I Aspire To Earn A Michelin Star
Back in 2003, headlines in France were flooded by a very controversial case where a man shot himself to the head and caused a massive shock in the hospitality industry regarding mental health. A French chef, revered by many, took his own life due to a sudden downturn in the way his passion was perceived by institutions that award accolades to outstanding establishments in the industry. At some point in his life, he was untouchable; having to score 19.5/20 in the Gault Milllau Restaurant Guide (think Golden Globes or James Beard in France) and Three Stars from The Michelin Guide (The Oscars), one could say that he was close to perfection. For a chef to garner and receive such high accolades is a feat that requires tremendous passion, persistence and dedication. Chef Bernard Jacques Loiseau had all of these attributes that catapulted him to the best of the best, and yet, you wonder why.
From scoring half a point away from being perfect, he was downgraded to a 17/20. It also didn’t help that there were rumors circulating of his restaurant being taken off a star. Was it his fault that he relied on those Stars like they were his lungs and was besmirched by others? I am of no position to judge. Maybe, during the day of the Gault Millau inspection (or during a series of them), a server, a manager or a cook (or even the chef himself) wasn’t feeling his/her best and just said, “You know what, whatever, I’m slacking today.” Why and how can a prestigious establishment be downgraded 2.5 harsh points if the team was doing such a good job? Lo and behold, that day caused a very unfortunate event that took the life of somebody who cared too much about the opinion of others.
Prior to this controversy, Marco Pierre White, the first British chef who ever received Three Michelin Stars, gave his stars back because ‘it took the fun part out of his passion for cooking,’ according to him. He was burnt out and experienced several heart-breaking moments in his life throughout the process of landing the coveted distinction. The progenitor mentioned that “people who had less knowledge than him in cooking dictated or judged what he did for a living,” and that didn’t sit well with him—hence, he surrendered everything to find purpose in cooking a much simpler cuisine. He opened steakhouses across the world and is now sitting on well-oiled, money-making machines—gained his life back, and is now living life to the fullest. Thereafter, a wave of chefs, who found the award to be a curse rather than a blessing, followed suit.
Personally, I do find inconsistency in the awarding, for some are deserving and some aren’t. I have been to places where they should have been awarded a star or two, and I’ve been to places where I question why they even have the award in the first place. There is no reason for a restaurant or a chef to dedicate his life cooking just to get a Star. We don’t cook for a Star, we cook because we want to make people feel loved, happy and nourished. I wouldn’t cook solely to gain Michelin or a spot at the World’s 50 Best. I cook because it is how I express my talent, my passion, creativity and my love language.
Despite all the issues surrounding accolades, there is a benefit that comes along with it. Restaurants see a significant increase in business after getting an award, and who doesn’t want to see their business blossom? That nightmare where telephone lines don’t stop ringing is true to life, it does really happen. I would probably freak out the next day after finding out that I already carry a star that I earned myself. I’m looking forward to that!
The reason why I continue to admire restaurants with Stars is because of the chefs, managers, servers and sommeliers that these places produce. You can’t deny that fact. You will find the most talented, the most disciplined, clean, organized, aspiring, creative, inventive and the most passionate workforce come from a place where the pursuit of perfection is priority. Yes, people may attest to the idea of finding perfection, but when you push yourself to become the best on a daily basis, the world becomes your oyster. I’m not saying that people who don’t work at Michelin or 50 Best places do not have passion. Yes, of course they do. But you will see a difference between somebody who has worked for the best— the way they move, the way they taste, the way they combine flavors and the way they anticipate what mother nature gives, is not something that a normal commercial restaurant cook will possess.
While it may be very difficult to work for these places as most of them run the business like the military (and you will surely miss out on a lot of major life events and even abandon relationships), there is tremendous progress and mastery that contribute to your skills. And you know the funny thing is? You won’t even notice how good you’ve become until you set out to the world of the normal. While you’re still cloistered in Michelin places, you feel like the most unskilled employee, just trying to catch up or survive on a daily basis. You feel afraid that you can be laid off any day because of how inexperienced you are. But, when you leave that world and go to a new one (or if you were able to develop your skills and climb up the ranks), it’s like the universe paving the way for you to reach unbelievable altitudes. Now, you’re so high up in the sky that even touching Stars feel like as effortless as blinking your eyes. Everything becomes easy.
The wonderful thing about getting an award is that you must put in the effort first before you get recognized. Imagine having it backwards, will that contribute to the credibility of both the establishment being awarded and the entity that’s awarding just because let say, for example, a famous non-chef celebrity owns it, on opening day? What I’m getting at is the likes of Thomas Keller or René Redzepi had to put in and show the world what they were capable of initially, then all the rewards followed after. I remember and have heard countless times the saying, ‘be good at what you do and the money will follow,’ and it never gets old. If I were to set out and do my thing, having a fixed mindset of being the best puts me in a very good spot to run my business. It doesn’t matter if I do or do not get the Star right away, as long as I teach my team what I know and we all grow together and be able to rely on each other. When the time comes that people start to notice that somebody is doing something well, then word goes out and the law of attraction takes into action. I would rather have my restaurant get filled with happy customers and have a line waiting outside than a Michelin Star. A Star only acts as an icing on top, it’s not necessary, but it will be nice to have one.
People who have never been there will never understand. They will always question your dedication. They will question how you perceive things differently and your “get out of my way, nothing can stop me” attitude. But nonetheless, they will acknowledge or try to hide the fact that you have something that they don’t. People will see it, people will feel it and people will either feel threatened or be inspired by you.
I always tell aspiring cooks to take the chance and aim for something that is too daunting of a challenge while they are young. Be careful though, once you see yourself fly, fly modestly. Be confident in what you do, but do not let it get up to your head. Stay humble and continue to choose kindness even when there seems to be no hope. I’ve been there and I always get humbled by reality. I’ve walked out from places, I’ve yelled at people who have a higher position than me and I’ve made people walk out. I’ve paid my dues and have shifted the way I think. Now, I always tell myself, My experience is Michelin, but my ego isn’t (and it shouldn’t!). I still release the Kraken every now and then, only if it’s necessary. These words are powerful and they remind me to be more understanding and be in the nature to help others rather than exercise my “Michelin” ego experience.
One thing I regret is leaving Michelin. How I wish that I continued working at these restaurants and never have left for good. The learning will never stop. But will I be happy though? Life happened and I had to do what I had to do in order to provide a wonderful life for my family. But let me tell you something. Once you are Michelin, you don’t become anybody less. You will remember everything to heart and will stay Michelin as long as you do not let the normal affect or change you.
Trust in the process.