At JY’S, this midday in May 2026, the chef comes forward from the open kitchen, mischievous look, unmistakable blond hair. As soon as the handshake has been exchanged, he blurts out: , slips Jean-Yves Schillinger to the JDS. The stage is set.
Based in Colmar, on the Champ-de-Mars, Jean-Yves Schillinger’s JY’S now boasts two Michelin stars, very personal fusion cuisine and an intimate history marked by fire, exile and loss. Lunch, prepared for a report in the professional magazine, quickly turns into a story of this revenge.
Jean-Yves Schillinger, from his father’s shadow to the quest for stars
As a child, the future chef grew up in the restaurant of his father, Jean Schillinger, a two-starred Colmar figure. One night in December 1995, an arson attack took away the father, the place and eight years of work side by side. For the young cook, everything came to a sudden halt.
This high-pressure upbringing has forged a temperament that the chef embraces without hesitation. , confides Jean-Yves Schillinger in the kitchen. After the death of Jean Schillinger, family tensions around the restaurant flared.
New York and return to JY’S: a patiently constructed revenge
After these arguments, he leaves Colmar, hardens himself, and decides to start again elsewhere. With his wife Kathia Schillinger, he flew to New York, where his restaurateur friend Jean-Jacques Rachou suggested he take over a business by borrowing $160,000, or around $150,000.
On the other side of the Atlantic, success comes quickly: chic clientele from the Upper East Side, rave reviews, the obligation to constantly renew the menu. There he created a fusion cuisine, mixing French classics, Asia, Peru and American references, which he then brought back to Colmar.
Two Michelin stars, a family revenge at JY’S
In 2002, however, he returned to Colmar to open JY’S in Little Venice, with his wife Kathia Schillinger. The first star fell in 2004, the second in 2016. On the phone, when the Guide called him, he burst into tears: .
The word revenge clearly describes what is at stake. Revenge on the mourning of the father, on the label of son of, on the complicated beginnings in Colmar. Since the disappearance of Kathia Schillinger on August 26, 2025, their daughter Camille has accompanied her more in the theater to bring to life this family story that has become a cult address.
Who is Jean-Yves Schillinger?
French chef, he runs the two-star JY’S in Colmar.
Where is JY’S located?
The restaurant is located at Champ-de-Mars, in Colmar.
What cuisine does Jean-Yves Schillinger offer?
Creative fusion cuisine, between French bases and Asian influences.
