bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

Celebrated French chef Alain Passard has made history once again.
The 68-year-old has become the first three-Michelin-star restaurant chef in France to switch to an entirely plant-based menu, opening a new chapter in the world of luxury dining.
On July 21, Passard stopped serving meat, fish, dairy products and eggs at L’Arpege, his restaurant in Paris’ chic seventh district that he has run for nearly 40 years.
The only exception is honey that comes from the restaurateur’s own beehives.

Passard says the switch had been in the pipeline for a year.
“There’s light in this cuisine,” he says. “There are taste sensations that I’ve never experienced anywhere else.”
L’Arpege used to be known as one of the leading rotisseries in Paris. It earned three Michelin stars in 1996, and has held the distinction ever since.
In 2001, Passard caused a stir in the rarefied world of French cuisine by dropping red meat from his menu and saying he would focus more on vegetables grown in his gardens.
The shift made him one of the first ambassadors of plant-based cuisine.
While Passard’s new quest is motivated by environmental concerns, it is above all a culinary challenge.
The restaurant’s updated menu includes mesclun praline with roasted almonds and melon carpaccio. Lunch costs €260 (US$300).

Passard himself has not gone completely vegan.
“I still eat a little poultry and fish,” he says. “But I’m more comfortable with plants. They allow me to learn.”
Fellow French chef Claire Vallee has experience with the challenge. In 2021, her vegan restaurant, ONA, in southwest France won a Michelin star, the first for an establishment serving only animal-free products in France.
“It requires a lot more preparation, knowledge and research,” Vallee says of creating plant-based dishes. “It’s quite a colossal task.”
Vallee launched ONA – which stands for Origine Non Animale (“Non-Animal Origin”) – in 2016, helped by crowdfunding from supporters and a loan from a green bank.
The establishment closed in 2022, and the 45-year-old chef went on to open several pop-up restaurants.

Since then, no other French restaurant serving only animal-free products has been awarded a Michelin star.
Internationally, vegan haute cuisine is rare.
Eleven Madison Park in New York has kept its three stars after becoming exclusively vegan in 2021.
In the Netherlands, De Nieuwe Winkel’s plant-based menu has earned it two Michelin stars.
Laurent Guez, a food critic for French newspaper Le Parisien and business daily Les Echos, says Passard’s announcement was “a major event”.
But he also warns that not a lot of chefs could excel in the art of high-end plant-based gastronomy.
“It’s exceptional cuisine that not everyone can allow themselves to launch into,” he says.
Michelin guide international director Gwendal Poullennec says he is “delighted” with the transition at L’Arpege, describing it as a “positive approach”.
“We will continue to follow the evolution of L’Arpege, remaining faithful to our criteria,” he says.

Passard has given himself two years to take his kitchen skills to a new level.
Is he worried about losing his three stars?
“I’ve never thought about that,” he says.
“We’re going to have to deliver. If we can maintain this level of quality, then I’m extremely confident.”


How to use dried pomegranate seeds, or anardana, in stewed dishes, salads and more

Trisara resort offers a rare Phuket experience that is opulent, thoughtful and quiet

Hong Kong or Singapore? Top pastry chef of new bakery Mimmo has a big decision to make

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, December 19-21

Food and Drinks

Famous French chef goes all vegan at his 3-Michelin-star Paris restaurant

Alain Passard at L’Arpege. The French chef, who switched to an entirely plant-based menu at the restaurant on July 21, says he is not worried about his Paris restaurant losing its three-Michelin-star status. Photo: AFP

Passard and his team of cooks carry crates of vegetables from his gardens to be prepared at L’Arpege. Photo: Reuters

A cook prepares a plant-based dish at L’Arpege. Photo: Reuters

A plant-based dish at L’Arpege.

Passard in the kitchen of L’Arpege. Photo: AFP

French chef Daniel Boulud on why his new Hong Kong restaurant won’t chase Michelin stars

Daniel Boulud has restaurants from New York to Singapore. Now the celebrity chef shares why he’s excited to open his Hong Kong restaurant Terrace Boulud, in the space Sevva used to occupy. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong 

Boulud prepares food for his recent pop-up at Hong Kong’s Mandarin Grill + Bar. Photo: Mandarin Grill + Bar

An artist’s rendering of the interior of Terrace Boulud. Photo: Terrace Boulud by Mandarin Oriental

Michelin Guide Singapore 2025 unveiled, Japanese restaurants biggest gainers

Chef Kazuki Arimoto from Omakase @ Stevens celebrates two wins - his restaurant’s newly awarded one Michelin star, and his Young Chef Award - at the Michelin Guide Ceremony Singapore 2025 at Marina Bay Sands on July 24, 2025. Photo: Michelin Guide Singapore

Chef-owner Yoshio Sakuta of Sushi Sakuta gives the thumbs up after his restaurant received its second Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Singapore 2025. Photo: Michelin Guide Singapore

Sakuta cries tears of joy at the news that Sushi Sakuta has been promoted to two Michelin stars, at the Michelin Guide Ceremony Singapore 2025 at Marina Bay Sands on July 24, 2025. Photo: Michelin Guide Singapore

Chef Kazuki Arimoto from Omakase @ Stevens celebrates two wins: his restaurant’s newly awarded one Michelin star, and his Young Chef Award. Photo: Michelin Guide Singapore

Chef Sebastien Lepinoy of Les Amis, which retained its three-Michelin-star status once again, walks the red carpet at the ceremony. Photo: Michelin Guide Singapore

Bella Jankaew from two-Michelin-star Jaan by Kirk Westaway received the Sommelier Award. Photo: Michelin Guide Singapore

What is Hong Kong’s Red Hot Chef cooking show, inspired by Culinary Class Wars?

The final eight contestants were chosen from hundreds across Hong Kong, selected by a panel of judges led by Chef Ahn Sung Jae. 

Contestants battle it out on Red Hot Chef, a new Hong Kong reality TV cooking contest. Photo: TVB Jade/Red Hot Chef

The final eight contestants of Red Hot Chef were chosen from hundreds across Hong Kong, selected by a panel of judges led by Ahn Sung Jae. Photo: TVB Jade/Red Hot Chef

Jayson Tang was one of the judges in the preliminary rounds. Photo: JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong

Tang says choosing only a handful of chefs was no easy task. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Gloria Chung evaluates dishes from four perspectives: flavour, presentation, technique and creativity. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Lai Chun-wai, one of the eight finalists, runs Sick Burger in Hong Kong. Photo: Esquire

David Lai of Neighborhood says he is most excited to see veteran Sichuan chef Deng Huadong “squaring off against youngsters”. Photo: Discovery

6 of Singapore’s best hidden speakeasy bars that will take you back in time – and how to find them

Bartenders at Chandu create drinks with a narrative that are loosely based on history. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

A bartender mixes a drink at Chandu, one of our picks of six of the best hidden speakeasy bars in Singapore. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

The Mizuwari whisky highball at Live Twice uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies. Photo: Instagram/@livetwicesg

Chandu is inspired by Singapore’s colonial era, when opium dens flourished in the city state. Photo: The Robertson House by The Crest Collection

Chandu’s Mata Hari cocktail is named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan. Photo: Facebook/Chandu

Oriental Elixir, located in a Peranakan rowhouse, is a dimly lit watering hole for nonconformist cocktails. Photo: Philipp Meier

Oriental Elixir’s Malabar Tamarind cocktail combines the sour ingredient with roasted cherry tomato gin, dry vermouth. Photo: Instagram/@oriental.elixir

Junior the Pocket Bar is a small, 25-seater speakeasy that tasks itself with changing the menu completely every few months. Photo: Philipp Meier

A cocktail titled Sesame from the Korea-inspired menu at Junior the Pocket Bar. Photo: Junior the Pocket Bar

Jade Harbour is part of The Bund menu currently offered at Junior the Pocket Bar, inspired by the Shanghai district. Credit: Junior the Pocket Bar

For its Korean Joseon dynasty-inspired menu, the interiors of Junior the Pocket Bar featured dragons. Photo: Philipp Meier

Roxy is a hip-hop-inspired speakeasy hidden inside the Miss Fitz restaurant in Singapore’s Marina Bay. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

The drinks at Roxy are based on classics, but are given their own spin. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

Last Word has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s. Photo: Philipp Meier

Last Word’s eponymous cocktail is a classic, blending gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime. Photo: Instagram/@lastwordsg

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Alain Passard has switched to an entirely plant-based menu at L’Arpege. Here’s why he’s ‘extremely confident’ about the move


Alain Passard has switched to an entirely plant-based menu at L’Arpege. Here’s why he’s ‘extremely confident’ about the move.


France

Veganism and vegetarianism

Healthy eating

Famous French chef goes all vegan at his 3-Michelin-star Paris restaurant

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Alain Passard has switched to an entirely plant-based menu at L’Arpege. Here’s why he’s ‘extremely confident’ about the move

Alain Passard has switched to an entirely plant-based menu at L’Arpege. Here’s why he’s ‘extremely confident’ about the move