Haeberlin, Paul

▪ 2009

      French chef and restaurateur

born 1923, Illhaeusern, France

died May 10, 2008, Illhaeusern

transformed his family's inn in the Alsatian town of Illhaeusern into a Michelin three-star restaurant. L'Arbre Vert was established in 1878 by Haeberlin's grandparents but was destroyed during World War II. Haeberlin and his brother, Jean-Pierre, rebuilt it in 1950, renaming it L'Auberge de l'Ill. The brothers wanted the restaurant to revolutionize previous conceptions of French cuisine, and Haeberlin's cooking helped to define what became known as nouvelle cuisine. With Haeberlin in the kitchen, the restaurant received its first Michelin star in 1952 and its second in 1957. In 1967 the restaurant received its final star, which it still held more than 40 years later. As a teenager Haeberlin underwent rigorous training in Paris to become a chef and took as his mentor Édouard Weber, a former cook for the Romanov royal family in Russia. Some of Haeberlin's most famous creations include salmon soufflé, frog mousse, and Périgord truffle wrapped in foie gras. In 1976 he turned the kitchen over to his son, Marc, but he remained involved in the restaurant until 2007.

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