Cauchemar en cuisine avec Philippe Etchebest

Pierre-Marie and Sissi are the managers of a restaurant on the harbor of Toulon but their establishment is at the end of the dam, embedded in a decrepit wall corner. Victim of the competition of the other signs and badly positioned, they suffer from the worst nightmare of the restaurant owners: an empty room. An establishment that lacks identity, a kitchen that runs slowly and a service that leaves something to be desired do not help matters. Moreover, forced to run their business by accumulating tasks, they suffer from not being able to devote enough time to their 10 year old daughter, Jade. All together, these elements are enough to pull the establishment down. Philippe Etchebest's intervention will turn things around. From a stroke of brilliance to a realization, he will serve as an electroshock to straighten out the situation.

It is in this small village near Avignon that Philippe, the manager, has invested in a gastronomic restaurant. But he inherited a business with a troubled past: the establishment was a very poorly frequented hotel de passe. Rumors did the rest and the restaurant struggled to fill its room. In the kitchen, Christophe, the chef, has lost the flame. A brilliant cook recruited in Paris by Philippe, he has lowered his culinary ambitions. Disappointed, without passion, he works like a ghost, far from the dreams that motivated his arrival. Due to budgetary restrictions, the menu no longer resembles anything, the establishment is in a dead end. The arrival of Philippe Etchebest will shake everyone up. His objective: to win back the population of the village, to rediscover local products and above all to give back to this chef, a shadow of his former self, the desire to share and to please through his cooking.

Solange and Michel, close to retirement, left Strasbourg and invested in a small restaurant in Sète. Eager to get her son back, Solange brought Julien in to run the restaurant. Unfortunately, she is unable to delegate: hyperactive, she never stops criticizing her son's initiatives and prevents him from running the business. Julien, the only one with hotel training, is now totally unmotivated. As a result, his father takes him for an incurable slacker. In this establishment, everything works in reverse. No one is in the right place and family communication is at a standstill. Philippe Etchebest is going to make everyone face their family and professional responsibilities, so that the restaurant can get back on track. In the light of a new organization, everyone will find the right words to reform a competent team and a united family.

Gino is the manager of a large brasserie in the heart of Lyon. Well located, well decorated, good food, Gino has tried everything to make his turnover take off but nothing works, the room is empty. This is partly due to Lyon's prestigious culinary heritage. Because at Gino's, we eat everything: traditional, Italian, snacks, seafood... in the end, no one can find anything. Moreover, to manage his restaurant, Gino has called on Gauthier, a friend who has difficulty imposing himself with the teams. Meticulous but not very charismatic, Gauthier is under the influence of his boss who systematically goes behind him to check his work. Worried, interventionist and "hot-headed", Gino puts all his staff under pressure without knowing what to do to change things. Philippe Etchebest will meet a team on the verge of a nervous breakdown. There will be no shortage of outbursts between these two big characters.

Jim, Rudy and William are three brothers who run an establishment in the bay of Saint-Tropez, in Port Grimaud. Their mother thought she could bring her three children together around a common project, but nothing worked out as planned. Hesitating on decisions to be made, disagreeing on almost everything, the brothers can't manage to run their restaurant. The result: the brothers arrive 5 minutes before lunchtime service, the atmosphere is grim, the voices in the kitchen and in front of the customers are raised, and the room is empty... But above all, a family on the verge of breaking up and full of resentment... When Philippe Etchebest arrived on the scene, his conclusion was clear: the place, which organizes karaoke evenings, looked like an old nightclub with no customers. It's time to roll up his sleeves... and Dr. Etchebest's shock therapy will bear fruit: he will have to face three strong temperaments and make stubborn people understand that their choices are catastrophic.

Philippe Etchebest goes to Brou, near Chartres, to give some advice to Anne-Marie, authoritarian manager of a hotel-restaurant.

Philippe Etchebest goes to Corsica. The meeting of this Basque temperament and the inhabitants of the island of Beauty will make sparks fly. It is in Corte, in the heart of historic Corsica and at the foot of the mountains that the Chef sets down his bags. Pierre is an unhappy manager; he works with an old friend at the bar and a generous cook who makes good food, but Isabelle, his daughter, manages the room. Between her and the rest of the staff, the current does not pass. The daughter constantly criticizes the kitchen and blames her father for not giving her more responsibility in the restaurant. Her foul mood and her derogatory remarks fuel a real trench war between the dining room and the kitchen. Philippe noticed that the young girl was taking her lunch shift while the customers were already at the table: no setting up, no cleaning and no smiling, it was too much. Philippe puts his foot down and tries to get Isabelle back on track.

In this episode, Philippe Etchebest, 2-star chef, discovers a family business run by Mario and Luigi, two Sicilian brothers aged 70 and 80. A beautiful establishment on the bay of Juan les Pins where Mario's 3 children work. But a generational conflict undermines the establishment, the 3 young people want to make this restaurant a steak house, a modern place for young people, while Luigi, an old entrepreneur in the restaurant business, opposes all their choices. 40 years in the business, Luigi is a self-made man and he doesn't let anyone dictate anything to him. Especially not young people "who know nothing about the business". The Chef's task will be particularly difficult: how to change an old fox who has no confidence in his own family to make him listen to reason? Philippe Etchebest will try everything by provoking an explosive family council during which the corpses will come out of the closet.

It is in Lavelanet, a small village in the Ariège, that Delphine and Frédéric have taken over an establishment. But their lack of training prevents them from working properly. Frédéric, the manager, is too self-effacing and does not manage to gain the respect of his boss. The latter no longer maintains his kitchen and serves tasteless and tasteless dishes. Delphine is overwhelmed by the task. As a result, this young couple is on the verge of implosion and the village's clientele is seeing a piece of its heritage slowly but surely decline. For the first time in Cauchemar en cuisine, it is an entire village that mobilizes to save a restaurant. The inhabitants have called on Philippe to help this young couple out of their predicament, and everyone will pitch in. But what Philippe discovers goes far beyond minor management problems...

On the spot, Helmut, an 85-year-old former paratrooper, manages a restaurant with his own methods: he goes behind everyone to criticize the slightest failure, criticizes his chef for not saving enough money, castigates his waitress for being too provocative when she wears a skirt, and interferes in the customers' conversations during service. As a result, the restaurant has a very bad reputation and the room is empty. However, this old man claims a family management of his restaurant and did not hesitate to give his chance to young people of the village to make his store work. Unfortunately, the benevolent grandfather has gradually turned into a terror for the staff. The arrival of Philippe will shake up Helmut's habits, especially since Ludovic, the young and talented chef, is on the verge of implosion. Another encounter that holds many surprises for Philippe Etchebest, our two-starred chef.

He will meet Quentin, a young entrepreneur who has created an original concept of restaurant in the heart of the city: an establishment called "Chez Maman" in which the furniture is for sale in the form of a flea market. Philippe will also meet Jacques, a former legionnaire and chef with a fiery temperament. This 40-year-old Picard is a force of nature who works with well-established values: respect, loyalty, honesty and a code of honor. Between the two men, the torch burns; Quentin regularly interferes in the management of the kitchen, Jacques' preserve. Misunderstandings, outbursts and insults: the two men are close to coming to blows... and as a result, nothing works in the establishment. Philippe Etchebest will have a lot of work to do to bring the two men to their senses and will have to use his imagination to reconcile two people who hate each other. His objective will be, as always, to find the way back to the heart to allow each of them to blossom in their profession.

Philippe Etchebest goes to Ariège to Fabio and Emilie's restaurant, parents of a little girl. A beautiful establishment with a garden that has trouble filling its room. It must be said that the manager has a bad temper... Of Italian origin, he likes to insult everyone in his restaurant, especially his girlfriend. It is not rare that the customers hear these disputes, which does not encourage anyone to return. Emilie is in charge of the service but has no professional training. She also has to take care of her daughter who lives with them in the restaurant. Today, the business but also the family life of this young couple are threatened. As always, Philippe will have his work cut out for him to tame Fabio's explosive personality and bring some sanity back into the management of this establishment.

Monique has acquired a small restaurant in one of the most commercial streets of Nantes. Her plan: to bequeath this establishment to Laure, her daughter. In the kitchen, there is Kevin, Laure's boyfriend. Unfortunately, this project turned out to be a failure: today, the room is empty while all the nearby pancake restaurants are full. The problem is that neither Monique, Laure, nor Kevin understand the origin of the disaster; they wait, in vain, for customers who don't come. Philippe Etchebest has one week to figure out what's wrong and try to give the restaurant a new lease on life. As soon as he arrives, he meets Kevin, the cook who has no experience in the business. But in the restaurant business, good will is not enough! And no luck, Philippe loves pancakes. The meeting is going to be tense and Philippe will have to use all his pedagogy to teach him the rudiments of the profession of cook... and avoid a nervous breakdown!

Philippe Etchebest goes to La Ciotat to an establishment overlooking the sea that serves a lot of fish... frozen. On the spot, the manager has trouble trusting his chef: a young woman full of energy who has trouble getting respect. Philippe Etchebest will have to fight against the preconceived ideas to bring some sense to the restaurant. And above all, he will have to use all his authority to convince the manager to change his habits!

On the spot, Sylvie bought an establishment for her children. Her daughter Mathilde is in charge of the management. A young woman with experience, Mathilde did her apprenticeship in luxury hotels. The mother has also placed her son Guillaume in charge of the restaurant. Unfortunately, the brother and sister don't get along at all! Mathilde reproaches her brother for his lack of involvement and Guillaume reproaches his sister for her incessant criticisms: between them, the torch burns... and the establishment sinks. As soon as he arrives, Philippe Etchebest discovers a terrible kitchen, a backyard that looks like a real dump and a family history that is in a bad way... As always, he has to dot the i's and everyone will have to face their responsibilities. And once again, it won't be easy...

In this establishment in the heart of the artists' district, the manager Rémy has a lot of trouble finding the identity of his restaurant. This former Air Force commando rifleman manages the restaurant with his own methods: he imposes excessive quantities on the customer's plate and insists on keeping a long menu that penalizes his chef, Pascal. Rémy doesn't listen to anyone, neither his staff, nor his mother Lilly who has invested all her savings to allow her son to realize his dream and open this establishment. Philippe Etchebest will have to fight against Rémy's preconceived ideas to bring some sense back to the restaurant. And above all, he will have to use all his authority to convince the manager to change his habits and to renew his relationship with his mother.

Direction Cagnes-sur-Mer, in a pizzeria held by Cathy, a manager who cruelly lacks self-confidence and who tends to put her staff under pressure. For lack of means, Cathy cannot hire any more. For the past year, her parents, Claude and Graziella, have been working in the dining room and in the kitchen! As soon as he arrives on the scene, Philippe understands that Claude and Graziella are at their wits' end and that there is absolutely nothing professional about this establishment. The worst thing is Cathy's stock management, because the expired products go straight to the customer's plate. The arrival of Philippe will shake up the manager's habits and she will have to question everything!

Direction PFASTATT, in an Italian-Portuguese restaurant run by Monica, a manager with a strong character who runs her business with an iron hand. Six years ago, she sacrificed everything to open her restaurant, but today, nothing goes right and her life savings are going up in smoke... For the boss, the problem comes from her employees who lack professionalism, don't respect her and don't follow her directives... A situation she can't stand anymore! But for the employees, the problem is the boss! Her tantrums and screams stress everyone, including the customers... As a result, the atmosphere in the restaurant is electric... The worst part of it all is that it's a family conflict. Paolo, the chef, is Monica's older brother and he is finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the situation. The arrival of Philippe will shake up the family's habits and they will have to question everything!

It is in Arçais in the Marais Poitevin that Chantal and her family called upon Philippe Etchebest. Eight years ago, Chantal and her husband Alain took over an inn and invested all their savings in it. Alain, although retired, is in charge of the bar. Jimmy, their son, is in the kitchen, and Chantal manages the dining room. But, year after year, the business collapsed... For lack of customers, the owners are on the verge of closing down, and the family is on the verge of breaking up! Philippe soon realized that the real problem at this inn was the atmosphere... A stormy atmosphere, both in the kitchen and in the dining room, which was going to put him in a bad mood. The chef is going to give them an ultimatum: if Chantal and her family don't accept his help and refuse to open their eyes, he will be forced to abandon his mission and leave them alone to face their fate...

It is in Quintenas, in Ardèche, that Anthony called upon the chef Philippe Etchebest. A year and a half ago, Anthony took over the reins of a traditional cuisine restaurant on a whim, but, alone at the head of the establishment and at the stove, Anthony was drowning in problems. Self-taught and without any experience in business management, he even had to call upon his mother on a daily basis to support him. The latter does not hesitate to travel 200km to help her son! But in spite of this, since the opening, the debts are piling up and the restaurant keeps emptying itself of its customers. According to Anaïs, the waitress, this is due to the bad reputation of the boss, who is said to have a temper! The arrival of Chef Etchebest will shake up Anthony's habits who, very impressed, will completely change his attitude towards him!

Called for help by Marie, the starred chef goes to Marseille, to Mélody's restaurant. The latter had opened her establishment five months earlier. And since the launch, nothing has gone as planned. Not having the means to pay employees, Mélody asked Marie, her partner, to take care of the service but also of the restaurant's accounts. The problem is that the young woman has no experience in the field. The couple of Marie and Melody is put at risk by the situation. Philippe Etchebest tries to save the situation. But as soon as he arrives, he notices mistakes in the kitchen and a very rough service. And the chef, with her strong temperament, will give him a hard time.

Philippe Etchebest was called to Marseille to help Sandrine, manager of a local restaurant that she runs with her sister Aline and her daughter-in-law Sabrina. As soon as he arrived, the chef quickly wondered where he had set foot... The establishment looked more like a beauty salon than a restaurant! And once at the table, nothing got better: the dishes offered turned out to be bland and uninteresting, but above all, the atmosphere between the two sisters is so electric that the meal quickly turned into a vaudeville! A situation that could have amused the chef if the future of the restaurant was not at stake. Between Sandrine, the boss who has completely given up, and her sister Aline, whose character and very familiar attitude will not fail to irritate the chef, Philippe Etchebest will have to redouble his efforts to try to save this restaurant that is on the verge of exploding!

It is in Besançon, in the Doubs region, that Julien called on Chef Etchebest to help his father Tony, the owner of an Italian restaurant. In this rudderless establishment, communication is totally broken between Tony, the boss, Bastien, the apprentice cook, and Julien, who works in the dining room. Between a dubious kitchen, a cantankerous boss who smokes in his office in the middle of the service, and an approximate organization, laxity has clearly taken over the restaurant! And, faced with Tony's strong character, Julien and Bastien start to seriously give up: this business is on the verge of implosion! Philippe Etchebest will have to take up a major challenge: confronting a fiery business manager and demotivated employees, ready to jump ship. Tony, Julien and Bastien will have to react together or else the restaurant will definitely close its doors.

It was in Canet-en-Roussillon that Alex called on chef Philippe Etchebest to try to help him. After a flourishing career that led him to work for a time in New York at the UN, Alex realized his childhood dream 17 years ago by becoming the owner of a restaurant on the seashore. But for the last 4 years, it has been a downhill slide. With no customers, the restaurant's financial situation is catastrophic, to the point that Alex is now on the verge of eviction. He risks ending up on the street and, in his fall, he is not alone: he takes with him his young apprentice cook, Alexis. Alex and Alexis are sinking, but the chef would never have imagined to what extent. As soon as he arrives, Philippe Etchebest is literally shocked by the dilapidated state of the restaurant: broken windows, dust on the cutlery, a menu full of mold...

It is in Cavalaire, in the Var, that Pascale and Patrick, who have been together for 32 years, have called upon Chef Philippe Etchebest! Owners of a seaside restaurant that used to run smoothly, for the past few years the couple has seen its financial health deteriorate: Today, the situation is alarming, the bills are piling up and the bailiffs are knocking at the door. However, with Pascale's smiling welcome and Patrick's solid training as a cook, they had everything to succeed! But behind this idyllic image, the chef will quickly discover another reality: dishes with a very dated look, cooking problems, failed desserts, Philippe Etchebest will quickly be disappointed. And the chef will not be at the end of his surprises, he will quickly discover that within the couple, there is no more communication, in their life as at work.

It is in Lesquin, in the Hauts-de-France region, that Marie-Claude, 62 years old, called upon Chef Philippe Etchebest to try to help her save her restaurant. For 36 years, her husband Pascal has owned a restaurant that, after years of success, is now on the verge of bankruptcy. As soon as he arrived, the chef quickly understood that this mission was going to be complicated: between Marie-Claude's strong character and Pascal's total lack of organization in the kitchen, the restaurant couple is going to give him a hard time. Marie-Claude and Pascal are going to show the chef a colorful face, with their temper tantrums, bad faith, flying fries in the kitchen and smoking cigarettes in the dining room! And to make matters worse, relations between them are becoming increasingly tense! However, if they don't manage to straighten things out very quickly, it will not only be the end of their relationship but also of their restaurant...

Chef Philippe Etchebest was called to Dunkirk to help Melanie, a young mother of 26 years old, who took over a local institution 8 months ago: a Mexican restaurant! For fear of scaring away the regulars, Melanie has not made any changes to the establishment. She even kept the chef, Élodie, a 37-year-old cook with a strong character, who has been working there for 14 years. But since she took over the restaurant, nothing is going right. The establishment, which was working very well a few months ago, has seen its turnover drop by 50%: today, the situation is catastrophic to the point that Melanie is struggling to pay her bills. Faced with these difficulties, the atmosphere is particularly tense between Melanie and Elodie. The two women are on the verge of an explosion! They are going to push Chef Etchebest to the limit and give him a hard time...

Philippe Etchebest has come to try to unblock the situation of the restaurant of three sisters, in Sénas in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Mélanie and Mylène, two 28-year-old twins, have called on him to save the restaurant they run with their older sister Séverine. As soon as he arrived, the chef discovered the icy atmosphere that reigned in this establishment deserted by customers, although it was full of assets: a good location in the center of the village and surrounded by many shops. The chef finds himself in the middle of a family conflict... But Philippe Etchebest remains determined to help them and save their restaurant...

Childhood friends, Thomas and Romain run a brasserie in downtown Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes. Despite an ideal location, their establishment is drowning in debt and could close within a few months. The two managers have both worked in the world of high gastronomy, Romain having even been the chef of a starred restaurant for several years. The chef Philippe Etchebest is therefore faced with a real challenge: to find out why their business is going so badly despite their rich experience.

Philippe Etchebest arrived in Saint-Estèphe, in the Dordogne, at the home of Thierry and Amanda, a French-English couple who opened a pub a little less than a year ago. Contrary to his habit, when he arrived, the chef was pleasantly surprised by the "so british" decoration and Amanda's English charm... Unfortunately, he was quickly disappointed! Frozen products, badly cooked duck breasts, industrial desserts: the Chef discovered a cook who, despite his 40 years of experience, is the king of freezing! And, to make matters worse, problems are piling up in this restaurant: in addition to the kitchen that leaves something to be desired, the organization in the dining room is surreal and Amanda and Thierry are completely overwhelmed. If they continue like this, their restaurant will go straight into the wall and they risk losing everything...

For the repeat of the show, Philippe Etchebest teams up with Mallory Gabsi, the semi-finalist of season 11 of Top Chef. Together, they travel to Epoye, in the Marne region, where Jean-Jacques has taken over a restaurant. Despite his long experience in the restaurant business, he is accumulating debts, and his restaurant's attendance is down. Whether in the kitchen or in the dining room, Chef Etchebest has no difficulty in pointing out the shortcomings: a welcome in jogging suits, frozen products, latent tension between the father and his son. It is time to act!

Contacted by Sandrine, the chef went to Carnoux-en-Provence, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, to help Alexandre, a restaurant owner in difficulty. For once, Philippe Etchebest is initially seduced by the original culinary concept of the establishment. But he quickly became disillusioned when he saw the team in the dining room and discovered the state of the kitchen. Sandrine and Alexandre violently blame each other. To help them, Etchebest calls on Mallory Gabsy, a semi-finalist from season 11 of Top Chef.

Beatrice and her partner Patrice opened a restaurant nearly two years ago in Notre-Dame-de-Vaulx, in Isère. Today, Beatrice calls upon Chef Philippe Etchebest because their situation is at its worst. Between the decoration, the dishes that don't really make you want to eat and especially a kitchen in a deplorable state, Philippe Etchebest found himself faced with a disoriented couple. To try to help them, the chef set up a new method: he asked the customers to rate their meal and he once again asked Mallory Gabsi, a former Top Chef candidate, to manage a big service with them.

It was in Plougonver, Brittany, that Jessica called on chef Philippe Etchebest to come to her aid: the restaurant where she works with her boss Vincent has been experiencing a major drop in clientele for several months. Their financial situation was at its worst, and so was their morale. During his visit, the chef quickly discovered that Jessica was sorely lacking in professionalism. She oscillated between good humor... and repeated blunders! And yet, despite the chef's few mistakes, for the first time on Cauchemar en cuisine, Philippe Etchebest found himself at a dead end: it was impossible for him to explain such a drop in clientele with what he had seen! However, according to Jessica, it seems that the chef hasn't seen the whole story: his boss's explosive personality is an integral part of the problem! So how will Philippe Etchebest react when he finds out?

Philippe Etchebest travels to Plouzévédé, a small village in Brittany's Finistère region. There, he meets Marie-Laure, who took over her mother's restaurant 6 years ago. For almost 40 years, the establishment was a veritable institution, but today Marie-Laure, who works with her husband Patrice, is finding it hard to keep customers coming back. During his visit, Chef Etchebest is pleasantly surprised to discover that Patrice turns out to be an experienced cook, but he's in for a disappointment as Marie-Laure and Patrice seem completely helpless in the face of their dwindling clientele... Not only are Marie-Laure and Patrice facing professional difficulties, but the restaurant's critical situation is beginning to take its toll on their married life. Philippe Etchebest will try to help them get out of this negative spiral, before the restaurant closes its doors for good or their relationship falls apart.

Philippe Etchebest will be working in a restaurant in great difficulty in Châtel-Guyon, in the heart of the Auvergne. Damien, the chef, took over this local institution just 7 months ago with his wife Élodie. It was a dream come true for this passionate cook, who wanted to give his wife and 2-year-old daughter a better life. After a good start, sales began to fall off, and since then the couple have been forced into receivership. During his visit, Philippe Etchebest was able to see the extent of the damage. Lack of professionalism, untidy cooking: Damien and Élodie are beset by problems. What could have happened to make them fall so far? If the chef wants to help them, he absolutely must find out the reasons for this wreck. And to say the least, this task is going to prove more difficult than expected...

Philippe Etchebest arrives in Brittany, in the heart of the Côtes-d'Armor region of France, at Jean-François' restaurant in Plaintel. Retraining after a career on the road, Jean-François has been running a roadside restaurant for the past 4 years, and is apparently in such a difficult situation that he can hardly hold back his tears... And yet, for once, on his arrival, the chef discovered a restaurant packed with people! On the spot, he fell under the spell of Jean-François' wife "Darling", a super-hospitable boss who knows how to manage a well-oiled, professional team! Ironically, the chef even had a good lunch, to the point of wondering why the owner of this restaurant had asked for his help. But things soon took a completely different turn, and Chef Etchebest finally got to the bottom of it...

Philippe Etchebest travels to Villefranche-de-Lauragais in Haute-Garonne to help Cindy, Tony and Christopher. These three siblings invested all their savings 3 years ago to take over a restaurant to fulfill Tony's dream as a catering chef. Unfortunately, they are now on the verge of bankruptcy... However, as soon as he arrived, the chef was surprised by their concept: here, everything is all-you-can-eat, starters, main courses and desserts! And, to his great surprise, even meat, an expensive product, is available in abundance! Behind this concept, which may appeal to a wide audience, quality is sometimes lacking and, during service, the chef noted a few shortcomings in the dining room. Despite this, Philippe Etchebest is faced with a mystery: there's no explanation for the situation in which the siblings find themselves today. Unless there's something they're not telling him... One thing's for sure, though, and that's that the chef won't be long before the truth comes out!

Philippe Etchebest travels to Bon-Encontre in Lot-et-Garonne to help Levana and Olivier. For once, it's not the restaurant owners who have appealed to the chef, but the villagers. They are desperate to help the couple, who took over the commune's only restaurant only 2 years ago, because apart from a few regulars, most of the customers have deserted the establishment... As soon as he arrived, the chef was put in the mood: the owners gave him the feeling that they had completely given up, and the restaurant is a real mess! Despite all the problems that Levana and Olivier may encounter, the chef is faced with a close-knit couple, who get through everything, for better or for worse! But behind this bond that unites them, the chef soon realizes that there's a huge problem that's plunging Levana and Olivier into bankruptcy...