Word: robuchon
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Although there is some argument as to the best name, there seems to be complete agreement that the most successfully innovative practitioner of the new cooking is Joel Robuchon, 40, the chef and proprietor of Jamin, in Paris' elegant 16th arrondissement. The dimpled, diffident Robuchon astounded the French food hierarchy (and himself) in 1984 when he won the coveted three-star rating from the Guide Michelin only three years after he bought the . restaurant. Not even the two stars he had previously earned as chef at the Nikko hotel in Paris prepared him for gaining Michelin's top rating...
...important to respect the integrity of the ingredients by preserving their flavors and aromas," says Robuchon. Working in a bright and airy kitchen amid hanging rows of gleaming copper pans, he oversees a staff of 18. Among them, they turn out pasta and homemade breads twice a day, as well as thin, crackling raspberry and orange tarts. Sooner or later all try their hand at the subtle and restrained garnishes created by Robuchon. He tends to favor a pointillist shimmer of color, sometimes achieved with tiny droplets of tomato sauce dotted from a knife point to rim a sauce...
...charms the eye with color, Robuchon lights up the palate with seasonings. His best dish, canette rosee (roasted and then braised duckling) is spiced with a Chinese-style dip of salt, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, coriander and nutmeg. Other revelations in flavor contrasts were the diced kidneys and sweetbreads sauteed with earthy mushrooms and the high-styled version of tete de cochon (pig's head), here with the meat boned, diced and pungent with parsley, shallots, ginger, coriander and lemon. The accompanying mashed potatoes have inspired critics to wax eloquent...
Young though it is, cuisine moderne has already collected its share of delectable cliches, most notably ravioli filled with shellfish and anything steamed in a packet of cabbage. At Jamin, the seductive interpretation is ravioli with langoustine on melting leaves of cabbage. Although always immaculately cooked, Robuchon's creations are occasionally a bit too bland. ! Examples are his celebrated fillet of lamb in a salt crust and the chicken poached in a pig's bladder that puffs up like a jolly balloon. Because he finds the quality of French beef and veal inconsistent, he does not serve them...