savor GOA
THE BEST RESTAURANTS
Amavi by Sumera
Amuz
António @ 31
Bawri
Banyan Tree
Beach House
Blue Lagoon
Bomras
Chulha
Casanoni
Cavatina by Avinash Martins
Edible Archives
Fireback
Grumps
Heliconia
Hosa
Juju
Kebabs & Kurries
Kokni Kanteen
Le Petite Chef
Low & Slow
Makutsu
Miguel Aroanjo
Miguel’s
Morisco
Mustard Café
Off White
Olive Bar & Kitchen
Paper Moon
Petisco
Riverside
Saborosa by Mazey Sequeira
Saké
Sake - Zuri Whitesands
Southside
Tamari
Taste
Taupe
Tempero
The Fisherman Wharf
The Goan Kitchen
The Tanjore Tiffin Room
VietNom
White Plate by Chef Jason
7 Short 1 Long
414 Heritage Dining
taste
cooking with kids
Taste - Cooking with Kids is an initiative that aims to empower children to make healthy food choices through hands-on learning. Teaching children to cook not only educates them but also helps them make smarter food choices.
ITAMESHI イタ飯
JAPANESE (ITALIAN) KOREAN FILIPINO
Alfama
oin us at Alfama for an unforgettable evening of Portuguese-inspired Goan cuisine and Noite de Fado, happening every first Friday of the month. Savour exquisite dishes while being serenaded by enchanting live music that celebrates rich cultural heritage. Experience the perfect blend of tradition and flavour in a vibrant atmosphere!
Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage
For reservations call: 0832 665 9226
Tamari
Experience Goa’s only live teppanyaki at Tamari, where skilled chefs prepare sizzling Asian delicacies right before your eyes. Enjoy a vibrant culinary journey filled with interactive cooking and bold flavours. It’s the perfect setting for a lively evening of fun and unforgettable moments. Join us for an extraordinary teppanyaki adventure!
Vivanta Goa, Panaji
For reservations call: 83266 45858
House
of Nomad
Discover unique concoctions at House of Nomad, where local ingredients meet global flavours. Sip signature drinks like the Sinquerim Sour and Coco Loco in a vibrant setting. With groovy music and refined sips, it’s the perfect spot to elevate your evenings.
Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa
For reservations call: 0832 664 5858
Lobster Village
Lobster Village offers a reimagined seaside dining experience, focusing on the freshest seafood prepared with innovative cooking techniques. Indulge in hand-crafted sips as you explore our dynamic menus. With live music and an all-women service team, Lobster Village blends refined flavours with relaxed beachside comfort for an unforgettable experience.
Taj Exo�ca Resort & Spa, Goa
For reservations call: 0832 668 3333
savor MUMBAI
december 2024 AN IMPARTIAL GUIDE TO CASUAL AND FINE DINING
o n l y by R e s e r va t i o n : + 9 1 8 76 78 1 1 7 78 W h e re o u r c a s u a l c h a r m m e e t s a c u r a te d c u l i n a r y a d ve n t u re .
T h e O f f w h i te , N a ve l i m , G o a
THE VERANDAH
The Verandah offers its guests authentic Italian food with an array of wholesome home style recipes, crafted with the freshest Italian ingredients.
CAPIZ BAR & FIREPLACE
Known as the entertainment venue, the Capiz bar offers a range of cocktails and mocktails, zeppoli, fondue, tapas and 25% discount during happy hours.
ASIAN WOK @ POOL BAR & GRILL
Pool Bar and Grill features a glorious fare of oriental cuisine along with a refreshing beverage menu including healthy tropical drinks and margaritas.
LE PETIT CHEF
The world’s smallest chef entertains you with a theatrical and fun dining experience. Embark on an immersive gastronomic journey where 3D mapping marvels create an enchanting visual production to further elevate an exclusive six-course meal.
GRAND
HYATT GOA
P.O Goa University, Bambolim, Goa 403206
CHULHA
Chulha is an Indian 'home style' restaurant that features interactive kitchens and live stations. Favorites include chaats, kebabs and jalebi.
THE TEA ROOM @ CONFEITARIA
Experience a range of aromatic and luxurious teas from all around the world by TWG tea.
THE DINING ROOM
Five interactive kitchens and changing cuisines, a rotational buffet, a la carte options and the award winning wicked liquid Sunday brunch.
This unique dining experience combines culinary excellence with adventure in a memorable way. Discover a thrilling adventure while you enjoy specialty dishes on a platform that is suspended 160 high in the sky.
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Cover Image Credit: Hans Neuner - Ocean Restaurant
Tuna Belly
From Santa Monica, California, USA to Lake Hayes, Queenstown, New Zealand, this WG Fall issue is about the creative people behind 18 Restaurants with 36 Michelin stars, 2 Michelin Green star, these restaurants are listed on La Liste, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Gault Millau and The Best Chefs Awards.
With his rich culinary heritage of Austria, Alain Weissgerber creates an experience at Taubenkobel. At Miranda de Ebro in the Basque Country to meet Alejandro Serrano, the young culinary genius creates music, plates and art pieces for his dining room.
Andreas Krolik gives Lafleur a touch of elegance and simplicity with a modern twist to classic cooking. Suculent with Antonio Romero where is all about traditional flavors.
After 24 successful years, a new culinary journey begins with Ayla. Unleashing his creativity, Aret Sahakyan creates a personal and modern take on Turkish cuisine. The unplugged cuisine by celebrated Andalusian chef Dani García with his fire omakase tasting menu at Smoked Room in Madrid and in Dubai. With his Neo-Indian restaurant, Deepanker Khosla takes his guests on an east west culinary journey at Haōma. From a former gang enforcer to taking the Nordic restaurant scene by storm Eric Vilgaard with creating a fine-dining experience at Jordnær.
Fredrik Berselius brings love for nature to an urban surrounding through food at Aska in New York. At the Ocean, it’s all about exploring different flavours with Hans Neuner. With its panoramic views of Zurich and the Alps, Heiko Nieder cooks with his heart at The Restaurant, The Dolder Grand. Josiah Citrin gives Mélisse that French touch and combines it with Californian thinking.
At the 12-seater restaurant Tres, Michael van der Kroft and Emy Koster brings you an intimate dining experience. Niklas Ekstedt’s open fire cuisine is all about creating a connection to nature and the history of food in Stockholm. It’s all about the respect for the product as Paolo Casagrande, the culinary master plays with the contrasts of flavor, textures, temperatures, smells and ensures that each element of the dish is recognized and combines perfectly.
To the magical fine dining restaurant Cocina Hermanos Torres by renowned Catalan twins Sergio and Javier Torres. Tohru Nakamura offers a unique fine-dining experience, a testament to his German-Japanese heritage. And finally we end up in Lake Hayes, Queenstown, New Zealand to catch up with Vaughan Mabee at Amisfield.
If your travels take you to Goa, India, WG has come up with an impartial restaurant guide Savor Goa aimed at helping visitors and residents of Goa to experience the diverse range of cuisines available, from local dishes to cuisines from different regions of India and international cuisines.
A huge thank you to Kristian Brask Thomsen, Daryna Yefremova and Annie Eloian. Bon Appétit
CONTENT
24 Creating an Experience
32 Alejandro Serrano
45 Modern and Classic
56 The Soul of Barcelona
69 Unleashing Creativity
78 Fire Omakase
95 East West Culinary Journey
100 A Former Gang Enforcer
112 Fredrik Berselius at Aska
120 Exploring Different Flavours
133 Cooking with his Heart
138 Mélisse with a French Touch
149 An Intimate Dining Experience
162 Open Fire
173 Culinary Master
180 Sergio and Javier Torres
189 Japanese and European Flavors
200 Creating a Culinary Vision
TOHRU NAKAMURA
ROE DEER SADDLE, KOJI-CURED, RAGOUT, ANCHOVY, DOUGLAS FIR, LEEK HEART
PHOTO © TOHRU IN DER SCHREIBEREI
taste
who said a cheesecake has to be sweet?
ITAMESHI イタ飯
JAPANESE (ITALIAN) KOREAN FILIPINO
ALAIN WEISSGERBER
PHOTO © TAUBENKOBEL
CREATING AN EXPERIENCE
A passionate chef, father of three incredible kids, husband, and cyclist was born in the region of Alsace, France and from a very young age Alain Weissgerber knew that wanted to become a chef. In the 90’s he moved to Austria where he now lives with his family and own the gourmet restaurant “Taubenkobel” together with his wife Barbara.
Acclaimed amongst culinary opinion makers, the restaurant at Taubenkobel was awarded with two Michelin stars up until the guide unfortunately stopped rating in Austria outside Vienna and Salzburg. Rated 18 1/2 points by Gault and Millau, a very high rating, with the highest possible score of 20 having only ever been given twice in the guide’s fifty years.
Add to this accolade 5* in A la Carte as well as 96 points out of 100 in Falstaff – two of the German-speaking countries most respected culinary publications. Taubenkobel was also picked amongst Forbes’ “Coolest Places to Eat” in 2016. To add to this, Alain Weissgerber is awarded as Gault Millau “Chef des Jahres 2024” in Austria, a deserved accolade for the 57-year old French with Austria deep in his heart.
WG Magazine speaks with Alain Weissgerber.
I like to thank you for the opportunity to share my story!
I am a professional chef and with my wife Barbara we are the owners of Restaurant Taubenkobel, located in the picturesque Burgenland region of Austria. Taubenkobel is a beautiful place with 12 rooms, a restaurant and a casual bistro. My culinary journey began at renowned culinary schools, where I trained under esteemed chefs, learning the intricacies of both traditional and modern. At Taubenkobel I focus on creating a dining experience that celebrates the rich culinary heritage of Austria. My philosophy revolves around using high-quality, seasonal, and locally-sourced ingredients, allowing me to craft dishes that reflect the flavors of our region.
I believe that cuisine is not just about food; it’s about creating an experience. That’s why I pay close attention to every detail, from the presentation of the dishes to the ambiance in the restaurant. My goal is to provide guests with not just a meal, but a memorable journey through the tastes and culture of Burgenland. Outside of the kitchen, I enjoy being a father of 3 great kids. I’m excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what we can do in the culinary world while being deeply rooted in the traditions that inspire me.
CABBAGE TURNIP, CORIANDER, CAMELIDS OIL
LEITHABERG, SOUR CHERRY, GOOSE LIVER AND POPPY SEEDS
ROOSTER, ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM WITH EGG
Your cuisine…
Ultimately, my goal is to create a dining experience that resonates with people. When they take a bite, I want them to not only taste the ingredients but also feel the passion and story behind each dish and know where they are. Cooking is not just about feeding the body; it’s about nourishing the soul and creating unforgettable memories.
Your culinary philosophy…
I do find inspiration everywhere. Mostly in the nature, when I do my cycle round almost every day in the afternoon. There I see, what is growing, what I can use now. But also I find inspiration in art.
Ingredients – favorite and those that inspire you…
There are so many, but always the best is which is growing now. This ingredient has the perfect flavor and taste.
I select our ingredients from a lot of local farmers and wineries; it is part of our philosophy to cherish what the Pannonian region of Burgenland has to offer.
Cooking tools…
We have a wood oven in the heart of our restaurant where I prepare our specialties myself every day; I really enjoy this especially since I see all the guests come through and be mesmerized with the cooking.
Motivation…
My family, they really are my pride and greatest joy!
Advice to young chefs…
Always follow your instinct, do what you feel is the right way and never stop learning and exploring new things. Am Ende ist es ein Handwerk (In the end it’s a craft).
ALAIN WEISSGERBER AND BARBARA ESELBÖCK
MIEZE SCHINDLER
ALEJANDRO SERRANO
Alejandro Serrano is located in Miranda de Ebro, a strategic point between La Rioja, known for its wine, gastronomy and the Basque Country, and one hour away from Bilbao. 27 years old Alejandro Serrano gives value to the Castile Region through the sea. He offers a colorful, creative and fresh experience as he also wants to make fine dining more accessible to a younger generation that seems to be intimidated by old ways and is just looking to enjoy, discover and be stimulated. He works with local producers to get the freshest seasonal produce and with local young artists to create music, plates and art pieces for his dining room.
After several years working in some of the most prestigious restaurants worldwide such as Azurmendi and DiverXO, which both have three Michelin stars, Serrano decided to start his own restaurant. He opened Alejandro Serrano in 2019 in his hometown, Miranda de Ebro, located in the Castilla y León region in north Spain. His innovative gastronomy highlights the uniqueness of “the landscapes of Castilla” and the local products of the region.
In December 2021, he became the youngest chef in Spain to win a Michelin Star. He also received a Sun in the prestigious Repsol guide in Spain and is a part of the list of 30 under 30 from Forbes Magazine.
In 2023 he was the only chef chosen by the Spanish royal family to represent his region during the swearing-in of Princess Leonor of Asturias, who is a fan of his food.
PHOTO © ALEJANDRO SERRANO
LOVE - RICE BALLS WITH BLACKBERRY KAKIGORI, WINE AND HIBISCUS CREAM
ALEJANDRO SERRANO
WG Magazine speaks with Alejandro Serrano…
I was born in the family of cooks and that has made my determination towards cooking very clear. Once I studied gastronomy, I wanted to help my parents to continue their business, but I realized that I could give something more in gastronomy and contribute to continue evolving gastronomy through creativity and through explaining to the world how I could see the world in a different way, with different eyes, and express it through cooking. At that time I started to work in big three-star restaurants in Spain.
I returned to my city and there I saw myself with the strength and capacity to start my personal journey and to be able to be much bigger, both on a personal and professional level. Today in my restaurant, my personal life goes hand in hand with my professional life, because the whole restaurant expresses the current moment in which we are living, the current moment in which I am. And it is super nice because in the end we are progressing and moving forward and we are generating this current moment, but we are leaving this ember, this history, menu after menu, of how we have seen and how we have evolved as a young team in gastronomy. All linked to good moments that we are living, travelling around the world. Pink is my favorite color, and traditional recipes, which I have seen all my life in my family’s restaurant.
Your cuisine highlights the purity of flavors in perfect harmony and balance with each other.
Well, all my dishes, as I said before, are beautiful moments that we experience and it is how I feel that moment, that is to say, that this happy moment tastes like an ingredient, inspires me with a color and makes me plate it in a certain way, which creates a super artistic, super colorful and super beautiful harmony. Thinking of a good moment makes me reflect on beauty, on love, on human care for ourselves, and thinking in this way only produces harmonious dishes with very beautiful flavors and a beautiful appearance. I have worked with David Muñoz and Eneco and it was a very important moment in my career because I realized that they transmitted how they saw their inner world, Eneco in a much more natural way and David in a much more holistic way of the journeys he made and it gave me the needed background, it gave me the confidence to be able to do my project and to be able to manifest my inner world in my restaurant.
Eneco hatchets on a natural form because the beauty of its surroundings is what makes it unique, and David Muñoz because of those trips and those unlikely mixtures that make his cuisine unique.
Culinary philosophy...
Alejandro Serrano is based on the central trunk of the restaurant, which is the menu called El Bosque Marino (The Sea Forest). Based on the marine forest, which is a fantasy tale in which we only cook fish and seafood, we tell the story of those emotions, those sensations, those good moments, those inspirations through nature, colors, and psychedelic. We tell it little by little in a very detailed way with different drawings of me as a child, discovering new moments that I hadn’t experienced until now. All the dishes, as I have said, are fish and seafood and are above all tasty, colorful and it is this idea that I have in my head, I express it in these dishes. The menu is divided into four phases - first is the meadow, where we are surrounded by flowers, by nature, where there are the unlikely smells of flowers, aromatic plants and color. Then we move on to the forest, in which it is much more lush, much more humid, in which we have much more greenish and fresh colors. Then we move on to the sea, in which we only have seafood, fish and shellfish and the favorite color for this phase is red.
And the last one is psychedelic, in which we combine different connections with different artists that we have had during our career that have made us enlarge our proposal and that makes that something as simple as a strawberry we can elevate it to another dimension with the help of these artists.
MARIANITO - SPANISH ‘COCKTAIL’ WITH VERMOUTH, STRAWBERRY CORDIAL AND BERRY ICE CUBES
“My favorite ingredient is the red tomato, which is now in season until October. This ingredient for me is a taste of nature, a taste of the garden, a taste of the land, but freshness and sweetness on the palate, which in the end is what I look for in the meadow section”
Process of creating a new dish...
We start with a moment that is important to me, that makes me feel very good. I channel that moment through a color, through a flavor and through an aesthetic. Then we do tests, we see if it is really what that good moment tastes like to me and once we have made changes or readjusted it, we try it out on the menu so that it fits into that fantasy story that is the marine forest and so that the client, all the dishes he eats, are fantastic.
Right now this season we are working with an ingredient that for me is one of my favorite and favorite ingredients, which is tuna, tuna from the north of Spain, which has a super fine flavor and a buttery texture. In this case we always have this ingredient from June to September and now we interpret it as a bite of this tuna with spring onions.
It is very typical in the Basque Country to have a taco of tuna cooked with a spring onion but we make it in a very pretty way, in a round shape painted white and pink and we tell the guest that it is the heart of the tuna which in the end is like pure butter and sweetness combined with these colors, with the pink and the white.
Ingredient that inspire you...
We have not yet prepared this season’s red tomato dish, but surely I already have many things in my head and it will be something super subtle and super beautiful that will make us remember those moments in my family’s vegetable garden picking those tomatoes and smelling that greenness, that mixture between fig, between green tomato that it makes when you pick a tomato.
Produce, Creativity or Technique...
For me, the most important thing is to be myself. Once I am myself and I can express my inner world, no matter the technique, no matter the product because thank God in Spain we have the best products, the technique is taught in school and you have access to any book, this means that we have a very interesting culture in Spain and this means that I can give free rein to my creativity and my inner world, so for me the most important thing is to have a clear idea of what I want to express in each dish and to have a clear idea that I want to live my life in a different way. And to be clear that I want to live a beautiful life and to contemplate things in a beautiful way without judging them. The fact of contemplating things in a beautiful way means that I can be dazzled and I can focus on something that will be magical for me and for me I will be able to show it in my dishes, I can take a tomato, I can take a turbot that you will always see and cook it and it will be good but what is interesting is the point of the inner world
“More community, more art, more love, more dreamers, more color, more diversity, more ways of understanding gastronomy: If that’s what they call being in the clouds, then I don’t want to come down.”
Cooking techniques, kitchen tools...
We use very conventional techniques and very conventional equipment. What makes each dish unique in the end is that good moment when we conceptualize it into something fantastic for the guest; we achieve it with very simple techniques and equipment because in the end we don’t want to distort the flavor of the food with very aggressive techniques.
For me the most important techniques that we use in the restaurant are salting and the salting of the fish and the fish brine to give it the perfect point of salt and not having to add it in flakes.
Your greatest influence in the kitchen…
Well, I would say that Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine, my grandmother’s recipes, the produce we have in the Mediterranean and the produce we have in the Atlantic, these are my greatest influences in terms of flavors and produce, in terms of creativity, my greatest influence is my friends that I am getting to know little by little through doing interesting things in the kitchen
Earliest food memory and flavors from your childhood...
It will be my grandmother’s dish - fried shrimps, that she prepared on a frying pan, adding some lemon and sherry wine, which created a very tasty sauce and smell - and it was my favorite flavor back then. And now I have a ravioli dish inspired by this memory.
Advice
to young chefs...
Learn the techniques well and how to treat the ingredients in the right way. Also my advice is to travel and to experience various influences all around the world. It will help to reveal your true self when you will be creating your own menu. Because the guest is interested to experience something that is truly yours and that was created by your imagination, and travelling helps with this a lot.
RAVIOLI PINK SALAD CARBONARA
CANARIAN SEA BASS BURGOS
ANDREAS KROLIK
ANDREAS KROLIK
BUENO
MODERN AND CLASSIC
Located in the green heart of Frankfurt, Lafleur is with two stars in the Michelin Guide and an impressive 19 points by Gault & Millau, the best place to dine at in the German financial capital. It’s a reflection of the work by Chef Andreas Krolik, who gets inspiration from his childhood in the East German countryside to turn the best possible produce into dishes filled with complex flavours, intense aromas, textures and colours.
Lafleur is a top restaurant with an impressive wine program and of elegant simplicity where classic cooking gets a modern twist. Since it opened in 2015, Lafleur has been a pioneer in creating vegan haute cuisine. Long time before it was ‘a thing’, Krolik prepared amazing, powerful plant based dishes, and with time and experience, those have become the stars of the restaurant that also serves a menu with fish and meats.
WG Magazine speaks with Andreas Krolik…
The path to becoming a chef was an unexpected but happy coincidence for Andreas. Growing up in a small village in Saxony-Anhalt (Erdeborn), he wanted to become a forester. His childhood was strongly influenced by the holidays he spent in the Thuringian Forest, where his uncle managed the second largest forest district in the former GDR. These experiences awakened in him the desire to work with nature. But everything changed with the reunification. The rapid privatisation of the forests and the loss of training places for foresters meant that this dream became unrealisable.
PHOTO © REDONDO
PHOTO © LAFLEUR
“My family ran a small farm as a side-line, with a variety of animals - pigs, chickens, geese, ducks and occasionally rabbits. We also had three large gardens where we grew seasonal fruit and vegetables. As a result, I had a close connection to high-quality food produced in a natural and sustainable way from an early age. These were often old varieties and breeds that impressed with their genuine flavour. I was particularly influenced by my grandmother, an excellent cook, with whom I spent a lot of time in the kitchen as a child. This gave me the idea of becoming a chef instead of a forester - a decision that turned out to be a real stroke of luck.”
A cuisine filled with complex flavours, intense aromas, textures and colours…
The natural taste of the products is always given priority. My dishes are aromatic and flavourful and are accompanied by intense sauces, essences or vinaigrettes. My way of thinking is very long-lasting, especially from my childhood experiences, and I always strive to make full use of all products and ingredients in the best sense.
For example: If you have a dish with a quickroast piece of beef, you always have a braised piece and/or a baked praline with it, excess fat is used for a crust and for roasting the meat, and the sauce and a soup served separately are made from bones, tendons and other parts.
For a carrot dish, the carrot is prepared in at least 3 to 4 different ways, sections are juiced, fermented and processed into a broth with a nice balance of fruit and acidity, the carrot tops are also processed into a fresh cream with a little lime and spiced marigold or basil, creating a dish that is very multifaceted, exciting and flavourful, while playing with a wide variety of textures, absolutely sustainable, seasonal and regional.
ANDREAS KROLIK
MARINATED DAIKON TURNIPS WITH DAIKON TURNIP LEAF PESTO
DIVED SCALLOP WITH KAFFIR LIME CRUNCH
WHITE ASPARAGUS IN CHICORY DECOCTION, SMOKED PAPRIKA, SPICE MACADAMIA CRUNCH, BLACK MISO CREAM
ANDREAS KROLIK
NORWEGIAN NORWAY LOBSTER WITH TANDOORI KAFFIR LIME LEAF SAUCE
Culinary philosophy…
My philosophy combines modern and classic elements, strongly characterised by the respective season and the diverse regional products and influences. The natural flavour of the ingredients always takes centre stage for me. My dishes are aromatic and flavourful and are rounded off with intense sauces, essences or vinaigrettes. This approach of working sustainably and carefully with the best ingredients is deeply rooted in my childhood experiences. My aim is always to utilise the full potential of all products and ingredients.
For a long time, the conception of new dishes was completely in my hands. I spent nights “designing” dishes from my head, gut feeling and my stored taste patterns, taking into account the season and region. I wrote down a lot of notes and also made sketches of how the dish should look on the plate. This was also necessary because this process also had a lot to do with discarding and new approaches. Only when I felt that my dish was complete did I start cooking it and creating the necessary recipes. If I thought carefully and didn’t make any mistakes, very harmonious dishes were created straight away, which at most needed a little fine-tuning.
The new dish(s) are then tasted together with my head chef, my two sous chefs, the restaurant manager and our sommelier in order to find the perfect wine to go with it. If suggestions result that improve the dish, these are implemented; otherwise, the dish can be integrated directly into the new menu and served to our guests.
This process has now changed somewhat. Some of my most creative minds in the team develop their own ideas for dishes, which always fit my cooking style. We then discuss these together several times and taste them using the same principle as described above.
The majority of all new dishes still come from me, but the additional support and creativity of my employees such as Jean-Philipp Schneider, Michael Becherer, Jan Vrancken (one of the most creative) or my head patissier Esin-Nur Usta, give me additional freedom for other ideas and projects. For example, how we can become even more sustainable or it simply allows me to have more time for our guests.
The inspiration behind the dish… Basically, I am always inspired by nature and the current season. There are many products that I really like to use (in the question below I explain my favourite products in more detail), once I have decided on one of them, the season comes into play, the chosen main product is accompanied by seasonal ingredients. For example, late summer/ autumn.
My main component for the main course in our vegan Ethical Cuisine menu is pointed cabbage, which I braise in truffle juice and a second preparation of pointed cabbage is a roll with a crunchy, fresh pointed cabbage filling, plus pickled beetroot, fried corn and a mildly smoked corn cream with a slight spiciness, everything is completed and finished with a strong truffle sauce based on roasted vegetables, and on top comes a crumble of sourdough bread.
So it’s late summer/autumn and on the plate we find all the ingredients that are in season at this time and that are perfectly matched.
BACK AND NECK OF VOGELSBERG HERB LAMB,
SALMON, RH”N CAVIAR, WATERCRESS, ICED YOGURT AND ORANGE
“My passion for cooking combines wonderfully with my love of nature and fishing”
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
For me, the product always comes first the best of the best has to be used. I am always looking for reference quality, as it is not always available regionally or some things are simply not grown or bred in Germany, so I always use some ingredients from all over the world in my kitchen if they are unique.
Technology and creativity come after that, I can’t turn a mediocre or good product into a great product with either technology or creativity.
That’s why we first choose the best product and then use creativity and technique to create a special dish. Sometimes nothing more than a top product is necessary, but for me it can be very purist at times. With fish and seafood, less is often more and the greatest experience is served raw
What is your greatest influence in the kitchen?
My own taste (which was partly formed in my childhood), my origins (there is often a certain down-to-earthiness in my dishes), my preference for intense, aromatic sauces, essences and marinades - which always form the connection to our superbly stocked wine cellar and make perfect pairings possible, my employees, who also always bring their own ideas, which also gives me new food and ideas.
ROASTED AND GLAZED CHICORY
ROASTED FILET OF ICELANDIC COD WITH SHALLOT BUTTER
“I came from the former GDR, where these awards didn’t even exist”
What keeps you motivated?
I have to say first that when I started my training as a chef in 1991, I had no idea whatsoever about awards in the kitchen, I knew nothing about Michelin stars, nothing about Gault Millau points/toques and so on. This was probably partly because I came from the former GDR, where these awards didn’t even exist. I just wanted to learn to cook well and that worked very well, not least because of my personal inner drive, because I’m never satisfied when things aren’t perfect and I’m also very self-critical.
Basically, I have to say that I cook primarily for our guests and somehow also for myself, I always want to achieve the best possible result and I’m very fussy.
So I don’t cook for awards, the awards are just the result of my attitude and the way I cook. But awards are of course very nice, they are a nice confirmation from external professionals, for my entire restaurant team, for the company and of course for me too.
Top awards can also be an economic factor, they bring in more and new guests and they are also a very good guide for guests to find the best restaurants in the world.
From that point of view, awards and distinctions are important but not the reason why I cook or became a chef.
Furthermore because I am still highly motivated and want to learn and improve every day, my team also gets a little better every day, if this results in one or two higher awards, we would of course have nothing against it - Smile.
OCEAN’S 8 - OCTOPUS CARPACCIO
ANDREAS KROLIK
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, SALSIFY, PERIGORD TRUFFLE SAUCE AND YOUNG SPINACH
CELERY, PEAS, HAZELNUT, BROWN CELERY JUS AND BERGAMOT FOAM.
GRAND CRU CHOCOLATE, APPLE SORBET, ALMONDS, CRU DE CACAO ICE CREAM AND BOUND APPLE SHISO JUICE
ANTONIO
PHOTO © DAVID EGUI
ROMERO
ANTONIO ROMERO
THE SOUL OF BARCELONA
Born in Nules, Castellón, Antonio Romero began his culinary career at the age of 19, his cooking classes drove his passion and it grew where he got the opportunity to do his stage at elBulli and later worked there as a chef. After elBulli, he went to France to work at Maison Pic, and in May 2012 he opened Suculent.
‘The Soul of Barcelona’, as Suculent is often called, is a world-beloved casual restaurant by Antonio ‘Toni’ Romero, where he for a decade has showcased the deep flavors that have made his restaurant a favorite amongst global diners and star chefs in Spain to go on their nights off. At Suculent, the welcoming atmosphere and the flavors are absolutely essential.
Rather, it’s the pure, deep and timehonored Mediterranean flavors that Romero has rediscovered and refined with an unequivocal passion for tradition and very solid craftsmanship.
At Suculent, the cuisine is undogmatic and guided by the deepest of flavor. Romero cooks the Soul of Barcelona. Suculent restaurant is both among 50 Best Discovery and recognized by Michelin Guide recommendation list. Moreover, he has been listed on The Best Chef Awards Top 100 several times during his admirable career.
GREEN PEAS WITH CURED IBERIAN PORK JOWL, SEA URCHIN AND PEA PURÉE
MOREL STUFFED DUCK WITH ARMAGNAC AND FOIE GRAS CREAM
ANTONIO ROMERO
WG Magazine speaks with Toni Romero.
A cuisine that is time-honored Mediterranean flavors…
I like to cook popular dishes, recover dishes that are sometimes neglected, and reinterpret or revise them in my own way of cooking, but based on this Mediterranean tradition.
Your culinary philosophy…
“I focus on traditional flavors but reinterpreted, made in my own way, trying to enhance the flavors, respecting that purity, and in a way, try to improve some traditional dishes, seen from a more modern perspective”
I am inspired by the seasonality of the products, how to try to elevate those products and enhance them in terms of flavor and texture. If I can bring something different to the table or make someone think about it through of the dishes, the better. But it is not always easy to get to this point, so the most important thing for me is that it is very good.
DUCK CROQUETTE
“At elBulli the influence was probably the most impactful, apart from learning to work and organize myself better”
You worked at some of the finest restaurants – elBulli, Arzak, Akelarre and Masion Pic…
I can tell you more about elBulli, as I worked there for 3 seasons (2009-2010-2011). For me it was a great school, I started working at elBulli when I was 22 years old, with very professional and talented chefs, who instilled in me a sense of responsibility, and great knowledge of techniques and flavors. Between the 2009 and 2010 season, elBulli closed for 6 months, and that’s when I was at Arzak - a great place and a great team.
I think that every restaurant differs a lot, and there are always things and methods to learn, unique in each place. I only stayed at Akelarre for a very short time, as I went there on my day off, when I was nearby, and they were open. It is a spectacular place with great cuisine.
STEAK TARTARE ON GRILLED BONE MARROW WITH POMMES SOUFFLÉ
After elBulli closed in 2011 I went to Maison Pic, a refined cuisine, driven by perfection in every detail, with aesthetically perfect dishes. It was a great experience, with some challenges because of the language, but very nice. Each restaurant gives you experience, methods to solve problems, and skills to work with teams. Apart from this, you always see different flavor combinations and cooking methods.
At elBulli the influence was probably the most impactful, apart from learning to work and organize myself better, to understand how to compose a dish, that has a meaning, and that each dish also had a conceptW, which I wanted to transmit to the diner. Also the purity of the flavors, because each ingredient was very important, I had to know what it is or to enhance it and the same in the broth and the bases. I think it is a very thoughtful cuisine, where no ingredient is put for decoration or for decoration, everything fulfills a function either by gastronomic or conceptual culture.
PAN-FRIED STINGRAY ON CRUSHED CITRIC POTATOES WITH TOASTED PINE NUTS, CAPERS AND BLACK BUTTER
Ingredients…
Inspire - raw mustard seeds, for pickling and giving a fresh touch to the dish as well as crunchy texture. Angus beef tongue, it has a very special texture.
Favorite ingredient - All seasonal products fascinate me, oily fish, artichokes, truffle, cep, white aubergine, ugly tomato, game birds, marrow, red shrimp, and blue lobster. In general I like all the ingredients, but I’m not a big fan of courgette, and snails (although I like them) I’m allergic to them.
Overrated ingredient - Perhaps barnacles (although they are very good), but I think they owe their price to their low production and dangerous harvesting. For example, compared to a good mussel, I don’t think it has much to envy, taste-wise, except that it is much more expensive.
Cooking techniques…
I love grilling, roasting fish, vegetables or meat... or finishing dishes on the grill is one of my favorite techniques.
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
Produce with good technique would be the priority for me. Creativity can differentiate you and motivate you, but on a day-to-day basis it is the most difficult part to find time for it, after all the tasks and management that the restaurant requires, and unless you have a separate team dedicated to creativity, the time spent on creativity is usually little and improvised.
CUTTLEFISH AND IBERIAN PORK JOWL TARTARE AND ALMOND MILK WITH CAVIAR
RED PRAWN CEVICHE WITH AVOCADO AND CORN
Your greatest influence in the kitchen…
The restaurant elBulli with Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, although Suculent, has nothing to do with elBulli, it is not a creative restaurant, and it is not comparable but I have been greatly influenced by its organizational methods, its philosophy, its way of understanding cuisine.
What motivates you?
To see the customer happy, and that the restaurant is full, and there is only one way to do this, to try to do things well, and that the customer leaves happy. This is the most important thing for me.
Advice to young chefs…
Like all professions, you have to love what you do. If you have passion and a willingness to learn, everything is easier. You don’t have to rush into opening your own business, the more restaurants and experience you can acquire beforehand, the more resources and the more prepared you will be for the management and leadership of a restaurant in the future. Like everything else, even if it is glamorous, without effort and sacrifice, it is difficult to get far.
BRIE CHEESECAKE WITH TAHITIAN VANILLA & MUSCATEL JELLY PHOTO © CARLES ALLENDE
STRAWBERRIES FILLED WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE, YOGURT AND VANILLA
PHOTO © CARLES ALLENDE
ARET SAHAKYAN
PHOTO © MAÇAKIZI
UNLEASHING CREATIVITY
After 24 successful years, a new chapter of the culinary journey begins with Ayla. At Ayla, Aret Sahakyan creates a personal and modern take on Turkish cuisine inspired by his own roots and culinary culture and by the memories and legacy of Ayla Emiroğlu, the beloved Queen of Spades and pioneer who in 1977 moved to Bodrum and started the first Maçakizi. The chef’s goal is to create a second, new and elevated culinary space inside Maçakizi, which is already recognized for its amazing gastronomy with a Michelin star. A more intimate and bespoke culinary experience, bursting with intense flavors that Aret achieves by sourcing produce locally, by giving big importance to seasonality and ethically minded producers, farmers and fisherman, and by unleashing his creativity and knowledge of technique.
The space is nothing short of spectacular. Guests walk into a room filled with art and encounter a beautiful bar, followed by a custom made open kitchen and one big table, to then feel a breeze that makes them turn around into the open air dining area, with five more tables and a breathtaking view into the shades of blue that made mama Ayla fall in love with Bodrum almost five decades ago. Two lower levels hide an impressive wine cellar, filled with the best Turkish and international labels, and a sea level with a big table for groups where guests will feel like they’re basically eating over the water.
WG Magazine speaks with Aret Sahakyan.
I was born in Istanbul, Turkey, into a multicultural family where food and cooking were both passion and profession. My culinary journey began when I travelled to the U.S. to study, supporting myself by working in restaurants. I quickly found fulfillment in the kitchens of renowned chefs Roberto Donna and Yannick Cam in Washington, D.C. Then went on to work with Francesco Ricchi and Jean Louis Palladian before taking the reins at Cities Restaurant, where I created distinctive dishes inspired by different cities, rotating every six months.
In 2000, Sahir Erozan invited me to join him at Maçakızı on the Aegean coast near Bodrum, Turkey. Together, we also opened Tuus Restaurant in one of Istanbul’s most elite areas. Currently, I am the Executive Chef at Maçakızı, ensuring the gastronomy experience remains contemporary with a menu featuring local flavors, sustainable techniques, and exciting events with world-renowned chefs.
Maçakızı has become an award-winning restaurant, contributing to Bodrum’s emergence as a gastronomic destination. In 2023, Maçakızı was awarded a Michelin star in the first-ever Bodrum guide. My latest venture is Ayla by Aret Sahakyan.
AMBERJACK LAKERDA WITH BOTTARGA AND WATERMELON SALAD
KOKOREÇ, SWEET BREAD, SMOKED POTATO PURÉE AND SUMMER TRUFFLE
GROUPER WITH NETTLE LEAVES AND ROMAN BEANS
ZUCCHINI COUSCOUS, ASPARAGUS AND RED GRAPE
KAYMAK RAW HONEY ICE CREAM WITH CAVIAR
“I go to the local markets, get inspiration, see what is available at the time, taste and smell everything and then go back to my kitchen and try out whatever ideas come to mind”
Your cuisine is a modern take on Turkish cuisine, highlights your roots and the culture of Ayla Emiroglu...
Having spent 24 years immersed in the culinary landscape of Bodrum, I have a profound appreciation for the region’s rich produce and traditional flavors. Combining this deep local knowledge with Ayla Emiroglu’s vision of artful, boho-chic elegance, I craft dishes that are both rooted in tradition and distinctly modern.
Ayla’s concept of blending artistic flair with a relaxed, stylish approach inspires me to use the freshest local ingredients while presenting them in a contemporary, visually stunning manner. By emphasizing seasonal produce and traditional Turkish staples, I create dishes that are both authentic and innovative.
My goal is to honor the essence of Turkish cuisine while incorporating modern techniques and stylish presentation. This balance reflects my commitment to delivering the highest quality dining experience, harmonizing the best of Bodrum’s offerings with a sophisticated and artistic touch.
Your culinary philosophy...
My culinary philosophy revolves around celebrating the vibrant flavors of local, seasonal produce. In Turkish cuisine, particularly within the Aegean region, we are fortunate to have access to an abundance of exceptional ingredients. The lush landscapes of this area offer a rich bounty of olives, olive oil, seafood, artisanal cheeses, honey, and a variety of fresh vegetables.
I believe that the essence of great cooking lies in honoring these ingredients by showcasing their natural qualities. By focusing on seasonality and locality, I create dishes that are both flavorful and reflective of the region’s unique terrain. Turkish cuisine’s versatility allows me to blend traditional techniques with contemporary approaches, resulting in dishes that are both rooted in heritage and innovation.
During the summer, there is an abundance of seafood. Vegetables can be a little tricky but peppers and tomatoes are amazing. Springtime, we have all these mushrooms, wild greens and herbs.
Ingredients that inspire you, your favorite ingredients and those overrated...
I go to the market, keeping it local and seasonal. I also have created and maintained fantastic relationship with local producers, so they are always keen to share what they have at the best time, and I want to be able promote the hard work and beautiful produce they provide here at Ayla.
“My
favorite ingredients, seafood and seasonal vegetables. Seafood, with its delicate flavors, is a staple in my cooking. I particularly enjoy pairing it with seasonal wild greens and root vegetables, which add depth and freshness to each dish”
For example, one of my favorite dishes is the “İç Pilav” on my menu, which is inspired by a traditional recipe from my mother’s kitchen. This dish beautifully combines seafood with aromatic herbs and vegetables, reflecting both my personal culinary heritage and a deep appreciation for seasonal produce. Avocados - while they are a great source of natural fat and oils, their water consumption and waste levels are too high for what they have to offer. We aim to be as sustainable as possible here at Ayla and Macakizi, and it is incredibly important to us that our ingredients reflect that.
LAMB LOIN WITH CHARRED AUBERGINE, SMOKED PEPPER AND WALNUT CREAM
PISTACHIO BAKLAVA ROLL, ROSE WATER LOKUM, TURKISH COFFEE CUSTARD
Kitchen tools...
My tweezers, they never leave my side, I love the part of the dish when everything comes together, and I am putting the beautiful, delicate finishing touches. A lot of cooking requires going very quickly, but at this point I can take a minute to be with the dish and appreciate what has been created.
Your greatest influence in the kitchen…
My mother was a great cook, at home there was always great, fresh food. My uncle was a chef as well, I saw and watched him and from there I continued grow.
What keeps you motivated?
Getting awards, like the Michelin star, in Turkey now they have this Pearl System; it is reassuring to be acknowledged. But first and foremost, the feedback from our guests and colleagues brings me a great deal of motivation.
Your earliest food memory…
My earliest food memories are deeply rooted in the flavors and aromas of my childhood home. From a young age, I was surrounded by the comfort of everyday ingredients—olive oil, spices, and rice. Among these, spiced rice and mantı hold a special place in my heart. Mantı, in particular, was a beloved dish prepared by my grandmother, whose culinary skills are something I will never forget. Every Sunday, our family would gather around the table to enjoy her beautifully prepared mantı. These weekly visits were more than just meals; they were cherished moments of family, tradition and connection.
The flavors of these childhood dishes, especially the mantı, continue to inspire and influence my cooking today. I carry forward these traditions at Macakizi, with every Sunday as mantı day and ensuring that the essence of those early experiences remains a central part of my culinary journey.
DANI GARCÍA
FIRE OMAKASE
The celebrated Andalusian chef Dani García has significantly impacted the Spanish and international gastronomy through his diverse and innovative culinary ventures.
Beginning his culinary journey at the School of Hospitality in Malaga La Cónsula and working under the esteemed Martín Berasategui, Dani García developed a unique style that blends Andalusian traditions with global influences. His early success came with Tragabuches, where he earned his first Michelin Star at just 24. He then went on to achieve even greater acclaim with his two-star restaurant Calima. In 2019, García was awarded his third Michelin star at his restaurant in Marbella but made headlines by closing it to pursue new, more accessible dining concepts.
In 2021, Dani García introduced Smoked Room, a groundbreaking concept in Madrid that quickly made waves in the culinary world. This intimate and exclusive dining experience is centered on the art of grilling, with smoke and embers playing a pivotal role in every dish. The restaurant features a unique tasting menu called Fire Omakase, where each course is meticulously prepared using techniques that emphasize the rich, smoky flavors imparted by the grill.
PHOTO © SMOKED ROOM VIDEO © RED SPADES
GRILLED CONCHA FINA WITH BEURRE BLANC AND TOSAZU VINEGAR
DANI GARCÍA
Within just six months of its opening, Smoked Room was awarded two Michelin Stars, an extraordinary achievement that underscored the restaurant’s exceptional quality and innovation. This recognition not only solidified Dani García’s reputation as a leading figure in global gastronomy but also highlighted his ability to push culinary boundaries while staying true to his roots.
Continuing his international expansion, Dani García introduced Smoked Room to Dubai, and again within six months of opening, Smoked Room Dubai received a Michelin Star. Located in one of the city’s most prestigious settings, this branch seats a maximum of 14 guests at a time. Sat in a semi-circle facing the flames of an open kitchen, diners are treated to a meal that’s as much about culinary discovery as it is about eating.
WG Magazine speaks with Dani Garcia.
I started in the world of cooking, and everyone—family, friends, etc.—told me I was crazy. They said it was very demanding. But I was passionate about it; I had never had professional contact with it, but I had always experienced it at home. It’s true that, as a child, I wanted to be a footballer, like most kids, I imagine. When I reached a certain age and had to choose, that was my path. After attending culinary school, I started doing internships, and a few years later, I began working professionally. I live this profession, and for me, it is the most beautiful in the world. You make people happy through gastronomy. And that feeling is unique.
SWEET CORN CHAWANMUSHI, HAIRY CRAB AND UNI
GRILLED KAGOSHIMA A5 WAGYU, 34 YEARS SOY AND FRESH WASAB
the unplugged cusine...
VIDEO © RED SPADES
Your culinary experience…
My professional career as such started in Spain. After my training, I began my internships at Martín Berasategui, and years later I started my business in Ronda, then in Marbella, and so on. I arrived in New York in 2013.
Without a doubt, it was a great learning experience for me as it helped me realize that I was just a grain of sand in a vast desert—in the sense that once you leave Spain, you realize you are nobody. This helps you understand that you are nobody to at least have motivation and work hard. But it also inspired me a lot in creating dishes and concepts. BiBo, for example, is greatly inspired by many places in NY. It showed me diversity; it didn’t provide me with major insights into haute cuisine, but it did give me a different perspective and a lot more of a brasserie style.
In fact, BiBo is our first major casual brand and is inspired by a place called ABC Kitchen in the ZONA area. That restaurant left a mark on me; I remember always going there for a crab toast, and they had pizza and many other things. The way they plated dishes, in a theoretically relaxed manner, almost a bit hipster, really influenced me in creating the first BiBo.
ABURI MACKEREL WITH CITRUS TOMATO DASHI
DANI GARCÍA
“Creating a dish for a restaurant for all audiences is not the same as for a Michelinstarred restaurant”
DANI GARCÍA
Your culinary philosophy…
My cooking depends on the moment, the concept, and the place. It’s not always the same because not all concepts are alike. The process is always the same, which is to work hard. You have to start from that base. Then, the creation of dishes depends a lot on needs or not. When creating a menu, I always start from what we call menu architecture, meaning the needs the customer wants to find on a menu to feel comfortable. So everything comes out in an organic way, initially, which is how a dish should be created. At the outset, you need a storytelling of the concept, what the concept is. I’m very meticulous; I start naturally with a foundation when creating a concept.
Once you’ve established that and you’re clear about what it’s about, you put yourself in the customer’s shoes—what they will encounter in a restaurant called this and that, and why they might go there, for example, if it’s an Indian restaurant. Ultimately, you create that architecture, which also depends on how big it is, what the kitchen is like, and many other factors. Once all the foundations are set, you start adding dishes, and that’s when the dish creation begins. But as I said, it can often be forced—like needing a chicken dish because it has to be there—and from there, you create. Given the limitations of a particular ingredient or a dish that has to be vegetables, etc., it gradually builds up; it’s very much about work. Inspiration comes, but because you are creating and working. There is no exact pattern for creating it as such, primarily because we have many brands, all very different, and each is a world of its own. Creating a dish for a restaurant for all audiences is not the same as for a Michelin-starred restaurant.
“A good knife. It’s an extension of a cook’s hand”
Ingredient that inspire you, favorite ingredient, an ingredient you were unable to master and in your opinion what is the most overrated ingredient.
You never know. Sometimes you travel and see and discover things that you like more or less, or that you want to revisit because you haven’t cooked them in years. But you never have a clear idea about the ingredients. It depends on many factors. My cooking is really many different kinds of cooking.
Olive oil and tomatoes - they are the foundation of my cooking, the traditional style that was made at home with my grandmother and mother. And to this day, they are the base of many of my dishes.
It could be the sea anemone. It has a very delicate texture and a very intense flavor. It requires a specific and crucial preparation method to cook it properly.
Caviar. Still, for me, it’s one of the ingredients I often use in my dishes, and it provides the exact and necessary touch in many of them. However, it’s true that it is more exclusive due to its limited availability.
Kitchen tools...
A good knife. It’s an extension of a cook’s hand, providing the precision, versatility, and control needed to create high-quality dishes. It is the essential tool for transforming ingredients into unforgettable creations.
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
The importance lies in the balance. If you use a technique that serves the taste and flavor, that’s perfect.
SAKU BELLY RUBS - GRILLED RED TUNA SERVED WITH A BOUILLABAISE EMULSION, BUTTER AND SAFFRON,
KOMBU STEAMED LANGOUSTINE AND SMOKED MAYONNAISE
DANI GARCÍA
“I mainly focus my on what makes me happy”
Your greatest influence in the kitchen...
It depends a bit on where I am. If you focus a little on the pyramid we made a few years ago, Ferran Adrià was a bit of the guiding light and focus. Then Robuchon and Nobu. But honestly, you find inspiration and references in many places. It’s not only about gastronomy but also business. For example, a longstanding space or restaurant in my city, Marbella, also inspires me.
Several awards and accolades… what keeps you motivated?
Lately, I think a lot about happiness. I don’t focus on where I am or not. The world is big enough, and I would need ten lifetimes to fulfill my dreams. Therefore, I mainly focus my on what makes me happy.
Your earliest food memory and flavors from your childhood...
In addition to having my mother and grandmother as references in the kitchen, who have influenced many of my dishes and products, I have a very cherished memory from my father. Although he didn’t usually cook at home due to work, he did on weekends. I remember going to the beach in Marbella and “pulling the net,” a traditional fishing technique with a large net. Or going to the city market to get products that he would later cook at home. And it wasn’t just about the gastronomic aspect, but also about those moments and the bond we shared.
GRILLED PIGEON, MAITAKE, CELERIAC AND MANZANILLO VELOUTE(
DUCK WITH CARROTS, SAKE-INFUSED CRÊPE SUZETTE, AND A YUZU BIGARADE SAUCE.
“When I started out, being vocational and wanting to give everything in exchange for nothing”
Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, your advice to young chefs. Glamorous now, but when I started as a chef, it was very vocational. It was a job that wasn’t well cared for; you were in the worst, not to say the black hole of a restaurant, but almost. Now it’s nothing like that. Today, it has changed for the better. Without forgetting the things I couldn’t have achieved without that. But I think that often when one starts, like I did when I started out, being vocational and wanting to give everything in exchange for nothing, your mentality, philosophy, and concept in cooking were very clean, healthy, and pure.
Today, it’s very polluted. You start as a chef and you want to have a business, be famous, appear on TV, earn Michelin stars, travel the world. That wasn’t in my mind when I started. In my mind, and I believe in the mind of my entire generation, it was all about cooking above all else. You weren’t intoxicated by success; you were only driven by the desire to do and change the world with food. My advice for those starting out is to work hard.
GREEN APPLE, GREEN SHISHO AND YOGURT
DEEPANKER KHOSLA
PHOTO © SAHIL RATTAN
EAST WEST CULINARY JOURNEY
Born and raised in small town in India , the only way of life was to work the land, enjoy what they had, respect and make the most of it. Deepanker Khosla started with a food truck in Thailand after working 7 years in hotels, slowly moving his way up to be where he is today. The man behind HAŌMA in Bangkok - a Neo-Indian restaurant with a socially and environmentally responsible heart and explosive flavours and is awarded with the Sustainable Restaurant Award 2024 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List. The restaurant is the result of a deep exploration of Deepanker Khosla’s roots and a journey that takes guests from East to West, from the land to the sea and through every corner of the immense Indian territory, all done with Thai produce, most of which they grow themselves.
It earned its first Michelin star in late 2022, combined with a Michelin green star for outstanding work in sustainability. Also achieving the first ever Champions of Change award given in 2021 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List.
Khosla takes his guests on an east west culinary journey “India is not a country to me, it’s a continent with over 7800 kilometers of coast line, the Himalayas, plains, plateaus with over 22 distinct cuisines over 100 dialects spoken. At Haōma. it is our responsibility to showcase the vastness and diversity of our culture, heritage and cuisine and we back it with flavors and modern techniques using the best local products available.”
His mother and the town he grew up have been the biggest influence on him. They have distributed their attributes to him, creating a dynamic person of passion.
Khosla finds the Thai sea urchins interesting, “I’ve never seen them in any restaurant in Thailand but when I scuba dive I see them everywhere. So I decided to work with them requesting fisherman to bring them to me. Ingredients are selected for their uniqueness and the cool people who find or grow them for us.” However struggles to have sea cucumbers tender in his curries.
BOMBAY SANDWICH
COCONUT HEART BHELPURI
GIANT TREVELLY AND CURRY
LOBSTER AND CAVIAR
SUNCHOKE PEPPER FRY
WG Magazine speaks with Deepanker Khosla.
Produce, Creativity or Technique...
Produce comes first, creativity is a process, if you love something with all your passion creativity comes to you. Technique cannot be defined, I think Indian cooking is at one of the most refined and technically advanced, however because it’s not documented and marketed some might think otherwise.
“the muslin cloth and 100 micron super bags , they bring out the best in my curries and homogenize them to the next level”
What keeps you motivated?
Delivering everyday consistency and with discipline. When I eat my own food it makes me happy and that’s why I think my guest is happy.
Your earliest food memory…
The main course on my new menu from Medina hotel in Allahabad a small stew shop 250 years old. As a child I use to go there with my father, I would hold his hand to eat the goat stew which is now my signature dish.
Advice to young chefs…
Learn to be a cook before if you want to be a chef. Nobody wants to see a chef who cannot cook. And if you cannot go through the years of struggle and pain and sweat try some other profession coz for me there is only one road to success and that is hard work.
PASSION FRUIT AND COCONUT
CHOCOLATE
ERIC VILDGAARD
PHOTO © JESPER
RAIS
PHOTO © DAVID EGUI
VIDEO © SAM ZUCKER
“A FORMER GANG ENFORCER FOUND THE RIGHT PATH IN LIFE THROUGH UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TOWARDS HIS WIFE AND GASTRONOMY”
Jordnær is a fine dining restaurant created inside a humble three-starred hotel in the suburbs of Copenhagen. It’s the grand love story of Eric & Tina Kragh Vildgaard - Chef and Maître d’ of an extraordinary establishment that took the Nordic restaurant scene by storm within just three years, following the world.
Jordnær holds three Michelin stars and The Michelin Nordic Countries Welcome & Service Award and was in 2022 ranked as a first entry No. 38 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurant List. Eric Vildgaard is No. 12 by Top 100 Best Chef Awards in 2023. La Liste 1000 best restaurants has distinguished Jordnær with the Hidden Gem Award at the ceremony in Paris. In 2023 Jordnær was awarded as “Restaurant of the Year” in Denmark by the Danish Dining Guide (Den Danske Spiseguide) amongst an impressive, strong group of fellow nominees.
TURBOT, MOREL AND GREEN
WG Magazine speaks with Eric Vildgaard. Tell us about your cuisine and how do you bring about this balance on a plate?
Well, the plates were very well balanced. I mean, you know, the sweet notes of the seafood and the citrus and all that. It’s very beautiful. I think that creating a plate needs to be a plate that can stand out alone in a meal. So, I think what I have experienced in the past is like a meal has progression leading up to the next dish in front of it.
Well, here I hopefully will keep creating dishes that can stand alone, like singular dishes. You will remember fractions of the meal, but for one dish at a time. And not like this dish needed the acidity that came in the next dish, but like all dishes are standing alone. There’s still progression, but creating a dish needs to be in balance. And balance is trying to not take away anything from the main ingredients, but only adding to highlight the flavor that you want to bring forward, which is always the star of the plate.
Your culinary philosophy…
It’s very simple. It’s only the best for the guests. And if better is possible, good is not good enough.
Creating a dish…
The way I create a new dish is by meeting the product at where it is. So, when we have a langoustine coming in, we have had grilled langoustine on the menu for quite a few years now. But it changes every time the season changes. When the weather gets colder, I taste them, they change in the flavor and the sauce changes.
The components around the main ingredient changes. Sometimes we get spearfished turbot or gillnet-caught turbot, depending on what’s available of the best quality. That is how we build the menu.
culinary love story...
Inspiration behind the dish…
It’s the product itself that tells me where I’m going. But then I have, of course, a Nordic racing as a chef.
My upbringing is Nordic. I’m French-trained and Japanese-inspired. So, it transcends into the cuisine very clearly, hopefully.
Eric is very inspired by the sea and has been for a long time, “I think I reached a point as a person, not as a chef only, where I realized that we’re living in a world where you feel if you’re skipping red protein, that you’re leaving it out. And I want to live a life where I choose, I add it to my life, instead of feeling I’m putting it away. So, right now I’m very inspired by the sea.”
Kitchen tools...
My setup for my dishes is something I’m very proud of. Because I have had a katsuobushi slicer developed with the right hardness of the wood. That complements the hardness of the katsuobushi I’m using, using the correct blade, which has the same, like we talk about hardness in steel and in wood. So, we have zero friction towards the katsuobushi when we slice it.
ROMANESCO TART WITH ROMANESCO BLANCHED IN LEMON LEAF OIL
CHAWANMUSHI, KING CRAB FROM KIRKENES AND GOLD CAVIAR DANI
Produce, creativity or technique...
I think it’s a combination of all the above, because you cannot have the one without the other. If we talk about technique, technique is, it already starts with the fisherman. You know, so we talked about this, the fishing method in Cadiz, where they have been doing this since the Phoenicians.
And your personal creativity is something you have as a chef because you smell, you taste, you see food. And it’s not just chefs, but people in general. Creativity comes from memories. So, you cannot have one without the other.
With several awards and accolades, what keeps you motivated?
I’m curious still. Curiosity? When we received three Michelin stars, people around me said, now you made it, now you can lower your shoulders. And some people said, like Michael P. White said it and people say it from his side, you know.
It’s a defending game. I don’t believe that because if I have to start defending, I haven’t won anything yet. I’m still searching for my life purpose as a chef. Because we just have a restaurant with three stars. I haven’t changed the world. I haven’t done anything which has an impact in reality. So, I’m not done. I’m just getting started. Now I just have been handed a platform where I have a voice, a way to talk or pitch what I want to pitch. Now I can go deeper into myself and try to find what it is I’m trying to communicate with my food. And I think that is very important. And that is a fun journey to have been started.
ROSETTES WAFFLE, FJORD SHRIMPS AND BAERII CAVIAR
TURBOT, TRUFFLE, YUZU KOSHO
Your earliest food memory…
It is actually quite stupid because there is one thing which I sometimes make for myself, even though it’s not even good. And it’s like we have these... It’s a guilty pleasure. Yeah, but it’s something that reminds me about my childhood, which probably was one of the first food memories I remember as an act of love. It was my friend’s mom who made us these burgers. She cooked me this brioche bun, like a spiced brioche bun, with a burnt steak haché and Heinz ketchup. The bun was a little bit burnt, overcooked dry meat with that burnt flavor of the burger bun and the cheap ketchup is something I sometimes still do on purpose, burn the fucking burger as it brings me back to the joy of cooking.
I will never proclaim it’s delicious, but it was made with love.
Advice to young chefs…
It has become a trade where there is a rock star status for some chef. And I am a three star chef, so I feel it on my bone. But I tell you, it’s not that glamorous, because I’m the first one in and the last one to leave. I work many hours. We work very hard, all day, every day. If you meet a chef who doesn’t work very hard all day, every day, you shouldn’t work for him. That’s my advice. Work hard. Yes, work hard.
LANGOUSTINE FROM FRØYA GRILLED OVER BINCHOTAN WITH SAKURA
LIMFJORD LOBSTER, SANSHO PEPPER AND TROUT ROE
LEATHERWOOD HONEY, MILK AND LAVENDER
FREDRIK BERSELIUS
Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, Fredrik Berselius has spent most of his culinary career in New York City, bringing his love for nature to urban surroundings through food. Berselius opened Aska – Swedish for ‘ashes’ – in its first rendition in 2012, garnering acclaim for bridging the culinary heritage of Sweden with the immediate environs of Brooklyn.Within a year, Aska earned Berselius his first Michelin star, and Bon Appetit Magazine named Aska one of the ten best new restaurants in America.
In the summer of 2016, Aska reopened in a new, bilevel space located in a restored 1860s warehouse building in the shadows of Williamsburg Bridge. Within a few months, the restaurant earned Berselius his second Michelin star, being one of only ten restaurants in the city to hold the honor. Shortly thereafter, Aska received a stellar three star New York Times review by Pete Wells.
With an emphasis on ingredients from the surrounding Northeastern U.S. and influenced by Berselius’ Scandinavian homeland, Aska offers a distinctive dining experience through a procession of courses prepared from an open kitchen and served to guests of only ten tables each night.
Berselius released his monumental cookbook, “Aska”, published by Phaidon, in 2018. In 2024 “The Heart Surgeon’s Cookbook” was released, co-authored by Fredrik Berselius of two Michelin starred Aska in Brooklyn, New York, and NY-based Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Nirav Patel.
PHOTO © TOM CORREMANS
PHOTO © ASKA
VENDACE ROE, LANGOUSTINE CLAW, LILAC AND HORSERADISH
WG Magazine speaks to Fredrik Berselius.
Living and working in New York, I was exposed to many different types of cuisines, ingredients and techniques with influences from all over the world. I worked in restaurants ranging from French to Italian, using Latin American ingredients and ingredients from Asia. And through meeting colleagues also coming from all parts of the world, being the melting pot that New York City is, further exposed me to different cultures and cuisines that I would otherwise not be had I stayed in Sweden.
It was also ultimately being away from Sweden yet having a desire to keep the connection to where I was from that became the driving force of my culinary inspiration - cooking and creating the overall experience that we offer at Aska became the medium for me to do this. This led me to find similarities from home to where I was, especially from the vast and beautiful region of upstate New York (north of New York City) and the north east region of the United States where there is an abundance of pristine and wild nature and ingredients that particularly remind me of home. When I am there it always makes me feel reconnected to where I grew up, and I try to bring those flavors and feelings back to the restaurant. Many people are unaware of the incredible nature surrounding New York. That’s what we hope people will get a taste of when they visit Aska – to create an environment where people can come to the restaurant, have dinner and hopefully be transported in a sense.
GRILLED TAIL OF LANGOUSTINE FROM NORWAY WITH PRESERVED RED GOOSEBERRY
LOBSTER TAIL AND WILD CARROT
Your culinary philosophy, your cuisine…
Our cuisine is both an ode to New York and inspired by my having grown up in Scandinavia and the memories I have of spending time with family and friends close to the sea or surrounded by forests and meadows, picking berries and mushrooms, and enjoying everything nature has to give, while embracing the different seasons. My inspiration, however, is not from Swedish food or Swedish cooking but rather the feeling of being in a place. It’s inspired by places and moments in life and childhood, not necessarily the food that I ate, but the experience, the sights and smells and feeling of being in a certain place.
The process is never quite the same in creating a dish but often it has to do with seasonality and finding ingredients to work with when they are at their peak.
Trout, lichen, white currant - this course is an expression of what it feels like to be upstate in the western Catskills in the fall and the ingredients are sourced from that area. It’s inspired by the landscape and scents of the area, what grows and thrives there. I love the region upstate NY where my family and I like to spend time and the dish is sort of homage to that place.
VENISON AND MOREL STUFFED WITH WILD GARLIC.
TROUT, LICHEN AND FLAVORS OF NORTHERN NEW YORK
HAKE, SWEDISH DARK BEER AND FLOWERING DILL, BELUGA CAVIAR
Ingredient - what inspires you, a favorite ingredient and those which are overrated...
At this point I know what I like, and I simply look for pristine ingredients in their prime, or preserved ingredients that are reaching a peak in their development.
Wild ingredients - tree barks, flowers and grasses as well as berries, and shellfish like langoustine.
I think ingredients become overrated when they are misused or not used at their peak. This goes for common ingredients for everyday use or luxury ingredients like truffle and caviar.
Kitchen tools…
Good quality pots and pans and a sharp knife. As far as techniques, a strong intuition is most important.
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
They are all important and what makes great food is the combination of all three.
What keeps you motivated?
The same things that motivated me a decade ago continue to be the same today - I enjoy the process of creating an experience for our guests, the continual change and evolution that a restaurant undergoes and the constant learning that is involved.
Food memories, flavors from your childhood… I always enjoyed picking berries in our garden and snacking on them in the summer months.
Advice to young chefs…
Focus on building your knowledge base and gain as much experience as you can.
BERRIES AND SWEET WOODRUFF
HANS NEUNER
EXPLORING DIFFERENT FLAVORS
Executive chef of Ocean Restaurant, Hans Neuner has played a pivotal role in its success. His innovative approach to cooking combines the finest locally sourced ingredients with international culinary techniques, resulting in dishes that captivate the senses and push the boundaries of gastronomy.
Ocean is a dreamy, two Michelin-starred restaurant located in the Algarve region of Portugal within the Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa - a grand luxury resort in Porches.
Ocean offers a dining concept that celebrates the bounties of the sea and the Algarve’s rich culinary heritage. The menu showcases a carefully curated selection of seafood delicacies, highlighting the region’s freshest catch. Each dish is an artistic masterpiece, thoughtfully crafted to evoke a sense of place and to showcase the flavours and textures of the ocean.
Flagship Portuguese media “Expresso” awarded Ocean restaurant with a ‘Platinum Fork’ for the fourth year straight in their ‘Boa Cama Boa Mesa’ restaurante-hotel guide. Ocean restaurant has 97,50 points in La Liste 2024 - the world’s best restaurants list based on publications and guides; and No 71 on The Best Chef Awards.
PHOTO © STILLS PORTUGAL
PHOTO © OCEAN RESTAURANT
WG Magazine speaks with Hans Neuner.
My culinary journey was almost inevitable, as I come from a family with four generations of cooks in Austria. I started working at the kitchen at the age of 14, and by 17 I had finished a culinary school and began my culinary path. After years of traveling through various places and kitchens from St Moritz and London, to Bermudas and Berlin, in 2007 I took on the role of head chef at Ocean Restaurant. Moving to the Algarve was a game-changer for me. The local ingredients and stunning landscapes inspired me to create a cuisine that’s rooted in the region but also reflects global influences and history. At Ocean, we focus on seasonality and sustainability, working closely with local fishermen and farmers to source the best ingredients.
Each year, our menu is inspired by my culinary journeys, allowing us to explore different flavors and techniques. Last year, we delved into Brazilian cuisine, drawing on its vibrant and diverse ingredients. This year, our theme is ‘Asia Expedition,’ where we’ve incorporated
Asian influences to create a unique dining experience that resonates with the Algarve’s coastal beauty. This year should be the culmination of this narrative that started four years ago, in which we have explored and dove a little bit deeper in the roots and influences of the Portuguese gastronomy.
Before these ones, it started with the trip from the South to the North of the country, the inspiration for the first menu “Discovering Portugal”. It was the start of a journey that evolved while we were doing it and learning even more, followed the “Island Route” menu, a leap from the mainland to the islands of the Azores, Madeira and São Tomé. Afterwards, the menu “Route to India”, inspired by the journey to Goa, where we explored the exchange of influences and flavours of several places until India, still very present today in Portuguese cuisine. Then Brazil like I was saying and this year Asia.
Our hard work has earned us two Michelin stars, and I’m excited to keep pushing boundaries with the team here at Ocean.
HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BREAD
Your cuisine, menu…
The key idea is to keep it simple, simplicity allows every each and only flavor to have the spotlight whilst being the perfect match with the rest of the ingredients. My philosophy is to bring the product to the plate in the most genuine way possible. We have local suppliers that bring the vegetables, fish, and seafood. We work with them for a long time and that also helps to know where the produce is coming from and to have control over the ingredients going into my dishes. The Algarve´s wonderful climate enables us to have access to amazing quality produce.
It has been a great base to combine with the specific ingredients we brought from abroad, which have been very specific and not many, allowing us to go deeper in the Portuguese gastronomy and the richness of influences it reunites, with the different menus. The reinterpretation of Portuguese cuisine, with a lighter touch, with international dishes inspired by ingredients discovered by Portuguese navigators and settlers in their expeditions, which brought flavours and ingredients from all over the world such as Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Goa and Japan.
You
culinary philosophy, inspiration…
The dishes and the journey we want to offer is a result from the whole experience of the trip. We try to see it as a whole yet highlighting some moments that impressed us most and that stayed in our memories. We think it in a way that helps us reproduce our journey for the guest to experience, but in a more intimate perspective.
When we go on the inspiration trip, we have already an idea about what we want the menu to be, the dishes that should undoubtedly be part of it and the ingredients that are involved. It comes from much research in advance so that we can focus and have a direction when in the local places. For example, in the case of the menu “Asia Expedition” of this year, we knew we wanted to have the wasabi, we knew we wanted to have the soya, we knew we wanted to have the kimchi. This way, when in location, we could narrow down better the ingredients we wanted to focus, though there was space for new inclusions. Even the briefing to our supplier’s is done way earlier about the possible concept me and team are drafting together. And the rest is part of the process.
KIMCHI RENARD ROUGE QUAIL
Ingredients that inspire you…
The selection is made based on the thematic menus we have been working in and on the gastronomy of the country we are visiting and getting inspiration from. The ingredient that is inspiring, it is difficult to say, but would highlight the authentic tucupi, we worked with it in the menu of last year “Memories from Brasil” and still find it very inspiring, the Amazonian tucupi is the fermented broth extracted from the manioc root and we had some fun working it out.
Favorite: In the current menu, definitely the fermented Soy Koji, it is made out of rice and curated in sake and vinegar. The umami that comes from it is one of its advantages.
Unable to master: So far no, when it is not working we go the other way round. My team and I, we don’t give up.
The most overrated ingredient… I’m not sure I can think of any, perhaps golden leaves, the flavour isn’t very interesting and it is an ingredient that doesn’t add anything.
Kitchen tool…
At the moment, would say that the equipment the whole team is particularly enjoying to use is the slimmer. It’s consensual.
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
I would not exclude any of them, the three are key for a good result. To cook without a good quality produce, it is not creativity or technique that will save the dish. But also if you have good produce and no creativity or technique to work on it, not much can be done.
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK
TUNA BELLY
MANDARINE YUZU LEMON GRASS
Your greatest influence in the kitchen…
The products are the local ones. The advantage of living in the Algarve is that you have easy access to fish, seafood; the see is right there, whilst on the other side, there is country side, from where really good produce is available.
Motivation and accolades…
Want us to evolve more and more in the sustainable direction, delivering experiences that make the clients have a good time while with us. In a way that a certain dish or moment in the menu stays in their mind for a while. That is for me an achievement.
Earliest food memory and flavors from your childhood…
Zwiebel Rost Braten is definitely a dish from home that brings good memories to me as well as my brother´s “goulash”. He cooks it following my father´s recipe and it reminds me of my childhood, it brings back so many emotions.
Advice to young chefs…
Patience, Creativity and Resilience sum it all up.
LOBSTER
HEIKO NIEDER
COOKING WITH HIS HEART
The Dolder Grand is home to the acclaimed “The Restaurant” led by Heiko Nieder, and boasts 2 Michelin stars and 19 Gault Millau points, offering innovative gourmet cuisine. Nieder’s creative approach and exceptional culinary skills make dining at The Restaurant a truly memorable experience. He serves modern, light menus featuring unusual combinations of taste using the best ingredients from all over the world.
Located on a hilltop with panoramic views of Zurich and the Alps, The Dolder Grand is a luxury hotel, renowned for its blend of historic charm and modern design. Dolder – a word that has its roots in Swiss-German dialects. It refers to a wooded hill or knoll. A fitting name for Dolder Grand Zurich: the hotel that sits on a hill overlooking the city of Zurich and is surrounded by a large park and wooded areas, now considered among the first in Europe for luxury.
PHOTO © FABIAN HAEFELI
PHOTO © THE DOLDER GRAND
WG Magazine speaks with Heiko Mieder. Your culinary philosophy…
I first want to surprise myself with something new and then of course above all the guests. A menu should be like a little musical with loud sounds, with quiet ballads, with an orchestra and with an impressive solo. It’s not always easy, but it’s fun.
Before I start cooking, everything is first planned in my head and then down to the smallest detail on paper, including all the logistical, technical and human circumstances that need to be considered. The process always starts with the idea or desire to use a certain product or achieve a certain look. Everything is aimed at creating a new and great flavor in the end.
“I love to braise. Braising means cooking with your heart! That is cooking”
What are your favorite ingredients and the ones that inspire you?
The egg! Eggs are so versatile. Technically and in terms of flavour, they can be hidden or obvious, as a star or a quiet companion, whole or just the white or yolk.
Currently, I enjoy all the fresh produce, herbs, vegetables, and fruit from our garden restaurant blooms, which we also use in The Restaurant. Since we grow more than just conventional herbs there’s always something new to discover.
PORCINI MUSHROOMS WITH SHIO KOJI-BEURRE BLANC AND RICE
BAR DE LIGNE AND SCALLOPS WITH GINGER, CITRUS AND MISO
PRAWN WITH JAPANESE MUSTARD, PATISSON AND DILL
Ingredients that are overrated…
Artificial vegan or vegetarian foods, or those produced through chemical processes, which are currently very popular, are not to my taste. I find them unnecessary. If you choose to eat vegan or vegetarian, there’s no need for substitutes that mimic poultry or meat. There are so many flavourful ways to prepare vegetables that you can do without relying on these alternatives or everything else.
WAGYŪ CHEEKS WITH WILD GARLIC AND ASPARAGUS
GIANT TREVELLY AND CURRY
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
The product is essential for serving good food! Creativity makes life and eating more diverse, bringing more joy and new discoveries for all of us! Technique is the foundation you need to master to cook perfectly, from classic basics to modern methods. So, for me, everything is important...
What keeps you motivated?
I don’t think about the awards. I can’t rest on my laurels after receiving an award for something I did yesterday. Today is a new day. Every day I want to be better than the day before.
Advice to young chefs…
It will be a tough yet educational experience for you if you approach it with the right mind set. Stick with it, keep learning, and each day will become more rewarding.
LOBSTER, STRAWBERRIES, BEETROOT, TARRAGON AND MUSTARD
CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT, PARSLEY ROOT, SOUR CHERRY AND SUMAC
JOSIAH CITRIN
PHOTO © CITRIN & MÉLISSE
MÉLISSE WITH A FRENCH TOUCH
Born and raised in Santa Monica and Venice, California, Josiah Citrin grew up with his mother who was a caterer; he would offer to help her but only with intentions to make money to go on surf trips. On weekends, he and his sisters would spend their time with their grandparents who were immigrants from France. He loved to help his grandmother prepare dinners which were typically French dishes. Being around all this great cuisine must have impacted him because only a few short years later his passion for cuisine took over and his one goal was to become a chef.
Now with 30 years of experience in the industry, Los Angeles chef and restaurateur Josiah Citrin has made his Michelin-awarded restaurants Citrin & Mélisse institutions of the US West Coast culinary scene.
Today Mélisse still has a French touch, however combined with Californian thinking, produce and modern twists that made it famous even a decade ago. Ambiance wise Mélisse is best described as an outstanding two Michelin-starred, five tables only, open kitchen backstage dining room located inside another one Michelin-starred restaurant, Citrin.
SANTA BARBARA SPOT PRAWN “MINESTRONE “, SUMMER BEANS, YELLOW OYSTER MUSHROOMS, LEMON THYME
JOSIAH CITRIN
WG Magazine speaks with Josiah Citrin.
Your cuisine…
The cuisine is California coastal with French influences and techniques. By using the bounty of products that we have here in California, my heritage, and time learning classic French techniques and cuisine I can create a unique culinary experiences that reflect the terroir of California.
Culinary philosophy…
My culinary philosophy is to align myself with producers who have the same pursuit of excellence and care for the ingredients that they provide us. We like to create interesting combinations that never mask the flavors but enhance using classical and modern cooking techniques. We create dishes for the Mélisse menu based on what is available at the farmers market throughout the seasons.
As summer rolled upon us, there was an amazing variety of cucumbers from lemon to snack to Persians. I was inspired to use these cucumbers on the menu and to pair them with the Elysian Farms lamb, which I think is the highest quality lamb available to us in California, would be an interesting combination. The idea would be to prepare each cucumber in a different way. The English cucumbers would be peeled and cut like spaghetti and compressed with crème fraiche and its own juices. The lemon cucumbers would be slowly braised in lemon butter syrup. The Persian cucumbers would be fermented in rice brand grilled and finished with star anise. All three of the cucumbers combined to create the cool cucumber ranch-style sauce. Next, we wanted to figure out how to use all parts of the lamb. We came up with a lamb spring roll using the kidneys, tongue, heart, and sweet bread. Serving the spring rolls in a lettuce cup with cilantro, mint, and confetti of flowers from our rooftop garden which was inspired by Vietnamese cuisine. The inspiration was to use seasonal products and find multiple preparations to create a unique experience in the final course of our tasting menu.
Ingredients…
Summer ingredients that are inspiring me right now are all the different varieties of tomatoes, eggplants, and summer string beans that we find at the farmer’s market. We never pre order from any particular farm, we walk the market to taste from all the different farmers and select which is the best tasting product from that week. This is important because the fist pickings from each farm are the ones that have the best flavors as the season progresses and depending on the farms location they will have their first pickings at different times.
My favorite ingredients to work with are whatever is in season and that have their peak flavor. What is exciting to me is when the seasons change like in the spring when the fava beans come into season that you haven’t tasted in eight months. Or as in summer when heirloom tomatoes hit their peak and all you can think about is using them in dishes. Then when summer turns to fall, the squashes come into season and start inspiring you.
I can’t recall any ingredient that I gave up on. I challenge myself to use all ingredients. There are a few that I have tried that just don’t fit my cuisine like okra and bell peppers, so I have shied away from using those.
In my opinion, caviar is the most overrated ingredient. It has become such a commodity and is used so often that it is not as special and noble as it was. Not to say caviar is not a great and amazing product, it’s just not as special of a product anymore.
JOSIAH
MANDARIN TOMATO SOUP, TOMATO TARTARE, ALMONDS, STRAWBERRY SORBET
JOSIAH CITRIN
Cooking tools…
I really enjoy using a combi oven, it’s like having a computer that cooks for you. There are so many different techniques you can program it to do, for example you can steam carrots for six and a half minutes and finish by roasting them all by just creating a program. I also love cooking over live fire, and all the different ways one can do that from burying cabbage under the coals or hanging a leg of lamb and slowly letting it turn a la ficelle until it is cooked to perfection over the embers.
Produce,
Creativity or Technique…
There are two examples of techniques I like cooking with. One is modern and the other is as ancient as humans itself. Produce, creativity, and technique are all important to me, if I don’t have great produce, I wouldn’t be able to use my creativity to create delicious tasting dishes. And if I don’t have a base of technique, I also wouldn’t be able to make food that taste amazing. I feel all three of these are important in their own way so without great produce, creativity and technique mean nothing.
Greatest influence in the kitchen…
My greatest influence is all the great chefs that came before me. I stand on them, from their research and work they did to create a repertoire of cuisine that I can learn and be inspired by.
AORI IKA, KOSHIHIKARI RICE COOKED IN CLAY, HERBED PESTO AND SHISO FLOWERS
Motivation…
My passion for nourishing and creating experiences for guests is what continues to motivate me. After 25 years of Mélisse, all the memories I have of working there and the experiences that guests have shared with me, inspires me to keep creating those experiences for new guests.
“Achieving 3 stars is also a small motivation”
Earliest food memory and flavors…
My mom’s honey baked chicken. I am sure this is not the earliest thing I have tasted but it is one of those comforting flavors I always crave. Biting into the crisp sweet salty juicy grilled chicken thigh brings back great memories.
Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, your advice to young chefs…
If you are getting into this for the glamour of being a chef, I would suggest finding another career. The best reason to become a chef is if you have a passion for cooking and nurturing. When first entering the field, it is important to learn as much as you can from working, reading, and tasting. It is also about knowing that the learning never stops, in the kitchen there is always something to be learned.
WILD KANPACHI “ IKEJIME”, PINEAPPLE LECHE DEL TIGRE, AVOCADO, LEMON CUCUMBER
JOSIAH
ROYAL OSETRA CAVIAR, SWEET CORN CUSTARD, SEA LATTICE GELEE, SMOKED SCALLOP CONSOMMÉ AND CHIVES
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
AN INTIMATE DINING EXPERIENCE
Tres is a 12-seater restaurant at Kop van ZuidEntrepot in Rotterdam that presents a playful set menu. Run by Michael van der Kroft and his partner and front of house, Emy Koster, it is a true passion project, based on the couple’s vast experience in fine dining.
The menu at Tres changes every season and is carefully crafted to showcase the best of Dutch seasonal ingredients. Michael van der Kroft draws on his creative flair and his passion for science to create dishes that are sure to delight even the most discerning palate. Van der Kroft’s culinary style is all about flavors, and in the pursuit of the pure and unique flavor he completely eliminated salt, using such technically sophisticated ingredients as seaweed salt crystals and caramel salt instead. Some of the ingredients take 9 months and longer to elaborate in Tres laboratory, as Michael van der Kroft’s passion for culinary science techniques is at the core of every menu he develops.
“At Tres, we want to give you an intimate dining experience, a night without a single thought of yesterday or tomorrow. We will share the stories of our farmers and artisans that have contributed to who we are today and the restaurant’s philosophy. The best producers and growers have been invited to be a part of this celebration of Dutch produce. We will show what can be grown, harvested, fished and foraged in this small but rich country. Complex without being complicated.” Emy Koster and Michael van der Kroft
PHOTO © PIETER D’HOOP
Tres…
Tres is a sexy 12-seat dining counter restaurant that displays what curiosity and creativity mixed with a firm conviction for local and quality produce can become.
The dining experience happens mostly in a 12 seat bar, but during the meal, you’re also asked to go into different stations in the kitchen and to the lab to have some dishes and bites. The lab visit is a party for the freaky foodies of the world. A capsule of knowledge that makes you understand just a few of the techniques that we use to distil, ferment, cure, dehydrate or cook what you ate just minutes before. Where using koji as well as fermentation, pickling and other similar techniques to give character and flavor to each dish. And we pretty much have to because we don’t use salt, in our dishes, at all. We take flavor from the ingredients and enhance it with technique.
Your cuisine…
Through the three and a half hours you spend with us, we take you on a culinary journey of flavors. Inspirations from our travels that we translate to Dutch ingredients that end up in beautiful dishes. Less is more. For instance we have a dish of preserves. Aerated white asparagus for texture, green gooseberries for some acidity, salted unripe blackcurrant, sea lettuce for some sweetness and a sauce of sunchoke that gives it umami. There’s no crunch needed since there are so many textures already.
WG Magazine speaks with Michael van der Kroft.
CLASSIC TARTELET WITH PUFFED PUMPKIN SEEDS AND A SMALL PASTEL DE NATA
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
CHERRY TOMATO, BLUEBERRY, RASPBERRY, PRESERVED ROSE WITH A SAUCE OF KOJI, PRESERVED GOOSEBERY AND THYME
Your culinary philosophy…
My style is all about flavor. Just like I want to be surprised when I go out to eat, I want to surprise my guests. When I achieve that I’m most happy. I think that that’s the key to having a great experience in a restaurant, and it doesn’t happen very often. When we create a dish at Tres we start with the technique, but always in direct relation to how to get the best flavor.
SOFT MILKSKIN ‘BAO’ FILLED WITH SWEET POTATO, LEEK AND PUMPKIN ‘XO’ SERVED WITH AN EGG YOLK SAUCE
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
My goal is to represent the Netherlands through each season. With that in mind my team and I have created four different menus, four worlds that show a different side of us and the country. The winter menu, for example, is a season where we highlight the sea with produce like Dutch shrimp, lobster, squid and crab. The spring is all about the Dutch lamb. The summer brings vegetables, fruits and even some insects, what we use for their flavor profile more so than for the shock factor in preparations like a garum of grasshopper. Last but not least the fall is all about the forest. Rabbit, duck, deer, mushrooms. This is how we truly translates the country to the bar of of the restaurant and what it means for me to be a produce-driven, seasonal restaurant
Creating a new dish…
At the moment we do an edible Van Gogh painting. That we recreated with edible paint made from bell pepper, corn and miso. That you will eat with an ‘oliebol’ which is almost like a beignet. In the Netherlands we eat oliebol during Christmas and New Year. It’s a sweet pastry that we in turn have made savory. We fill it with a just cooked egg yolk. The ‘oliebol’ is used as a brush by the guest and the painting is your paint. Like a bread with dip. So we thought it would be cool recreate one of Van Gogh’s paintings that was lost.
We found out that the famous sunflowers painting is series and one was lost during a fire in Japan. We started from there. So a dish has to be fun, tasty and have techniques. The fun part is that you can eat a painting but not with cutlery. That’s how the ‘oliebol’ showed up as a brush. So we thought let’s make edible paints for our techniques part. And then it just came all together.
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
VIDEO © KEES VAN DUINHOVEN
A TRIBUTE TO VAN GOGH. SPINACH, 3 TYPES OF FUDGE OF CORN, BELL PEPPER AND MISO
CROISSANT CAKE, EGG YOLK SAUCE. LAMBS TARTARE, OYSTER LEAVES AND ONION JELLY
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
Your favorite ingredient, some that inspires you.
I don’t have a favorite ingredient to work with because I like to look at every ingredient and see what we can do with it. Take something as simple as milk. We have done so much with it and I still feel like the options are limitless. I work with what the season has to offer. I love incorporating fruit into my dishes and giving them a savory role in a dish or as a slight twist into a dish.
Ingredients you were unable to work with and ingredients that are overrated…
I think most of the ingredients are limitless. The one we didn’t crack and worked on for quite some time is Cacao free chocolate. We have the flavor but not yet the crack. It would be awesome if we could master that one day. For now it’s on the shelves we spent lots of time on it. Maybe in a year we go back to it and have a different perspective and have a change to master it.
For me there is not really an overrated ingredient. I think what mostly for doesn’t make sense to me is that if you have beautiful asparagus in your country you take asparagus from the other side of the world. If I had to pick one, edible gold since it doesn’t really add anything to a dish besides shine.
ZUCCHINI FLOWER, LAMB AND EGG YOLK EMULSION
MORELS, HAZELNUTS,PINE SAUCE
Cooking techniques…
Our cuisine is based on techniques as long we keep on learning new things. That’s where I get the most of the joy from and in this way we see the team grow. So we do everything in house; from vinegar to miso, shoyu, garum and preserves. What i like to use is the rotovapor and the sonicator. The rotovapor is a vacuum distillation machine. We use the ratovapor mostly for reductions; we cook them down on 60 degrees. The rotovap keeps turning around during the process. So in this way we don’t get the caramelizing that happens in the pot. In the pot you don’t keep stirring all the time. So the heat in a pot comes from the bottom. That’s always a lot warmer than 60 degrees to cook something down. So it will also slowly caramelize. We also use it to distil jalapeños for example. In this way we don’t have the spiciness but we keep the flavor. We use it for our nonalcoholic pairing. The sonicator is cool equipment where we can mix oils and water and it doesn’t split.
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
To answer this question is like picking your favorite child.
It’s a combination of the three. Without produce, we can’t be creative or look for new techniques. But creativity is the main drive of our kitchen. I like to make dishes that are playful. There lots of techniques in them you don’t see so fast. But the dish is mainly driving on produce in this way we combine all three aspects together. To make something new, fun and tasty.
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT AND EMY KOSTER
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
DOLMA, KOJI GREEN PEAS HUMMUS, GREEN STRAWBERRY AND YELLOW YUZU
‘LAMB’S WOOL’ CANDY FLOSS WITH WILD GARLIC
MICHAEL VAN DER KROFT
Motivation…
That we can inspire future chefs in their career and I feel privileged that chefs from all over the world want to be a part of Tres. The honest joy on our guest’s faces we see when they are eating our dishes. That’s a constant reminder why we do this and gives us so much energy to keep going and keep creating new menu’s to improve our game.
Your earliest food memory and flavors from your childhood…
My grandfather who raised me was an excellent cook. When my grandfather would fry up a steak, I remember always looking forward to the caramelized bits left the frying pan. I was allowed to scrape out these bits with a tiny spoon. It’s a memory I can’t live without and definitely started my love for tasting food. With a spoon or without.
Advice to young chefs…
Being a chef is hard work no matter what. You give up a ‘normal’ social life because a restaurant or other hospitality venues is where people usually come to relax, to celebrate etc in the weekend and it means that you are working. Your week will always look different than most people. Times are changing and so is hospitality so who knows what the future will bring. This might change. It’s important to remember that personal growth is just as important as your professional growth. Putting in the hours, grinding away and being hungry for information is what makes a chef, a great chef. Never thinking you know more than someone else because you can always learn something from their perspective and experiences. It looks glamorous but no one sees the many hours, determination and the path that leads to becoming a great chef. So when it seems hard, keep going.
KEFIR MOUSSE, GOOSEBERRY HERB SAUCE AND WOOD SORREL
BUFFELMOZZARELLA PARFAIT, STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM. CREME ANGLAISE WITH ELDERFLOWER
NIKLAS EKSTEDT
PHOTO © EKSTEDT
VIDEO © BENTLEY MOTORS
OPEN FIRE
Growing up in Järpen, a small village in Jämtland in the northern part of Sweden, Niklas Ekstedt spent long periods outdoors exploring the wild, and later the Stockholm archipelago where he found himself drawn to woods and especially birch trees. He started researching ancient cooking techniques and extensively read eighteenthcentury cookbooks on Sweden’s pre-electrical cuisine and decided to launch a restaurant that would pay homage to this period in history, but also to his childhood and heritage. With this and his decades-long appearances on TV with cooking and restaurant programs, Niklas Ekstedt has become both a household name and cooking legend in his native Sweden.
In 2011, Ekstedt opened in central Stockholm showcasesing his bold, primal and radical return to ancient cooking. A fire pit, a wood fired oven and a wood stove and was awarded with a Michelin star just two years after. No gas, no electricity, and no gadgets: at Ekstedt, they cook everything on fire, using ancient Scandinavian cooking techniques to make contemporary food with carefully selected seasonal ingredients and Swedish flavours. His menu follows the seasons.
BAKED CHÉRIE POTATO, SUGAR KELP FROM THE SWEDISH WEST COAST AND STURGEON CAVIAR
WG Magazine speaks with Niklas Ekstedt.
Take us through your cuisine, you use ancient Nordic cooking techniques ...
The balance comes from respecting the roots of Nordic traditions while also looking forward. When cooking over an open fire or using a wood-fired oven, it brings out the raw, primal essence of the ingredients, and I find ways to refine that with modern presentation and technique. For example, slow-roasting root vegetables in the embers of the fire can create deep, smoky flavors. But the way you plate those vegetables. Your cuisine…
My cuisine is all about creating a connection to nature and the history of food. It’s rooted in Scandinavian flavors and cooking methods— like fire, fermentation, and preservation but for today’s diners. I work closely with local and seasonal ingredients, trying to showcase their purity and flavor.
The process often starts with an ingredient. I’ll explore its potential—how it responds to different techniques, whether it’s grilling, smoking, or fermenting. Then I think about how to balance the dish in terms of texture, flavor, and temperature. Plating I like it represents old style Sweden.
Inspiration often comes from the old way of cooking and how we made food before electricity . The forests, lakes, and seasons dictate the ingredients, and sometimes I draw from folklore or ancient culinary traditions. It could be a memory from childhood, like the smell of wood smoke in winter,
WILD ARCTIC CHAR FROM JÄMTLAND WITH CHANTERELLES, SUMMER PEAS AND MANGALIZA
“My restaurant *Ekstedt* in Stockholm revolves around ancient Scandinavian cooking techniques, especially using fire. What drives me in the kitchen is a curiosity about the past and a desire to blend those old-world techniques with modern flavors”
WILD ARCTIC CHAR FROM JÄMTLAND WITH CHANTERELLES, SUMMER PEAS AND MANGALIZA
VIDEO © BENTLEY MOTORS
“My greatest influence has always been history and the way that people survived back in the old days and still they were struggling but they could execute delicious food that’s very inspiring”
Ingredients that inspire, a favorite ingredient, an ingredients you were unable to work with and ingredients that are overrated…
Right now, I’m fascinated by wild herbs and edible plants foraged from the Swedish forests. These ingredients have such a deep connection to the land and offer unique flavors that aren’t commonly found in conventional markets.
The flavors are so rich and earthy. Dill is another favorite, as it’s so representative of Swedish cuisine and can be incredibly versatile.
I’ve struggled with certain tropical fruits, especially when trying to integrate them into Nordic cuisine. They don’t always respond well to the techniques I use, such as fire cooking, and the flavors can feel out of place in the context of my dishes.
I think caviar can sometimes be overused. Don’t get me wrong, I love caviar. but it can dominate a dish.
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
For me, the technique is the most important. An unexpected technique that is been forgotten and brought back to life. Bring so many fun things to use. And can be used simplest dish, while poor-technique can bring down a dish.
BLACK GARLIC LANGOUSTINE WITH PINE SHOOTS
JUNIPER SMOKED SPRING LAMB
SEAWEED FRIED LANGOUSTINE, CELERIAC AND SOLARIS
TOASTED HAY GRANITA, ROSE QUINCE AND INGRID MARIE APPLES
What keeps you motivated?
When I opened Ekstedt in 2011, the concept was simple yet challenging—no gas, no electricity, just the primal force of fire. To be awarded a Michelin star just two years later was a validation of that vision. But beyond the accolades, it’s the craft itself that drives me. The fire pit, wood-fired oven, and wood stove are tools that connect me to centuriesold Scandinavian traditions, allowing me to create food that resonates with Swedish flavors and seasonal ingredients.
The menu at Ekstedt is constantly evolving, shaped by the changing seasons, which keeps the creative process dynamic and fresh. Moreover, decades-long involvement in TV has allowed me to share these culinary philosophies with a broader audience, making traditional Scandinavian cooking accessible and inspiring others to explore these techniques. Being able to innovate while staying true to my roots is what keeps the passion alive, and it’s this balance between tradition and innovation that motivates me every day.
Earliest food memory...
One of my earliest food memories is linked to the rustic, earthy flavors of Sweden. Growing up in Järpen, surrounded by forests and lakes, my childhood was infused with the tastes and smells of nature—mushrooms picked fresh from the woods, the deep, smoky aroma of openfire cooking, and the unique, comforting taste of wild game.
Advice to young chefs…
While the world often romanticizes the profession of a chef, I believe it’s crucial for those entering the field to understand the realities behind the glamour. It’s a demanding job that requires not just culinary skills but also resilience, discipline, and a genuine passion for food. My advice would be to embrace every aspect of the journey, from the long hours in the kitchen to the important lessons learned from failure.
WOOD OVEN BAKED PORCINI MUSHROOM SOUFFLÉ, WOODRUFF ICE CREAM AND WILD BLUEBERRIES
PAOLO CASAGRANDE
PHOTO © LASARTE
CULINARY MASTER
Lasarte Restaurant is the embassy of Martín Berasategui’s cuisine in Barcelona. It opened its doors in January 2006. Just a year after opening, the restaurant earned its first Michelin star, and since 2017, it boasts 3 Michelin stars. Lasarte was the first restaurant in Barcelona to receive the highest distinction in the prestigious red guide, with Paolo Casagrande leading the kitchen’s day-to-day operations. In addition, Lasarte Restaurant has held the highest rating – 3 Soles – in the Spanish highly acclaimed Repsol Guide since 2019.
The space housing the restaurant stands out for its modern and avant-garde appearance, with spacious and bright areas. Emphasis on light, oak wood textures, and the selection of furniture have been the main foundation of the entire renovation project - the work of architects Oscar Tusquets and Tote Moreno, and designer Mercè Borrell - aimed to give the restaurant a unique personality.
The gastronomic offering of Lasarte maintains the essence of Martín Berasategui’s cuisine with the significant personal touch of executive chef Paolo Casagrande. The menu at Lasarte - À la Carte, Tasting Menu, and Lunch Menu - combines some of Berasategui’s signature dishes with otherwise new proposals created especially for Lasarte by Casagrande.
The cuisine of Lasarte is one where the product takes center stage, where the numerous ingredients in a dish are balanced to achieve excellence. The cuisine of Berasategui and Casagrande avoids the superfluous and is highly respectful of the environment, the sea, and the land that nourishes it.
WG speaks with Paolo Casagrande Product takes centre stage at Lasarte…
For us, what is fundamental is the respect for the product. We try to excite by playing with contrasts of flavor, textures, temperatures, smells; always keeping in mind the main ingredient, as well as making sure that each element of the dish is recognized and combines perfectly.
Culinary philosophy…
Our philosophy is to make our guests happy. From there everything has to flow so that this objective is fulfilled. When creating a new dish we work in different ways: we try a new product, we investigate what it combines with, we try a new sauce, a new preparation; sometimes it is a seasonal product, sometimes it comes from a new idea, sometimes from a tableware... We do not have a stipulated line, but we are open to all kinds of inspiration.
“A good restaurant space with soul, must have product, technique, creativity and a good team behind it”
Ingredients that’s inspire, favourite, unable to work with and overrated…
We are constantly trying new products, constantly looking for something that is better than what we have or up to par. Unfortunately, it is quite often that we come across some interesting ingredients but we are not satisfied when it comes to using them. We are always looking to the garden, the sea, and the mountains and trying to lighten the menus without losing the quality nor the taste of the dishes.
I have always tended to work more with vegetables, fish and seafood. That’s what I’m passionate about, without forgetting other ingredients. Also citrus fruits, spices, aromatic herbs, it’s very difficult to choose just a few!
There are many things that I haven’t tried. Sometimes it is because they don’t catch my attention, but when there is something that I like or I feel like using it, I usually test until I get something good and interesting.
The truth is that there are many ingredients that today are overpriced or overrated; because there are times that due to the law of supply and demand the providers sell at ridiculous prices. It always happens; obviously with fresh products or on special dates.
Special cooking tools…
I love knives, of course, as well as a good ember, a copper frying pan or a mandolin.
SQUID TARTAR WITH GREEN APPLE JUICE AND SQUID EMULSION
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
Product, technique and creativity in that order but equally important. For me, it is basic in the kitchen that these requirements are met.
Product and technique go hand in hand and creativity may not exist in a restaurant concept but only in replicas and predetermined concepts.
Your greatest influence in the kitchen...
Of course Martin Berasategui, with him, I have spent the last 20 years. Also Alain Solivérès, the best chef of Mediterranean cuisine with whom I have worked and of course my origins.
What keeps you motivated?
The day to day; the truth is that for me it is not a job, but my passion. Beautiful things happen to me all the time, new challenges, I cross paths with fantastic people, with whom I share my passion, and I have the opportunity to cook in many different places. And of course, my family: they are my driving force and my strength.
Earliest food memory and flavors…
I remember many flavors and moments from my childhood that thrill me just thinking about them. If I have to choose one, my grandmother’s snails that she used to prepare for some special date and that we had collected with my cousins during the year, after some rains.
Advice to young chefs…
Being a cook is one of the most beautiful professions in the world, but you need hours and hours of dedication, passion, perseverance, dedication, responsibility, study, effort, a lot of fundamental factors. But above all, a lot of humility to dedicate yourself, body and soul to make others happy.
CREAMY BASIL, LIME AND BERGAMOT
PLANT-BASED CHOCOLATE DESSERT
SERGIO AND JAVIER TORRES
SERGIO AND JAVIER TORRES
PHOTO © DAVID EGUI
PHOTO © COCINA HERMANOS TORRES
A CUISINE BASED ON THE TIME OF THE YEAR
Cocina Hermanos Torres is a magical fine dining restaurant created in late 2017 by renowned Catalan twins Sergio and Javier Torres located in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona. Inspired by their grandmother’s love for cooking, their culinary pursuit was clear from a very early age. Later on they were the top students at Arnadí Cookery School in Barcelona and after graduation, a strategic plan was made to work in the best restaurants throughout Spain and Europe to learn as much as possible. Sergio went to Reno de Barcelona and Javier went to Girasol de Moraira. They communicated constantly and tried different kitchen stations to gain experience. It was all part of a bigger strategy that was finally going to materialize – their restaurant in BarcelonaCocina Hermanos Torres.
Today with three Michelin stars, a green Michelin star for their comprehensive sustainable efforts, a maximum three Repsol Suns by the most important Spanish dining guide. Javier and Sergio Torres as high as No. 20 on The Best Chef Awards 2023 and also entered the prestigious La Liste as a first entry at a joint No. 6.
DETOX APPLE WITH SPINACH, CARAMEL AND AROMATIC HERBS
WG speaks to Sergio and Javier Torres.
Our cuisine based on the time of the year. It is a very, very seasonal cuisine. We work based on the produce that is in season now. It is a cuisine of flavor, it is a cuisine of time and also of beauty and memories. I think that this is the philosophy and that we are very faithful to these five pillars, we could say. We are obsessed with ingredients, the best ingredients, the best products in the world.
It can be a simple vegetable, it can be game in season, vegetables in spring, seafood in spring. It also depends on the product, and we look for the best.
As we believe, there are 5 main pillars that our cuisine stands on: it’s the cuisine of the ingredients, of the flavor, of the time, of the beauty and last but not least the one of the memories.
Well, the most important cooking influence we have is probably our grandmother. And she is the one who instilled in us the passion for cooking and that’s probably why we are cooks. That’s why I was talking about memories.
IBERIAN SICKLING PIG, PEARS, TAMARIND, FLOWERS AND “MIGAS DE PASTOR”
What keeps you both motivated?
Our guests, customers are the biggest motivation they come back and enjoy the cuisine. So for us the customers are the most important thing, and then of course the awards.
Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, what advice could you give young chefs...
Stay true to your passion and remembering why you chose this path. For us, it was the joy of creating something beautiful from simple ingredients and sharing it with others. If you keep that love for cooking at the core of what you do, it will guide you through the challenges and ultimately bring you success and fulfillment in your career.
TOHRU NAKAMURA
PHOTO © LASARTE
JAPANESE AND EUROPEAN FLAVORS
Born to a German mother and a Japanese father, Tohru Nakamura began his illustrious culinary journey during an internship with Lea Linster in Luxembourg. This experience solidified his decision to pursue a professional cooking career.
Tohru in der Schreiberei offers a unique finedining experience. Nakamura’s dishes are a testament to his unique German-Japanese heritage. Inspired by his family’s diverse culinary traditions, he embarked on his culinary journey early and refined his craft in top kitchens across Europe and Japan. This rich background has allowed him to forge a unique style: Tohru embraces the fusion of German and European flavors with the essence of kaiseki philosophy, unafraid to explore unusual combinations. That is why the result isn’t strictly Japanese or German, yet it masterfully incorporates local ingredients, showcasing a harmonious blend of culinary influences found nowhere else. Each dish is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using the finest ingredients to create a symphony of taste that delights the palate.
The history of the house where two Michelinstarred Tohru in der Schreiberei is located begins in the 14th century with a wooden structure, later replaced by stone after Munich’s great fire of 1327. Acquired by the city on April 14, 1550, it was extensively rebuilt, marking its first recorded mention.
Nakamura’s talent quickly garnered recognition, earning his first Michelin star and 17 Gault Millau points in 2014. By 2016, his accolades had grown to 18 Gault Millau points and two Michelin stars. In 2020, the final year before Werneckhof, Tohru’s previous restaurant’s closure, he was honoured with two Michelin stars, 19 Gault Millau points, and the title of ‘Chef of the Year.’
WG speaks to Tohru Nakamura.
Your cuisine has a unique German-Japanese touch…
Since my mother is German and my father Japanese, I grew in both culinary cultures. I was professionally trained in the French European cuisine. But because I had a lot of experience in Japanese food culture, there was naturally a link to Japan.
I think therefore you can experience a usage of Japanese ingredients in a very relaxed or calm way since these tastes were there from the beginning with me.
The base is the European French cuisine with many local ingredients from producers of our region mixed with a Japanese touch. This doesn´t need to be always a product from Japan. Sometimes is also a certain flavour profile or cooking technique which shows Japan in parts on the plate and palate.
BREAD, OZAKI WAGYU, YUZUKOSHO AND CHANTERELLES
TOHRU NAKAMURA
CHAR, KOHLRABI, DANDELION, NASTURTIUM
TOHRU NAKAMURA
Your culinary philosophy…
We are creating dishes always with thinking about the guests how they will hopefully enjoy a specific taste in the menu. Timing is here taken very important and it’s about when to serve which dish at the perfect moment.
“Creating a dish first starts with considering for which old dish the new one has to go in - either fish or meat or vegetarian dish”
Season is obviously a source of inspiration as well as the own memories and experiences. But really important that we´re motivated in touching the soul of our guests by our food. The creative process starts first on a piece of paper in writing down possible combinations of products. Then we go into detail with this (still just on paper) brainstorming. After being sure how the dish might taste and look like, the kitchen team is being briefed and we do testing plates on the several tableware and plating so we can choose what makes us most happy. Here also the front of house team is being taken into the process and we decide all together.
After having served the new dish to couple of guests we also use the opinion of them to improve the creation, which never stops.
SARDINE, NANBANZUKE, VEAL TONGUE, QUINCE, CROSNE
OZAKI WAGYU, KOSHIHIKARI RICE, EGGPLANT, MYOGA
You’re favourite ingredients and those that inspire you…
Definitely Butter, then Japanese rice, miso and soy sauce.
Selection of ingredients comes naturally with the trust to our long-term partners and suppliers. Taste, origin, sustainability and consistency in getting the product are the key elements.
Right now we are ahead of the beloved tomato season so it’s this vegetable which gives me right now inspiration for a new tomato serving in 2024.
Ingredients that are overrated… I would say white truffle. It´s indeed a magic fragrance and extremely delicious but is it the fortune worth it?
SERGIO AND JAVIER TORRES
NAKAMURA
SHUMAI, CELERY, CHICORY, CHESTNUT, OOLONG TEA
Cooking tools…
First of all of course my knives which I daily use. And they´re very important for me in creating already the first taste by cutting.
“My charcoal grill which brings more real, little rough cooking into our dishes”
Produce, Creativity or Technique…
At the end it is always a good mixture, a balance. One can´t go (for me) without another. A perfect produce can be already amazing but we, as chefs, bring these treasures witth a touch of creativity and the right technique even more to shine.
Influence in the kitchen…
Motivate the people in performing on the highest level we can to give our guests a memorable experience.
‘LAMB’S WOOL’ CANDY FLOSS WITH WILD GARLIC
TOHRU NAKAMURA
“At the end, be today better than yesterday, the Japanese call this “kaizen”.
Motivation….
That’s very simple, being today better than yesterday and to find always still small adjustments so we get closer and closer to perfection.
At the end it´s about hosting our guests like you would do it on Christmas for your most beloved ones and with this emotion I´m starting each day.
Your earliest food memory and flavors from your childhood...
It was the coexistence of Japanese products and European / German-Bavarian ingredients. Like miso and sweet mustard in the fridge. My parents are passionate about cooking so there was always great food on the family table. This connects with my childhood.
Advice to young chefs…
Be humble and patient. It´s about the daily repetition what will make you better. Give your best every day, achieve consistency and work on your skills.
Think about cooking. Be creative and use these moments of daily routine of work in playing with ingredients in your head. Think about your own culinary creations. Learn from great chefs and restaurants. And go out and invest your money in food / restaurant experiences. It is worth it.
But never forget, it´s also about having fun whiles cooking, either in a professional restaurant or at home. Cook as much as you can.
VAUGHAN MABEE
CREATING A CULINARY VISION
The Amisfield experience extends to worldclass recreation at Lake Hayes, Queenstown. Guests enjoy the array of wines produced every year accompanied by the freshest local produce. Designed by architect Kerry Mason, the form references the landscape prompting visitors to discover welcoming New Zealand hospitality coupled with breath-taking views. Kiwi Executive Chef Vaughan Mabee has been with the restaurant since 2012, and prior to that, he worked in California and following at leading three Michelin-starred restaurants such as Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria just outside San Sebastián, and at worldfamed five-times awarded “The World’s Best Restaurant” Noma in Copenhagen.
Amisfield is an award-winning dining destination named Restaurant of the Year in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 by the Cuisine Good Food Awards. The restaurant has retained 3 Hats (maximum in Australia/New Zealand) and won the Innovation Award for Vaughan Mabee at the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2022. Cuisine Magazine also named Vaughan Mabee Chef of the Year 2019/2020. The restaurant’s culinary creations are crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and are expertly paired with the estate’s exceptional wines, as well as others. The organic estate boasts a state-of-the-art winery onsite, where the team of expert winemakers practises hand-crafted winemaking techniques to create exceptional wines. Over the past 10 vintages, the estate’s Pinot Noir has received an average score of 92 points from Wine Spectator.
PHOTO © SAM STEWART VIDEO © AMISFIELD
ALGAE MORTADELLA
BLUFF OYSTER
VAUGHAN MABEE
SEA TULIP
THE DUCK HEAD
Amisfield is listed amongst The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Discovery and Vaughan Mabee is ranked with a first entry as No. 44 amongst Top 100 Chefs by The Best Chef Awards. WG Magazine speaks with Vaughan Mabee. Flavours, balance, how do you bring about this on a plate?
When I cook I’m always looking for something special a new discovery way of cooking or an original technique. I promote simple perfection of product and explode it sometimes just through one ingredient used in different forms I take it apart like an engine then put it back together and combine it as one flavour.
You worked at some of the finest restaurants –Lasarte and Noma.
I took a lot from great chefs I worked under. Most chefs I admire can only do what they do in their countries. Some techniques blew me away and I have in my bag of tricks. My style of cuisine is unique. I don’t think there is anything quite like it. We are an island nation with so many ingredients only here some people call it New Zealand’s cuisine.
The Chefs I worked under took mainly timing, drive, consistency, respect, and everlasting passion from them. I took it home to New Zealand.
Your culinary philosophy…
My philosophy is creating a vision I like, usually inspired from killing something beautiful or looking at a plant as a piece of art, a sculpture showing its perfect nature, then promoting its natural beauty and exploding it with pure strong flavour. I execute this at Amisfield in a way you can only see if you’re in the mountains or next to a lake or shooting a bird so the guest can feel where I have walked or where I hunt. Most of our guests are from all around the world. I want them to see what I love.
One of the most important parts is matching it with the wine variety’s we make here that lift the cuisine and also open the wine into a new level together this combination becomes vibrant and sometimes clean and pure a full taste of the region without the combination sometimes it’s too much and doesn’t quite work we try to push your palette to breakpoin!
VAUGHAN MABEE
GREENBONE, WHITEBAIT
“THE FAR NORTH “ 5 SENSES
VAUGHAN MABEE
WILD ELK AND BIRCH SYRUP
THE HERITAGE PLUM
Ingredient obsession…
The New Zealand king crab we are using right now is very unique in flavour and texture. New Zealand endemic berries there are so many and I have been eating a lot in the summer and yet to have used some of them I love weird things from baby seagulls to tunicates, wild game!! I love eating wild birds wrapped in fat. Also I love charcuterie made out of mollusks and shellfish.
Caviar to me has only one thing that goes with it and it’s my tongue. I don’t want it on top or with anything, it’s too perfect but used too much with everything.
Your greatest influence in the kitchen…
My greatest influence is flavour. I love food, and I eat for 4 men I’m most inspired when it’s a mouth-watering dish and when you hit all the right notes. Subtle things bore me. I also can’t do a melodramatic menu that keeps hitting me hard on the palate and I won’t fall asleep. I’m truly inspired by new flavours and perfect juicy seasoned acidic smoker fatty flavour.
What keeps you motivated?
Despite the recognition and accolades I have received in recent years, what truly motivates me at this stage of my career is my relentless passion for improvement. Like a chef with a perpetual drive to innovate and excel, I am constantly striving to push myself to new heights. In this industry, where the journey is a mix of dreams and challenges, I find myself loving every moment of it even after 25 years. Each day feels like a fresh start, fuelling my determination to never settle until I reach my full potential.
DUCK FOOT, TRUFFLE CLAWS