Christophe Moret

Christophe Moret has rightly been awarded a second Michelin star (Added on February 1, 2016 at 17:54 CET).

Biography of Christophe Moret

The executive chef at Shangri-La hotel Paris, Christophe Moret, was born in the city of Orléans in the Loiret region on November 21, 1966. His deep attachment to freshly grown produce goes back to his childhood. His grandparents were market gardeners. As a young boy, he used to eat crunchy, raw beans and peas straight from their vegetable garden. He later learned how to make clafoutis, cakes and pies. Incidentally, he also played rugby for the Orléans Rugby Club.

After graduating from the catering school in Blois, he worked as a commis from 1984 until 1988 at L’Hôtel de la Poste in Corps la Salette (Isère), at Le Château d’Isenbourg in Rouffach (Haut Rhin), at Le Rivage in Gien, at la Capitainerie in Châteauneuf sur Loire, where he first met Alain Ducasse, at Le Château d’Isenbourg in Rouffach (Haut Rhin) and at Le Grand Hôtel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where he worked under the great chef Bruno Cirino, who opened the restaurant there.

A comfortable sofa and chairs at restaurant L’Abeille. Photo © Shangri-La Hotel Paris.

From Bruno Cirino, Christophe Moret learned the importance of finding the best available produce. The young commis followed his chef to Château Eza in Eze (Alpes-Maritimes), this time as chef de partie.

Bruno Cirino had been the most successful disciple of Jacques Maximin, another great chef. Christophe Moret remembers him most for being a creative genius. Thanks to the Cirino-connection, Christophe Moret had the chance to work as chef de partie under Jacques Maximin at the famous restaurant Le Théâtre in Nice in 1989.

Bruno Cirino had not only worked under Jacques Maximin the fabulous Negresco in Nice, but also under Alain Ducasse at the restaurant Juana in Juan-Les-Pins. This allowed Christophe Moret to get a job as chef de partie at the prestigious Le Louis XV in Monaco, where Alain Ducasse still reigns with his three Michelin-Stars. In those years, from 1990 – when Le Louis XV was awarded his third star – until 1993, Christophe Moret learned a lot about the importance of the sauce. In addition, Alain Ducasse emphasized the organization of the restaurant, the curiosity towards the culinary cultures of the world as well as the daily, uncompromising quest for quality.

After a stint as sous-chef at L’Assiette Gourmande in Honfleur in 1993, Christophe Moret moved on as sous-chef to the elegant hotel Le Royal Monceau in Paris, where he worked again under Bruno Cirino from 1994 until 1997. This time, he was responsible for the banquet sector.

In 1997 and 1998, he had again the chance to work for Alain Ducasse as sous-chef at restaurant 59 Poincaré in Paris. Finally, from 1998 until 2003, he was for the first time appointed head chef. At the fusion restaurant Spoon, Food & Wine in Paris, which offered multi-ethnic cuisine, he executed the ideas of Alain Ducasse; another chef at Spoon, Food & Wine was Laurent André, who is currently executive chef at Le Royal Monceau in Paris.

From 2003 until 2010, Christophe Moret became head chef at Restaurant Alain Ducasse at the fabulous, Parisian hotel Plaza Athénée, where he helped the great master keep his three Michelin-stars. Incidentally, after the 10-month hotel closure for renovation and the re-opening with a new concept, Alain Ducasse’s Plaza Athénée restaurant has just received two Michelin-stars in February 2015.

Christophe Moret, the executive chef at L’Abeille, the fine dining gourmet temple at Shangri-La hotel Paris. Photo © Shangri-La Hotel Paris.

From 2010 until 2014, Christophe Moret worked as head chef at a Paris institution: Lasserre. This French restaurant served some 30 classics, traditional French dishes, to which Christophe Moret added a few fresher, innovative courses, which helped Lasserre to survive.

In January 2015, Christophe Moret was appointed executive chef at Shangri-La hotel Paris. At the fine dining restaurant L’Abeille, he tries to find the best possible suppliers and to offer the best produce in simplicity, but not in a simplistic way. Ingredients and influences from France, Italy, Japan and China find their way into a refined menu. He puts a special accent on sauces, employing two chefs just to prepare them. This is a legacy from his years working for Alain Ducasse.

At La Bauhinia, Christophe Moret serves South East Asian, European, fusion and vegan dishes. Since the 2012-guide, Shang Palace is France’s first and only Chinese restaurant with a Michelin-star. Chef Samuel Lee offers authentic Cantonese cuisine. Christophe Moret does not intervene in the kitchen. He only offers his help finding the best produce and gives his opinion on the dishes from a French point of view.

A dinner at L’Abeille, the French fine dining restaurant at Shangri-La hotel Paris

Reviewed in February 2015 by Karine and Louis

In February 2015, we had the chance to taste the first ever menu elaborated by Christophe Moret at L’Abeille.

As a detail of the chef’s strive for perfection, let’s mention his butter. It comes from a small producer called Le Ponclet. At this farm, they elevate an old and rare French cattle breed called Froment du Léon. The butter from those cows tastes unique.

We started the evening with a glass of champagne, tasting a Krug Grande Cuvée, which offered a great complexity, as well as a Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2005 with a stronger mineral taste and crisp acidity. Both excellent in their diversity!

Chef Christophe Moret sent several (vegetarian) appetizers: ultra-thin pumpkin crisps with butternuts, which Karine managed to liquidate all alone, which testifies to their quality; a carrot sphere for each of us with carrot and ginger juice, which provided an incredible explosion in the mouth; a healthy, red beetroot marshmallow of quality; and a black Périgord truffles cracker for each of us.

Karine’s first course was a delicate “royale” of sea urchin and gold caviar. A Japanese dashi broth was prepared like a flan and married with the smoked, warm caviar and the sea urchin tongues. A creamy, ultra-light delicacy!

She accompanied both her dishes with a Morey-Saint-Denis 2009 Clos Sorbè, a Premier Cru from the winemaker François Feuillet. It is a Pinot Noir with a red berry taste from the Burgundy region, the core strength of the Abeille wine cellar.

Louis chose first a mix of French vegetables presented together with home made tofu, offering the taste of broad beans. Among the vegetables were beetroot, carrots, turnip, red radish and black Périgord truffles. They were all thinly sliced and accompanied by a herb sauce with parsley, mint and coriander. It testified to the chef’s concept of simplicity whilst offering the best flavor.

In between we were offered leaks gnocchi with black Périgord truffles “Julienne”, served on a potato and leaks “velouté”.

Karine’s second course consisted of an updated version of the classic sole Meunière, accompanied by sautéed, Italian artichokes, black truffles, preserved tomatoes and artichokes juice. The truffles were thinly sliced and directly put on the sole. A light delight!

Louis chose as second dish caramelized onions and roasted chicories, black truffles and crispy bread. Chef Christophe Moret told me that the inspiration for this dish came from the classic Tarte Flambée of Alsace. Sommelier Cédric Maupoint recommended a 2011 Meursault from the Domaine Roulot, Tillets, to accompany the course. This white wine turned out to be an excellent choice; he knew about my preference for fresh, mineral Riesling.

A table such as ours at L’Abeille. Photo © Shangri-La hotel Paris.

As pre-dessert, the chef sent us a coconut jelly and Japanese edamame ice cream with coconut and vanilla served on a (vegan) agar agar gelatin.

The desserts at L’Abeille as well as at La Bauhinia and the salons and lounges at Shangri-La hotel Paris are the work of head pastry chef François Perret.

To accompany our desserts, we were served an outstanding Vieux Pineau des Charentes 1971 (Lheraud) liquor.

Karine chose a chocolate declination composed by “sura” chocolate, crispy tube and creamy chocolate as well as a “Java” chocolate ice cream. In short, the 70% cacao, slightly smoked chocolate came in three textures: crunchy, creamy and crispy. Delicious!

Louis opted for a wafer built like a honeycomb. The alveolus-shaped, steamed biscuit was filled with acacia honey ice cream, caramelized walnuts, candied figs and olive oil jam flavored with honey.

In the end, to “accompany” a slice of apricot, almond and honey bread, Louis asked for the typical French cheese trolley and chose a Comté de Garde Exceptionnelle, “affiné” for 36 months, a 2013 Gruyère from Switzerland and a creamy, unctuous, triple cream Brillat Savarin from the Bourgogne region, the highlight from an outstanding selection coming from the famous “affineurs” Maîtres Bernard and Jean-François Antony.

We are confident that Christophe Moret will keep the Michelin-star at L’Abeille, first earned by his predecessor Philippe Labbé. His “sans faute” was convincing.

At the end, let’s not forget the rest of the excellent staff, including restaurant manager Christophe Kelsch, head sommelier Cédric Maupoint and the young David Riehm serving us, able to translate even the most difficult French terms into English (bravo!).

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Article added on February 11, 2015 at 22:26 CET.

[Added on September 8, 2021: unfortunately, since June 2020 already, the famous restaurant L’Abeille is closed]