Discreet, dressed in black, simple and serene. Christophe Cussac is perhaps the only chef proudly bearing his 2 Michelin stars for… 37 years. All in all, he had the 2 of them awarded four times in a few different restaurants. Managing the prestigious “Le Métropole” kitchen in Monaco, the chef has also taken over the new gourmet “Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac”. He is thus asserting himself as the proud heir to his mentor and “Chef of the Century,” Joël Rebuchon. Having grown up in the shadow of this exceptional man, he eventually managed to find his own style, his signature, his DNA. It is all about a certain sobriety made of restraint, good taste, refinement and moderation. No avalanche of exotic products, or unique spice blends, or innovation, no whatever it takes approach. Rather a calm and thoughtful search for successful combinations with only three different flavours per dish and a good dose of love.
Christophe Cussac is also a big music lover, especially the blues. For him, it’s all about finding three chords, much like one does with the blues notes. And the melody he composes makes your taste buds truly dance.
HM: You are following in your parents’ footsteps from a very early age…
Christophe Cussac: In a way, I do. My parents owned a château in Tonnerre in the Yonne area, Burgundy, a region famous for its gastronomy. It was an 11th-century abbey that my grandmother had bought after the war. A good cook, she decided to turn it into a guesthouse. My father was then an engineer in Paris who loved old buildings. Overwhelmed by her success, grandmother turned to her children for help. He thus quit his job to start a new life. That’s how it all started…
HM: So you were born in Burgundy…
Christophe: No, back when my father still was in Paris. So I’m Parisian, but I arrived in Burgundy around the age of 8.
Striving for perfection year after year, my father turned the place into a château. He hired a Michelin star chef. As to my father, he’s never been a cook and never claimed to be one. He said he never wanted to pretend and remained himself.
HM: Ah! So, it was your grandmother who passed on the love of cooking and gastronomy.
Christophe: Some chefs would tell you they grew up in their mother’s or grandmother’s shoes. Not me. If anything, helping out over Easter was more of a chore. You know, when you’re 10, 12 or 14, you’re a bit of a rebel. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t passionate about it. Maybe an unspoken transmission happened, however…
HM: And what did you do after that?
Christophe: I went to a hotel school in Paris. It was more my parents’ choice. I wasn’t a brilliant student; school wasn’t really my thing. I liked something more real, something you could produce with your own hands.
So I got interested in cooking. And if you are into something, you have to do it well. That’s what my father believed, and I took it for myself. After my studies, I worked in the Royal Monceau for a year. Then it was military service, following which I was offered a job as a kitchen secretary.
HM: What was that job about?
Christophe: It was the first position created by Joël Robuchon at the Concorde Lafayette, Porte Maillot, the largest 1000-roomed hotel in Paris. Back then, Robuchon was a chef well recognized by his peers, but not at all known to the general public.
It was the first time that a kitchen secretary was required for a large team. The Chef did not want the sous-chefs to typically handle all the administrative work. He wanted them in the kitchen. A kitchen secretary was not an easy job. Doing the purchases, placing the orders, managing the teams. I had 90 cooks, pastry chefs, bakers and butchers…
As you may see, it was no easy matter having all this staff organized. There was a lot of interaction involved between the different hotel services. I never touched the food, however.
But life is full of opportunities. It was never my dream to be a kitchen secretary, and I knew I wouldn’t be one for the rest of my life.
When Robuchon left for a catering director position at the Nikko Hotel, I asked him what was to become of me. And he answered: “Your parents own a hotel-restaurant; you have to cook. Otherwise, you’d always be dependent on a chef, and it will be tricky for you.” So I agreed with that.
HM: Do you consider Joël Robuchon your mentor?
Christophe: More than just that! He’s my spiritual father! Upon his advice, I returned to the kitchen with a two-year detour into pastry as he believed it was necessary to master both. Then I started working in the kitchen by his side. I spent a year with him when he bought his first “Le Jamin” which brought him one, then two, and finally three stars. I followed him in his choices, his actions, his passion for things. He truly was like a father. He actually called me “my little one.” We were very close…
HM: You then returned to your parents’ home in Burgundy?
Christophe: I spent a year at “Troisgros” in Roanne first. I then returned to my parents’ home as a chef. In three years, we earned our second star, and a little later, our third. The abbey was eventually sold and I ended up at “La Réserve” in Beaulieu. They were looking for a two-star chef for their restaurant which no longer had a star. A year later, we received our first star, two years later, our second…
A few years went by, the Métropole Hotel in Monaco was being renovated. In 2003, Robuchon had already opened his workshops in Paris, revolutionizing fine dining with a counter, coloured glassware, simple dishes and seasonal produce. That’s when the Boustany family asked him to take over the Métropole gastronomy. There was a lot to do, and Joël invited me over.
Having Robuchon as a coach was a tremendous opportunity. Unless you are over your job or just want to rest on your laurels, you can’t say no to that!
HM: What is the Robuchon style?
Christophe: It’s an open kitchen in every sense of the word. It’s all about simplicity and conviviality. Customers can see the team at work, and the atmosphere is warm. It was Robuchon who had the idea of seasonal products, currently embraced by all other chefs. He was the one to set the fashion.
I’m talking about a time when menus were strictly set. With him, we could print a different one every day, in pursuit of the freshest produce. You know, when you’re a chef, you are sometimes going around in circles. He questioned himself a lot…
HM: Wasn’t it a little frustrating to start again without a star?
Christophe: I was already in the spotlight with my two Michelin stars. So I was fine stepping back and taking a seat behind Mr. Robuchon. Incidentally, at that point, he no longer wanted a star. But you do get caught up in the star game, and today we’ve got two.
HM: Do you have your own style? How would you define it?
Christophe: There’s obviously a Robuchon imprint. As in all art, we’re influenced by our predecessors. It is that of simplicity and conviviality. Apart from that, everybody has his own cuisine. To define my style, I want my diners to savour the entire dish in their mouth from the very first bite. This means it must be balanced, perfectly measured. Not too many spices, different ingredients and textures must be in harmony. Sometimes you have to remove an ingredient from a dish to make it better. Always aiming for harmony, never for cacophony.
HM: We often draw a parallel between music and cooking…
Christophe: Indeed, you got it! I’m passionate about music. Rock, soul, blues. I was even a DJ for a while. The blues is fundamental, its essence is basic: the three chords that come up all the time! In cooking, I have the same approach: three chords are all you need.
My cuisine is modern, Mediterranean, full of flavours. It is the balance I am always aiming for. I use saffron extensively which brings a truly warm colour and a unique, easily identifiable flavour. But you always have to do it sparingly…
HM: Didn’t a Burgundian struggle to adopt the French Riviera cuisine?
Christophe: It took me a while. In Burgundy, we work with just one olive oil. Here, we use three or four different ones depending on the acidity you need. To us, a capon is poultry. Here, it’s a fresh-from-the-water fish from the scorpionfish family… It’s definitely easier to sell to our customers than the coq de Bourgogne.
HM: What are your signature dishes?
Christophe: I’m interested in the entire Mediterranean region. I make a kind of paella drawing inspiration from Lebanon, Morocco, Crete, and Italy, of course.
My signature dishes? Sardines, widely popular on the French Riviera, but refined for gastronomic purposes. We eat them raw, marinated in lemon. Part of their flesh is mixed with a whipped cream for the sake of a nice presentation. It has become a signature dish for me.
I’m also quite proud of my lobster lasagna. Let me tell you the story of this dish. One day, when were in Portofino with the family, I was hesitating as to what to order. Then I saw a pretty wavy dish pass by and asked what it was. I was told it was a typically Italian pesto lasagna.
The green colour made the dish attractive. I took a picture. Back home, I thought it was much more aesthetically appealing than a usual lasagna thanks to its wavy presentation. Back then I was about to put lobster pasta on the menu. And then it all came together! I found the trick for the right colour combination. A bed of spinach, a wavy lasagna sheet and the lobster bathed in sauce as a final touch. People loved it!
Even if it’s the hardest part, you have to keep it simple. Three flavours, no more. Same as when we dress, we stick to three colours…
I’m lucky to have worked at “Troisgros”. Nothing could be simpler than their sorrel salmon, yet it’s been all around the world. Same for Robuchon’s mashed potatoes!
HM: “Les Ambassadeurs” has just reopened. It has a modern vibe to it. Is the dining hall important to you?
Christophe: It’s 50 % of the success! It was designed to welcome customers, not just for dining. There’s a corner where you can enjoy a drink, and the kitchen is open. The customers can always come see us after the meal. When I see happiness in their eyes, it’s the greatest gift, and I know why I do my job. It’s all about emotion. Like for a painter.
After a meal, I go see the guests. I don’t ask them if the food was good, just if they had a good time.
HM: Do you have children?
Christophe: I have three, one of my sons is working by my side in the dining hall. My daughter lives in the United States, she is into event management. As for my youngest son, he recently came to dinner. After tasting the dishes, his praise was: “Dad, did you do this? You’re a hero!” The greatest reward.
HM: You love your job passionately, but do you have a dream? A third star, perhaps…
Christophe: The third star is, of course, the Holy Grail. But it’s not an end in itself. Do I have a dream? A good question. No one’s ever asked me that. Maybe to live forever… (smiles). That might sound presumptuous. My mother used to say: “What are we going to do with you? You are not into school…” But today, I’m living my dream. Head Chef at one of the most beautiful hotels in the Principality. The owners and management trust me and we are committed to the same goals. I’m in Monaco. When I go out and see the casino rooftops and the most luxurious cars in the world, I’m dazzled. Yes, life is beautiful, and I appreciate its every day.
