Étoilé #1

The opening volume of this Franco-Belgian series from Brahy, Lehericey, and Desmarès serves up an immediately compelling premise: a chef named Samuel, dressed in crisp whites, lifts the cloche of a silver serving dish to reveal — in a wonderfully surreal touch — a elegantly dressed woman swirling a glass of red wine within it. It's a cover image that blends the world of haute cuisine with something altogether more mysterious, promising a story where ambition, desire, and the restaurant world intersect in unexpected ways. Published by Dupuis in 2018, Hors-d'œuvre sets a sophisticated table for what looks like a richly layered series.