Missing Gastronome Pascal Henry Found–At Home
I blogged last month about motorcycle courier Pascal Henry, who disappeared in the midst of a gastronomic quest to dine at all of the world’s 3-Michelin-star restaurants.
Reader Tara recently wrote wondering what had become of Mr. Henry, and I had guessed he’d simply run out of cash and returned home.
Well, it looks like the latter is true, but the former may not be, reports The Independent.
The world was searching for Pascal Henry but Pascal Henry was at home in Geneva, hiding from the world.
[...]
On Thursday night, Interpol informed Madrid that M. Henry had been photographed by a security camera earlier this week withdrawing money from his own bank account in Geneva.
Turns out Henry had been regularly withdrawing money from Geneva cash machines for over a month. So he clearly still has some money.
But did the courier run out on his el Bulli tab because he was running short of cash, as I and others surmised? The Independent says no.
This appears unlikely. He had paid, without trouble, in all the 39 previous high-class restaurants that he had visited in France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Monaco and Spain. He had saved for the trip for two years, raising around €30,000.
So what’s the real story behind Henry putting a halt to his quest? I have two new guesses as to why he broke off his pursuit.
First, the romantic: Henry was convinced that his meal at el Bulli, considered the world’s best restaurant, was the best meal he would ever have, and so he wondered why he should continue with the rest when he’d had the best. In food terms, Henry was sated.
Second–and the answer I prefer–the realistic: el Bulli’s food was too heavy on adventure and too light on heart. I venture that Henry was flummoxed that el Bulli was more highly rated than each of the three-dozen or so top Michelin restaurants he’d already visited. Disappointed, he quit.
That’s my guess for now. I reserve the right to make as many incorrect guesses as I want. And, as I suggested previously, I anxiously await a film that reveals the truth. Though now I’m leaning towards hoping for a documentary, rather than an indie flick.
