French master chef Joel Robuchon has died at the age of 73.
A spokeswoman for Robuchon confirmed his death, with French TV station BFM and newspaper Le Figaro reporting that he died in Geneva on Monday from cancer.
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, holder of the most Michelin stars in the world.
Joel Robuchon 1947-2018A very sad day for any of us in our industry and for the millions of other 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. #sad
— Andrew Zimmern (@andrewzimmern) August 6, 2018
Robuchon was known for his constant innovation and even playfulness in the kitchen — a revelation to the traditional world of French cuisine.
He had built an empire of gourmet restaurants across the world.
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