Influential chef Joël Robuchon has died

We are saddened to report that pioneering French chef Joël Robuchon has died at age 73. Robuchon inspired and mentored countless chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Éric Ripert. His lengthy career is noteworthy for many reasons, not the least of which is the record-breaking 32 Michelin stars he earned – the most awarded to any single chef. 

Robuchon also received accolades from Michelin’s rival guide Gault Millau, which named him “Chef of the Century” in 1989. The chef’s restaurant empire spanned the globe, with locations in Bangkok, Bordeaux, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, Macau, Monaco, Montreal, Paris, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, and New York City. 

He is credited with the focus away from French nouvelle cuisine and returning to a more simplified version of French cooking. “The older I get, the more I realise the truth is: the simpler the food, the more exceptional it can be,” he told the website Business Insider in 2014. Robuchon wanted to highlight each ingredient in a dish, down to the humble potato. One of his most famous creations is the butter-rich Mashed potato (Purée de pommes de terre), pictured below. 

Tributes for Robuchon have poured in from the food world, with people recalling meals they ate at his restaurants, working with the chef, and just being inspired by him. David Chang tweeted “RIP Chef Joel Robuchon. You changed the whole game,” and restaurant critic Jay Rayner said that “The test of a great chef is the ability to change forever the simplest of things.” a reference to Robuchon’s iconic mashed potatoes.