PARIS, Aug 8 ­— Joel Robuchon brought his cooking style to the four corners of the earth, building a gastronomic empire that spanned Monaco, Las Vegas, New York, Tokyo, Taipei and many other cities. The death on August 6 of the French chef with the greatest number of Michelin stars has made headlines across the globe. Here are some of the many reactions to the sad news of his demise.

French chefs pay their respects to Robuchon

French chefs working in restaurants around the world were quick to respond to Robuchon's death, paying homage, like their colleagues in France, to a visionary who will always be remembered. In San Francisco, two-star chef Dominique Crenn, who is a native of Britanny, said, "So heartbroken. Monsieur Robuchon you will be missed. Thank you for all you have done." On America's East Coast in New York, the head chef of the "Bernardin", Eric Ripert declared that he was "shocked and saddened" by the loss of a "mentor", who was an "ultra-gifted king of all chefs".

Alsace native and gastronomic star in New York Jean-Georges Vongerichten remarked, "He was a wonderful friend, a culinary icon and one of the greatest chefs of our era." Pastry chef Dominique Ansel, another star in the Big Apple, shared a memory: "When I was a kid growing up in France, I remember running home from school for lunch just so I could catch Joël Robuchon's TV show. He taught so many of us what it meant to be a chef and how to strive for perfection. Merci, Chef."

Accolades from Spain

Some of the leading chefs on the Iberian Peninsula paid their respects to a great admirer of Spanish culture, and notably the tradition for tapas, which served as the inspiration for Robuchon's 'Atelier' concept. In Saint-Sebastian, staff at the prestigious three-star Arzak announced on Instagram, "Bon voyage Chef Robuchon, you were and will continue to be a model for all of us." Prominent Basque chef Martin Berasategui joined the Arzak family in bidding farewell to Robuchon, adding in French, "Merci beaucoup".

On the Mediterranean coast in Denia opposite the island of Ibiza, three-star chef Quique Dacosta thanked Robuchon for his friendship. He added that Robuchon's every gesture was "a lesson to us all" and that his legacy would be "immortal". In the Spanish press, daily El Pais waxed lyrical about Robuchon's famous mashed potato, and published the now famous recipe.

Mash recipe cited around the world

In the English-speaking world, the signature mashed potato recipe has been evoked on both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK, The Guardian explains, the secret of the Poitier native's superlative mash is butter and then more butter, lots of elbow-grease and a final passage through a sieve to make it extra light.

In the United States, Newsweek and television network CNN joined in the chorus about the world-beating spuds, while the New York Times remarked that Robuchon came close to cracking the code for winning Michelin stars before proceeding to rewrite it. After an absence of five years, the renowned French chef had only recently returned to the Big Apple to re-open one of his Ateliers.

Back in Europe, Belgium's RTBF also made the effort to dig out Robuchon's much-vaunted potatoes, while in Thailand, chef Gaggan Anand, the owner of the top-ranked restaurant in Asia hoped that all of Robuchon's restaurants would survive the trauma of his passing, and added that Monday August 6 was a "black day for the culinary world".

People in Japan were among the first learn of the loss of the French chef, who was a lifelong admirer of Japanese food. The news of his passing was an opportunity for the Japanese press, notably the Japan Times and Japan Today, to reiterate its admiration for an extraordinary cook and to look back on the manner in which Robuchon built his reputation in Tokyo, where his three restaurants have accumulated a total of seven Michelin stars. — AFP-Relaxnews