Famous chef Alain Ducasse on Toronto: “C’est wow!"

Alain Ducasse was in town this week promoting a pastry-focused partnership between his French culinary school and George Brown. Of course, local news outlets pumped the world-famous chef for comments on Toronto’s food scene. Ducasse, in turn, let drop some pleasing, if somewhat vague, nuggets of praise (e.g. his overall impression of the city, as quoted in the Star: “C’est wow!"). When asked if he’d consider opening a restaurant here, the cooking legend and lifetime recipient of 21 Michelin stars (Michelin has never published a Toronto restaurant guide, just FYI) responded that he wouldn’t dare. “No,” he told the Star. “There’s too much competition here. I’m too late!" Having sampled dishes from Buca, Carmen, Scaramouche, Colette, Richmond Station and The Drake, Ducasse also observed that Toronto chefs “cook with their hearts,” and predicted that the city would be flush with Michelin stars eventually, maybe in five to 10 years.