WG MAY MAGAZINE 2018
YANN BERNARD LEJARD
ART & BEAUTY
IVAN BREHM
ANDREAS CAMINADA
UNIQUE CULINARY EXPERIENCE www.wgmagazines.com
CROSSROADS COOKING
SAM AISBETT 9 COURSE
EUROPE’S BEST WG May 2018 -
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THE CULINARY MAGAZINE BY ALFREDO RUSSO
IT’S ALL ITALIAN... FROM ITALY & AROUND THE WORLD!
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info@extraordinaryitalian.com I www.extraordinaryitalian.com
EX.IT
WG MAY MAGAZINE 2018
EXTRAORDINARY ITALIAN
THE CULINARY MAGAZINE BY ALFREDO RUSSO
DAVIDE PALLUDA
ROERO CUISINE
CARLA PELLEGRINO
ITALIAN FLAIR
PAULO AIRAUDO
MAX ALAJMO
CULINARY DNA www.extraordinaryitalian.com
CULINARY EXCELLENCE
CICCIO SULTANO
TRADITION AND INNOVATION WG May 2018 -
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For more than 80 years, Bragard supports women and men who give the best of themselves everyday at work to ignite their client’s taste buds. Combining tradition and inovation, professional workwear from Bragard gained unparalled reputation thanks to its quality and make the biggest names of the culinary and hospitaly world proud.
BRAGARD LLC OFFICE 604 BEDAIA BUILDING AL BARSHA 1 PO BOX 214338 DUBAI UAE Tel : +971 4 395 16 11 Fax : +971 4 395 16 12 fabien.firetto@bragard.com
www.bragard.com
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Contemporary Italian cuisine by
World Renowned Three Michelin Star Chef Heinz Beck
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For reservations call +971 4 8182 155 | +971 4 818 2222 | Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah | www.waldorfastoria.com/Dubai
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“everyday I work in search of pure tastes and Monviso is clearly the superior mineral water choice for me” Chef Alfredo Russo THE TASTE OF PURITY CAPTURED IN A BOTTLE!
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Good taste isn’t expensive
S P A C E S
F O R
B E A U T I F U L
L I V I N G
conceptplus INTERIOR DESIGN
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Suite 214, Hamsa (A) Office Tower, Za’beel Road Karama, Dubai, United Arab Emirates P.O.Box 300450, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel.: +971 4 3705269 I Fax: +971 4 2947442 - WG May 2018 E-mail : info@conceptplusstyle.com I osama@conceptplusstyle.com www.conceptplusstyle.com
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Jean-Georges Dubai showcases a comfortable indoor layout with a jade, cozy garden. While providing a fine atmosphere of an outdoor vivid lounge and stunning interiors, Jean-Georges Dubai offers its guests the chance to enjoy multiple evenings with live entertainment, a Friday brunch with an exquisite menu created by 2 Michelin Star Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten paired with impeccable service. The restaurant presents a warm ambiance that captures Dubai’s affinity throughout the day to uphold a late night. JG Dubai is a preferred venue for many celebrities who have chosen it as a trendy destination to celebrate their events or simply to enjoy the exquisite dishes and service. Guests who have joined us in the past include key members of royal families in the UAE as well as international names such as Russell James, Franca Sozzani, Nargis Fakhri, Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf, Dwight Yorke, and Christian Louboutin.
Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai
Book at +971 4 343 6118
info@jean-georges-dubai.com | www.jean-georges-dubai.com
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Set amid the storied arches of Chijmes, fine dining restaurant, Whitegrass paves the way for a renewed style of Modern Australian cuisine. Featured in Asia's 50 Best Restaurant List 2018 and awarded one Michelin star 2017
For reservations visit our website at W W W. W H I T E G R A S S . C O M . S G
or email reservation@whitegrass.com.sg
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For enquiries phone - +65 6837 0402 30 Victoria St, #01-26/27 Chijmes, Singapore 187996
WG MAGAZINE
AWARNESS IS FINE BUT ADVOCACY TAKES YOUR BRAND TO THE NEXT LEVEL info@wgkonnect.com
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ﻣﻔﻬﻮم اﺑﻴﺎت ﻫﻮ اﻟﺠﻤﻊ ﺑني اﻟﻄﻌﺎم واﳌﻮﺳﻴﻘﻰ ﰲ أﺟﻮاء ﻣﺜﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻣام ﻳﺠﻌﻠﻬﺎ ﺗﺠﺮﺑﺔ ﻣﺜﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﰲ ﻟﺬﻳﺬ اﳌﺬاق اﻷﻃﺒﺎق اﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎﻧﻴﺔ اﻷﺻﻴﻠﺔ وﻟﺬﻳﺬ.
The concept of Abyat is to combine food and music in the perfect ambiance making it the ultimate ex�erience in savouring authentic and flavorf�l Lebanese dishes.
ﺳﺎﻋﺎت اﻟﻌﻤﻞ
ﻣﻦ اﻷﺣﺪ إﱃ اﻟﺨﻤﻴﺲ
Sunday to Thursday 12pm to 1am
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OPENING HOURS
اﻟﺠﻤﻌﺔ واﻟﺴﺒﺖ
Friday - Saturday 12pm to 2am
Club Vista Mare, Palm Jumeirah, Shoreline Apartments 10 For Reservation Call : 04 5588 428 info@abyatdubai.com, www.abyatdubai.com Abyat-DXB
WG MAGAZINE
DISCOVER FIJI WATER.
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Simply Italian brings to Dubai, the ultimate Italian experience, exploring the superior culinary skills with mouthwatering dishes. With a vibrant & colorful terrace, Simply Italian offers a charming atmosphere while dining by the beach. Opening Hours
Sunday to Thursday : 12pm to 1am | Friday to Saturday : 12pm to 2am
Club Vista Mare, Palm Jumeirah, Shoreline Apartments 10 For Reservation Call : 04 55 88 354 info@simplyitaliandubai.com | www.simplyitaliandubai.com SimplyItalianDubai
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simplyitaliandxb
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Culinary Arts can give new life to children... we make it our mission to identify talented, underprivileged children with culinary ambitions and provide opportunities that otherwise would have been beyond their reach‌
Grant MacPherson
WO’GOA Foundation Ambassador An inspirer, innovator and perfectionist - Grant encompasses all the qualities that deserving children can glean from a role model!
The Pearl Martin - Sepia, Sydney, Australia - WGBenn May 2018
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partnered with SKD ACADEMY the culinary institute in the Philippines
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DUTY DUTYFREE FREE PRODUCTS PRODUCTS & & BONDED BONDED STORES STORES
5, Vyzantiou, Spyrides 2064Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus 5, Vyzantiou, Spyrides Tower, Towers, 2064 Cyprus Tel:+357 +35722210828 222 108 28 I I +44 +44 745 745 228 Tel: 22868 680202 www.brandhouse.uk.com www.brandhouse.uk.com
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Real Madrid Café is a space where the passion for Real Madrid, football and socializing becomes one.
With two levels and two massive screens, Real Madrid Café, The Beach, JBR is the ultimate hangout for live matches while enjoying the beachfront location. Offering all-time comfort food favorites like burgers & wings, a wide selection of creative mocktails and shisha flavors, Real Madrid Café creates the perfect setting for Madridistas and sports enthusiasts a-like to gather and support their teams.
The extensive range of Real Madrid merchandise, including over 40 exclusively signed
pieces of memorabilia, ensures to give all shoppers and diners the ultimate football experience. Real Madrid Café also hosts a variety of events and is a popular place for birthday parties of all ages.
THE BEACH AT JBR, DUBAI U.A.E. TEL 04 277 5625 www.realmadridcafedubai.com realmadriddubai@ginzarestaurants.com
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SMOKED WG May 2018 -
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Together we stand strong, dream big and create greater change for causes worldwide. CharityStars is the international platform specialising in fundraising through digital auctions promoted in collaboration with celebrities and large companies. All the proceeds are donated to charity. A different way of raising awareness about the many charitable causes worldwide.
CHECK OUT OUR AMAZING AUCTIONS
www.charitystars.com
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WG MAGAZINE
THE ULTIMATE ITALIAN EXPERIENCE
The perfect destination for authentic Italian cuisine overlooking the Dubai Fountain and full views of the Burj Khalifa SUNDAY - THURSDAY 12 pm - 12:00 am info@Serafinadubai.com | www.serafinadubai.com SerafinaDubai serafinadxb
FRIDAY - SATURDAY 11 am - 1:00 am
BOOK NOW! CALL 04 363 8447
AT SERAFINA SOUK AL BAHAR, DOWN TOWN DUBAI
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CARACTÈRE THE LEGEND CONTINUES
TAILORED EXQUISITELY FOR YOU Pleasure always has a touch of selfish indulgence. The sense of privilege that comes from possessing your Molteni is equal only to knowledge that it is truly unique. www.molteni.com
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Editor
Fabian deCastro Alfredo Russo
Feature Editor Contributors
Maria Lourdes Laura Pedrazzoli Elisabete Ferreira Michael Hepworth
Photography
Victoria Shashirin
FJMdesign WGkonnect Photography Consultant Creative Design Studio Publisher IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd.
‘ Identifying underprivileged children with culinary ambitions...
WG™ is an online digital publication published by: Izzy Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Unit 14, Agnelo Colony, Kerant, Caranzalem, 403002 Goa, India Tel: +91(832) 2463234 Fax: +91(832) 2464201 sales@wgmagazines.com
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Company Registration Number U22100GA2011PTC006731 Marketing & Advertising Call: +91 832 246 3234 E-mail: marketing@wgmagazines.com WG™ Beverly Hills Michael Hepworth 287 S.Robertson Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90211 WG™ New York Doug Singer - Head of Operations, North America 404 East 66 Street, Suite 2E New York, NY 10065 E-mail: doug@wgmagazines.com
©IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. Editorial material and opinions expressed in WG™ digital publication do not necessarily reflect the views of IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd. WG™ and IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd. cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or errors and do not accept responsibility for the advertising content. All contents are strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Production in whole or part is prohibited without prior permission from IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd. ©2018 WG™ All rights reserved.
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Cover Image Credit: YANN BERNARD LEJARD FAKE LEMON LUMEE PHOTO © THANOOJTHAMPY
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Passion, commitment and unbounded ambition are the ingredients of Andreas Caminada’s recipe for success. His unique culinary experience, which revolves around clean flavors, bright colors and fresh ingredients, which stimulate every sense, each element plays its role and a feast on the palate at Schloss Schauenstein.
Sustainability is the essence that teaches us to enjoy again… Johannes King shares pure flavours at the Söl‘ring Hof on the island of Sylt and this May, Johannes leaves the North Sea to Restaurant Ikarus in Hangar-7.
Inspiration comes from my deep inside his heart, Yann Bernard Lejard plates are unique and different from the usual. His eye for color and his way of drawing sauce on a plate show his signature style and has set about a new wave of plating. He makes you eat with your eyes and never forget the most expected….The Taste! A trip to Singapore to Whitegrass - Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant and Michelin Star Chef Sam Aisbett with a 9 course menu and to Nouri with Ivan Brehm who coined the term ‘crossroads cooking’ to describe the blurring of food borders that Nouri is known for. Before heading to Europe for Europe’s Best, a stopover with Nick & Scott at the Folly, with a strong culinary history, the British duo offers diners - simple, yet innovative dishes with no more than three or four ingredients on a plate. Their ideology behind the concept and menu was that their guests are encouraged to try new things and to have an experience beyond just dinner. Europe’s Best with 40 of the Best Chefs and Restaurants in Europe! Bon Appétit
FdeCastro
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MAY 2018
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YANN BERNARD LEJARD FAKE LEMON LUMEE PHOTO © THANOOJTHAMPY
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CONTENTS 34 56
UNIQUE CULINARY EXPERIENCE
62
ART & BEAUTY
76
CROSSROADS COOKING
90
9 COURSE
110
NICK & SCOTT
124
THE BEST OF EUROPE
FROM THE NORTH SEA
FAKE LEMON LUMEE This recipe came as a creation based on one of my favorite ingredient - the Middle Eastern black lemon or lumee. With its sweet and particular taste and strong flavor came as an evidence to associate it with Foie Gras, one very typical dish from my native country. The gold syrup is a tribute to Bahrain. Yann Bernard Lejard
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ANDREAS CAMINADA
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ANDREAS CAMINADA A UNIQUE CULINARY EXPERIENCE! s a teenager, Andreas Caminada realized his interest for hospitality during an internship. He started dreaming of being a chef, and today that teenage dream is a reality. He learned the essential basics of the trade at Hotel Signina in Laax and honed his skills at up-market gourmet restaurants like Hotel Walserhof in Klosters, Restaurant Wiesengrund in Uetikon am See and Restaurant Bareiss in Baiersbronn. He always knew exactly how his cooking would – and should – look: he wanted it to be an all-round experience for the guest, something that transcended mere cuisine. The obvious thing to do was to run his own show.
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The next thing was to find the right location. Caminada found the perfect place to realize his vision in magnificent Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau, Switzerland, and in 2003 took over the leasehold. He set to work with a small, carefully selected team. Thanks to his untiring commitment and expertise as well as passion and the sheer delight in what he does for a living, he continuously raised the culinary benchmark. Points and stars quickly followed, together with national and international accolades. PHOTO © VERONIQUE HOEGGER
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ANDREAS CAMINADA
Passion, commitment and unbounded ambition are the ingredients of Andreas Caminada’s recipe for success...
Andreas likes to think out of the box. As a result, he never runs out of areas in which to make a mark. In 2012, Caminada and his friend Sandro Steingruber, likewise a Gault&Millau recognized chef, decided to set up their own catering business, called acasa. At about the same time, he founded Caminada Documenta, a bookazine that provides a fitting showcase for his culinary aspirations and adventures. In his biannually publication, Andreas Caminada takes pleasure in revealing the sources of his inspiration and leads his readers into the secrets of how he combines his cuisine with other art forms to reach new levels. In order to develop his own creations, he gets to grips with the work of artists from near and far. The process involves developing ideas, but having the courage to reject them and start all over again from scratch. Dynamism and authenticity are the qualities that mark out Andreas Caminada’s career. Even though he always has had a strong desire to achieve new levels, he tries to never lose sight for essentials and treasures a special relationship to his homeland. Here, amidst its impressive mountains and in a scenery of unspoiled nature, he is able to find peace, new strength and inspiring ideas. His family is another source of energy. Together, they love travelling as well as discovering new cultures with exotic cuisines. And if Caminada is not spending free time with his family, it is because he is indulging his love of golf.
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SWISS PIKEPERCH ARTISHOKE WITH CHAMPIGNON PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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ANDREAS JORDAN KAHN CAMINADA
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Andreas Caminada prefers to work with rather simple and generally familiar ingredients, yet uses them in a different way. His cooking is multifaceted and his signature talent, if there is such a thing, is to create and combine various preparations of one single ingredient. Whether crunchy, sweet, crisp, tart or bitter – each component fits intriguingly. Andreas’ aim is to create a cuisine that has an immediately accessible quality. His food aims to inspire wonder at how all possible facets of a meal could be so precisely synchronized, balancing an outstanding main ingredient with accompaniments sensually prepared. Each element on the plate is given a specific role to play – and each bears his signature. With just 8 official inhabitants, Fürstenau is officially the smallest town in the world. It’s the second biggest claim to fame - is the fact that it is home to Schloss Schauenstein, which houses one of Switzerland’s best restaurants as well as a refined boutique hotel. Thanks to the ambition of head chef and proprietor, Andreas, both the town and castle today are world-famous. The castle opened its doors to guests for the first time on 5 December 2003. Since then Andreas has cooked his way to the top of the world’s culinary hierarchy. Passion, teamwork and commitment are the ingredients of chef Caminada’s recipe for success. Recognition of his talent comes in form of three Michelin stars and 19 Gault&Millau points. Today, Schloss Schauenstein is one of the world’s top dining destinations and no longer a closely guarded secret among gourmets and foodies worldwide. PIKEPERCH WITH RED ONION AND BUTTERMILK PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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ANDREAS CAMINADA
WG Magazine speaks with Andreas Caminada… It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Chef Andreas Caminada tells us how he found his way in to the culinary world to become one of the most innovative, gifted Swiss chef and the most sought-after Chef in the world! When I was 14 years old I decided to become a cook. So I have learned the basics of the trade at the Hotel Signina in Laax. After that I spent some time in Vancouver. There I got to know the diversity of the kitchen. It was the diversity that was fascinating to me. Your cuisine is multifaceted, a talent for various preparations from a single ingredient. Whether it is crunchy, sweet, crisp, tart or bitter – each component fits intriguingly into the whole and stimulates the senses. An homage to the palate, a balance between flavours and aromas sparkles delightfully on the tongue… In one dish it is not necessary that you have all components of the flavour. It depends on the menu, which should be harmonic and pulsating. In my opinion the dramaturgy of the menu is essential for the balance between flavours and aromas.
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PIGEON APPLE AND TRUFFLE PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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ANDREAS CAMINADA
PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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Taking you back when you finished your apprenticeship at Hotel Signina, you then went on to work at the finest kitchens in Germany and Switzerland – tells us about the experiences‌ At each station I learned a lot about different culture, philosophy and cook-style. In addition to that there are three points what are very important to me:
First to learn to cook the classical French cuisine. The second to understand the economical background from a restaurant; And last but not least I could gain experience to make different pastries.
These three things helped me to understand how a restaurant is working and I am very happy that I could make these experiences.
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ANDREAS CAMINADA
Your culinary philosophy, and take us through the process of creating a new dish… I love seasonal simple ingredients like carrots, lettuce, onions, kohlrabi, etc. It is important that the flavour and the product are always recognisable. With these ingredients it is my challenge to create new dishes over and over again. My aim is to surprise you with these basics elements in different ways. The ideal process of creating a new dish is a process that consists of many, sometimes unexpected, steps. It’s all very fragile, like a crisp. Sometimes it takes me several weeks to decide on how I want to make a new dish. But each dish should always have my own signature. Andreas speaks about ingredients, ingredients that inspires him, his favourite ingredients and ingredients which he has not been able to master… We use mostly local products. When I can talk to the producer or the farmer on the field that is very inspiring for me. At this time we love artichokes very much. How I said I like normal ingredients like onion, tomato, leek, cucumber, sallow thorn, artichoke or kohlrabi, etc. Andreas adds “I almost gave up with the sallow thorn. I was not convinced how to use it correctly. I carry such things always with me. And suddenly I found a solution for my “sallow thorn-problem”. And now it is unimaginable not to use it, funny isn’t it?”
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TROUT WITH CARROTS PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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ANDREAS JORDAN KAHN CAMINADA
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PIKEPERCH WITH FENNEL AND ESTRAGON PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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“For me the product and the creativity are the most important things. If you don’t have the right product, but a good idea you can’t create a good dish”
Special cooking techniques and equipment…
No, I don’t have. I have good basic instruments like a good slicing machine, oven, combo-steamer, pan, mixer, etc. Produce, Creativity or Technique…
TROUT WITH CARROTS PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
For me the product and the creativity are the most important things. If you don’t have the right product, but a good idea (or vice versa) you can’t create a good dish. For me it is significant that you find your own character or identity for your dish.” “CAMINADA” a magazine which Andreas Caminada founded and it showcases his culinary aspirations, he lets readers into the secrets of how he combines his cuisine with others art forms… We call it “Bookazine – CAMINADA DOCUMENTA” – it is a mixture of a cookbook and a magazine. With this Bookazine we are more flexible and dynamical. It is also a good tool for us to learn from other protagonists, which we present in the Bookazine. WG May 2018 -
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ANDREAS CAMINADA
“It is very important to me to individually foster ambitious talent in the gastronomic industry by providing financial and mentoring support. By offering this kind of backing, we aim to pave the way for talents so that they have the opportunity to gain insights into the global culinary diversity so that they can safeguard the quality of their wonderful craft in the long run.“
Andreas Caminada
Your foundation, a project close to your heart “Fundaziun Uccelin” offers an opportunity to chefs to enhance their knowledge and skills… First, I want to give something back – I had so much luck and it is my natural attitude that I like to give something back to these talents to promote them. Uccelin’s specific goal is to provide Swiss and international service and chef talents with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills by offering training in their respective crafts so that they can assume the role of ambassadors for the quality of Swiss fine dining cuisine and either take it to the global markets or represent it in Switzerland.
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SWEETBREAD WITH GARLIC PICKLED RUCCOLA PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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ANDREAS CAMINADA
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DRIED PEAR AND PUMPKIN WITH CHICORY AND BROWN BUTTER PHOTO © SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
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The youngest chef in Europe to win three Michelin stars...
In 2004 you won your first star, the second Michelin star in 2007 and in 2009 you became the youngest chef to win your third Michelin star… Of course each award was a wonderful feeling. My whole team and myself, we were really very proud of it. But you can’t rest on one’s laurels. You have to go forward and do your best everyday. With the third Michelin star we had introduce more reliable structures, so we could continue to become better and better again. Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, your advice to chefs entering the kitchen for the first time… It is important that you never give up. To manage a good restaurant needs time and a good concept. If you find the right place to be, then you have to give all what you have got. And remember every time that you have to be a very good host for your guest. They have to feel that they are very welcome to your place. WG May 2018 -
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THE WORLD RESTAURANT AWARDS
JOE WARWICK. JUSTIN CLARKE & ANDREA PETRINI PHOTO © VINCENT NAGEOTTE
IMG announced the creation of The World Restaurant Awards - a groundbreaking new award show for a restaurant-hungry public increasingly obsessed with eating, drinking and travel. The awards, produced by IMG, were conceived in partnership with restaurant journalist Joe Warwick (Creative Director) working alongside legendary gastronomic writer and broadcaster Andrea Petrini (Chair of the Judging Panel).
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he World Restaurant Awards will be the annual event recognizing and celebrating the diversity of the international restaurant scene, delivered by the team that brings Taste Festivals to 20 cities around the world, as well as The Big Festival and Margaret River Gourmet Escape.
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The World Restaurant Awards will be a truly international collaboration. Boasting an unrivalled judging panel of celebrated restaurant industry figures, including Yannick Alléno, Elena Arzak, Alex Atala, Massimo Bottura, David Chang, Dominique Crenn, Hélène Darroze, Daniel Humm, René Redzepi, Ana Roš and Clare Smyth, alongside an intercontinental selection of the world’s mosttravelled and best-informed members of the culinary press. Each member of the 100-strong judging panel has been carefully selected on the basis of their restaurant knowledge and wellstamped passports, to provide rich insight into the international restaurant scene. The judging panel convened in Paris on 14 May for a collaborative workshop to define the ongoing objectives for the awards and announce that the first edition will take place in the French capital on February 18, 2019. On February 18, 2019, stars of stage and screen will join the restaurant industry elite in the world’s first televised restaurant awards ceremony, mirroring the glamour and anticipation of awards in industries including film, music, art, design and fashion. Justin Clarke, SVP & Managing Director of Culinary, IMG, said: “With the full force of IMG and WME behind us, we are delighted to bring this first-of-itskind and star-studded awards programme to life. As the site of the Western world’s first restaurants and a centre of culinary excellence, Paris is a natural and dynamic home for our inaugural event.” WG May 2018 -
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“We’d like to make The World Restaurant Awards about the pleasure of eating, drinking, travelling and forward thinking.” Andrea Petrini
Joe Warwick, editor, writer, broadcaster and cofounder of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The third edition of his bestselling international restaurant guide Where Chefs Eat commented: “The World Restaurant Awards will be conducted with complete integrity, total transparency and a real sense of inclusivity. We want to make everyone think about the full gamut of the world’s great restaurants - old and new, from luxury destinations to humble institutions - and what makes them so special.” Andrea Petrini, the legendary gastronomic writer, broadcaster and creator of the ground-breaking gastronomic roadshow Gelinaz! added: “We’d like to make The World Restaurant Awards about the pleasure of eating, drinking, travelling and forward thinking. Not the Nobel Prize for food but rather our take on the idea of an Oscars for the restaurant world, with all the sense of zeitgeist and glamour that implies.” The judging panel gathered today also made a commitment to the Perennial Farming Initiative, the chosen charity for The World Restaurant Awards, which is dedicated to combating climate change by mobilizing support for regenerative agriculture in the food world. Co-founders Karen Leibowitz and Anthony Myint have a history of leadership in the restaurant industry - notably as co-founders of The Perennial, which has been lauded as the most sustainable restaurant in the world, and of Mission Chinese Food, which has won international acclaim and raised enough money to provide over one million meals for the SF/Marin Food Bank.
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MEMBERS OF THE STAR-STUDDED JUDGING PANEL GATHER IN PARIS TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF THE WORLD RESTAURANT AWARDS
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JOHANNES KING
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JOHANNES KING PLEASURE THROUGH GOING WITHOUT
TEXT HANGAR-7 PHOTO © HELGE KIRCHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY / RED BULL HANGAR-7
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JOHANNES KING
riginally, Johannes King wanted to become a glassblower. Luckily that didn’t work out for him. Instead he started training as a chef and discovered his passion for a fine palate and pure flavours which he now shares with his guests at the Söl‘ring Hof on the island of Sylt.
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Johannes King – the name stands for unadulterated taste. And to achieve this, he takes both nature and locally grown produce on board. So it’s hardly surprising that his favourite ingredients come from the North Sea, the mudflats and his own garden. Trusted local farmers and tradespeople are partners who provide him with first-class quality. Sustainability is the essence that teaches us to enjoy again. To consciously savour the best seasonal products which are only available for a short time. He says, “As a consumer, you just have to get used to the fact that not everything is available all the time. So sustainability means doing without!” Conversely, you also have the advantage that at certain times you can expect a top selection and seasonal delicacies. The quality is simply better.” This triggers his excitement and creates recognition and respect in the industry. Born in the Black Forest, he grew up with nine siblings on a farm in Heiligenbronn. At the age of 15, King started his career as a chef at the Ringhotel Johanniterbad in Rottweil. Following this, he moved around to different establishments throughout Europe.
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JOHANNES KING
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JOHANNES KING, MARTIN KLEIN AND ECKART WITZIGMANN
First at Franz Keller’s restaurant in Cologne, then later travelling further afield to Vienna where he worked in the Konditorei Oberlaa under Karl Schumacher. The next steps in refining his craft were taken at Maitre Henry Levy and Zum Hugenotten (now Hugo‘s) in Berlin. He was then drawn back to Vienna and shortly afterwards back again to Berlin to take up the position of head chef at the Grand Slam in 1989. That’s where he earned his first Michelin-star.
“Sustainability is the essence that teaches us to enjoy again”
Johannes King
In 1997, he was the Rising Star of the Year in the GaultMillau. He earned a second Michelin-star in 2004, was Chef of the Year in the Feinschmecker 2013, was awarded 4 sets of cutlery in the Schlemmer Atlas, to name just a few of his awards and achievements. Since then Johannes King has published two cookbooks. Johannes King’s kitchen has already been awarded two Michelin-stars several times and its excellent reputation extends far beyond the island’s boundaries. It’s distinguished by its love of regional products, its emotion, skills and artistry, its in-depth knowledge and many years of experience. He’s now leaving the North Sea, its dunes and its mudflats, for a short time so that you can consciously enjoy his philosophy of “pleasure through going without” at the Restaurant Ikarus in Hangar-7. You’ll soon be able to take Johannes King’s unmistakable enthusiasm for naturalness home with you as an unforgettable treat. WG May 2018 -
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YANN BERNARD LEJARD
rom his early teens YBL expressed his artistic talents in street art. It was only after becoming a recognized chef that he found a way of incorporating art in his culinary work through plating and photography. He graduated as a chef at the age of 16 and then went on to work at some of the best kitchens in the world – Heinz Winkler, Hotel Las Dunas and Hotel Plaza Athenée in Paris.
F YANN BERNARD LEJARD ART & BEAUTY ON A PLATE!
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Plates by YBL are unique and different from the usual. His eye for color and his way of drawing sauce on a plate show his signature style and has set about a new wave of plating by chefs all over the world. The collaboration with artists outside the culinary world brings a new dimension and inspiration to his work. This artist is leading the way in the visual presentation of food. His Typical early work where we see a black background and a white plate is now frequently copied. YBL’s motto is to “dare” and looking at his plate’s one can certainly see what he means. Food photography, food art enhance this chefs primary passion. He makes us eat with our eyes and never forget the most expected….The Taste!
WG MAGAZINE
PHOTO © GREYIMAGEPHOTO
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YANN BERNARD LEJARD
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YBL has been expressing his Art through travelling Jakarta, Bali, New York, Cleveland, Sanya, Kuwait city, Tianjin, New Delhi, Netherland, Himalaya, and Mexico. Currently he is the Executive Sous Chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Bahrain. WG catches up with Yann Bernard Lejard… It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Tell us how you found your way into the culinary field... I was a very bad student, I was not very well concerned about studying, and to be honest it was my last concern. My parents suggested as I was always saying that I want to become a Chef to start my career in a catering school. I use to cook for my friends, and family from the age of 6. I started at the catering school at the age of 14 in south of France, in Nimes, where I did 3 years and graduated at the age of 16. I can say that I had an interesting gastronomic childhood but I don’t like to say that I embraced this career “because of the memories of my grandmother cooking etc…” I used to eat very well certainly, but my mother wasn’t a fantastic Cordon Bleu chef and also my grandmother! So for me it was never about love of the products, respect of the nature, sharing with each other or making people happy. For me it is nonsense, you don’t do a job for 14 hours a day to make people happy, or there is a problem with yourself. It’s only a selfish journey that drives you hopefully to success. If there is a link between my cooking style and my childhood it’s only because my grandparents had an art collection and this woke up my interest in my early years for Art and Beauty. DUTCH CRAB CORIANDER FULL PHOTO © MARCOPAONE
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Your cuisine highlights the purity of flavors in perfect harmony on each plate… When I was in catering school in the south a France I learn the technique but I never learnt the taste. In many places where I worked, I developed my technique and skills but never the taste. I met a few chefs when I was young like Heinz Winkler and Peter Knogl who really made me focus on the taste. Close to them, I build my own library of flavours and taste in my mind. With my decision to travel a lot and to discover different taste and culture I build my own taste, a global taste. The foundation of balance, is that the taste comes from the left side of my brain and the plating from the right side of my brain and this is the perfect balance when you work with both sides of your brain. You honed your culinary skills at Plaza Athénée with Alain Ducasse and with Heinz Winkler… what was the experience with Alain Ducasse and Heinz Winkler; and how did it help you as a chef? I made a big turn in my life, I realized at one point that’s cooking was very nice but a modern chef has many things to know. In this particular case I decided to go back to university in France at the age of 30 to do a Bachelor Degree in Finance, and challenge myself to pass this diploma. To learn finance in the culinary part as a chef, I decided to go to the best to train and for me the best was Alain Ducasse in the Plaza Athénée Paris, I learnt all the different aspect of financial control and this became a huge asset to my career and it helped me to elevate myself to become a smarter man. As I always went to the best and for the best I went to Germany to Heinz Winkler and Peter Knogl, both of them are 3 Michelin starred Chefs. I discover the really sense of taste and the meaning of sacrifice.
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PHOTO © THANOOJTHAMPY
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SHRIMP UNDER PRESSURE PHOTO © YBLINC
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YANN BERNARD LEJARD
LETS PLAY PHOTO © THANOOJTHAMPY
PLATING PHOTO © ORNATOANTUNES
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LOBSTER PHOTO © ORNATOANTUNES
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BEETROOT SALMON PLATING PHOTO © ORNATOANTUNES
PLATING PHOTO © ORNATOANTUNES
THE SPOON MOVEMENT PHOTO © ORNATOANTUNES
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BLOWING IN THE WIND PHOTO © ORNATOANTUNES
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Your culinary philosophy, take us through the process of creating a new dish, the inspiration behind the dish and the process of plating the dish. My culinary philosophy is “who dares, wins”, and always do the unexpected. Of course in my philosophy there is those basics topics like quality of the products, seasoning, temperature, consistency, the guests, but this is the common foundation of a proper professional cook in the industry. For me it has been a long time that I have assimilate those basics rules, my work and philosophy is at a different stage as my only concern is to create, elevate myself and people around me. I am extremely busy, most of my creation are never planned in advance I like to have the surprise of the creativity. It is a question of mood, quietness, happiness, I can create 5 ,10, 15 dishes on a day I just need to take something and transform it for me it is a natural flow it’s coming like I breath. I train so hard and so long that it is in my blood. It’s the easiest part. All of my dishes have a story, when I plate, I always call them with a name, I never use the name of the item I put in the plate. It can be everything that you can imagine. A sound, a song, a music, an artwork, an emotion, a memory , a detail surrounding me, a material, a person, a shoe, a car, a trip, a travel, a feeling, etc… I prepare all the component, the elements, the sauce and I do something that I never done before. And I take a picture when it’s finish.
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YANN BERNARD LEJARD
Ingredients that inspire you and your favourite ingredients… The Lumee - this Black Lemon coming from Middle East inspires me for its particular taste and vibrant black colour. I select my ingredients with the best supplier that I can found. Travelling a lot in the world, teach me that is the ingredients which decide it is not you, it make no sense to organise a dinner in Mexico and trying to get Foie Gras from France. You have to cook local, and you have to use local ingredients, ingredients of high quality of course and then you transform. And like this you discover the unlimited possibilities of cooking and plating. Produce, Creativity or Technique… Creativity, because it make the difference and this is how you will touch people heart. Whiles working with Heinz Winkler, the restaurant was given its third Michelin star… What was the feeling to be part of the team? I still remember that day, Heinz came to me in the kitchen during service and told me that the third star is coming, I was chef saucier and was extremely busy, I screamed “yeeeeees” in the kitchen, everybody stopped their work and looked at me with big eyes like “this strange guys is mad”, Heinz left laughing. I was very proud as Heinz Winkler is very famous for the quality of his sauce and to help him as chef saucier, to reach the level of excellence is something that comforts you and makes you forget all the arduousness and extremely hard work necessary to reach this level of taste.
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ASPARAGUS CORIANDER FOIE GRAS HALLOUMI PHOTO © MICHELLE DEMUTH-BIBB
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YANN BERNARD LEJARD
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CHILDHOOD BRIOCHE PHOTO © THANOOJTHAMPY
WG MAGAZINE
What keeps you motivated at this point of your career? It is first the search of the perfect plate, doing my book, opening my own restaurant in Bahrain and continue to develop the brand YBL Inc worldwide. Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, your advice to chefs entering the kitchen for the first time‌ There is nothing glamourous when you enter in the kitchen. You will cut yourself, burn yourself, have back pain, legs pain, you will smell like fish, meat, onion, and your social life is reduced‌ When you go home you will fall asleep, you will work long hours and there is no job where you have to work two time a day? Well, now if media, social network, TV shows makes everybody believe that is glamourous to be a chef there is a problem. My advice, work hard to earn enough money to have people working for you, and then maybe you will feel the glamour. WG May 2018 -
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IVAN BREHM
orn in Brazil, Brehm’s heritage embodies Nouri’s ethos: possessing Italian, German, Russian, Spanish, Lebanese and Syrian ancestry, he is attuned to the culinary ties that bind an array of nations. Brehm exploits this universality via the likes of his Silken cheese starter. On appearance, it resembles both Italy’s panna cotta and Asia’s silken tofu, depending on the diner’s culinary reference points. Nouri’s crossroads cooking cuisine is further demonstrated by the Acarajé and Vatapá dish. An Afro-Brazilian fritter, turmeric and coconut sauce, bread and salted prawn vatapá. Nouri’s take on a vatapá sauce highlights not only the African influence that is prevalent in the North Eastern part of Brazil but also the connection in taste, ingredient and technique shared with their Asian counterparts, such as Thailand with its green curry.
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IVAN BREHM CROSSROADS COOKING
Prior to launching Nouri, Brehm worked at Heston Blumenthal’s world-famous Bray flagship, The Fat Duck. Brehm was development chef at the restaurant’s experimental kitchen for four years, before becoming executive head chef at Singapore’s Bacchanalia and earning it a Michelin star in 2016. With a name alluding to the Latin for ‘nourishment’, the restaurant and bar seeks to transcend our geographic boundaries by harnessing the flavours, textures and cooking techniques which unite seemingly disparate cuisines. On a mission to highlight the cultural similarities which underpin the human experience, chef-owner Brehm coined the term ‘crossroads cooking’ to describe the blurring of food borders that Nouri is known for.
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IVAN BREHM
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BLACK PEPPER FISH- LOCALLY FARMED GROUPER, BLACK PEPPER AND VANILLA SAUCE, CHARRED PICKLED CARROT
WG MAGAZINE
Nouri has allowed Brehm to pursue his passion for people, which is also expressed in his restaurant’s interior design. Walking the line between a home and a restaurant, it features a large, marble chef’s table which fosters connections between chefs, servers and diners. Guests feel they have stepped into a home kitchen, for an experience which reminds all who visit of just how universal food is, and also, indeed, how similar we all are. WG Magazine catches up with Ivan Brehm… It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Tell us how you found your way into the culinary field to become one of the most sought-after in Singapore! Having spent most of my childhood in a kitchen, I inherited my love of food from my two grandmothers who were exceptional cooks. In 2005, I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in the US and embarked on my culinary journey to work at Thomas Keller’s Per Se before moving onto Applewood by Chef David Shea. After a year or so, I moved to the Spanish Basque country and trained under Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz, and also worked at Paco Roncero’s La Terraza del Casino. In 2007, I moved to London and worked under Claude Bosi at Hibiscus before training with Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in 2008. I was there for four years as a Development Chef. In 2013, I joined Bacchanalia in Singapore as the Executive Chef before I opened my own restaurant, Nouri, in June 2017. WG May 2018 -
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IVAN BREHM
NOURI
Your cuisine integrates influences from around the world to produce dishes that are creative and original in perfect harmony on each plate‌ Through a great deal of research, but also being attune to the ingredient. Understanding the context that gave rise to an ingredient/ preparation or its culturally specific use (say a tomato in Italian cooking, chili in Thai cooking, bread, and cheese) allows us to manipulate it in a way that still resonates with people. Our food looks out there at first but people are captivated by how familiar our dishes are. That is really a testament to our shared ancestry and Nouri’s understanding of that.
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STEAK AND A1 KELUAK MOLE
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IVAN BREHM
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ACARAJ+® AND VATAP+Í- AFRO-BRAZILIAN FRITTER, TURMERIC AND COCONUT SAUCE, BREAD AND SALTED PRAWN VATAP+Í
WG MAGAZINE
You honed your culinary skills at Per Se, Hibiscus, Mugaritz and Fat Duck… what was the experience with these chefs and how has it helped you as a chef? They were all incredible mentors in their own right. I was a young and insecure chef while at Per Se. Thomas probably doesn’t even remember, but I remember every second of my experience in those kitchens. The incredible respect for product, process and conduct observed in his kitchens shaped my behaviour in the work place. Andoni and the team at Mugaritz showed me that food is also art, food is also poetry, and that gustatory pleasure and conceptual, artistic or aesthetic aspirations don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Mugaritz has been forever the most exploratory, challenging and creative restaurant of its generation, showing that you can aim to please and challenge at the same time. Heston and the Duck have taught me that everything is relevant when approaching the topic of food and cooking. From the way one speaks to another, to the core temperature to the degree of a piece of fish, to the temperature of a door handle, every detail that can be perceived has to be considered to create an unforgettable experience. All of these restaurants have been formative and have provided me with the skill to move forward in their own way, Mugaritz with its aesthetic, Per Se with its rigour, The Fat Duck with its insight and creativity. But all of them have given me the same appreciation for process. Every one of these restaurants and chefs were sticklers for form, for doing the right thing no matter what, for believing in the seemingly impossible. They were also all restless. WG May 2018 -
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IVAN BREHM
SILKEN CHEESE
Your culinary philosophy… I do not believe in a culinary philosophy and feel the moment I am bound to one, it will also represent its demise. I feel over the years I have come to cook more like how I imagine our forefathers and mothers cooked- with curiosity and with little to no cultural bias. I try to stay mindful and to ask as many questions to help me better understand the origin of an idea. Creativity is more a process of discovery than one of creation. To discover, one needs to stay open to input, mindful of ones own ego, and respectful of the journey of others and their output. I believe in humanity before I believe in ethnicity or cultural specificity… and that I guess is the closest I’ll ever be to a philosophy.
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WG MAGAZINE
KANZURI RISOTTO, CARABINERO, 25 YEAR OLD BALSAMIC AND NASTURTIUM LEAF
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IVAN BREHM
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PRE-DESSERT
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Take us through the process of creating a new dish and the inspiration behind it‌ We are currently working on a dish that tries to link the history of stuffed Italian pasta (raviolis, agnolotti etc), to that of Chinese dumplings through a complicated network of commerce and people and food migration. As with every dish, we start first with a question, an idea, or even a fully conceived dish, and then before we cook it we reverse engineer it. History, anthropology, cooking techniques and ingredients, flavour pairings etc. are all scrutinized in the context of this dish, and then the dish or idea is put back together. Inspiration comes from everywhere at all times, but mostly when we are quite enough to listen. The approach we have used to promote the idea of the creative is incorrect in my mind. Creativity is, for me, the ability to associate freely, to think laterally, to elicit connections between things. It is more discovery than creation as most creative ideas are already connected, one merely needs to discover that connection. For that, quieting the ego and the need for acceptance of recognition and a genuine care for the task at hand is paramount. Ingredients that inspires you... I have been very drawn to spices and herbs for a few years. Also rediscovering the ocean around us and its waters. Everything is good if you know how to use it WG May 2018 -
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IVAN BREHM
Special cooking techniques or equipment you particular enjoy using… I like using Steam Juicer and steam basket as they are versatile ways of cooking and extracting flavour. If I could afford it, a centrifuge would be the next jump. Produce, Creativity or Technique… They are all equally important to me. Having said that, I’d like to highlight that we are not food purveyors, we are chefs. The job of a chef is more like alchemy and less like gold digging in the sense that minimally interfering with great produce only really highlights the skill of the grower, not the cook. Our job is to use creativity, technique and our ability to discern quality, to create something unique that is reflective of who we are. CHICKEN DEBAL - BUTTER POACHED CHICKEN BREAST, DEBAL CURRY, ACHAR PICKLES, RICE CRACKER
Whiles working as the executive chef at Bacchanalia, the restaurant was given its first Michelin star… What was the feeling to be part of the team? Leading the team at Bacchanalia towards its first star and its confirmation in the subsequent year was obviously a great feeling. We had the best team, Mark Ebbels is a great collaborator and we attained it without compromising vision or cooking for punters. Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, your advice to chefs entering the kitchen for the first time… Give up! If you can’t get it off your head, can’t sleep or eat, or think of anything else, maybe you have a shot at this.
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AGED MANDARIN SORBET, PEANUT SOUP AND HALWA
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SAM AISBETT
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Michelin Star Chef Sam Aisbett joins the ranks of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and brings a 9 course meal to W G! Sam is part of a new generation of Australian chefs, transforming the notion of Modern Australian food with his flavor-driven approach to international ingredients with a distinctly Asian touch. The menu at Whitegrass transcends geographical boundaries and blending cuisines from around the world which is inspired by Sam’s extensive travels. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Sam started off as an apprentice butcher in his parents butcher shop which was a good foundation for him to expand into the industry and then went on to work alongside Tetsuya Wakuda of Tetsuya’s and Peter Gilmore of Quay Restaurant.
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SAM AISBETT
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PHOTO © EDMOND HO
WG MAGAZINE
Japanese pen shell clam, Kaluga queen caviar, white dashi jelly and nasturtium...
Pen shell clams are one of my favorite seafood to eat. For this dish I serve them raw to take advantage of their amazing texture. The white dash jelly is full of umami, and the caviar seasons the whole dish. It’s a great way to start.
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SAM AISBETT
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PHOTO © NICHOLAS EE
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Western Australian fresh water marron, fresh curd, wild fennel pollen, pickled watermelon rind, Seawater
Marron is a freshwater crayfish native to Western Australia. It has a similar flavor and sweetness to lobster. I serve it here with pickled watermelon rind, sour herbs and flowers and a dressing that I call seawater. The dressing is sweet, salty and sour, and it brings the whole dish together.
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SAM AISBETT
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PHOTO © NICHOLAS EE
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Butter poached Hokkaido snow crab, golden crab dumpling, water shield, egg drop soup
This dish was inspired by my childhood. I loved eating Chinese food and I always ordered chicken and sweet corn soup. The soup is always finished with egg whites stirred into the soup at the end (egg drop soup). My version uses the idea of the original but I take it to the next level using Hokkaido snow crab. The broth is finished with egg white pearls and caviar.
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SAM AISBETT
Japanese red sea bream, spearhead squid, pomelo, green asparagus, seaweed and sake
I love the texture of fish that has been gently poached in butter. Here I counterbalance the silky texture of the fish with spear head squid that has been grilled. It’s a great juxtaposition in texture.
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PHOTO © NICHOLAS EE
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SAM AISBETT
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PHOTO © NICHOLAS EE
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Buddha jumps over the wall
This is my version of a classic Chinese dish called Buddha jumps over the wall. It is a fun dish that is full of flavor. I cover the dish with black and white scallop sheets to represent yin and yang.
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SAM AISBETT
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Salt water poached quail, black garlic mole, preserved longans, pickled endive, and amaranth
This dish is all based around the black garlic mole. The mole is made using a traditional recipe, with the addition of black garlic and preserved longans. It is one of my favorite dishes on the menu at the moment.
PHOTO Š NICHOLAS EE
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SAM AISBETT
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PHOTO © NICHOLAS EE
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Australian Torello veal, fermented black beans, raw mushrooms, veal broth
The Idea behind this dish is inspired by beef and black beans. I ferment my black beans for four days, which gives them an amazing umami flavor.
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SAM AISBETT
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Dragon eye blossom honey, Hokkaido milk jelly, burnt honey whip, milk ice cream, dried milk curls
This is a fairly simple dessert which is highly textured. I use fresh Hokkaido milk because it has a richness and creaminess that works so well when it’s set into a jelly.
PHOTO Š NICHOLAS EE
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SAM AISBETT
Single origin Peruvian chocolate, wood roasted coffee, Pedro Ximenez prunes, shaved macadamia nuts, and frozen chocolate
The key to this dessert is the macadamia nuts. We source ours from Byron bay in Australia. The chocolate, coffee and caramelized macadamia nuts is a combination that I love.
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PHOTO © EDMOND HO
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NICK ALVIS & SCOTT PRICE
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SCOTT PRICE & NICK ALVIS
WG MAGAZINE
ith a strong culinary history, British duo, Nick Alvis & Scott Price established a creative partnership in 2010 when Table 9 launched at the Hilton Creek Dubai in 2009, both of Ramsay’s alumni, have played an instrumental part in developing the UAE dining scene.
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Nick started out in a number of country house hotels, before moving to London to work for Nico Ladenis at Incognico and Chez Nico. He then spent three years working with Gordon Ramsay in London, before relocating to France where he formed part of the opening team for Gordon Ramsay au Trianon in Versaille. Success ensued and the restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars within its first year of opening.
NICK ALVIS & SCOTT PRICE
Scott worked with Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, following success in reaching the national finals of the Gordon Ramsay annual chef’s scholarship in 2003. The fast paced, demanding environment of this Michelin starred kitchen suited him and he remained with Gordon Ramsay in London until 2010 when Gordon asked him to help re-launch Verre by Gordon Ramsay at the Hilton Dubai Creek. In 2013, they developed a home-grown concept Taste Kitchen, with an objective to appeal to as many people as possible, removing the limitations that can come with a high-end restaurant. Appealing to a wider demographic, including families, Nick & Scott created a brand that has gone on to open in three locations throughout Dubai. Folly by Nick & Scott was a project in 2017, offering diners – simple, yet innovative dishes with no more than three or four ingredients on a plate. Their ideology behind the concept and menu was that their guests are encouraged to try new things and to have an experience beyond just dinner. Dishes are a little smaller than average, allowing guests to create their own tasting menu – something that is not yet offered in the region. WG May 2018 -
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NICK ALVIS & SCOTT PRICE
In addition to this, they have been active in designing every aspect of the Souk Madinat Jumeirah restaurant, from the layout, right through to the interior design, the music and staff uniforms. Combined, they have developed one of the regions strongest concepts, where diners can choose from an intimate experience at the kitchen bar, a private dining table situated in the wind tower or a more casual experience out on one of their several terrace areas. WG catches up with these home-grown chefs Nick & Scott… It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Tell us how you found your way into the culinary field to become the most sought-after chefs in Dubai!
DEVON CRAB, BASIL AND SEAWEED
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Nick Alvis: I grew up in the countryside surrounded by fields with huge garden full of fruits that we inherited from the previous owners. Without realising it, I learnt a great understanding of the UK seasons, from fruit and veg, to the farming seasons and even the fish spawning seasons. We spent as much time outside as the weather would let us, going on outdoor activities such as fishing, shooting, camping, helping out on my friend’s farm, often roaming through the dairy/cattle farms. Spring time and lambing season was also an exciting time of the year, so I’m very much a country boy at heart and this gave me a huge advantage when I decided to get into the restaurant and food industry.
WG MAGAZINE
QUAIL, PEKING LEG, CUCUMBER AND SCALLION
RABBIT, BEER MUSTARD AND TURNIP CRACKERS
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NICK ALVIS & SCOTT PRICE
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SAGE EGGY BREAD, ONION AND SPELT
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A creative driven cuisine which highlights the purity of flavors in perfect harmony with high quality produce - how do you bring about this balance on a plate? Scott Price: Although others think differently I am a very simple-minded person that sees things in a very straight forward way. I’m not sure where it came from but when it comes to our dishes we want each flavour to be big and punchy, so for the sage fried bread. For example, we try to put as much sage flavour onto the plate as possible using several different techniques, such as blending the fresh sage through the egg to coat the bread, adding fried crispy sage leaves and infusing caramelised butter with all of the stalks that we drizzle over the bread to finish. We really make an effort to maximise the flavour of all ingredients used. You honed your culinary skills with Gordon Ramsay in London, Paris and Dubai… Tell us about your experiences; and how did this help you are as a chef today? NICK ALVIS: Most memorable is cooking at Marcus Wareing’s restaurant while he was separating from Gordon Ramsay. I decided to go and work with Marcus at The Berkley as it was a two starred Michelin restaurant that was cooking in a way that I wanted to learn. One evening when Marcus was out of the restaurant Gordon arrived in the middle of service to tell me that he wanted me to be part of the opening team that would go to France and help to open his restaurant in the Trianon Palace. Having been chosen by Gordon was a huge confidence boost and most definitely a career highlight. The objective was to gain two stars in the Michelin guide within the first 12 months which we went on to achieve.
FOLLY BY NICK & SCOTT - WINDTOWER
FOLLY BY NICK & SCOTT
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NICK ALVIS & SCOTT PRICE
Your culinary philosophy, take us through the process of creating a new dish; and the inspiration behind the dish… SCOTT PRICE: It’ always ‘fresh is best’ and that whatever we do can always be improved upon. A new dish usually comes with creating a new menu, so it’s never about just one. The time it takes to rewrite a menu is usually around three months which includes a lot of development and getting it wrong. Inspiration is taken from numerous sources - books, travelling, other chefs and we constantly make notes and log interesting ingredients, combinations and methods that we can always refer back to. Every dish on our menu is unique with its own identity, there’s no repetition of main ingredients on the menu which means that you can come back time and time again and have a completely different dining experience and more importantly the guests at the table can experience something different on every plate.
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WATERCRESS, BLACK PEPPER AND POTATO
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NICK ALVIS & SCOTT PRICE
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GUINEA FOWL, LEG MEAT, STUFFING AND ROAST POTATOES
WG MAGAZINE
Ingredients that inspire you, your favourite ingredients and ingredients that you weren’t able to master… Nick Alvis: We’re working on a new dish using African crayfish which will feature on the next menu change. We work closely with Wet Fish for all our seafood, from the local market to Spanish Dover sole - an ingredient I’ve never used before as well as the crayfish. Our starting point comes down to the seasonality, followed by availability, price and consistency of the supplier and product. We always use local, where possible and when the product is good, we are more than happy to showcase it on our menus. We’re always being approached by new suppliers coming to the UAE, who are bringing in new ingredients and therefore creating more possibilities for us to try and modify what we do. Since opening, we’ve used Little Leaves for shoots and cresses and we will soon try out the new cheeses which are currently in process under the same supplier. Artisan products are a little hard to find so when we come across something that’s good we are more than happy to collaborate. Scott Price: All salts and vinegars are key to the flavours of our dishes and bringing out the best of the ingredients we use. We are currently developing our own vinegars to use in many of the dishes including a carrot vinegar to accompany a carrot and foie gras dish. Capsicum peppers/bell pepper is something I’m not personally fond of and I’d only ever use red they can make a beautiful vinaigrette when roasted. FOLLY BY NICK & SCOTT - TERRACE
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Special cooking techniques or equipment you particular enjoy using… Nick Alvis: We use vacuum packing and water baths for so many of our meat dishes to slow cook, keep tender and contain all the juices and flavour one being our sirloin of beef dish where we braise the smoked beef cheeks for 12 hours so they are succulent and tender. Another is the pressed rabbit which is brined and cooked in three parts at three different timings. Produce, Creativity or Technique… Scott Price: Produce - If you start with something that’s not right from the beginning then no matter much effort goes into the development of it, it’s never going to be good enough. There is no need to fork out on the biggest truffle known to mankind but if you are buying a turnip make sure it’s a fresh turnip. You cannot beat any fresh ingredient at its prime. We pride ourselves on bringing out the best of ingredients and making lesser respected ingredients shine. Your greatest influences in the kitchen…
BUTTERMILK, REMOULADE & GAMBERONI
Nick Alvis: At a young age I would always read about the masters of cooking, Nico Ladenis, Pierre Koffmann and the Roux brothers. Then the TV shows came about (not like today), hosted by Marco who was completely off his rocker, then John BurtonRace and finally Gordon going mental in Boiling Point with Marcus as his side kick. Looking back, it still amazes me that I achieved what I set out to do from such an early age and that was to work with one of them, so I could learn from the best, however it ended up being three great chefs after working alongside Nico and then Gordon and Marcus.
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RADISHES WITH SESAME SEEDS AND SOY
SIRLOIN OF BEEF, CHEEK AND THYME CROQUETTES
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CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT
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What keeps you motivated at this point of your career? Scott Price: Always being able to improve and being able to teach and develop ourselves as well as others. This is key to our industry as there is always so much to see and learn. The team we work with has always been a drive for me, from team morale to the desire to improve. Watching them learn and grow into their roles gives us great satisfaction and pleasure. We’ve had a strong first year at folly by Nick & Scott and now I’m driven to make the second year even more of a success. Creating new dishes keeps me motivated, as well as knowing I’m leading a team and maintaining the standards that we have set. WEEKEND LUNCH
Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, advice to chefs entering the kitchen for the first time… Nick Alvis: Prepare for sacrifice - this is harsh but true. You must give yourself to the industry and treat it as a lifestyle more than a job. The long hours mean you miss out on quite a lot that most people take for granted such as Christmas Day, birthdays and pretty much whatever key calendar dates that everyone else takes time off to celebrate you know you will have one of the busiest stressful times making sure that they enjoy it. That said, the rewards outweigh this and are what most people never experience. If you have the desire to be the best and succeed then hard work is required. DUCK BREAST, KOHLRABI, HONEY
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Guy Savoy’s cuisine is a combination of seasonality, with harmony and contrast, which is full of flavours – complex with an impeccable balance, a true dining experience. His desire for a flavour or an odour has always guided the dishes he creates. With a flavour or an odour in mind, he works the ingredients until the reality corresponds to what he has imagined.
GUY SAVOY
RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY PARIS PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON
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Savoy’s sense of balance on the plate is without a doubt, it is a reflection of the rigour of his childhood. A rigour that he found in his father who woke each morning at the crack of dawn to tend his garden and fruit trees, who lit fires in the early morning to keep the frost from damaging his newly sprouted plants. A rigour he found in his mother who ran a little restaurant and who peeled all the vegetables for lunch each day so her guests could enjoy the freshest possible produce. These work ethics nurtured him to have profound respect for the ingredients, and gives him a strong balance in my cooking.
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MORCEAUX DU VEAU, RACINES, FEUILLES ET FLEURS
DU SAUMON “FIGÉ” SUR LA GLACE, CONSOMMÉ BRÛLANT, “PERLES” DE CITRONS
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LOBSTER WITH RED CHICORY AND CRISP LENTILS PHOTO © MARCO SERAFINI AMICI
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Chef of La Pergola since 1994, Heinz Beck bases his cooking on excellent raw materials, the principle of a kitchen always healthy, full of taste, recognizable and on mastery of innovative techniques in the full respect of Mediterranean traditions. La Pergola, three Michelin since 2005, is located on the Roof Garden of the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, from where the panorama of the city extends as far as the eye with the domes and the most famous monuments. The restaurant is decorated with frescoed ceilings, prestigious furniture, tapestries and paintings of the eighteenth and fourteenth centuries.
PHOTO © INTERMEDIA JAPAN
The wine cellar of “La Pergola”, with its 3,500 labels for a total of approximately 70,000 bottles, is considered one of the most prestigious in the world for the rarity of exposed labels and refinement of its surroundings.
HEINZ BECK
The cellar receives since 2001 the “Grand Award”, the exclusive recognition of U.S. “ Wine Spectator”, the first global magazine dedicated to the culture of wine.
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Josean’s secret is the creative process, which is the tool he uses to develop his cuisine and the experience at Nerua. Analysis, reflection and rethinking about all the aspects that affect his activity. Innovation is making the things as one understands them more efficient, ecological, simple and satisfactory. It involves continuous questioning. Josean learned Basque cuisine at traditional restaurants and worked in several avantgarde kitchens, with the aim of forming some criteria that could help him create a personal style, a long path. His cuisine represents all those things that excites him and he shows it through the products from his environment and through the flavors of memory. He shares his experience by developing a personal language to create pleasure and happiness.
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Nerua takes its name from the Nervión River, the backbone of Bilbao, which in ancient Latin was called Nerva. He combines innovation with his roots, the surroundings. It is a space designed for a gastronomic and cultural experience. While nature sets the pace of Nerua’s kitchen, adapting to each season, a local cuisine that begins at the vegetable gardens, in the sea, and in the farms. With the best techniques and cooking with freedom to create pleasure and enjoyment without losing the flavor of our roots.
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IBERIAN PIG’S TAILS, ARTICHOKES AND BEAN BROTH
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BESO HELADO DE OSTRAS PHOTO © JOSÉ LUIS LÓPEZ DE ZUBIRÍA
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Andoni Luis Aduriz is undoubtedly one of the most influential chefs of our time. Throughout his career, he has remained highly committed to culinary evolution, making him somewhat of a rebel in the kitchen. Aduriz intends a meal at Mugaritz to shock and surprise as well as delight with ‘trompes l’oeils’– culinary tricks of the eye. Mugaritz delivers a gastronomic experience of 24 dishes. Pleasure is experienced in an unpredictable melody where sensory harmonies, emotions, and culinary messages lyrically intertwine. At Mugaritz, eating is a path to experience, a path scattered with histories, aromas, textures, flavours, games, memories, desires and numerous other pleasurable stimuli. That is why he creates and suggest forms of service that prompt situations in which his diners can give free rein to their senses and interact with only the barest of rules for engaging on a culinary voyage. An aim to break the barriers imposed by customs. Named after a border oak tree that grows in the hills around San Sebastian - Mugaritz takes attention to detail to new heights. From the specially created barbecue smell that emanates from the restaurant, designed to remind approaching diners of their childhood, to the way the table is set (or not) – is done for a very specific reason – to transcend the dining experience to new and unexpected heights.
PHOTO © ALEX ITURRALDE
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PHOTO © UWE SPÖRL
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Elverfeld’s very independent cuisine distinguishes itself by its sophisticated harmony of aroma, characteristic flavor and texture. Quite often his dishes reconnect to a personal memory and tell their own story. Modern technology and cooking methods based on solid grounded cuisine coalesce to a sophisticated pleasurable experience. In the process, he not only swears by the topmost quality of all ingredients he employs but by a pronounced regional reference of the products. His philosophy: “Attain your goal with commitment and love for detail” has proven itself successful, bringing him a great many distinctions in the last few years and confirming his concept. With the highest award in the Guide Michelin since November 2008, he became the first three-star chef in northern Germany.
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SMOKED EEL “GREEN“ & CALF’S HEAD PHOTO © GÖTZ WRAGE
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OOPS I DROPPED THE LEMON TART PHOTO © CALLO ALBANESE & SUEO
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Massimo Bottura is chef-patron of the three Michelin starred Osteria Francescana in Modena currently ranked number 1 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Over the past twenty years, he has consolidated his reputation as one of the world’s most creative culinary figures. He has written an acclaimed cookbook – Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef - and starred in several television series. Bottura’s second restaurant, Franceschetta58, is a contemporary osteria in his home town. Though it’s taken him a while, Massimo Bottura is a trail blazer among a new generation of Italian chefs. His work both as a visionary and restaurateur confirms him as one of the world’s most creative culinary forces. In 1995, Bottura opened Osteria Francescana in the medieval city center of Modena. His concept was to juxtapose culinary tradition and innovation with contemporary art and design. Bottura then spent a summer at El Bulli with Ferran Adrià, which encouraged him to continue pushing boundaries and re-writing rules with his cuisine. A piece of work by Gino de Dominicis struck a particular chord with Bottura, for at Osteria Francescana, tradition is seen from ten kilometres away. Italy’s extraordinary ingredients and classic dishes are re-evaluated with the benefit of critical distance, ensuring that the Italian Kitchen is free to evolve. Bottura is dedicated to reconstructing Italy’s cultural heritage - not deconstructing it.
PHOTO © PAOLO TERZI
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Mauro has imposed a style of its own in the interpretation of the product and the contrast of flavors. A style that is not rooted in the Italian-Argentine cultural heritage and that doesn’t refer to the great Chefs with whom he worked in France. Mauro Colagreco feels free to express himself by following his intuition that leads him to dig into the local culture on both sides of the border. PHOTO Š MATTEO CARASSALE
MAURO COLAGRECO
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In Mirazur nothing is fixed. If the menu changes on average every two months, the audacity of Mauro Colagreco is based at his ability to do ephemeral dishes invented for a service, two days or a week. Just because he sees a product that inspires him, Mauro decides to display it on a plate. The creation is born, a symbol of freedom of expression and inspiration of the moment.
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HUITE TARBOURIECH, CRÈME D’ÉCHALOTES, DÉCLINAISON PHOTO © EDUARDO TORRES
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David Toutain has dreamt his restaurant to be creative, friendly, laid back. A place flooded with light, dressed in noble materials: oak, concrete and glass. A unique, atypical place which offers a warm welcoming. Right in the middle of the main room, a solid oak community table, a soft memory of the chef’s childhood in Normandy country side. The space is divided into two levels .The main dining room and the mezzanine: “salon ô” with its books, blackboard and the chef’s office. The furniture, as well as the tableware have been carefully thought through to create global harmony. Each element comes from a special workshop and from an unexpected encounter. The restaurant is just like its chef: authentic and generous.
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SALSIFIS PHOTO © THAI TOUTAIN
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PHOTO © PAOLO TERZI
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Joan Roca was just 9 years old when he decided to put on his first chefs jacket and help his mother in the family traditional restaurant and house. Today Joan Roca runs with his own project along with his two brothers, Josep the sommelier and Jordi the pastry chef. El Celler de Can Roca is the authentic creative triangle formed by the three Roca brothers, with continuous research committed to innovation and creativity, enhancing traditional flavors with cutting edge techniques with an original balance. Through a transversal vision of the creative process, Joan Roca’s restaurant project dialogues and engages both with science and peasants, technology and sensitivity, product and sensorial anthropology.
JOAN ROCA
EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA GIRONA PHOTO © EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA
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El Celler is a free-style restaurant, committed to the avant-garde, but still faithful to the memory of different generations of the family’s ancestors dedicated to feeding people. El Celler de Can Roca’s commitment to cuisine and to the avant-garde, and its link to academia, has led it to defend the dialogue between the countryside and science, a total dialogue.
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CROMATISMO NARANJA
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CONIGLIO IN CARPIONE LEGGERO DI CIPOLLE ROSSE
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Alfredo Russo’s taste turns royal at the Venaria Palace in Turin, it is a unique trip between culinary pleasure and history’s emotion. Russo’s cuisine is of an enjoyable master gourmand embracing life. An energetic cuisine, spontaneous, effervescent, full with vitality. A cuisine that is made for people. Fulfilling will and need for enjoyment, curiosity, fun, laugh, stimulation and enrichment in unforeseen ways. Pure taste, sever choices without comprises, minimal careful elaboration and pluralsensorial experience. A personal creative process that is inspired from the quotidian life, from the real world. A sensitive performer that is continuously observing, listening, absorbing, with a critical eye without losing one’s identity.
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It may sound like a fairytale, but this is the reality of Quique Dacosta’s incredible career: as a teenager, he started out working as a kitchen porter in the restaurant that now bears his name. Since 2009, the head chef has run the Quique Dacosta Restaurante, stunningly surrounded by the Mediterranean and one of just nine Spanish restaurants to have been awarded three Michelin stars. His style is all about pushing boundaries. He and his team push flavors, concept and technique to the very limits of what is possible, finding individual nuances in each. What results is a culinary language that is unmistakably the mark of a chef at the top of his game. PHOTO © JOSE HARO
QUIQUE DACOSTA
QUIQUE DACOSTA RESTAURANTE - DÉNIA
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The self-taught chef’s menus consist of upwards of 30 dishes, delicate masterpieces that represent the diversity of the different regions of Spain. Culture, tradition, flavor and story-telling are all brought together to form his minimalist dishes. And his philosophy has remained the same for more than 15 years: high-quality produce, perfect craftsmanship and respect for nature.
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SOUP OF SMOKE CHILLIES PHOTO © PELUT I PELAT
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ASADO DE TIRA
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Paulo creates his first solo restaurant Amelia in the heart of a romantic quarter of San Sebastián where his European adventure originally began. Gaining his experience at three Michelin starred in restaurants Arzak in San Sebastián, in London with three Michelin star restaurant at The Fat Duck and one Michelin star Magnolia in Italy. Together with Francesco Gasbarro he opened La Bottega – a forward thinking modern trattoria in the historic part of Geneva. Only four months later, in October 2015, the restaurant received its first Michelin star. After 14 years of cooking and seeking culinary excellence all over the world, this nomad chef has finally found his home – even naming the ambitious endeavor after his daughter, Amelia, which means this time he’s here to stay, yes this time it’s personal. A modern restaurant, with capacity for 28 diners, where they only serve a tasting menu combining different flavors, textures and memories in creations, to make it a unique experience.
PAULO AIRAUDO
AMELIA SAN SEBASTIÁN PHOTO ©ALEX TEUSCHER
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Yannick Alléno advocates a French cuisine that draws its strength from its heritage but is also ambitious in its creativity. He has developed a visionary approach to the culinary arts in which know-how and excellence are combined with audacity that pushes boundaries to better experience new flavors and exalt tastes. He is Chef at the Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, and goes beyond borders on his endless quest for the quintessential in all things. Passionate about French cuisine, Yannick Alléno has pioneered new research on modern sauces and introduces these new techniques into each dish.
PHOTO © GEOFFROY DE BOISMENU
YANNICK ALLÉNO
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Creativity, passion and pursuit of culinary excellence… Offering an exceptional dining experience, guests are invited to choose one key ingredient – vegetable, meat or fish - for their main dish. Guided by this choice, Chef Alléno then constructs the entire meal around the core dish, including the starter and dessert. For example, the poularde topped with seeds poached with Jura wine stock and panais extract will be best served with the duck foie gras poached with Rivesaltes wine and pear in a sugar crust as a starter, or the crab meat in squid leaf to end the orange bead cinnamon foam for dessert.
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SOUPE FRENEUSE PHOTO © PHILIPPE VAURÈS
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LA ST JACQUES COCO TRUFFE PHOTO Š GINKO
To understand her cuisine, one must understand the woman. While she may at first seem reserved, fragile or even distant, she is actually very passionate, sensitive, free-spirited and enterprising. Her path testifies to an exceptional strength of character, because she needed a lot of conviction, perseverance and faith to make a name for herself as a self-taught woman in a decidedly maledominated field. She was guided to the culinary arts by her sense of smell and her palate. As a little girl, she PHOTO ŠPHILIPPE VAURES delighted in the fragrances wafting from the kitchens where her father worked.
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Anne-Sophie is always on the move. She’s always looking for complex new flavour combinations. She likes to research rarer flavours – such as bitter, acidic, iodised, roasted and smoked – with the goal of taming them. She continually revisits ingredients, cooking methods and techniques to offer her guests a distinct and often surprising gustatory experience. There are nevertheless some unchanging things within this momentum: audacity, a search for balance, aromatic complexity and delicacy. That is where the beauty of the moment can be found: the balance between aromatic power and delicacy of expression. The flavours in her dishes do not reveal themselves all at once. They emerge subtly when you take the time to listen and look for them. Her signature style cannot be found in a single dish but rather in her creative approach, in her way of seeing and being present in the world, in her heightened sensitivity. The tasting of a dish is by nature an ephemeral experience, and that’s what makes it unique.
PHOTO © EMMANUEL LETHION
ANNE-SOPHIE PIC
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Max’s cuisine, based on the concepts of depth, lightness and fluidity, is poetry on a plate. Inspiration for his distinctive dishes comes from looking at the world with a sense of discovery.
PHOTO © SOPHIE DELAUW
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His distinctive approach to cuisine finds is reflected in the dining room of Le Calandre. Everything from the hand-carved wooden tables to the glassware and room fragrance was designed by the Alajmo brothers and produced by master Italian artisans. Max’s cuisine is the fruit of a study that goes beyond taste. He approaches ingredients with respect, researching them in depth, in order to understand their true essence and bring out the best in them. His dishes capture all of our senses; beginning with the most evocative of the five, our sense of smell. According to Max, the ephemeral component of aromas and perfumes is compensated by their immediacy and ability to create lasting memories, particularly in relation to food.
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HAND-CHOPPED PIEMONTESE BEEF PHOTO © SERGIO COIMBRA
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SCHWARZWALDSTUBE - JAGDGUT MIT PFIFFERLINGEN, JOHANNISBEEREN, WACHOLDERJUS PHOTO © RENÉ RIIS
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41 years later, Schwarzwaldstube is considered as one of Europe’s leading restaurants. In 2016, Torsten Michel, the long-term sous chef of former head chef Harald Wohlfahrt, took over the kitchen. Together with his highly motivated and ambitious team, head chef Torsten Michel defended all major guide recognitions at once and leads the restaurant into a new era. Nestled in a forest of fir trees, Schwarzwaldstube at Traube Tonbach is located in one of Europe‘s most stunning and pristine landscapes – the Black Forest. It is a perfect starting point for a journey into the Black Forest. Traube Tonbach is one of the oldest family owned hotels in Germany. The original “Traube” has been opened in the late 18th century by baker Tobias Finkbeiner.
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Ramón Freixa grew up smelling flour and playing games with the customers, pretending to be a shop assistant and a baker at his grandparents’ bakery in small village near Barcelona. His grandparents were bakers and confectioners and his father was a chef, so cooking has always been in his DNA.
RAMÓN FREIXA
RAMÓN FREIXA MADRID
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During his high school years, he started preparing his first desserts with his grandparents, among sugars, creams and hot ovens. Nonetheless, when he was a teenager, he wanted to be a rock star, but was not cut out to sing. Then his life changed with his parents opening a restaurant. Ramón’s cuisine is based on quality product, excellence and the authenticity of flavours; it is full of references to the traditional but with a modern perspective and uses cutting-edge techniques.
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TODAS LAS SETAS QUE NOS DA EL BOSQUE EN SU JUGO; YEMA DE HUEVO CON CIRUELAS AL OLOROSO; CONFITADO DE PUERROS TIERNOS; CONSOMÉ DE CEBOLLA
PERLA DE OSTRA ESCABECHADA CON ENSALADA DE ALGAS Y UVA
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Jean Sulpice built a singular identity with a traditional, straightforward and acidulous style of cuisine, associating simple, yet remarkably powerful, flavours. Back down at sea level, the chef brings with him his herbarium of flavours and decorum of cooking.
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BEAUFORT DANS ESPRIT D’UN ALPAGE PHOTO © MARIE-PIERRE MOREL
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“My foundations are those that I cultivated at Val Thorens. My cooking today is based on local cuisine from my beloved Savoie region. Here, I want to complement it by drawing inspiration from Lake Annecy’s other reality, reconciling mountain and flatland traditions.” Jean Sulpice
PHOTO © FRANCK JUERY
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Drawn to cooking by his love of food, growing up in a family in which meals were an opportunity for exchange and sharing. His professional experiences toughened him, particularly with RĂŠgis Marcon, Michel GuĂŠrard and Michel Bras. These experiences made him want to trace his own path and follow his personal vision of cuisine.
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His cooking is tied to childhood memories, happy times at the table with his family, and also to his travels, particularly to Japan and Morocco. All of these memories, these subtle flavours can be found at one time or another in his cooking, a warm and sometimes audacious meeting of the Aveyron and Japan, of the high plateaus of the moroccan atlas and normandy... The result is a search for sincerity and purity that makes quality a priority. The table is a place of pleasure, of meetings, a place for laughing, sharing and enjoyment... At the end of 2005, he opened SaQuana in Honfleur, rewarded with two michelin stars in 2010.
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BONE MARROW & FORREST MUSHROOMS
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One of a new breed of young Finnish chefs helping to make Helsinki a destination for gourmet travelers. Filip Langhoff’s New Nordic Cuisine highlights the purity of flavors, inspiration that comes from nature, the environment and local produce. He only works with organic produce and therefore he has learnt that the fragile tastes need to be lifted and to keep the pure delicate taste it just needs a little help. He is just the messenger and he tries to let the great produce speak for itself. He lets the produce guide him and he helps it and lifts it to become what it needs to become. The surroundings of daily life inspires Filip, he finds inspiration in raw nature and the city, from the countryside and its farmers and produce, from his family and friends. Filip’s food has received several positive reviews, being called genuine and pure. His cooking philosophy is to first put enough time into finding the purest products, sometimes simply by wondering the nature-abundant Helsinki neighborhoods, some other times seeking fresh game or fish in southern Finland; Filip then allows the ingredients to talk for themselves by just lifting their flavors for the guests.
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Stefano’s creations are all unique, inspired by a combination of the finest produce and his herb and flower garden. The herbs are selected to provide a special, unusual combination and lending each dish its own individual touch of imaginativeness. A cuisine which combines Stefano’s creative approach adding a personal touch to his dishes
PHOTO © LIDO VANNUCCHI
as he blends his ingredients – noble or poor with another ingredient.
STEFANO BAIOCCO
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If you would ask Stefano “how does he brings about this balance on a plate“ you would get an answer… “This is a good question… We carry the tradition back since we are young, the ingredients we know them during our professional path and with the study and practice you can learn the techniques; but balance is something that is learned only through experience. Even us, some years ago we did some dishes, also very tasty but without balance. The right point of flavor, acidity, textures, and even colors is important” adds Stefano.
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FAKE TRUFFLE PHOTO © MASSIMO LODA
FRIED PRAWNS PHOTO © LIDO VANNUCCHI
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CARABINEIRO ALGARVE PHOTO © BOAONDA
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Considered one of the great Portuguese chefs, José Avillez stands out due to his enterprising spirit and his willingness to go one step further. At the moment he has five restaurants in Lisbon and one in Oporto. While offering different culinary experiences, they all express his enormous passion for cooking:. At his Belcanto restaurant, distinguished with two Michelin stars and elected one of the best 100 restaurants in the world, achieving 91st place in the prestigious “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List”, one can enjoy Portuguese cuisine revisited in a sophisticated atmosphere that still provides some of the former romance of the Chiado district. This is the style that truly defines José Avillez and expresses the course of his creativity.
PHOTO © VITOR MACHADO
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To instil this touch of originality, innovation and novelty, HRH Prince Robert de Luxembourg has chosen a tremendously talented and charming personality to be in charge: Christophe PelĂŠ, who was awarded two stars in the famous Michelin Guide in February 2017. What makes the Chef so special? An insatiable curiosity, a deep respect for the fundaments of French cuisine, as well as for the producers of the top-quality ingredients used in the kitchen and of the treasures found in the restaurant cellar. He will always favour ingredients that express specific terroirs, cultures and seasons. He has this precision, this attention to detail, this passion for his craft and this rare ability to share it. Constantly seeking new flavours. He is always on the lookout for new artisan producers and new products that will inspire him and add to his expertise. Le Clarence gives him plenty of opportunities to find ways of pairing wine and food, a complex art in which he is especially interested. His precise, ethereal, cuisine perfectly balanced and without artifice, is resolutely modern.
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OURSIN, ABATS DE THON ROUGE
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For more than two decades, Hans Hass, a man characterized as the master of simplicity, has influenced the style of cuisine at Tantris. Naturally and simply prepared, with the emphasis on flavor. A great value on quality and fresh produce.
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PHOTO Š JOERG LEHMANN
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PHOTO © GRAF MIKEKRUEGER-
It’s all about passion, without passion, Tantris would not exist. Taking inspiration from his travels through France and Switzerland, property developer and passionate gourmet Fritz Eichbauer commissioned the building of his dream restaurant in Munich more than forty years ago. In 1971, Tantris marked the beginning of a new culinary movement in Germany.
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Fabio and Alessandro have picked up on all the techniques of Aimo and Nadia, elaborating a way of preparing foods by blending the ‘memory for Italian tastes’ with the contemporary. Contemporary taste is born through the combining of a vast intricacy of elements. Their style of cooking is characterized by the oscillation between maximum
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rigor and total liberty of choice, a search for a balance between antique and modern techniques, the quality of the product, its past history, as well as that of those who produce these products. Then, there is the culture, society, and requests that come from living their daily lives. They define memory for Italian tastes as that memory with belongs to every person living in Italy, a blend of factors which we share and are indelibly ingrained in our personal history, tied to the land, its aromas, to the differences in various territories and regions, to the pleasures of the table
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QUASI UN RAVIOLO (DI SEPPIA) IL LUOGO DI AIMO E NADIA PHOTO © A. MAURI ITALIAN GORUMET
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At Hof van Cleve, every dish you taste is a masterpiece of robust teamwork, based on values like authenticity, respect and solid effort. Every day, Peter Goossens sets himself new challenges of topping yesterday’s achievements, being inspiring and taking a keen look at the world around. Goossens culinary creation starts off with an idea, which requires premium products, and quality is its be-all and end-all. Local produce are the flesh and blood of Goossens cuisine, supplemented with fresh flavours from abroad. Your tastebuds will tell you that every detail has been thought about...
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PETER GOOSSENS HOF VAN CLEVE BELGIUM OYSTER PHOTO © PIET DE KERSGIETER
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In the early 70’s Michel Guérard, alongside chefs Paul Bocuse, Roger Verge, Troisgros brothers and Alain Chapel, championed the movement of French Cuisine and today are considered to be the founding fathers of “Nouvelle Cuisine.” However, it was Guérard’s passion for produce, the art of healthy and gourmet living led him to Les Prés d’Eugénie.
MICHEL GUÉRARD
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Guérard’s success in creating a new school of culinary understanding came at the same time as his success at Les Prés d’Eugénie with his gourmet cuisine which received the accolade of a Michelin Star in 1974, followed by a second one a year later, and the third star in 1977. Guérard distils the great French tradition, combining history, nature and the thrilling adventure of culinary creation. “I cook the way a bird sings”, says the master. Free, clear, light, cheerful, ethereal, calm, silky, smooth… “I play with the joy of flavours the way Mozart used to play with notes – impertinently, inquisitively and poetically”.
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Alain Passard creates Arpège, formerly L’Archestrate belonging to his mentor, Alain Senderens, located on the corner of rue de Varenne and rue de Bourgogne. He baptizes it in tribute to his second passion, his love for music, and he opts for an Art Deco style interior, an atmosphere of which he is particularly fond. Alain has been viscerally bound to his burners for the past 30 years. He seeks relentlessly, with each movement and with the utmost respect, to bring out the best in his subject. By preserving its color, essence, hues and scent, he restores purity to the product. Roasting is no secret to Alain Passard. The talent that his grandmother passed down to him and this passion for the flame were the key ingredients behind the longtime success of his slow-cooked choice meats. Today, he applies this fascination and knowhow to the vegetables he roasts, grills or flambés…Working the art of open flame stays crucial :”Learn how to travel delicately with your pan on the open flame guaranties texture, taste, color, light and transparency with your vegetables” Alain plays particularly with colours, perfumes, savoury of the vegetable kingdom. Working with vegetables is, in a way, an incentive to replant the earth, to tackle a new language, a different vocabulary. Since the opening of his restaurant, he receives his third Michelin star. Alain Passard’s quest for perfection is no less intense in the decoration of his dining room than in the heart of each course; he craves continual harmony.
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PHOTO © DOUGLAS MC WALL
ALAIN PASSARD ARPÈGE PARIS POMMES DE TERRES ET CHOU VERT AU VIN JAUNE PHOTO © THOMAS COLLIN
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A place to eat. To discover. To experience. The culinary style Arzak is associated with is mark and personality. Deeply rooted in tradition and boasts creativity and a constant search for change. From the mid- 70s, Juan Mari won one award after the other, which placed the Arzak Restaurant among the best establishments across Spain and around the globe. In 1976, Juan Mari Arzak and a group
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of chefs revolutionized the art of cooking when they created a new culinary concept, a movement known as New Basque Cuisine. In 1978, he was awarded his second Michelin star and in 1989 the third one. He was the second to get three Michelin stars in Spain, and he still holds them. In the 90s, Elena Arzak joined the family-run restaurant. Elena attended hotel and restaurant management schools in Switzerland, broadening her culinary knowledge in great European restaurants. Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena share the kitchen, as well as the culinary knowledge, passion and enthusiasm they bring to cooking and to managing their restaurant. A history of the Arzaks.
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Sébastien Bras reinvents his cuisine every day. A cuisine of the moment, the fruit of constantly simmering ideas as much as formalised creative thought processes, nourished by an image, a memory from a trip, a stroll in the garden at Lagardelle, an encounter with an enthusiast or quite simply an Aubrac landscape. Sébastien has always lived in the kitchens of the family restaurant. He entered them on the day his parents returned from the maternity ward! More than a heritage, it is also his natural playground. Sébastien Bras creates “spontaneous cuisine of the moment”, instant, alive, sensual, which appeals more to the heart than the head. But make no mistake, it is also the result of much research, work, testing, maturity, history. The taste for cooking is all about balance; an open mind, a lot of hard work and the sum of one›s total experiences. There is no substitute for experience. You cannot be, without having been. Nature is the defining influence, for she decides what she provides! His cooking follows the rhythms of nature. Very often, the surprises which their garden at Lagardelle springs on them early in the morning enable him to create according to the morning dews and the seasons. Aubrac is also Sébastien›s foundation. Its products determine the essentials of his cuisine. Sébastien demands that Aubrac be viewed in a contemporary light, where «rusticity» is not a reference. An Aubrac which he conjugates with his travels, “indispensable to open my mind, my heart, my senses.” Leaving, in order to return enriched, effectively...
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PHOTO © DOUGLAS MC WALL
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Jordi Cruz’s creative process starts with not settling. If every three days he is not doing a new dish, there is something inside him that eats him and makes me uncomfortable. It is an attitude thing with him all day thinking about creating new dishes. His creativity comes from his ingredients and his knowledge. He often gets inspiration from traditional dishes and loves incorporating the traditional flavors of home into his modern dishes.
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Fresh, local produce plus his brilliant mind and artistry and his drive to constantly create are his best tools, and ones that he uses regularly to keep the creative process flowing. Regarding his cuisine, the chef himself defines it as “evolutionary and restless, based on the product and where creativity and tradition are merged.” Within his profession, his avant garde cuisine has continued to stand out. One of Jordi Cruz’s proverbs is to “cook simple dishes with logic and care, also applying the principle of proportionality so that diners enjoy each and every one of the courses on the menu and they are equally enthusiastic throughout.”
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FLORES PHOTO © MARCO PASTORI
ALMEJAS CAVIAR LIMA PHOTO © MARCO PASTORI
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CARPACCIO DE DAURADE ROYALE PHOTO © JACQUES GAVARD
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POELÉE DE LOTTE CURCUMIN TANDOORI PHOTO © JACQUES GAVARD
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The cuisine of Pierre Gagnaire is an experience in itself - As one who cooks in the now, a cuisinier de l’immédiat, the chef turns is instincts into moments of grace. In the kitchen, as an alchemiste aux fourneaux, he transcends the raw material to reveal its true substance. Guided by the pull of un principe d’émotions, Pierre Gagnaire has made cuisine a means of expression, a language, one he prefers to be frank and direct, with dishes that replace words in reaching straight to the heart. Nothing duplicitous, no affectation… simply a daily commitment to the instruments of his trade, conducting his kitchen orchestra in a score of virtuoso savoir-faire. The cuisine of Pierre Gagnaire is art. It is love. It is technique - His menu, as fleeting as the seasons, blends these principles in an adventurous panorama, while remaining firmly rooted in the truth of the land and the rigor of traditional techniques. It embodies an assumed duality of land and sea. It expresses contrasting flavours, textures and temperatures, their seeming complexity transforming into the inescapably obvious. Culinary free verse wafting on the winds of an inquisitive mind. The echo of a lifelong craft, talentedly mastered, passionately practiced.
PHOTO © JACQUES GAVARD
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As a teacher and innovator, Joël Robuchon has constantly created iconic recipes for the public. A true musician to the heart, Joël Robuchon considers his cuisine like music, an authentic art that includes technique and rigour. With a fondness for the Mediterranean, the cuisine is authentic and Mediterranean-styled, the menu promises a Garden of Eden which you are invited to discover by the staff, well-versed in discreet attentiveness and helpful advice. The menu is easy to read, the ingredients are immediately identifiable. The unrivalled master of precise cooking and seasoning focuses on essentials, giving priority to flavours and textures, combining healthiness with tastiness. JOËL ROBUCHON AND CHRISTOPHE CUSSAC PHOTO © STUDIO PHENIX
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Joël Robuchons’ inspirations for this restaurant were to craft a comfortably stylish dining venue that is unrivalled in the Principality. He imagined an open-kitchen to offer guests more than just a gourmet experience but a culinary show where transparency sounds alike quality and conviviality. The conviviality atmosphere of the restaurant is backed up by Jacques Garcia who imagined this backdrop against the wall representing a scene of Paul & Virginie (Manufacture of the Gobelins, 1802), velour armchairs and exotic wood parquet floor. The restaurant has a large opened-terrace benefiting from an exceptional view on MonteCarlo and the Mediterranean Sea. The Restaurant Joël Robuchon was awarded its first Michelin star in 2006 and a second in 2007, for its original cuisine.
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LE SAINT PIERRE AUX SAVEURS MÉRIDIONALES PHOTO © ERIC CUVILLIER
L OEUF MOLLET ET FRIAND AU CAVIAR OSCIETRE PHOTO © ERIC CUVILLIER
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PLACHUTTA TAFELSPITZ
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Plachutta is synonymous with quality Viennese cuisine. Far beyond the borders of Austria, the family-run Viennese restaurants are articularly well known for their first-class beef specialties. And there are good reasons for that: only high quality meat from select farmers and the best ingredients are good enough for Mario Plachutta and his firstclass team, a fact that has given the Plachutta the title of Beef King. From the outset the Plachutta family set out to truly recognise and present the Tafelspitz: this delicacy is at home in three locations in Vienna, and it has made the name Plachutta synonymous with Tafelspitz – this is both an obligation and a motivation. At Plachutta the focus on tradition in the best sense of the word: maintaining Viennese beef specialities – especially the Tafelspitz – and carrying its reputation into the world; upholding our high quality standards in food and service; always improving for the wellbeing of our guests: that’s what the culinary family Plachutta strives for. These are the values that many regulars appreciate very much and that will continue to be the pillars of their philosophy. This is how beef is served at Plachuta... Eleven different cuts of beef are used for the Plachutta beef specialties – always served in a copper pot, accompanied by delicious beef broth, root vegetables and marrow slices. Tafelspitz lovers will also be served roast potatoes, chive sauce, apple horseradish and toasted brown bread. Typical Viennese soup accompaniments and vegetables of the day complete the dish. Of course in addition to “Gesottenes vom Rind”, or boiled beef, there are plenty of other beef and veal specialities to choose from.
PHOTO © DOUGLAS MC WALL
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A unique culinary experience inspired by the French Riviera awaits you at Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris. Dominique Lory and Alain Ducasse have created a modern, authentic menu. Above all else, the fresh juices and sauces, intense and aromatic broths, and fresh condiments and spices reveal the precise flavours and seasoning of their culinary style.
PHOTO © PIERRE MONETTA
DOMINIQUE LORY
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In 1987, Alain Ducasse began his adventures in Monaco. The Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer offered him the position of head chef at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, and restaurant manager at the Louis XV. Alain Ducasse was 33 years old, and the restaurant 33 months old, when the Louis XV became the first hotel restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars by the Red Guide. After having contributed to the successful openings of other hotel restaurants, Alain Ducasse poured all his time and energy into his own eponymous restaurant: the Louis XV-Alain Ducasse. In 1998, Alain Ducasse became the first chef in the history of the Michelin Guide to be awarded three stars twice: three for the Louis XV – Alain Ducasse restaurant at the Hôtel de Paris – Monaco and three for the Alain Ducasse restaurant at the Hôtel du Parc – Paris, an establishment that had opened in 1996.
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BABA AU RHUM, CREME MI MONTÉE PHOTO © PIERRE MONETTA
GAMBERONI DE SAN REMO PHOTO © PIERRE MONETTA
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TAGLIOLINO DI ZUCCHINE
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Entirely self-taught, driven not only by the will power and stubbornness that have always been part of his character, but also building his skills over the years by passion for technical studies and a profound knowledge of the raw materials involved. Passion, determination, the thirst for knowledge, travel and world cooking are his valuable teachers and constant companions on this important journey of Giuseppe Iannotti. Giuseppe’s cuisine at Krèsios is extemporaneous and brave, experimental and based on a fine selection of the best raw materials from all around the world with a strong distinctive connection with the tradition of Southern Italy. While researching and executing his dishes, he always tries to bring out their strong ties with the local area, although at the same time they also reach out towards new horizons, where sourcing excellent raw materials from throughout the world is the key factor. The idea for Giuseppe is to always serve a dish without ever forgetting its origins.
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La Mère Brazier was established in 1921 by Eugénie Brazier. For nearly a century politicians and wellknown figures from a wide range of fields have flocked to the tables of this Lyon restaurant that has become an institution.
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Mathieu Viannay, winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France craftsman award in 2004, bought La Mère Brazier in 2008. After becoming enchanted by such a unique eatery he was eager to retain the original decor, which is steeped in the history of the place. Just after opening La Mère Brazier, Mathieu became a distinguished feature of the French gastronomic landscape. He deployed his own very personal style to rekindle the flame of the woman whom Jacques Prévert dubbed “the Blazing Brazier”, the first female chef to have been awarded, in 1933, three Michelin stars twice.
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MOUSSELINE DE BROCHET ET HOMARD
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FOIE GRAS GRILLÉ PHOTO © JEAN MICHEL LORAIN
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AGNEAU AIL DES OURS PHOTO © JEAN MICHEL LORAIN
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Jean-Michel Lorain is heir to a legacy handed down from his grandmother to his parents: a love of gastronomy and the art of living, but especially a passion for his home and for the kitchen, a real family tradition. Marie Lorain, created the Côte Saint Jacques straight after the war. But it was his parents, Michel and Jacqueline, who turned the family guesthouse into a luxury hotel from 1958 on. To the point of making it one of the finest eating places in France. Jean-Michel started cooking when I was still very little! Literally raised in a kitchen, he grew up with it, and it very soon became clear that he would carry on the family business. After taking my final school-leaving exams, he went to Troisgros, then to Le Taillevent in Paris and Girardet’s in Crissier, before joining his father in 1983. He came back to the property shortly before the creation of the hotel on the banks of the River Yonne and the construction of the famous tunnel under the N6, a jubilant period for his cuisine as they were awarded the third star that same year. Jean-Michel Lorain defines his cooking in a few words - Creativity, Simplicity, Travel, Respect for Produce, Texture, and Playfulness. Jean-Michel Lorain highlights the wonderful products that nature provides the chef through the seasons. But if you take the time to chat a little longer with the chef, he will explain to you that his cuisine is in fact based on four fundamental pillars: The Product, The Staff, The Technique and The Imagination.
PHOTO © COTE SAINT JACQUES
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With Alba’s culture of Langa and Roero cuisine, Davide Palluda’s education and character oriented his professional training towards research and consistent innovation. Tradition and territory were the guiding light and compass of his activity, but they haven’t led him to form habits or become lazy and repetitive. The meticulous research for raw materials, experimentation of the latest techniques and technologies in the kitchen, the application of the principles of dietary science to his menus, together with an openness towards the major cooking schools, have enabled him to revisit and revitalize traditional Langa and Roero cuisine, in accordance with today’s needs and pace of life.
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The result is food with an evident personality, varied, fresh, colorful and balanced, which has been acknowledged by the prestigious Michelin star since 2000. The same year he was elected the best young chef of the year by the Espresso Guide and in 2006, Davide opened the “DP” Laboratory with his wife Annalisa. Davide has been responsible for enhancing the value of Roero cuisine and is acknowledged as being one of the best Italian chefs.
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Elegance, refinement and authenticity is how one can describe the atmosphere and philosophy of Spondi. Created by Apostolos Trastelis in 1996, Spondi Restaurant is now a point of reference in Greece. The food is prepared with the freshest of products, and the menu changes according to the seasons and, the creative imagination of Angelos Lantos. He treads skillfully between creativity and tradition, modernity and classicism. Creating unique tastes, combining flavors, aromas and colors, honoring at the same time French traditional Haute Cuisine while he delights the eye with artful presentation and the mouth with exquisite flavors touched by a hint of exoticism.
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PHOTO © DOC TV SPECIALS
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