Pascal Henry Speaks
Race Car Gourmet Gets Honest at Jacques Perrin's Blog
The world of haute cuisine was shocked last June when Pascal Henry went missing after dining at the three-star El Bulli in Catalonia. The Swiss race car driver was in the midst of a culinary tour of the world during which he planned to visit all 68 Michelin three-star restaurants in 68 days. Then he left after dinner, and didn't come back. Interpol arrived on the scene and an invesigation was under way.
For weeks nobody knew where Henry was. Some surmised he had simply run out of money. Then he reappeared just as suddenly in Geneva. This past Sunday Pascal Henry agreed to speak with Swiss wine expert Jacques Perrin at his blog after months of silence. During this exclusive interview, Henry explains why he went on the breakneck gourment tour in the first place and why he suddenly stopped. He also remembers some of the culinary highlights from his fine food binge.
It All Began Chez Girardet
Pascal Henry says that his interest in gourmet dining dates back to 1982 when he first visited Frédy Girardet's famous restaurant in Crissier, Switzerland. For Henry, there is life before Girardet and life after Girardet. The award-winning chef's creations changed his life. Although Swiss, Girardet is renowned for evolving French cuisine during his career. He retired in 1996 at the age of 60.
Every Restaurant With Three Stars From Michelin
Why did Pascal Henry vow to eat at every 68 three-star restaurant in the world in just as many days? He says he wanted a break from race-car driving. And then he read an article about a couple who visited all 26 three-star restaurants in Europe in 26 days. He decided to do the same. Only bigger. In retrospect, he says his original intentions were wrong. "That frenzy of tables was like an addiction," he now admits.
Dinner at Enoteca Pinchiorri for All the Wrong Reasons
Pascal Henry says he "was already feeling unwell," a week before dining and ditching at El Bulli. He was at Florence's Enoteca Pinchiorri when his trip no longer made sense to him. He realized that a huge emptiness that had been present from the start was now growing. On June 13th after his meal at El Bulli, he went out to his car to get a calling card for a Spanish journalist. He started his vehicle and drove off into the night instead.
High Points: The Menu at Hof Van Cleve and Bernard Loiseau's Desserts
Although Henry seems to have burnt himself out a bit after his culinary challenge, he still fondly remembers the delicacies. He says that every single course at Hof Van Cleve in Flanders was notable. Calandre and Dal Pescatore were both "magnificent." Desserts overall didn't impress him, but he did enjoy the strawberry shortbread with cotton candy at Bernard Loiseau's restaurant.
Race Car Driver Becomes Sommelier?
At the end of the interview, Pascal Henry tells Jacques Perrin that the wine menus at haute cuisine restaurants are overpriced and don't offer enough options. Even though he's somewhat embarassed by his 68 three-star challenge, he's interested in a career change and – surprise! – would like to work in a restaurant. He's considering becoming a sommelier.
Wine expert Jacques Perrin's in-depth interview with Pascal Henry is a satisfying coda to the culinary mystery of 2008. At points Henry seems just as perplexed by his behavior as the rest of the world was. The challenge he gave himself – to eat at every three-star restaurant in the world – began to ring hollow. And so he quit.
Resources:
Jacques Perrin, "Pascal Henry, sans toi ni moi," Le blog de Jacques Perrin, January 11, 2009
Jean-Claude Ribaut, "La cavale culinaire de Pascal Henry," Le Monde, August 11, 2008
Colman Andrews, "Girardet After Girardet," Saveur, Issue #37
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