Philippe Labbe, the executive chef at the Shangri-La hotel in Paris, has been named France’s chef of the year by the influential Gault Millau restaurant guide.
Labbe, 51, has been in charge of the food at the hotel’s L’Abeille restaurant since it opened in 2010, having made his reputation as head chef at the Chevre d’Or, at Eze on the French Riviera.
His cooking at the Shangri-La has already been recognised with two Michelin stars and Gault Millau’s award will boost his chances of collecting a coveted third star next year.
Marc Esquerre, the editor of Gault Millau’s 2013 guide, described Labbe’s cooking as “symphonic”.
“It is complex but not complicated and immediately accessible for everyone,” Esquerre said.
Asked to describe a dish that typifies his seasonal cooking, the chef himself opted for a just-cooked langoustine with the zest of yuzu fruit, served with a yuzu mayonnaise made with fresh, grilled hazelnuts.