Yinhua QIU featured on BFM Business – “Chine Éco”
We are proud to share that Yinhua QIU, founder of France Larome Group and creator of Madame FAN, was invited on BFM Business, France’s leading economic TV channel, for the program “Chine Éco” hosted by Gilane Barret.
In this interview, she discusses her journey of entrepreneurship, cross-cultural innovation, and culinary excellence, highlighting how France Larome Group bridges French art de vivre and modern Chinese fine dining.
“Entrepreneurship is not about replicating success, but creating new possibilities.”
🎥 Watch the full interview on BFM Business:
Do you know Madame FAN?
Madame FAN, formerly known as FANFAN, has undertaken a remarkable metamorphosis to raise Chinese gourmet cuisine to new heights of excellence. After five successful years of existence for her Franco-Asian fusion restaurant in Paris, this distinguished visionary, proudly displaying her French identities while celebrating her Chinese origins, decided to reinvent her prestigious establishment.
Inspired by the enchanting memories of her childhood in China and driven by a tireless passion for the culinary art, Madame FAN aspires to share the hidden delights of Chinese gastronomy with the demanding palates of the French capital. By drawing on its cultural and culinary heritage, it offers a unique sensory experience, where each dish tells a story, where each bite is an invitation to travel through the flavors and traditions of ancient China. Madame FAN is a gastronomic oasis where the refinement of Chinese tableware blends harmoniously with the sophisticated elegance of French cuisine.
Madame FAN's taste journey begins with the creation of the first sanctuary dedicated to Xiaolongbao in Paris, these delicious little bites of happiness that enchanted her childhood. But Madame FAN's ambition does not stop there. Building on her success in Paris, she extended her culinary influence beyond French borders, opening prestigious establishments in China and Thailand, where she continues to amaze diners with her creativity and exquisite know-how.
Today, under the leadership of Madame FAN, formerly FANFAN, the restaurant emerges as a symbol of culinary excellence and cultural harmony, where passion for cuisine meets the elegance of hospitality. Every dish, every detail is carefully orchestrated to awaken the senses and delight the soul, providing diners with an unforgettable gastronomic experience that transcends borders and eras. Madame FAN, through her dedication and vision, has elevated Chinese cuisine to the level of art, transforming each meal into a celebration of life and culture.
Why Madame FAN
“Born and raised in Nanjing, China, until the age of eighteen, I could never have imagined becoming a restaurateur.
My journey into the culinary world began in Paris — almost by accident.
At the time, I was still working in corporate finance while managing a small restaurant in the evenings.
Before long, passion took over: I left finance behind to devote myself entirely to gastronomy.
My first restaurant, a small Huaiyang-style eatery in Place d’Italie, operated with a kitchen of less than two square meters.
I still remember the smell of cooking oil that followed me after service — but also the immense happiness of having found my true calling.
The opening of my second restaurant, near Opéra, brought me confidence and recognition, but also a clear view of the prejudices that Chinese cuisine still faced in France at that time.
That experience inspired me to return to China to pursue a new ambition: to create a dialogue between French excellence and Chinese sensibility.
In 2014, I founded my first French fine dining restaurant, L’Arôme, in Nanjing.
It marked the beginning of an adventure that, ten years later, has become the France Larome Group — an international group now operating 15 establishments across China, France, and Thailand.
Our concepts range from French haute cuisine to more contemporary formats: all-day dining restaurants, literary bistros, and Asian-style izakayas.
Our DNA remains unchanged — a passion for French culinary art and a constant pursuit of sincere emotion in every dining experience.
In Thailand, L’Arôme by the Sea in Phuket has become one of the country’s most celebrated restaurants, recognized by the MICHELIN Guide in its very first year.
In China, L’Arôme in the Sky, perched atop Nanjing, continues this same philosophy — blending French refinement with a deep sense of place.
And in Paris, the transformation of FANFAN into Madame FAN in 2024 marked both a personal and artistic turning point.
Our restaurants — L’Arôme by the Sea in Phuket, Madame FAN in Paris, and L’Arôme in the Sky in Nanjing — are all MICHELIN-recognized in three different countries.
Today, Madame FAN stands as my tribute to contemporary Chinese culinary art — a cuisine of memory and emotion,
100% faithful to the authenticity of Chinese flavors, enriched by 30% Western presentation techniques,
to achieve 130% innovation and poetry.
For Chinese guests, Madame FAN evokes nostalgia and cultural pride.
For international guests, it offers a poetic and timeless window into the soul of China.
Each dish tells a story, an emotion, a memory — it’s a cuisine of dialogue, not demonstration.
Today, France Larome Group continues its international expansion with new projects in France, including our collection of Literary Bistros in Paris — Bistro des Lettres, Bistro des Poèmes, and Bistro des Livres — as well as prestigious collaborations such as Café Dior in China.
Our vision is clear: to create culinary experiences that bridge cultures, awaken the senses, and tell genuine stories.
Our values can be summed up in three words: freedom, fidelity, and sincerity.
The freedom to explore without compromise.
The fidelity to our roots — both French and Chinese.
And the sincerity in every gesture, every decision, every plate.
At L’Arôme, we call this the art of transforming beauty into experience.”
QIU Yinhua,
Founder & CEO of France Larome Group
