Cooks… with sensitivity!
Like the vast majority of chefs, Yoann Caloué is on a perpetual quest for recognition. From his peers, certainly, from his customers above all… and from guidebooks perhaps. Far be it from him to obsess about the latter, but the owner of the famous Café des Banques is offended by the Red Guide’s practices. After receiving a letter inviting him to the latest ceremony, which (without gathering) resembled more a political meeting without ardor or panache than a vibrant ceremony, the chef, to his great surprise, does not receive the reward he might have expected… in his capacity as “guest”. This text is not intended to take sides, nor to relay the grievances of anxious chefs (which is not the case with Yoann Caloué), but rather to highlight the feelings that men and women can have after what might be considered an affront.
Unanswered questions
The question remains: why invite a chef who has held a Michelin star for ten years for his previous restaurant, if not to present him with an award? Whatever the inspectors’ “conclusions”, we’re assuming that a chef of Yoann Caloué’s caliber, a regular on the Guide, can be expected to be invited with a view to being rewarded. Let’s not forget the case of Marie Robert who lost her star last year and was also invited this year to… receive nothing either. She described her role on her Instagram account as a mere “extra”, while questioning the purpose of such a practice. Aren’t gastronomic actors entitled to a minimum of respect, or at least consideration? A word that clearly no longer seems to be part of the vocabulary of this ivory-tower organization.
The Michelin Guide, which has dominated the world culinary scene for almost a century, no longer seems to be in tune with today’s world of transparency. Cultivating the art of opacity right up to the very top of its hierarchy, the hexagonal guide’s model is constantly being criticized and even challenged. And yet, management remains deaf to the calls of chefs eager to understand and obtain simple answers. Perhaps these few lines will help move things forward… who knows, after having used some of my restaurant photos without asking my permission, and for having been regularly inspired by my publications, Michelin will eventually take the trouble to come down from its cloud.
Post Covid
But the Red Bible remains a benchmark for many chefs in search of the grail. Explosions of joy at the award of a star remain an emotional moment for many of them… how can we forget the tears of happiness of chef Olivier Jean of theAtelier Joël Robuchon in Geneva when he stepped up to the podium to receive his second star. But Covid has come and gone in the meantime, and chefs rightly want to be considered, whether by their customers, their colleagues or the institutions that “judge” them. What could be more normal?
It’s 12:30 pm and customers are flocking to Café des Banques, chef Yoann Caloué’s elegant restaurant in the heart of Geneva’s Banques district. We take our seats. The chef is there, with his trimmed beard, immaculate white jacket and sharp eyes. His brigade and wait staff are standing by. Scallops from Normandy in carpaccio and sea urchin mayonnaise illuminate our lunch with their iodized contrasts. As for the chamois stew with a dense jus, it’s a marvel. What a delight, what a pleasure to taste, and what satisfaction to see a fully booked restaurant where cheerful customers prefer the contents of their plate to any distinctions displayed on the restaurant’s front (for information, the price of a sign corresponding to the stars obtained amounts to Chf 300.-. There’s no such thing as a small profit!)
Raison d’être
While chef Damien Germanier officially announces his wish to no longer appear in the guides, the question remains open. Even if we know that the stars do not belong to the chefs, but to Michelin (and that the Guide even reserves the right to include a restaurant that no longer wishes to be included), the distinctions are part of an undeniable process of recognition. Our only wish is that more attention be paid to chefs, because without them, the Guide’s gastronomic expertise and rankings would have no raison d’être.
