Chef Biography
Philippe Jousse was born in 1960 to a family who owned a boucherie-charcuterie in the Village of Saint Georges, France. There was never any question what young Jousse would do once he grew up. In 1974 he attended Ecole d’apprentissage en CFA in Paris and received his kitchen CAP. From 1975 to 1977, he apprenticed at LePavillon des Princes in Paris and was commis chef for Chef Daniel Bouche’s, Le Petit Montmorency from 1977 to 1979 in Paris. In 1980-1982 he worked for Chef Bedier at Le Chiberta, also in Paris, before finally moving to Mionnay, France, to work for Chef Alain Chapel at Restaurant Alain Chapel.
In 1989, Chef Chapel sent him to Kobe, Japan as executive chef of his Japanese Restaurant Alain Chapel, which was opened in 1981. The following year, in 1990, Chef Alain Chapel suffered a stroke and passed away. Chef Philippe returned immediately to Mionnay to run that restaurant. In 1998, the crew from Great Chefs television showed up in Mionnay to tape Chef Philippe Jousse at Restaurant Alain Chapel for their Great Chefs of the World television series for the Discovery Channel. (Chef Jousse appeared in episodes 167, 186, 197 and 208.)
In 2012, Restaurant Alain Chapel closed and Chef Philippe moved to Lyon to teach at the Institute Paul Bocuse.