France - gastronomy

Hotel Bristol's Eric Fréchon voted chef of the year

Article published on the 2009-09-30 Latest update 2009-10-01 09:22 TU

Eric Fréchon
(Photo: AFP)

A vote by 6,000 French chefs has elected Eric Fréchon, of Paris's swish Hotel Bristol, chef of the year. The vote is organised by the trade's house journal in France, Le Chef.

The trophy was awarded at a ceremony on Monday in the Pavillon d'Armenonville in Paris, a statement from the magazine says.

"It's a great moment in the life of a cook to receive this famous trophy," Fréchon declared. "When you see your colleagues lining up one after the other - that's really something."

The 45-year-old has run the kitchen at the Hotel Bristol in Paris's posh Faubourg Saint Honoré, since 1999.

Featuring on the restaurant's winter menu are duck foie gras with figs, raisons and brioche; sole stuffed with girolle mushrooms with fishbone essence creamed with vin jaune from the Jura region; and iced licorice with candied tobacco leaves from the Adour.

The restaurant, which received a third Michelin star this year, is reportedly a favourite of President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose official residence, the Elysée Palace, is just two streets away. Sarkozy has awarded Frichon the Légion d'honneur.

Frichon was trained at the famous Tour d'Argent restaurant and at the Hotel Crillon, which are both also in Paris.

Yannick Alleno won Le Chef's trophy last year.