[INTERVIEW] “Paul Bocuse” – Chef Christophe Muller

On May 9, 2019, at “Maison Paul Bocuse” in Daikanyama, Tokyo, a gala dinner was held to celebrate the visit to Japan of Christophe Muller, executive chef of “Restaurant Paul Bocuse” in Lyon, France.

Monsieur Paul – Paul Bocuse – still holds enormous influence over chefs and food lovers around the world. We spoke with Chef Christophe Muller, entrusted with the Maison’s future as his successor, about the road ahead for “Paul Bocuse” in both France and Japan.

Christophe Muller

Born in Alsace, France, in 1971. Won the M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in 2000. He is currently the executive chef of “Paul Bocuse.”

Gault et Millau Japon editorial team (GM): Thank you for taking the time to see us today. How many times have you now visited Japan?

Chef Christophe Muller: This is my fourth time. I love Japan! Beyond the food, I think the spirit of people respecting one another here is wonderful. I’m also a huge fan of Japanese knives, and every time I come, I’m taken to Kappabashi to look at knives and all sorts of cooking tools.

GM: What is it about Japanese cooking tools that interests you?

Chef Muller: Cooking tools can change the way you cook – and the dishes themselves. Take the tweezers used for delicate plating. They’re taken for granted in French cuisine now, but it was Japanese chefs who first started using them. Tweezers make far more delicate expression possible than plating with tongs or by hand.

“Even made the same way, a dish never tastes exactly the same. What matters is passing down the recipe and the technique. Precisely because ‘perfect reproduction’ is impossible, isn’t it the transmission of recipes and techniques that supports the very essence of cooking?”

Chef Christophe Muller

GM: On this visit, in addition to the gala dinner, you’ll be touring all the Brasserie Paul Bocuse locations in Tokyo to give hands-on guidance.

Chef Muller: My mission is to pass on the techniques of “Paul Bocuse.” Even for something like a single cream sauce – even if the staff have prepared it in advance – I make a point of making it from scratch, in order to convey the exact method and technique directly.

GM: There are many differences between Japan and France – the flavor of ingredients, palates, and so on. Do you find anything difficult about giving technical guidance?

Chef Muller: I have great expectations for “Paul Bocuse” in Japan. The chefs at each location are extremely capable, and the staff are wonderful people. The service staff are of high quality too – so much so that I think the prices are almost too low for the quality of the food and service! (laughs) With such excellent staff, I feel no difficulty simply because Japan and France are different.

GM: There are surely differences between Japan and France in how French cuisine is thought of and in palates as well. What is your view on that?

Chef Muller: It’s true that, in the past, the French cuisine made by Japanese chefs tended to go light on salt. But now Japan uses salt firmly too, and I don’t feel much difference in palate. That said, there are times when sushi eaten in Japan tastes better than sushi eaten in France. Environmental factors such as soil and climate, and cultural and historical backgrounds, may indeed differ. Such differences exist everywhere. And even made the same way, a dish never comes out tasting exactly the same. But what matters is passing on the recipe and the technique. Precisely because “perfect reproduction” is impossible, isn’t it the transmission of recipes and techniques that supports the very essence of cooking?

GM: What do you value most when handing down recipes and techniques?

Chef Muller: “Taste” is everything. I never change a recipe. Instead of changing the amount of butter, I bring a recipe up to date through technique – things like heat control. For example, chicken steamed at 62°C improves in both texture and flavor – but this kind of technique is something you acquire through experience. My approach is not to change the method, but to give it a contemporary finish through the skill that comes with experience.

GM: For instance, the “Truffle soup V.G.E., dedicated at the Élysée Palace in 1975” has literally been passed down with the same recipe since 1975.

Chef Muller: This soup was created by Monsieur Paul as a token of thanks when he received the Legion of Honour from the French president of the time, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. It’s a landmark dish for Bocuse.

GM: Each time people eat this soup, the episode behind it is retold and engraved in their hearts – truly a “taste of tradition.” How do you feel about carrying on your shoulders a world-renowned Maison like “Paul Bocuse,” with all of that history?

Chef Muller: “Paul Bocuse” is built on a wonderful team. Three chefs hold the M.O.F., and they support the Maison. For example, while I am in Japan, the other two chefs protect the “Paul Bocuse” kitchen. Doing good work steadily, without interruption – this is what Monsieur Paul cherished most. Beyond passing down recipes and techniques, making the most of the strength of teamwork is also indispensable to carrying on the Maison. In both Japan and France, wonderful staff support the Maison as one. I am one of them, but it is thanks to this powerful team that “Paul Bocuse” exists.

GM: Thank you very much for sharing such valuable stories today.

Chef Muller: Please go and enjoy the gala dinner! (In the second part, we’ll report on the gala dinner.)

May 9, 2019, at Maison Paul Bocuse

Interview: Gault et Millau Japon editorial team

Photography & cooperation: Hiramatsu Inc.