A documentary series follows five chefs in the running to appear among the elite of gastronomy, which undergo the overwhelming pressure of this launch ramp offering them the recognition of their peers.
By Clara Rosello
From the outset, the tone is set: each participant is supposed to make all the possible sacrifices to win the star of his dreams. The star ? That of the Michelin guide, of course. Its prestige is primarily and above all to its difficulty in obtaining: there are 175,000 restaurants in France, and only 627 of them have the famous macaroon. In 2022, 41 tables joined this elite of gastronomy; and 55 establishments have lost their star (s).
A few days before the stars ceremony for 2023, which will take place on Monday, March 6, in Strasbourg, C8 has teamed up with Warner to launch a program in the form of a preparatory competition for this “world of gastronomy” .
Five chefs are in the running: Xavier Pincemin (Le Pincemin, in Versailles), star of social networks, winner of “Top Chef” in 2016 (and author of Carnage, published by Hachette in 2022); Victor Mercier, new Michelin 2022 starry with its Parisian restaurant, fief, which offers 100 % French cuisine; Sophie Reigner (iodé, in Vannes), cooking by passion without having been formed; Camille Brouillard and Soufiane Assarrar (L’Hoîtrier Pie, in Saint-Emilion, in Gironde), a couple working with four hands, and Stéphane Polly (Le Vivarais, in Vals-les-Bains, in Ardèche), who lost his star In 2021 after spending six years in a row to keep it – and which intends to regain it.
“Go shock the palace”
To hope to impress the inspectors of the Red Guide, “the important thing is to go shock the palace,” says Xavier Pincemin. Their strict expertise joins the search for perfection by the chiefs. For many, the first star means the start of a career, an accomplishment, a revenge on life. And recognition by peers.
Without being in direct rivalry in the show, the chefs are followed in their restaurant, in town or in the provinces, during their preparation process before the inspectors. Nothing should have the air of deja vu. These young cooks constantly seek to take up new bets, with local products, in order to surprise customers and judges. Thus of Sophie Reigner, who “seeks the difficulty of bringing iodine, the appetizer to the dessert”, or Victor Mercier: her loves surprises in his dishes, playing “simplexity” (idea simple, complex realization).
The pressure is overwhelming in this race, just like in the culinary environment in general, very anxiety -provoking. In brigades, apprentices are often treated harshly to learn vigor and endurance, which also plays on the heavy atmosphere of prestigious kitchens.
Gastronomy is however an art, which, like any other creation, starts from the imagination and creativity of its chef: “It is not only technique, in the kitchen: it is also a Mission of emotions “, underlines Sophie Reigner.