World's Greatest Chef

If you are talking about a chef that is actually cooking every single night the restaurant is open and making top flight haute cuisine, I think I would have to go with Pascal Barbot (although I've never had the pleasure of eating in Spain, which automatically disqualifies me from being able to make a meaningful judgment).
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Frà dy Girardet.

I also love Daniel Boulud, as a chef and restauranteur, though I don't know I'd call him the best.

Ferran Adria, the former chef at El Bulli.

Originally Posted by dragon8

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Ferran Adria, the former chef at El Bulli.

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/fea..._girardet.html

Originally Posted by javyn

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I like that resident of Britain chef who screams at everyone. Been getting into his show on Nflix, Kitchen Nightmares, check it out.

Never actually seen him cook though...

That'll be Gordon Ramsay. Certainly wouldn't say he's the world's greatest chef. Extremely competent but not massively interesting. Some of his restaurants were really more of the product of the executive chefs he had running them and the best of those have moved on (the likes of Marcus Wareing and Jason Atherton).

Not even that good a restaurateur as he managed to take a critically lauded and successful set of about 4 restaurants, massively over-expanded, lost a ton of money and took his eye off the ball a bit in his core locations. That said, I've only eaten at 2 of his restaurants, Maze and La Noisette (which closed down a couple of years ago).


As other people have already asked, what criteria are we judging greatness on? Our own experience? This kind of narrows things down a bit for me, and probably a few other people. Keller, for example, doesn't have any restaurants in the UK, which sort of limits my opportunities to experience his wares. I'm guessing this might be why there's quite a few mentions for the likes of Robuchon who've got restaurants all over the place are likely to get votes.

Also, no votes so far for Ferran Adria (who admittedly doesn't actually run a restaurant now) or Rene Redzepi?

[Edit] OK, some people have said Ferran Adria, I just took too long typing.

So, eventually somebody is going to name a guy who still works in a kitchen. God damn it, Foodnetwork.

Bobby Flay!!1!!

DB is actually in the Daniel kitchen more frequently than I would have guessed. I don't know what he does back there, but I'd venture it creates more of an impact than a video camera.

I wouldn't call him 'the best' either, then again I'm not sure who I would name.

I only know the U.S.

The two best chefs who have ever cooked me dinner (or ran the pass during a dinner that I ate) are Grant Achatz and Michael Carlson.

Originally Posted by gomestar

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DB is actually in the Daniel kitchen more frequently than I would have guessed. I don't know what he does back there, but I'd venture it creates more of an impact than a video camera. I wouldn't call him 'the best' either, then again I'm not sure who I would name.
Well, he does live just right upstairs. But, even if he didn't, I think he knows that in order to maintain his standards and level of quality, his presence in the kitchen is vital. I'd go as far as to say he is addicted to his career; it has made him quite successful, but his marriage also dissolved as a result.

Originally Posted by iammatt

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So, eventually somebody is going to name a guy who still works in a kitchen. God damn it, Foodnetwork.

cat cora!

I'd say chef would mean - working in the kitchen more than not, no additional ventures (rules out Robuchon and Achatz both)...

I had a meal cooked at least in part by Charlie Trotter back in the day, sat at the chef's table and watched him do it - although he gets no love nowadays, but it was still brilliant. Yoshimi Tanagawa made me an amazing lunch once at Kichisen, but I can't imagine too many people have eaten there.

Restauranteur? Not convinced Keller has the consistency top to bottom - Bouchon Bakery is nothing amazing in the end. Probably Robuchon... Never eaten at a Ducasse restaurant so not sure about that either.

I have not personally eaten anything from Renà Redzepi (Noma) or Ferran Adrià (El Bulli), but am guessing their names should go on the list as great chefs. I have been to French Laundry in 2003 and Fat Duck in 2005 and the meals were great, but I'm not sure how much direct involvement Blumenthal and Keller had (though this was before the Keller empire and he was in the kitchen when I ate there).

Best in the world? Wouldn't that depend on what kind of food you like (both type and style)? Nobody will be the best at everything. The world's best pizzaiolo might make a horrible Soufflà . Best Sushi chef may flail at making a great curry, etc. I think a better question would be "who makes the best xxx" so you compare apples to apples.

My top 3 (in no order)

Bras
Achatz
Blumenthal

All of them have been present at every meal I've had. Alinea I've been to more times than I can count, and the last three times I've been there he's plated one of the desserts so it's a bit of a "wtf" to the whole "he doesn't work there" garbage.

^^

When did you go to the Fat Duck?