The absence of Laurence Wynants and her husband, Lionel Rigolet, at the Royal Theater of Mons was noticed yesterday at noon on the occasion of the Michelin Guide 2022 ceremony. And for good reason, one of the leaders of the Guide telephoned them last Saturday to tell them the loss of their 2nd star. Without argument or further comment. For the couple, heir to a gastronomic cuisine focused on excellence for three generations, it was a shock.
“This weekend was very hard. We didn’t expect it at all. We are in surprise and sadness”comments Laurence Wynants. “A lot of people thought we were going more towards the third star. Our customers, even other top restaurateurs, thought we would go higher.” Same feeling in the head of Lionel Rigolet. “The customers are super happy, the restaurant is always full… We don’t understand, it’s very difficult to live”, he told the Belga agency. What also and above all saddens the couple at the helm of one of the best restaurants in the capital is the absence of explanations from the Guide. “When I asked for explanations, one of the Guide’s officials told me that they were in the midst of preparations for Monday’s ceremony. He advised me to come and see the file in two or three months…”
“It’s not just Michelin in the gastronomic press”
legitimate misunderstanding… “We are a house listed by Michelin since 1953. This lack of explanation is a bit of a shame. But it’s the Guide. It belongs to them. We respect it.” Nevertheless, Comme chez Soi has not seen a Michelin inspector for three years. “We are assured that these are inspectors from abroad. Fine, but usually the inspector pays his bill and then shows up. Here, nothing for three years…”
In the cellar of Comme chez Soi, there are treasures and a door that is only opened very rarely
In the absence of stars, the Comme chez Soi team claims to be inundated with support and messages of encouragement. “It’s not just Michelin in the gastronomic press”encourages the wife of the starred chef. “We still have 18.5/20 at Gault & Millau. Above all, we have our customers, whose positive feedback reaches 95%.” In the absence of a concrete and official explanation, Laurence Wynants seeks to understand. The type of cuisine?
“We haven’t seen an inspector for three years”
A return to the menu of some timeless – “claimed by all our regulars” – such as Pierre Wynants Ardennes ham mousse? “We don’t know… What we do know, however, is that we are not in the show and that we will never be. We have a kitchen of products, without cinema. We’re not going to force ourselves to do anything else. We already have a difficult and complicated job. If on top of that we don’t take pleasure anymore… We don’t change our DNA.”
Today, the faithful team of Comme chez Soi will strive to continue to make its customers dream. “Our cuisine appeals to our customers.” And that’s the main thing.