MichelinStarsChallenge R
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In my tour of the important Michelin stars, I had to visit Yoann Conte (follow me for the reviews on all the Michelin Stars in Paris and 3 Stars in France, and many more)
Achieving with a smile: A lesson in management.
The classical question for 2/3 stars: What’s extraordinary here? I say extraordinary for a reason, because it’s really out of ordinary.
Usually I focus on 3 things but today just one that says it all.
A great manager. When I arrived I was a bit disappointed because exceptionally, Yoann Conte wasn’t there that night. He is known to be very present in the room. I was eager to see him in action. Well, actually, it was better this way, because even not there, he was there.
A good manager knows the know how and helps his team learn and execute. That’s nice. A great manager, the goal is that the team can guess what he would answer or how he would behave in certain situation. That means that it’s not just a know how that has been transmitted, it’s the philosophy. It means that there’s a logic, a philosophy that drives you (vs illogical when it’s just a pulsion that governs you, and sometimes eats you alive).
What did I witness when I was there? I witnessed a team that embraced, even embodied, what I think is the(one of) philosophy of the chef : Achieving smiling. Not just with a smile, but having pleasure.
It started with the sommelier (congratulations for the prizes) that has such specific wine in his list, that he is picking like rare herbs on top of a mountains. Very unique, on the point, perfect match with the client. I ve seen hundreds of wine lists, actually all the 3 stars, he picked some very few that you would hardly find in another 2/3 stars. Achiever.
The service. Same thing there. I’m not going to repeat myself, I just let you read the reviews of others to witness the level of accomplishment. You see the little flames in every single eyes, a burning passion and joy for what they do.
The setting, especially with the updates fournitures, is, for a lack of better word, perfect.
The cuisine? A masterclass. Noble product but for your learning experience (caviar), regional, emotional (personal history), etc… Everything is there to tell you not just one story but many layers creating an experience, a footprint in the guest mind.
All this without the chef being there. Only the true masters, the real managers, the chef with a vision and more of all, with a spirit can achieve that.
So I’m writing and posting this the 18th March at 4:30pm on purpose. Today is France Michelin Star’s reveal.
I want to post it before it. Because regardless of the results, the team made us feel that we were in a 3 stars. I know that I’ll remember that evening forever.
So regardless, I have to congratulate, the chef but especially the team for performing so well that you guys embodied the spirit so well, that I saw you achieving with a smile. And that smile, I’ll have it forever when I think of the evening.
I just wish that one day I’ll be able to congratulate the chef is person.
A top tiers 2 stars (for now….). A masterclass in management, and everything else.
