A Michelin-starred chef dishes on dining at the bar and the noisy world of food criticism | Canada Voices

On a recent evening at Café Boulud at the Four Seasons Toronto, Daniel Boulud stood in his crisp chef’s whites before the front-of-house staff, walking them through the night’s special black-truffle menu. Laid out before them was yellowfin tuna tartare with truffle coulis, black truffle risotto topped with Canadian lobster, truffle-crusted cod, and a deluxe chicken dish with 100-years of Lyonnaise culinary history and a sidecar of sauce albufera, served from wee copper pots.

For Boulud, the French chef whose Dinex Group spans 22 restaurants from Montreal to Dubai, his decades-long career has been a balancing act of enjoyment and excellence, where pleasure matters as much as precision. His flagship, Daniel in New York, celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year. In an industry obsessed with stars, lists and media cycles, Boulud has managed something even rarer: longevity.

We sat down with chef Boulud to talk Michelin pressure, rising costs, critics and what really keeps a restaurant alive.

With dining out more expensive than ever, when do you think people should splurge, and when should they save?

Everyone feels the pinch. At home and in restaurants. Costs have gone up. Our responsibility is to waste nothing and to avoid passing every new cost to the customer. Tasting menus can offer good value, because the kitchen works with focused, seasonal ingredients. But you don’t always have to splurge to enjoy fine dining. Many guests sit at the bar, and they order one course and are very happy. They’ve had a wonderful dish and a nice glass of wine.

As Michelin expands across Canada, some newly starred restaurants haven’t lasted. What advice do you have for chefs navigating the hype?

Cook for the customer first. Michelin is exciting. A mention, a star, it’s an honour. But once you have a star, you can start worrying about the star more than about the guests. You survive on loyalty. You have to please guests with more than tricks on the plate. It’s service. Hospitality. Honesty. Value. The best ingredients handled with care. A strong team that delivers consistently. For me, it’s always been important to offer affordable pleasures. The wine program should be approachable. The winemaker is like the chef: Make the very best but also make something people can afford more regularly.

Do you see a difference between Michelin in North America and in Europe?

There is a difference, and I’ve had my own experiences with it. My restaurant Daniel in New York was demoted by Michelin. If I weren’t strong and consistent in my direction, that could have hurt badly. But it didn’t.

In New York, there are five chefs consistently at the top – Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, Daniel Humm and me. Guests don’t choose between us because of one or three stars. They choose because they trust the experience. Michelin does what Michelin does. I do what I do. I admire friends who carry two or three stars, but I hope they make money. If you don’t make money, you’re out quickly. There’s no credit in this business. For cities like Toronto, patience matters. So, if a restaurant didn’t receive a star, don’t panic. Don’t suddenly double down or show off. Pedigree and time will bring recognition.

How much weight should diners place on reviews and rankings?

People rely on critics, but they also rely on other guests. If Daniel has a 4.7 rating on Yelp and a three-star restaurant has 4.6, that makes me happy. Word of mouth, social media, traditional media, it all creates noise. Customers look at everything now.

How do you like to dine out?

When chefs go out after work, they don’t want to spend a lot of money. They want to have a good time around the table. We go for Mexican, sushi, Korean, casual places where we can relax. I also like to visit a friend’s new restaurant or discover places I’ve been curious about. In New York recently, I tried some new Indian spots. I also visited a friend’s crudo bar, Quique Crudo, in the West Village. It has just 12 seats, and they’re cooking behind the bar. Very good.

What do you make of today’s food critics and influencers?

In the old days I knew mostly food writers. There were very few food critics you could sit down and have a conversation with because they were freaking out all of the staff. Now there are influencers everywhere. There’s real passion among younger generations and it’s wonderful to see. But sometimes I think they eat to provoke.

As the restaurant industry continues to shift, what gives you hope for the future?

I’ve been for four decades in America, and I have been at the forefront of the food evolution, and that also meant training the next generation of chefs. Now you have almost three generations that are working at the highest level and changing the culinary landscape. They start with me at one of my restaurants and make a name for themselves, then go on to open many restaurants. That, to me, is the most rewarding thing. To teach them well and give them the courage and ambition and talent so they can open restaurants of their own.

This interview has been edited and condensed.