of "scaring away tourists."

It was in 1985 that Christophe's father, a Frenchman born in Morocco who "fell in love with the Gaspé", opened the restaurant with partners.

"This restaurant was his whole life. He would arrive here at 6 or 7 a.m. and leave around 11 p.m., midnight, sometimes 3 a.m. He spent his life at the restaurant, also diving for lobster," says Christophe.

Georges Mamelonet, a diving enthusiast, had installed lobster tanks near Percé Rock. Christophe has continued the same tradition, and restaurant guests can now enjoy a lobster fresh from the sea.

He receives halibut every week, which he fillets to feed his lobsters. "We go get some every two days. It's fresh lobster. It's a 15-minute boat ride. They're just in front of the rock."

The restaurant was originally owned by Georges and his partners, but Christophe's mother, France Lebreux, has since taken over the business. It is now a family restaurant, where Christophe's sister and girlfriend work.

"This appointment is a balm. It's excellent news," France Lebreux said on the phone. "Christophe was born into a world of hardship, so to speak. He's had to overcome quite a few challenges in recent years. I'm proud of him."