Jean Daniel Ichallalene was a bon vivant, a lover of food and wine, and a firm believer in proper restaurant service.
The Paris-born chef and restaurateur, who died in mid-August at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer, was also known to his many friends as JD, Jack the Frog or Froggy.
His name was synonymous with French cuisine for the Perth diners that frequented his restaurants, which included Hilite 33, Pierre’s Garden Restaurant and the Jolly Frog.
While he had stepped back from the day-to-day grind of running restaurants, his son Pierre Ichallalene continues his legacy at popular Nedlands fine diner Chez Pierre.
Born in 1941 during the final years of World War II, Ichallalene started his hospitality career working as a chef, head waiter and sommelier at some of the French capital’s finest restaurants.
He came out to Australia in his late 20s, living on the east coast before settling in Bunbury where he met his second wife, Emilie — who hailed from Donnybrook and is of Italian heritage.
They opened the Seacrest Restaurant in Bunbury before launching the iconic, if retrospectively daggy, Hilite 33 — a revolving restaurant on the 33rd floor of St. Martins Tower in the city — with business partner Alan Kuhl in 1978.
Jean Daniel married Emilie that same year. Four years later they had Pierre — the namesake of Pierre’s Garden Restaurant, which Ichallalene opened on Outram Street, West Perth in 1982 after selling his share of Hilite 33, now called C Restaurant.
Pierre grew up in his parents’ restaurants, often waiting on tables as a young teenager after school.
In the eulogy he delivered at his Papa’s funeral on August 28, Pierre described the West Perth venue as “ahead of its time”.
“It was beautiful,” he added. “It had the service and food of a three-star Michelin restaurant during this time and they won every award possible … this restaurant was spectacular.”
Ichallalene was considered one of Perth’s top chefs and was president of the local restaurant association.
The “toque blanche” surprised his wife by buying the Jolly Frog in Mandurah, only telling her once the deal was already done.
“The Jolly Frog was a huge change from Pierre’s Garden Restaurant,” Pierre said. “It was a completely different style of restaurant in deserted Port Bouvard, a ballsy move but nevertheless, in normal JD style, somehow this place became an absolute gem and an icon in WA.”
Ichallalene opened Chez Pierre with his son, Pierre, in 2007 — the traditional French restaurant building a rusted-on fan base of foodies in the cashed-up western suburbs corridor.
In his eulogy, Pierre joked that, even after retiring, his father still thought he ran Chez Pierre and his passion for every aspect of the hospitality business remained as vital.
“I have learnt so much and am very proud to have been able to work with Mum and Dad for so long and continue our family business.”
In 2009, Ichallalene self-published Frogs Legs and Kangaroo Tales, a recipe book/memoir reflecting on his life championing French cuisine and restaurant culture in WA, written with journalist Ray Sparvell.
Ichallalene was also a doting grandfather to Pierre’s two young children.
Pierre said his father had a great life full of friends, many of whom started as customers.
“I feel like he lived for 150 years,” he said. “His life was a full one, he achieved so much in one life — more than one could ever hope to — and he enjoyed every moment of it.”