A Life Worth Eating

40, Rue de la Plage, Lyon, France, Official Website

There are few chefs in France so universally known as Paul Bocuse. It could be because Chef Bocuse, a descendant from a family of chefs dating back to the late 1600s, is 83 years old and still works, though less frequently, in the kitchen. Or the fact that his namesake restaurant in Lyon has had three Michelin stars for over 43 years, making it the restaurant to have the longest period of consecutive years with such an honor. Even the state of California has proclaimed March 10 “Paul Bocuse Day.” It’s no question that Bocuse has an extensive and titled culinary history. What is interesting, however, is that after all these years most of his menu hasn’t changed at all. But fortunately Bocuse continues to reproduce these classics with the same quality and passion that made them popular so many years ago.

Before my visit to chez Bocuse, I had associated “classical French” with the ubiquitous inclusion of French mother sauces containing butter, crème, and wine reductions tasting so starchy and old-fashioned that they could not be exciting. At least that’s what my experience had been. Even in my limited experience at culinary school, we were taught to use these sauces as a springboard for other more elaborate, more international creations to spark originality. But here with Paul Bocuse, the concepts of Spanish molecular gastronomy, California cuisine, and Japanese fusion are foreign. He sticks to the basics; no games. Bocuse only uses classic sauces because he believes it’s the best way to highlight the flavors of meat, fish, and vegetables. He does it because it tastes the best. Period.