Who Wants to Personally Meet Joël Robuchon With Me in NY?!?! Major Contest!

(Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo, Monaco)

Many of you know I was in Monaco earlier this year doing some incredible foodie things. For 9 days I pretended to be among the bourgeoisie and indulge in all kinds of exquisite fru-fru’s—like $8 cappuccinos and penny slots at the Monte Carlo casino! I was fortunate enough to visit The Fairmont Hotel and eat at L’Argentine Grill. The amazing and most flirtatious executive chef, Maryon Gandon, invited me in his kitchen to cook with him. I owe you a thorough post on that visit, which will include a fabulous behind the scenes video. He even shared the most decadent ketchup recipe I was asked to tease you with!

The Fairmont was all that and a bag of fresh figs, but my visit to Hotel Metropole was on another level! Another recount I owe you guys, because if I didn’t you wouldn’t be inspired to take a trip to the Principality. That being said, The Metropole has to be the finest and most grandiose hotel I’ve spent significant time in (notwithstanding my sip and people watching tryst at Hotel de Paris, right around the corner). The décor was old French, yet, included some pop culture imagery. But, that’s not what appealed to my senses. My purpose of visiting The Metropole was to do a brief, but very engaging cooking demo at, get this: Joël Robuchon’s restaurant. I GASP! Yes, yes ya’ll I had the distinct opportunity to go into his kitchen and cook with his executive chef, Christopher Cussac, whom may I add, bears 2 Michelin stars! The goal was to do the cooking demo with Mr. Robuchon himself, but I flew out the day he flew into Monaco, leaving me wanting to meet the man himself.

(Chef Gandon and me at the Fairmont, wait til you see what he made me!)

Chef Cussac and his young team of cooks and sous chefs were admirable and extremely passionate in their work. They epitomized dedication and ethic and were very generous with me. Without getting into much more detail on that visit and what we prepared, I will simply tell you to come back in October for the full post and video (I also ate at YOSHI, another one of Robuchon’s concepts). It was absolutely amazing, to the say least! I mean come on, I was IN THE KITCHEN, by myself, of Joël Robuchon , in Monte Carlo!

(formal dining room inside Joël Robuchon Restaurant, Hotel Metropole)

(interior of Joël Robuchon Kitchen)

(Chef Cussac and me smelling what we were going to make, Joël Robuchon kitchen, Monte Carlo)

But, if you know me, you know that I left with a sense of being incomplete and wanting more! I really wanted to have met the “French Chef of the Century.” The French cuisine master, whom alone boasts 25 Michelin stars! So, I got to work and made it happen.

(pic from NY Restaurant Insider)

On September 29th and 30th, I will be in NY, visiting with the man himself! I have been invited to personally meet Mr. Robuchon at his restaurant in Manhattan! Are you gasping yet? I am! Just me and him.  Just me and him. I FAINT.

THIS CHICK HERE IS ABOUT TO LOSE IT!

But, I can’t do this by myself, this time! Well, yes I can, but I want to share!! Another chef friend of mine, already in NY, will be joining me for this exclusive visit, mostly to play interpreter. And because my dear friend Zen Chef (@zenchef) thinks Joel Robuchon is god himself, I had to invite him!

This is what I need though. I need and want ONE person to play my assistant during the visit! I need someone to help me pretty much just stay composed and not pee on myself while I interview and watch with Mr. Robuchon! I can not afford to walk out of there looking like a complete douche and inexperienced “chef.” I need a competent and sassy team, pretty much!

So, do you want to be my assistant for the day!?!? If you want to me that one lucky person that meets me and gets to be in Robuchon’s restaurant at the elite Four Seasons in Manhattan, then let me know!

What you have to do:

• You must already be in NYC, or close enough to be there on Wed. 9/30/09 at 9 am. (maybe next time I’ll be rich enough to fly someone out!)
  
• Leave a comment on this post telling me what you know about Mr. Robuchon.
• Tell a friend and if they leave a comment indicating you sent them, you will earn an additional entry.
• Tweet it! It’s simple! Tweet “Meet Joel Robuchon W/ @brenherrera contest on flanboyanteats.com (so I can see it) and you’ll get an additional entry! That’s 3 chances to enter to win!
• Entries will be accepted until September 25th. I will then choose one lucky person, randomly!
  
• GO!
  

Lastly, if you don’t know who Robuchon is, well, then I suggest you go back to your library and do some serious research! You don’t have to be trained chef, or even a French cuisine cook to know who this food idol is! If you do watch Top Chef, he appeared recently, tasting food the contestants made for him in his own restaurant! The same one I’m going to cook in! Did you see the way some of them reacted to finding out they were going to be cooking for him! Yeah, that pretty much sums up how I feel! Only I’m flayling off in Spanish, while polishing up on my French.

I hope you’ll appreciate this incredible opportunity to meet the world’s most renowned French chef! It just doesn’t get any better for a Cuban gal like me!

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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