Cauchemar en cuisine

Chef Philippe Etchebest will be working in Mimose and Georget's restaurant in Saint-Gervais, Gard. The Réunionese couple took over this establishment 4 years ago, and Georget is far from a novice, having worked for Maison Troisgros (3 stars), and his mentor is none other than Serge Chenet, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France! An exceptional CV never before seen on Cauchemar en cuisine! So why did Mimose call on Philippe Etchebest to help out such an experienced chef? The chef soon finds out, and goes from surprise to surprise. Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional measures: the chef will use a new stratagem to try and help the restaurateurs, even if it means completely destabilizing them! Will this new shock tactic bear fruit? Will Chef Etchebest succeed in saving Mimose and Georget's restaurant?

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...

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...

This week, Philippe Etchebest visits Isabelle and Daniel's restaurant in Argelès-sur-Mer. A few months ago, this couple gave up everything to acquire a tourist restaurant by the sea. They invested all their savings to make Isabelle's dream come true, and are supported on a daily basis by Daniel's son Mickael, who works in the kitchen. From the moment he arrived, the chef quickly realized that this was not going to be a family affair! Because in this establishment, there are plenty of stories... whether in the dining room or in the kitchen, Philippe Etchebest is not at the end of his surprises! And to make matters worse: while on the outside all is well, behind the scenes, everyone is blaming the other! Nevertheless, even if no one wants to say anything, the chef is going to do everything in his power to help them and get the truth out! They have to act fast, because the whole family is on the verge of exploding...

Philippe Etchebest travels to La Chapelle-Launay, a small town in the Loire-Atlantique region of France. He's answering a very special call: a 12-year-old boy, Gabriel, has asked him to come and save his father Raphaël's restaurant. Raphaël has owned a roadside restaurant for the past 5 years, but business has been going badly for the past few months. Customers are deserting the restaurant, and the situation is becoming worrying. The difficulties at work are spilling over into family life: young Gabriel seems very affected by seeing his father change over the weeks. Previously a bon vivant, Raphaël has become a sad man, and as far as his son is concerned, he has lost his smile and no longer has the energy to share moments with him. Yet the young boy has only one dream: to be reunited with his old dad. Extremely touched by the young teenager's confidences, chef Philippe Etchebest will try to save the restaurant, but he's not out of surprises...

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.

In Alixan, Danielle called on the chef Philippe Etchebest. When her brother died 15 years ago, she took over his restaurant, but for the past few years, it has been a downward spiral. The turnover collapsed, and Danielle was in danger of losing the establishment she had inherited. When he arrived, Philippe Etchebest quickly realized that he had come across a shock duo: Danielle and her son Steven never stop arguing and the atmosphere between the two is electric. In this restaurant, everyone is fighting, both in the dining room and in the kitchen. To make Danielle and Steven aware of the seriousness of the situation, Philippe Etchebest asked the customers to rate their lunch. He also once again called on Mallory Gabsi, a former Top Chef candidate, to accompany them on a large service.

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.

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 was called to Roumazières-Loubert, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, to help Isabelle and Christian. Owners of a roadside restaurant for a few months, the couple's sales have collapsed and bankruptcy threatens. But for the first time in Cauchemar en Cuisine, Chef Etchebest will find himself completely destabilized by this establishment: impeccable service, more than correct cooking, owners who listen to their employees... He will be confronted with a real enigma: why is this restaurant, where everything seems to be going well, not working? The Chef will have to conduct a real investigation, even going so far as to observe a service on hidden camera, so that the truth will finally come out! How will he react when he discovers the truth? Will he accept to help this couple who hid the truth from him?

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...

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 Tarbes that Philippe Etchebest will try to save a new restaurant. 25 years ago, Christian took over an establishment with his wife Joëlle and his nephew Christophe. After years of hard work and sacrifices, today the business is failing and nothing is going right anymore. Christian has worked day and night to the point of exhaustion and has never taken a vacation. The years go by and the customers don't come anymore, to the point that the financial situation of the restaurant is catastrophic: for the last 5 months, Christian can no longer pay his nephew; he is demoralized and is afraid of ending up on the street. It's a new challenge for the chef who will have to try to save a restaurant held by the same person for 25 years! And so many bad habits and mistakes that Christian has never wanted to admit. One thing is sure: if Christian continues to deny it, the chef will not be able to save his restaurant.

It is in Hyères, in the Var, that Vanessa called upon Chef Etchebest. 20 months ago, Vanessa and her husband Stéphane decided to take over a restaurant, but since the opening, it is every day the same nightmare: the restaurant remains desperately empty... For lack of customers, the financial situation of the couple becomes very critical, especially since Vanessa invested all her savings in this business. Their daily life is thus extremely heavy and big tensions appeared in the couple. But between Stéphane's lack of organization in the kitchen, even though he has more than 20 years of experience, and Vanessa's lack of communication, who does not see her own mistakes, Philippe Etchebest has his work cut out for him! Faced with Stéphane's behavior, who refuses to assume the problems of his establishment, the chef will even wonder if, for once, he will not give up the idea of helping them...

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.

Chef Philippe Etchebest went to Saint-Quentin, in Picardy, to help Bruno. Six months ago, Bruno took over a restaurant where he used to work. Unfortunately, since he took over the restaurant, the turnover has not stopped decreasing. Philippe Etchebest will soon understand where the problem comes from. Manager of a construction company, the new boss has no experience in the restaurant business. A lack of knowledge that does not make him credible with Corentin, his waiter, but especially with Sébastien, his chef who does as he pleases. Between the dirty state of the stoves and the quality of the dishes served in the dining room, Philippe Etchebest will have his work cut out for him.

Three years ago, Anna and her husband, Romain, took over a restaurant in Cestas, near Bordeaux. Romain takes care of the pizzas, Anna the grills and the chef, Hervé, makes the rest of the dishes. This complex organization creates many tensions, exacerbated by a lack of customers. For Romain and Anna, the problem comes from Hervé, who scares the customers away. The chef, on the other hand, believes that his bosses are responsible because they don't give him any instructions. Philippe Etchebest will have to sort out the real from the fake and identify the restaurant's problems to save the couple. A task that will prove to be complicated.

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.

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...

On the spot, Christophe, 54 years old, has been managing his establishment since 1988 with his own methods: he doesn't trust anyone, needs to control everything and, during service, yells at his employees! As a result, no one wants to work with him anymore and he is forced to be an accountant, a chef and a dishwasher all at the same time. Fortunately, Audrey stays by his side and takes care of the service in the dining room, but she finds it more and more difficult to put up with her boss' moods. The arrival of Philippe will shake up Christophe's habits and he will completely change his attitude towards the chef. But Philippe Etchebest is not fooled and will use his ingenuity to make the boss's mask fall off and bring back some sanity to the restaurant.

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!

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 Irigny, in an establishment run by Ruben, a hardworking and demanding manager who tends to put his staff under pressure. Young, ambitious and perfectionist boss, he is everywhere and especially on everyone's back. So much so, that today the staff is about to quit. Philippe discovers a talented and devoted team that has lost all its motivation. As soon as he arrives on the scene, he will understand that the manager wants to control everything and will do everything to destabilize him so that he understands how much he needs the others to make his establishment work.

In the heart of a large shopping area, Nathalie and Jean-Pierre have invested all their savings in a large restaurant that can accommodate a hundred people. Unfortunately, no one comes to their place. Worse, in the face of these difficulties, Jean-Pierre, who is the boss's companion but who also takes care of the pizzas, puts his grain of salt in everyone's work. The atmosphere deteriorates and Nathalie can no longer fulfill her role as manager. The result is a talented chef who refuses to get involved... The starred chef Philippe Etchebest is not going to take the gloves off when it comes to raising the problems of one or the other. He will meet a young talented chef who will totally crack up when he arrives, a Nathalie on the verge of breaking up and a Jean-Pierre who hides his game well... Another complicated affair that needs to be cleared up urgently to save an establishment.

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!

It is in Chalèze, not far from Besançon, that Gianni and Julie called upon Philippe Etchebest. This couple of managers is in the process of seeing their restaurant sink on the banks of the Doubs. Since the opening, 3 and a half years ago, they never agreed on what they wanted to do with this establishment. Gianni, of Italian origin, wants to make pizzas; Julie, his companion, would like to make gastronomy. By arguing too much about the identity of their restaurant, Gianni and Julie are now arguing all the time... All the employees suffer from these arguments and the bad atmosphere reigns during the services, to the detriment of the customers' satisfaction! If Philippe doesn't intervene very quickly, this establishment will end up closing its doors...

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.

Kevin and Nico are two young men from the Marseilles nightlife. With no experience in the restaurant business, they have acquired a small restaurant overlooking the city's harbor. Totally new to the business, they accumulate management errors and are unable to run their establishment. Despite a very nice location, their terrace remains desperately empty. Philippe is going to hallucinate while observing the two young people working: Kevin going shopping in the middle of the service to buy missing products; Nico, the cook, starting his set-up at 1pm and working with his feet in the water because of a leak... Scandalized by so much negligence, the Chef is going to give the two boys an ultimatum. One week to change everything or close the establishment!

For the love of a mother. It is in Blagnac, in the southwest of France, that he discovers Annie, a manager who struggles to keep her business running. Tired, emotional, she would like to get some time back for herself and her husband and hand over to her son Serge to manage the restaurant. But she does not trust her son and compensates by being on all fronts, she even solicits her husband who is... a physiotherapist. Annie's dilemma is Serge. Serge is a big, friendly 49-year-old who hides behind his bar and watches things go wrong without realizing how serious the situation is. His favorite thing to do is to play pool with his friends. As usual, Philippe will try to put some order in the heads and hearts of the people in order to shake Serge and make him face his responsibilities. Will the son be able to win back his mother's trust? The road will be difficult, as always, and the journey of each of them will help to bring together a family on the verge of implosion.

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...

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.

This is the story of a restaurant specializing in grilled meats located in Stiring Wendel, in Moselle, not far from the German border. Joel is an authoritarian boss who puts terrible pressure on all his staff. A former car salesman, he invested all his savings to take over the establishment out of love for Violette, the manager who runs the restaurant. But today, nothing is going well: the products are frozen several times, there is no grill in the kitchen and the service is deplorable. Joël feels obliged to do the work for the others and no one is involved... The arrival of Philippe Etchebest will change things. Not only will everyone learn the basics of the job, but the chef will ask Joel to leave the restaurant. This will obviously cause sparks to fly, but once Joël understands the wisdom of this choice, he will be able to rediscover a restaurant that functions in peace and efficiency.

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.

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.