A decade after opening his eponymous restaurant at Paris’ Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Alain Ducasse felt it was time for what he calls “radical” change, a philosophical shift in the approach to not only cooking but to the haute dining experience itself. Given the establishment’s three-Michelin-star status, and the noble expectations that engenders, it takes courage to shake things up. But with his Essentiel culinary concept, Ducasse has tapped into today’s understated spirit of luxury, which quietly emphasizes quality and authenticity over pomp and flash.
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