Chef’s Secret: Stéphane Buron & Michel Rochedy – Le Chabichou

In the mundane mountain town of Courchevel, there’s a unique, well-known building with a rustic white façade. It’s the home of Le Chabichou, one of the most famous hotel – restaurants in the area. Chefs Stéphane Buron and Michel Rochedy present a refined gastronomic cuisine in a wonderful atmosphere.

Le Chabichou in Courchevel – Hotel, Restaurant & Spa

A luxurious resort in alpine style

Founded by Maryse and Michel Rochedy back in 1963, when it was just a modest establishment with a handful of rooms, the place now boasts a 4 star hotel accommodation, a fine dining restaurant awarded two Michelin stars, a bistro and a luxurious spa. Le Chabichou is part of the Relais & Châteaux network and Les Grandes Tables du Monde, and has been awarded an impressive list of prizes and distinctions throughout the years, as an acknowledgement of their savoir-faire and top quality offering. However, the development of Le Chabichou has been a steady process, that allowed them to maintain the same warmth and family spirit that made this alpine resort so loved.

Although both in summer and in winter time it can be nice to visit Le Chabichou, it’s especially during the skiing season that this place is very popular. That’s in fact no surprise since the location of the white washed wooden chalets, at the foot of the slopes, is simply perfect. As the development of the resort has been a step by step process, the building seems to be a kind of labyrinth, which makes it in fact a very fascinating place to spend your holidays. The interior design is characterized by the use of wood, warm, yet calm colours and a dash of luxury, without being ostentatious. The place is full of memories, represented by a range of trophies and pictures of unforgettable moments and people, all carefully framed at the walls. Le Chabichou clearly has a heart and soul and a story to tell, and luckily the team isn’t afraid to show it.

Hotel Le Chabichou

The hotel at Le Chabichou offers several rooms and suites, all in a similar style, yet all unique. Their warm, comfortable and chic appearance is what they have in common.

The atmosphere and design in the rest of the hotel is similar to the rooms, so everything is brought together harmoniously.

Restaurant Le Chabichou

Of course one of the most convincing reasons to book a stay at Le Chabichou is their fine dining restaurant that is internationally renowned for its refined and generous cuisine. The cosy and fancy dining room is the perfect decor for a gastronomic experience one will not easily forget. Since 1963 the hostess Maryse Rochedy makes sure every guest gets a warm welcome. Mister Michel Rochedy from his side is as a true French patron-cuisinier, who discovered his vocation for cooking when growing up in his parents’ hotel. He developed an interest in the real produce of the Ardeche region and continued his apprenticeship under chef André Pic. In the mountains Michel Rochedy met his wife Mayse and that’s when the story of Le Chabichou begun.

Chefs Michel Rochedy and Stéphane Buron

Even today at a blessed age Michel Rochedy is still active and very passionate as a chef. He manages the kitchen together with Head Chef Stéphane Buron, who has joined the team back in 1987. He has won various culinary prizes in his professional career, among which the important award of “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” in 2004 and the Taittinger International first prize in 2002. Before Stéphane Buron arrived in Courchevel he had built solid work experience at Grand hotel Bragard in Gérardmer with Christian Willer, at hotel Martinez in Cannes, in Palm beach in the United States and at the Palais d’Elysée in Paris. This year again chef Stéphane Buron is nominated for The Best Chef Awards and will join us at the show in Milan. Curious as we are, we went to Courchevel to discover the cuisine of this top chef and to learn all about his story. Today we present to you the ‘Chef’s Secret’ story of Stéphane Buron of restaurant Le Chabichou.

The Chef’s Secret of Stéphane Buron

Hungry for More & The Best Chef (Chef’s Secret): Nice to meet you, mister Buron. Could you tell us how things got started here for you at Courchevel, together with chef Michel Rochedy?

Stéphane Buron: Well, I arrived here at Le Chabichou about 31 years ago, by chance in fact. At that time I was working at the Côte d’Azur, but I didn’t feel like spending the winter season there, so I was looking for another challenge. The chef referred me to Michel Rochedy, who was back then one of the two Michelin starred chefs at the village of Courchevel. Since the moment I arrived here, I’ve never been bored. Every year, every season is different. Mister Rochedy was always aiming for the best, looking to find new things and trying to improve his cuisine. He has given me the freedom and the trust to develop my own style and approach quite fast. Before I arrived at Courchevel, I had been working together with some of the best chefs for more than seven years. So I mastered the fundamentals of the French cuisine, its techniques and flavours. Here I got the opportunity to step up and to develop a cuisine that represents my own vision, as well as the identity of Le Chabichou.

Chef’s Secret: So how did you manage to develop your own style?

Stéphane Buron: Your own style, that’s something you can only develop step by step. It needs to happen gradually. When you ask me to describe my vision I’d say “La simplicité est un art de perfection”. “Simplicity is the art of perfection”. If you want to create clean, essential dishes, you need to master the flavours, the combinations and the presentation. There’s nothing you can hide, so all the details need to be right. I think you can compare it with craftsmen like watchmakers. In order to get the best results, you need precision in every little step in the cooking process. So you need a solid team that can do all the different things that need to be done and at the same time a team that works together as a whole. So as I said, it’s just like a big watch, that needs all its small radars to work precisely in order to make the bigger mechanism work perfectly. That’s why every part of the puzzle is important. Whether it’s the man who is responsible for the dishes, an apprentice or a talented young cook, they all have to feel comfortable to perform the best they can.

Chef’s Secret: So teamwork is the secret for success?

Stéphane Buron: That’s correct. Our restaurant is like a family home, open to every young and motivated team member that wants to learn and to do the best he or she can. That’s for every young chef the best way to develop his or her skills. I have been lucky enough to learn a lot from the greatest chefs I have worked with when I was a young chef myself. That’s how I learned the basics to be a successful chef later on in my career. And now it’s time for me to share my experience and knowledge with the younger generation. My son works here in the kitchen as well by the way, so it’s really nice that I can share my expertise with him. And the other way around, working with all those young people, keeps me young as well. You exchange ideas, skills and knowledge. It’s about giving and taking. Of course it’s always hard when people decide to leave to pursue a new challenge, but that’s just how it goes, especially when you work with many young people. You have to be thankful when someone has put much effort in collaborating with you in the team for several years and wish them the very best for the future, although it’s hard to see them go.

Chef’s Secret: You are nominated again for The Best Chef Awards. How does that feel? What does the concept and community of The Best Chef mean to you?

Stéphane Buron: I consider it really important to participate in international competitions, as it will make your name and cuisine known on a global scale. So yes, I’m proud to be part of the top 300 of The Best Chef Awards. Just like last year, I’m definitely going to attend the award show in Milan. It’s great to meet chefs all over the world and to discover what they are focusing on. Again, it’s about sharing your passion in other to get inspired by others.

In my opinion a lot has been changing in the gastronomic world over the past few years. It’s amazing to know that my creations are being seen all over the world via social media and via networks like The Best Chef. This new evolution gives me the opportunity to learn from other chefs all over the world. So the power of the network of The Best Chef is that it brings people, techniques and cultures together, so we can share our passion and inspiration which often leads to new ideas.

Chef’s Secret: Can you guess who will win The Best Chef Awards this year?

Stéphane Buron: Not me, I guess (laughing). But of course I hope to get a good ranking again this year. What I really like about The Best Chef Awards is that the voting is done by fellow chefs, so it’s unique to have a culinary list that is driven by the community itself.

Chef’s Secret: Back to Le Chabichou now. How would you describe your cooking style here at the restaurant? We heard you consider local produce and terroir as the utmost important?

Stéphane Buron: That’s correct. In fact it was just a couple of years ago that our vision started to chance. We’ve always used to be looking for the very best ingredients for our guests, that’s for sure. But gradually we started realizing that people that come to Le Chabichou want to discover the food that is typical for the region, and therefore unique. We went looking for small and local farmers from the area and now we have a great network of passionate artisans from around the Rhône Valley.

To be able to offer our guests the best of the best, we also chance our menu quite often. We have 17 dishes on the menu and the menu changes about five to eight times a year, based on what nature has to offer us. In winter time we even have four different menus, gradually introducing new dishes month after month. E.g. in the beginning of the winter there’s first the white truffle and then the black truffle or in late winter we have more fish from the lakes than in the first months, and when spring starts there are so many nice ingredients like asparagus, morels, peas, and so on. Over the years we have built a huge database of recipes and food pictures, but we still want to innovate time after time.

Chef’s Secret: Are you proud to be one of the important representatives of the French gastronomy?

Stéphane Buron: Of course I am proud to be part of such a rich gastronomic culture. I have a strong background in the French gastronomy, thanks to the top chefs I have been working with throughout my career. The French cuisine is famous all over the world, as it’s like the mother of the gastronomic culture. Many French chefs went cooking abroad and that way they have influenced the rest of the world with our traditions, techniques and styles. It’s great that you can share your vision with the rest of the wold like that.

For me it has been quite important to win several awards, amongst which the Prix Taittinger was the most important. But also Gault & Millau and Michelin means a lot for French chefs. When you get the recognition of the French community that changes a lot.

Chef’s Secret: The valley of Courchevel and the surrounding villages are an outstanding culinary region with so many Michelin starred restaurants. Why is that?

Stéphane Buron: When I came to Courchevel about 30 years ago, there were only 2 Michelin starred restaurants, located just across each other. So over the years I’ve seen how the audience and the restaurant offering has changed in this town. The high end, deluxe hotel industry is booming here nowadays. Courchevel has the privilege to welcome many fine dining lovers and they often find their way to Le Chabichou, as many restaurants in the village are owned and managed by financial investors, while our resort is a true family business. People clearly value that personal approach, so that’s one of the secrets to the success of Le Chabichou. When you come here, you can be almost 100% sure that mister Rochedy and I will be there, leading the team in the kitchen. And people like it when they get a warm welcome of the chef himself.

Chef’s Secret: You’re already working at Le Chabichou for a long time. Where do you keep finding your inspiration every day?

Stéphane Buron: My most important goal is to make our guests happy. As I already mentioned before, my cooking philosophy is about simplicity and therefore about perfection. I want to create dishes that are 100% right from a technical point of view, but without making that technical perfection too obvious. It has to feel effortless for our guests. They have to get a feeling of curiosity, like “wow, this tastes fantastic, I really want to know how the chef created this dish”.

In my opinion a dish should be like a piece of art. Every plate is like a tableau. You use all your senses when you’re eating, so I always want to create eye candy, as well beautiful flavours. Each dish should give our guests this wow-feeling. But that involves more than cooking skills and a talent for aesthetics. A culinary creation combines so many different elements: flavour, technique, temperature, plating and so on. We only managed to deliver that kind of quality by investing a lot in terms of staff, education and much more. It takes time to create high quality dishes, time we are happy to invest, as delivering the best possible results is of the utmost importance for us.

Chef’s Secret: Do you have a favourite ingredient?

Stéphane Buron: I must admit I do have a favourite ingredient, that I really like to use in my menus and that’s the langoustine. It’s very sensitive and delicate, so it doesn’t need too much extras. What you add needs to put the power and beauty of the product in the spotlight, without allowing spices and other condiments to dominate the dish. Of course we will never use frozen langoustines. The fresher they are, the better.

Chef’s Secret: You’re at the top of the French gastronomy. What plans and ambitions do you still have?

Stéphane Buron: Although we have indeed won many awards and got recognition on an international level, we still want to get better every day. We keep on dreaming of the third Michelin star, a higher score in the guide of Gault & Millau and a top ranking in the list of The Best Chef Awards. Nevertheless, that’s not my main driver and not the reason I get up every day to do what I love to do. What is quintessential for me is the happiness of our guests. When they love our food and the experience and when they come back to Le Chabichou time after time, that’s what makes us really satisfied. And the fact that we do have many regular guests, means a lot to us.

Chef’s Secret: Thank you very much for your time, mister Buron. We wish you the very best!

On the menu at Le Chabichou

At Le Chabichou two different menus are offered, both showcasing the chef’s signature. Today chefs Michel Rochedy and Stéphane Buron have prepared a selection of their favourite dishes that they want to show to the community of The Best Chef Awards.

A tree full of appetizers called “La Planche du moment”: a little glazed foie gras cherry, a carrots tartlet with smoked eel and a plankton meringue with oyster jelly.

“The Léman lake whitefish” – Marinated whitefish with salt, perfumed with liquorice, black radish and black garlic.

“The Beaufort” – A kind of Savoyard cake with smoked duck breast fillet.

“The garden Peas” – Creamed, Oscietra caviar, lemon jelly and a thin crunchy leaf.

“The Dublin Bay prawn” – Langoustine in a carpaccio style, marinated at the moment, red fruits and pomegranate.

“The Lemon” – Dessert like a lemon in different textures: soft cake, lemon and melissa sun-dried, fresh cream cheese and lemon sorbet.

“The Rhubarb, The Strawberry” – A sugar bowl, strawberry cream, rhubarb emulsion, rhubarb sundried with a strawberry juice, little meringues and an olive oil cake.

“Opera Revisité” – The chef’s interpretation of a classic Opéra pastry.

“The Chlorophyll” – Blancmange, fermented milk and garden herbs.

“The Veal” – Braised sweetbreads, glazed with a liquorice juice, parmentier and baby carrots.

“The Turbot” – Grilled on a seafood platter, served with virgin sauce.

“The lobster” – Lobster grilled like on the barbecue at Savoy vine wood, Emulsion of Chignin wine, Celtruce roasted and seaweed butter.

“The Pig” – Caramelized breast, glazed in verbena juice, pig parmentier with summer truffle, little pork pâté with herbs and some mushrooms.

A fresh and tasty start of the day

After the amazing fine dining experience at restaurant Le Chabichou, it is of course very convenient that you only need to walk a few steps to enjoy a great night’s sleep in one of the nice and luxurious rooms. The next morning an extensive breakfast buffet is waiting for you, including fresh fruit juices, charcuterie, a variety of cheeses, dairy from the local farmers, eggs and so much more. If you’re lucky enough the weather is nice, you can even enjoy your breakfast on the cosy and sunny terrace.

Bistronomy at Le Chabotté

Since 2011 there’s also a second restaurant at Le Chabichou, named Le Chabotté. This restaurant offers Savoyard specialties and dishes ‘like grandma used to make’, all in a laidback atmosphere and at affordable prices. To create an energetic and honest atmosphere, there’s an open kitchen where you can see the chefs at work.

If you’re up to it you can also enjoy a drink in the Bar in a warm, friendly and cosy atmosphere.

Ultimate relaxation in the Spa at Le Chabichou

Cha’Banya, the multi-sensory aqua-fun spa complex offers a combination of calm, pleasure, comfort, originality and new modern equipment. The Chabichou Spa boasts a 1100 sqm of wellness experiences, like massages, facial treatments and much more. The atmosphere is hyper relaxing, thanks to the attentive staff, fresh welcome drinks and an area with waterbeds that makes you feel totally ‘zen’ in no time. If you need some grooming to look stunning at the dinner table of Le Chabichou, you can book an appointment at the hairdresser at Le Chabichou as well.

In short…

Chef Stéphane Buron at restaurant Le Chabichou is a top chef, always striving for the best. Simplicity becomes perfection and every dish is presented as an art piece. The hotel offers the perfect combination between luxury, warmth and a personal approach.

Practical information