CHEF OF THE CENTURY

Joēl Robuchon, World’s Most-Starred Michelin Chef, Dies at 73

One of the all-time greats.

Joël Robuchon—widely regarded as one of the greatest chefs of all time—has died at age 73. A spokeswoman for Robuchon confirmed his death, with French media reporting that he died Monday in Geneva. The master chef was reportedly suffering from cancer. Robuchon won dozens of accolades during his long and illustrious career. He was named among the best craftsmen in France in 1976, crowned cook of the century in 1990, was one of the cooks at the “dinner of the century,” and, for years, was the holder of the most Michelin stars in the world. Chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern wrote: “A very sad day for any of us in our industry and for the millions of others who were touched by this amazing man. When I was 23 I almost crapped myself being part of a team cooking him a birthday dinner in NYC. Over the years he was beyond kind to me.”