Remembering Joel Robuchon

With more than 30 Michelin stars under his name, Joel Robuchon might be known to the masses as the chef with the world’s most number of stars. But the legendary master’s influence goes beyond awards and titles.

Born on April 7, 1945, to a long line of chefs that can be traced back to the 1700s, Joel Robuchon has French cuisine in his blood. And he poured his soul into elevating it. Widely considered as the most influential chef in the post Nouvelle cuisine era in the 1980s, he has mentored generations of chefs including the likes of Eric Ripert and Gordon Ramsey.

Robuchon has also influenced generations of chefs with his distinct culinary style – one that puts the spotlight on the produce through crafting sophisticatedly simple dishes out of just handful of ingredients handled with fiercely precise execution.

Every time a chef talks about good produce being the cornerstone of his cooking; every dish meticulously plated in that distinctly ornate and delicate style; every scoop of silky potato mash you savour at a fine dining restaurant – is a tribute to him.

Singaporean chef Jason Tan of Michelin one-Michelin star restaurant Corner House speaks of how his year working at Joel Robuchon Restaurant in Macau has formed his view on French cuisine and the ways of the kitchen: “He expected military precision: if a dish asks for four flakes of salt, you do not put five. But through setting sky high standards for the team, he made us work towards excellence.”