French master chef Joel Robuchon dies
His intimate ‘atelier’ business model shook the world of French haute cuisine
PARIS — Joel Robuchon, a master chef who shook up the stuffy world of French haute cuisine by showing diners the delights of the simple mashed potato and a peek at a restaurant kitchen, has died at 73.
A spokeswoman for Robuchon, who for years held more Michelin stars than anyone else, confirmed his death Monday. French media reported he died of cancer in Geneva.
Robuchon was named among the best craftsmen in France in 1976, crowned cook of the century in 1990 and chosen to be one of the cooks at the “dinner of the century.”
Robuchon was known for constant innovation and playfulness in the kitchen, making him a revelation to the world of French cuisine. He built a gourmet empire that included restaurants in Paris, Tokyo, Las Vegas and New York City.
“To describe Joel Robuchon as a cook is a bit like calling Pablo Picasso a painter, Luciano Pavarotti a singer, Frederic Chopin a pianist,” cook and food writer Patricia Wells wrote in “L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon,” a book about the chef and his students. “Joel Robuchon will undoubtedly go down as the artist who most influenced the 20th-century world of cuisine.”
While Robuchon was no stranger to fancy food, he preached the use of only three or four ingredients. His goal was always to show off, not mask, their flavors.
He started a revolution with his “Atelier” (workshop in French) business model: small, intimate restaurants where diners sat at a counter surrounding the kitchen. They didn’t take reservations and many didn’t even have tables.
His goal, Robuchon said, was to make diners feel comfortable, let them interact with the chef and, above all, put the focus back on the food.
Michelin, and just about everyone else, gobbled it up. And Robuchon reached a record total of 32 Michelin stars in 2016 and still held 31 stars this year, including five three-star restaurants.
Born just before the end of World War II in the French town of Poitiers, Robuchon considered becoming a priest. But cooking with the nuns convinced him he had another calling. He got his professional start at 15 in a local restaurant, and by 29 was running the kitchen and managing 90 chefs at a large Paris hotel.