As the world takes in the news of the death of one of its most feted chefs, we look back at the career of the legendary Joël Robuchon, who had been battling cancer. The French chef, who ran a chain of French fine-dining restaurants in 12 cities around the world, died in Geneva.
The world-renowned celebrity chef ran an empire of 13 restaurants in countries such as France, Monaco,Thailand, Japan and the United Kingdom, which have garnered 31 Michelin stars cumulatively.
The culinary maestro, who is known for his creamy potato puree dish amongst other classic French dishes, also mentored culinary stars such as British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and French chef, Eric Ripert.
Here’s a look back at the milestones of Robuchon's illustrious career:
1974: Helms the kitchen of the Concorde Lafayette Hotel at the age of 29. He manages a team of 90 cooks and serves several thousand meals daily
1976: Wins the the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Outstanding French Craftsman) award for his craftsmanship in culinary arts
1981: Opens his first restaurant, Jamin, in Paris, which is recognised with its first Michelin star in the following year. Jamin goes on to receive two stars the year after and its third star in 1984 — three years after it opened
1990: Wins recognition as “Chef of the Century” by French restaurant guide Gault Millau
1994: Jamin is awarded “Best Restaurant in the World” by International Herald Tribune
1995: Announces his retirement at age 50 at the peak of his career and focuses on passing his wealth of culinary knowledge to diners and younger chefs
1996: Hosts French food programme Cuisinez Comme Un Grand Chef for four years
2000: Helms television cooking show Bon Appetit Bien Sûr, which goes on for a decade
2003: Comes out of retirement to open the first two LAtelier de Joël Robuchon restaurants simultaneously in Paris and Tokyo
2005: Expands LAtelier de Joël Robuchon to Las Vegas, followed by New York, London and Hong Kong one year later
2008: Joël Robuchon Restaurant in Las Vegas receives three Michelin stars. Opens his first Japanese restaurant, Yoshi, in Monaco
2011: Opens South-east Asia’s first Joël Robuchon Restaurant in Singapore and also brings in LAtelier de Joël Robuchon, which opens next to his eponymous restaurant in Resorts World Sentosa
2016: Joël Robuchon Restaurant receives three stars in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2016 — the only restaurant in Singapore to achieve this feat
2017: Makes a sensational re-entry on the New York dining scene after a five-year absence with an updated L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
2018: The French maestro is in the process of setting up Institut International Joël Robuchon, a gastronomy and hospitality school in Montmorillon, France. The institute is slated to open in 2019.
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