Lyon (AFP)
Two years almost to the day after the disappearance of Paul Bocuse, his legendary restaurant on the banks of the Saône sees his third star in the Michelin Guide withdrawn, which he has held continuously since 1965, the Bocuse d'Or said on Friday.
"GL events, organizing company of the Bocuse d'Or, wishes to give its unwavering support to the Maison Bocuse which has just seen its third Michelin star withdrawn after 55 years", according to a press release from the organizers of this international competition de cuisine, launched in 1987 by "Monsieur Paul".
The Bocuse group, like the red guide, could not be reached to confirm the information, first revealed by Le Point and the specialized site Atabula.
Some critics already said long before the chef's death at 91 that the Auberge de Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or was no longer up to scratch and guides had classified it in the institution category, failing to do so. to note.
Modernization efforts - "tradition in motion" as defined by the management teams of this institution - will therefore not have been enough.
"The chefs worked and reworked the dishes, they refined them for more than a year, making them evolve while retaining their DNA, their original taste", explained to the Progress Vincent Le Roux, general manager, a few days ago .
For example, the presentation of whole lobster is more contemporary, the lighter dumpling accompanied by a champagne sauce.
Major renovations are also nearing completion and the restaurant must reopen after three weeks of closure, on January 24, three days before the official release of the new Michelin Guide.
"Monsieur Paul" defined himself as "a follower of traditional cuisine". "I like butter, cream, wine" and not "peas quartered", he said in "Paul Bocuse, Sacred Fire" (Ed. Glénat - 2005).
With the loss of this star, "it is the whole Bocuse d'Or family who expresses their sadness and their renewed respect for the work of Mr. Paul", reacted Olivier Ginon, president of the group GL events who recalls "the contribution of Paul Bocuse to world cuisine, its cultural and heritage imprint ".
© 2020 AFP