
French chef asks to be stripped of three Michelin stars - kafkaesq
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/20/sebastien-bras-french-chef-three-michelin-stars-le-suquet-laguiole
======
rjzzleep
He's not the only one. [1][3]

In fact some places like Kyo Aji from Kenichiro Nishi - who is apparently a
very good and famous chef - go as far as ban michelin tourists. Or at least
try to.

Just look at this discussion on chowhound [2]. Interesting comment:

> Kyoaji is probably sick of rich foreigners trying to book via 5 star hotel
> concierges. Maybe change your strategy, and stay at a budget salaryman hotel
> and use their concierge?

[1]:
[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/business/worldbusiness/24g...](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/business/worldbusiness/24guide.html?mcubz=1)

[2]: [https://www.chowhound.com/post/secure-kyoaji-
reservation-930...](https://www.chowhound.com/post/secure-kyoaji-
reservation-930916)

[3]: [https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/top-chefs-
micheli...](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/top-chefs-michelin-
stars)

~~~
ue_
>“Japanese food was created here, and only Japanese know it,” Mr. Kadowaki
said in an interview. “How can a bunch of foreigners show up and tell us what
is good or bad?”

I feel like this has a xenophobic undertone to it; nobody's showing up
anywhere, it's a guide which attempts to find good restaurants and food around
the globe; what makes the Japanese in his view so specially qualified to judge
the food? If the food was only found to be tasteful for Japanese tastes then I
doubt it would have made its way into the Michelin guide, no?

~~~
chongli
_xenophobic undertone_

It's another facet of gentrification. A restaurant owner may really love
having a small, local clientele of regulars and a very good atmosphere due to
that fact. Then one day he gets awarded a Michelin star and suddenly thousands
of tourists descend on his place and swamp it with unwanted business. Is it
xenophobic to suggest he might prefer to go back to the previous situation?

~~~
kodfodrasz
Also, if it was xenophobic. So what? Doesn't a businessman have the right to
choose who to do business with?

I believe free trade is a good thing, but seems like many americans mistook
free trade for gunboat diplomacy (see opening of Japan). In my understanding
free trade is free as in free will: both parties voluntarily take part in the
exchange of goods and services.

Also one can be patriotic in a way that he/she (no xe!) wants to preserve the
cultural heritage, which is not only buildings and artifacts in museums, but
also customs. Customs can be preserved by people sustaining them by
continuously acting according to them. Local customs can be ruined pretty
quickly via a huge influx of tourists.

Example: In my younger day I could see elderly people sitting in the small
parks around playgrounds and children playing at some parts of the city. Now
in these parts of the city what I can see is playgrounds have been closed.
Public places have been closed, no elderly talking, playing chess on a summer
afternoon. Instead there are "party tourists" littering, being loud and drunk
an sometimes acting atrociously as early as 2pm on weekdays. A local custom
(socialization of the locals) has been wiped by tourism. Slowly locals are
freeing the "party district".

I can understand why one wants to avoid such situation (even as Michelin
-tourists are not this troublesome, but starts a trend, which can even lead
here). Is this xenophobic, then be so. I understand why people want to be
xenophobic then.

~~~
nimchimpsky
> So what?

Lots of people don't like xenophobia.

> have the right to choose who to do business with?

Ah here we go. Like the hoteliers who don't allow gay people to stay ?

~~~
kodfodrasz
> Lots of people don't like xenophobia.

And lots of people don't like foreigners.

> Like the hoteliers who don't allow gay people to stay ?

Even that is OK in my opinion. The market will sort it out. There are clubs
where gay people can have a good time. If gay accomodation becomes a niche
market, there will be people seizing that opportunity. The law shall not
discriminate people, but telling people what to think and forcing them doing
stuff they don't agree with is dictatorship.

~~~
nimchimpsky
wow, I forget that people like you exist.

~~~
kodfodrasz
wow, just wow!

~~~
dang
We've banned this account for taking this thread into a wretched flamewar, as
well as for violating the site guidelines repeatedly and ignoring our requests
to stop.

If you don't want to be banned on HN, you're welcome to email
hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that you'll follow the rules
in the future.

------
nwhatt
Part of me wonders if he wants to be removed in protest, or if he wants to
sort of exit with three stars, and not have to deal with being perceived as
lower quality by losing a star.

I don’t speak French, but here’s the video announcing it:
[https://www.facebook.com/BrasOfficiel/videos/vb.190323656659...](https://www.facebook.com/BrasOfficiel/videos/vb.1903236566598979/1946897092232926)

~~~
mlorenz
French speaker here. He's essentially saying: "At 46 years of age, I want to
run my business the same as before (with thanks to Michelin for the acclaim
they have afforded us) but without the pressure of the three stars."

Totally get it, and totally agree. The meaning I take from the video: "Let us
do our best without worrying about being judged every second of every day."
Must be exhausting to be in that situation.

Bravo!

~~~
wavefunction
My first inclination is "Why doesn't he just ignore Michelin" but then I
realize that a poor ranking in Michelin could do real damage to his business
beyond the segment of his guests that is aware of Michelin ratings.

Thanks for the translation by the way.

~~~
Grue3
Pretty sure you can't have a "poor Michelin ranking". The restaurants that are
judged poorly are not included in the listing at all.

~~~
ousta
thats not the point. for a three stars loosing a star is loosing money which
means loosing quality, you can't afford to pay top notch cooks, they leave,
you loose more quality, you have to lower your price, you buy cheaper
products, you loose quality...

~~~
mcv
But instead, he wants to lose all three stars? There's undeniably something
irrational about his request.

If he's willing to lose stars to get rid of the pressure, he can simply ignore
the judges.

------
mcv
I find it odd that he prefers losing all three stars over losing only one
star. If he's willing to lose stars, can't he just ignore Michelin and simply
cook the way he wants?

I'm reminded of Ron Blaauw, a Dutch 2-star chef who was also tired of the
pressure of his 2-star fine-dining restaurant (not sure if it was Michelin or
just the kind of restaurant), so he started his more informal "Gastrobar" for
just a quick bite instead of Michelin-level dining, and was immediately
awarded a star for it.

~~~
chipsambos
If he just continues on and loses one or more stars then, no matter how public
he is about the restaurant's change of direction, it will be widely regarded
as a demotion. Opening a second, more informal eatery might not appeal to him
for any number of valid reasons.

It seems reasonably clear that the ongoing cost in terms of anxiety and, to
some extent, the freedom to change or loosen up things is simply not worth the
accolade to him anymore. The article states: "because of the huge pressure of
being judged on every dish he serves... and the anxiety over Michelin’s
anonymous food judges, who could arrive at his restaurant at any moment...
“You’re inspected two or three times a year, you never know when. Every meal
that goes out could be inspected. That means that, every day, one of the 500
meals that leaves the kitchen could be judged. “Maybe I will be less famous
but I accept that,” he said, adding that he would continue to cook excellent
local produce “without wondering whether my creations will appeal to
Michelin’s inspectors”."

So, he's quitting on his own terms. Assuming it's not a rash decision borne
from burn-out or some temporary phase or state of mind then I think it's
admirable.

~~~
jowiar
That level of obsession is necessary for ensuring that every non-professional
eater is receiving the meal they expected. What is the difference? “I’ll put
on a show for the critics, and mail it in for everyone else”? Or “The quality
we’re delivering is unsustainable”. Saying the first is being a jackass, while
the latter is fine. But put it that way rather than blaming others.

------
nicolashahn
Makes sense - there's a lot of responsibility that comes with Michelin stars
and he wants to be free of it. I guess this is newsworthy because most find
the benefits outweigh the downsides. I'm guessing he's got enough acclaim
without the stars that it's tilted the scale the other way for him.

~~~
bsder
Exactly, he's had the stars long enough that they are a bother instead of a
blessing.

Presumably there is also a lot of constraint when making up dishes of the sort
of "Would a Michelin reviewer score this well?" which is different from "Is
this an excellent dish?"

------
fermigier
The fate of Benoit Violier (French-Swiss chef that took his own life after
being awarded his third Michelin star in 2016) come to mind in this context:

[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/01/benoit-
violier...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/01/benoit-violier-
chefs-mourn-french-swiss-kill-himself-talented)

~~~
piker
Referenced in the article as well.

~~~
JosephLark
The article actually mentions Bernard Loiseau, not Benoit Violier. Loiseau
took his life after hearing rumors his restaurant would be demoted from three
to two Michelin stars.

There was a book written about the Loiseau event (reads like it was supposed
to be a biography at first, of which the suicide obviously overtook the
narrative): The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine [0].

[0] [https://www.amazon.com/Perfectionist-Life-Death-Haute-
Cuisin...](https://www.amazon.com/Perfectionist-Life-Death-Haute-
Cuisine/dp/1592401074/)

------
robbrown451
Well, I had never heard of him before and now I want to go to his restaurant.

Well played!

------
Tomminn
Makes total sense to opt out on top. I'm surprised more chefs don't do the
same. If people say that "it's not the same" after a few years, you can make a
come-back with all the free PR that entails.

~~~
QAPereo
Many many chefs who rise to the top of the game, well they're interesting
people to say the least. Not unlike professional soldiers, firefighters, or
frankly pirates. Some however I just really really good with food, or really
nerdy about food, and I don't really "chef types" per se. However in this
world a lot of times people are drawn to being a chef because of a dream of
high-level success, or television fame... that also draws a particular kind of
person, especially the one who succeed.

I want to emphasize though that some of the highest performing chefs don't fit
this model I'm talking about, to be completely fair. I think they would agree
with my assessment however, at least in many cases.

------
leowoo91
I don't know how this works but it would be better if ratings would be for
specific meals only, that way chefs wouldn't stress out trying new variations.

~~~
lozenge
Excellent food starts with excellent (seasonal) ingredients. Menus can change
frequently.

------
pier25
As a developer I want to opt out of app reviews too.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

~~~
jowiar
You are nailing his actual opinion better than anyone else on here. No need to
apologize.

~~~
sprafa
Big difference, he's not trying to leave Yelp.

~~~
jowiar
But Yelp isn’t the go-to destination for answering “Where can I find a once-
in-a-lifetime caliber meal”. And what this chef wants is to be able to lock in
his reputation at delivering said caliber meal without any checking as to
whether he still operates at that standard.

~~~
sprafa
No he wants to leave the standard entirely. He just wants to be unlisted from
something which has changed his life and he thinks, not for the better. I
don't see a reason why he shouldn't be allowed to do that.

~~~
jowiar
That's complete BS. If he was running a little neighborhood place selling
dinner for $30, I'd buy what you're saying. But he's not.

Google "Le suquet", and in the Google tagline, you get: "Le Suquet at Laguiole
the three star gastronomic restaurant of Sébastien Bras."

He'd rather Le Suquet be forever known as "the place that was 3 stars until
the Chef told the reviewers to fuck off" rather than "the place that was 3
stars but isn't any more because quality control has slipped".

------
teekert
Why not just do what you like and ignore the stars? This just seems like a
weak attitude. "Please, don't judge me anymore I can't take it". If you care,
you care, if you don't care you don't care.

It's not like Michelin forces him to do anything. Perhaps put a note on the
door: "Sorry, I do what I like and at any moment your expectations based on
Michelin's stars may be different from what I want to do with my restaurant."

Anyway, the 500 meals a day _are_ judged, by more important people, your
customers.

~~~
tedivm
Dropping out of "competition" will be better publicity than losing a star.

~~~
mcv
But if doing this for publicity, then it's insincere.

~~~
tedeh
True, but I assume the publicity of dropping out would be temporary. A year
from now everyone has forgotten about this request anyway, and he will
presumably no longer be listed in the Michelin guide anymore.

Keeping your Michelin stars is definitely a form of publicity, and a more
lasting one at that than a temporary stunt just to get some press.

So it would seem to me like a bad move to do this only for publicity.

------
andrewmcwatters
There's a lot of integrity in the weight of the request, even if it's out of a
place of wanting less pressure.

------
Bromskloss
Better headline: "French chef asks to be stripped of his three Michelin stars
because of the huge pressure of being judged on every dish he serves."

There, now, the reader gets most of the information content right away.

------
panopticon
> You’re inspected two or three times a year, you never know when. Every meal
> that goes out could be inspected. That means that, every day, one of the 500
> meals that leaves the kitchen could be judged.

It sounds like he wants to be able to relax the quality without hurting his
reputation. I can't help but to feel that it's disingenuous somehow, but maybe
I'm being unreasonable.

~~~
jdietrich
The Michelin guide (and their readers) have fairly specific expectations for a
starred restaurant. Many diners expect a Michelin-starred restaurant to
provide flamboyant haute cuisine and are disappointed when they receive simple
but excellent food. Restauranteurs can feel pressured to live up to the
stereotype of a Michelin-starred restaurant, rather than cooking in their own
style. Several restaurants have rejected their stars, primarily to escape this
weight of expectation.

[http://fortune.com/2014/12/11/michelin-star-restaurants-
down...](http://fortune.com/2014/12/11/michelin-star-restaurants-down-side/)
[https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/12/02/inenglish/1417521188_19...](https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/12/02/inenglish/1417521188_192723.html)

~~~
mcv
So why not just ignore the expectations and cook what you want? If Michelin
tourists have different expectations than what Michelin judges judge on, then
that's the source of the problem. People shouldn't blindly go visit a
restaurant with stars and expect it to be identical to other restaurants with
stars.

------
mannykannot
When the pursuit of quantitative quality becomes a fetish, it's an OCD-like
disorder.

~~~
sitkack
Yay! mechanized performance reviews.

------
carlchenet
Senderens French chef was I guess the first one to ask to be stripped of his 3
stars.

------
mmirate
This reads like part of an Economics 101 textbook. If quantity supplied is
limited and demand increases, the obvious solution is to increase the price
enough to hold constant the quantity demanded.

------
wiz21c
so the new fad will be : I'm so rich I have contacts all over the planets how
know about those top restaurant that are fortunately hidden of the Michelin
guide. So I can go to top restaurant where there none of these poor customers
who can barely afford the 3 stars :-)

------
rednerrus
Probably tired of maintaining the restrooms.

