Summary
- Jean-Philippe Susilovic, Hell's Kitchen's iconic maître d'hôtel, was the best in the show's history and a fan favorite.
- After leaving Hell's Kitchen, Jean-Philippe worked as the restaurant director of Ramsay's London eatery, Pétus, and opened his own restaurant in Belgium.
- Although the reason for Jean-Philippe's departure from Hell's Kitchen was never explained, rumors suggest it may be due to back troubles or a desire to move on.
Hell's Kitchen's screaming, yelling, and heat are legendary, and it's time to give an update about Jean-Philippe Susilovic following season 12. Gordon Ramsay brought the long-awaited season of one of the the Hell's Kitchen's hiatus that lasted for more than two years, the series finally returned, and chefs were battling it out for $250k, plus an executive chef position at the Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe Restaurant. That installment's contestants were top-notch talents who delivered pure entertainment. Chef Ramsay's staff was also exciting. Chef Christina Wilson was back for her fourth season as the Red Team's sous chef, and Jason Santos returned with his blue hair as the Blue Team's sous chef.
After seeing so many fun and familiar Hell's Kitchen faces, there's curiosity about what happened to the iconic Jean-Philippe. Maîtres d'hôtel are commonly known as maître d's, and there is little talk about these HK cast simply because these pros typically do their jobs so well. While working at the front of the house on Hell's Kitchen, a maître d' will greet and seat guests and take their order tickets directly to Gordon. These front-of-house workers generally keep the house in order while the kitchen struggles to serve customers. Though the current maître d', Subito!" Monferrato, is lovable, Jean-Philippe was the best maître d' in Hell's Kitchen history. He held the position for the first seven seasons and returned for seasons 11 and 12.
Jean-Philippe Was A Hell's Kitchen Mainstay
The Belgian Jean-Philippe has an impressive resumé. The maître d'hôtel has worked at some of the world's (and Gordon's) best Michelin-starred restaurants. He first met Gordon in Cannes, at the famed La Palme d'Or restaurant. He was 17, and Gordon was 25. Gordon was there to pick up some ideas for opening his first restaurant, Aubergine. Jean-Philippe made his mark in the HK world during season 1. In the tenth episode of that season, a chef named Ralph Pagano calls the maître d' "Jean-Pierre" so many times that Jean-Philippe loses it, telling Ralph: "If you call me one more time, Jean-Pierre, I'm gonna kill you." From then on, Jean-Philippe was a Hell's Kitchen fan favorite
Jean-Philippe's Hell's Kitchen Departure Was Never Explained
Sadly, after season 7, Jean-Philippe left Hell's Kitchen. He then served as the restaurant director of Ramsay's London eatery, Pétrus. He then met someone he loved in Belgium, so he decided to return to his home permanently. In Belgium, Jean-Philippe opened his restaurant, Bentley's. Believing that his HK time was truly over, he discovered he was missed and asked to return. He returned for seasons 11 and 12, then left again. The reason for his departure was never explained.
After Hell's Kitchen season 7, Gordon took to Twitter to soothe fans worried about Jean-Philippe. Gordon told them, "For everyone asking why Jean-Philippe's not in Hell's Kitchen, he's back working as Restaurant Manager at Pétrus in London..." In a 2013 interview, as per Matt & Jess, Jean-Philippe said of the show, "I always feel sorry for the chefs with genuine talent who have a mental meltdown in the middle of the show, not realizing that they have what it takes to win. The last weeks are crazy as some chefs are tired and make silly mistakes."
However, after season 12, rumors swirled that Jean-Philippe's back trouble had flared up. He broke his back falling out of his window in 2005. While it's possible he got tired of sweating in the heat of Hell's Kitchen, it was simply time for him to leave the race behind. Whatever the reason, he will be missed in Hell's Kitchen.
Hell's Kitchen is streaming on Hulu.
Sources: Gordon Ramsay/Twitter, Matt & Jess
