When I was in my first semester, I was assigned an essay to write about a famous chef. I chose to write about Paul Bocuse.

My grandmother had once given me a very old copy of his cook book in Spanish. I discovered that he had his restaurant in Lyon, France. This restaurant had been in his family for almost 250 years. Four years ago my family planned a reunion in Geneva, Switzerland. I looked on the map and found that Lyon, France and Geneva, Switzerland were very close together. I made the reservation for the restaurant and was very excited. When we arrived, the front of the restaurant was painted with beautiful, realistic murals. Paul Bocuse was even painted, waiving in a window. Upon entering, we saw a display kitchen with dining rooms on both sides. My first impression of the kitchen was that it was spotlessly clean. There were beautiful hand painted tiles on the walls, marble countertops, and shiny copper pots that hung everywhere. The service was incredible, the food was excellent, and for me this was the ultimate dining experience. While reading about this restaurant for my report, it was said that Paul Bocuse rarely was seen at this restaurant because he travels a lot and has many projects. On this night, that seemed like a movie, the star was in the room! There was Paul Bocuse in his chef's coat talking with the guests. He came to our table and we took photos. It was a moment that made me so happy to be enrolled as a student at the Maui Culinary Academy.