With the meteoric rise of the celebrity chef and the lure of the coveted Michelin star, it takes an individual with an elite skill set coupled with verve, vigor, and dedication to the craft to reach the highest echelons of the kitchen. This phenomenological case study highlights the journey of a chef, ‘Michel’, who has demonstrated the requisite recipe to achieve Michelin ratings. Through the in-depth interview process, a candid and vivid imagery of the kitchenscape and what it takes to persevere in this heated environment is depicted. Michel reveals that breaking with the traditional kitchen culture through empathy and compassion, and abandoning substance use as a coping mechanism helped him attain success. His shared experiences also reveal the importance of dedication, passion, self-confidence and competitiveness, overcoming challenges, sacrifice, learning from failure, learning on the job, and mentorship as the internal and external factors that propelled him to the stars.
