Daily digest for Food and Wine Gazette, on September 17, 2021
Ivan Brincat posted: " They say life is not about reaching the destination but rather about the journey. So it must have felt ironic for René Redzepi and his team to clinch a third Michelin star that has been eluding them for the past years in what was probably been the mo"
They say life is not about reaching the destination but rather about the journey. So it must have felt ironic for René Redzepi and his team to clinch a third Michelin star that has been eluding them for the past years in what was probably been the most difficult year for the restaurant.
Social media was on fire as the food world applauded a decision that for many has come way too late. Noma's photo of the three Michelin stars had over 100,000 likes and over 4,000 comments congratulating the restaurant. Instagram stories were on fire as was my Facebook feed.
Rarely has there been such accolades and genuine celebration for a chef and restaurant. The last one that comes to mind was Mauro Colagreco of Restaurant Mirazur in France.
Every year, pundits awaited the announcement thinking this would be Noma and Redzepi's year only to be left wondering what the restaurant needed to change to finally clinch the most important accolade in the world of gastronomy.
Not that Redzepi and the restaurant needed the accolade for all the work they've done over the past 18 years. Today, it is probably safe to say that Michelin needed Noma and Redzepi more than the restaurant and Redzepi needed the three stars.
As I wrote in a previous article, Michelin works in mysterious ways. Because if the Michelin definition of three Michelin stars is that of exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey, it is hard to think how Noma could not fit into this definition for many of the past years. If there was a destination restaurant par excellence, it was certainly Noma.
There was a reason, however, as to why Noma and Redzepi were snobbed by the Red guide for so long. For many years, Redzepi played outside Michelin's comfort zone. He removed table cloths long before it was fashionable to do so, he looked for umami not in luxurious ingredients like truffle and caviar but from experimentation and a fermentation lab that today has become a staple in many restaurants around the world.
The restaurant and the style was way to unconventional for Michelin's liking. You could say it stood out (in a good way) but clearly it did not fit with the norm and hence Michelin's reluctance to take the plunge.
Having been ranked Best restaurant in the World in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 and 2nd in 2019, the restaurant has been in constant evolution. There was the closure of the old site, the move to the new Noma 2.0. There have been pop-up restaurants in Mexico and Japan and staff where about to start taking sabbaticals just before COVID-19 struck. There has been a move to seasonal menus, a vegetable based menu in summer, prepaid bookings and so much more.
What Redzepi and his team have created is a legacy that will last for generations. Just like Redzepi and many of today's most influential chefs have all been influenced in one way or another by Ferran Adria and el Bulli, so will tomorrow's most influential chefs be the ones that will have been influenced by Redzepi (and a few others).
For 18 years, the restaurant has been at the forefront of gastronomy. No one had heard of Nordic cuisine before Noma opened in Copenhagen and if they did, it would never have been associated with fine dining. If today the Nordic has become a foodie destination, it is because Rene and a group of other chefs have created a narrative that today brings thousands of visits to this part of the world for the food.
What Redzepi and his team have created is a legacy that will last for generations. Just like Redzepi and many of today's most influential chefs have all been influenced in one way or another by Ferran Adria and el Bulli, so will tomorrow's most influential chefs be the ones that will have been influenced by Redzepi (and a few others).
Recently I was speaking to one of the upcoming chefs of the world and it was pointed out to me that Redzepi's greatness is not just in his cooking but in the way he supports those who have been part of Noma's story, even if they left many years ago. The Danish chef has no qualms with going to Instagram to push his alumni to the fore. On the day he clinched the three Michelin stars, there were no photos of him on Instagram stories. Instead he portrayed all the team. When he finally put a photo of himself it was a hilarious juxtaposition of himself and the Michelin man with a caption "Many are asking me how to feels to have 3 Michelin stars."
Redzepi's strength has been not just his ability to create a team that is greater than the sum of its parts, he has also had the foresight to anticipate and create lasting trends. When he started the MAD event 10 years ago, he created a debate around gastronomy. Gone was the show-cooking (which today looks more tired than ever as a format but still remains a staple of many food congresses) and instead he asked chefs, producers and speakers to tell their story in a 'TED' talk format.
Before the pandemic struck, he was thinking of a sabbatical not just for himself (he was the first to go just before COVID-19 struck) but for his staff as a way to disconnect and rest. He was speaking of well-being in the kitchen already a few years ago way before it has become so difficult to recruit people in restaurants because the pandemic shifted the way people think about how they want to work and the importance of work-life balance.
I've had the opportunity to see him work up close a few times but maybe the most significant was in Upper Austria for a GELINAZ! event in 2017. There, what impressed me most was his work ethic. Here was one of the most influential chefs in the world getting his hands dirty. Among his team, he was the last to leave the stoves because he was not satisfied with the early tests. He was the first to get back up to work in the morning. He would document every ingredient and herb himself and post on social media without any help or prompting. He mastered Instagram before many others had even signed up.
What changed at Noma to make it worthy of three stars today and not last year, two years or three years ago? That's a question maybe not even Rene Redzepi and his team can answer
Ironically, the restaurant has reached its pinnacle at a time when it was hardest to judge it. It reopened after the first lockdown as a burger bar but before that (and now) it is working with three different seasons making it very difficult for a guide like Michelin to 'judge it' given it needs reference points and signature dishes to recommend.
What changed at Noma to make it worthy of three stars today and not last year, two years or three years ago? That's a question maybe not even Rene Redzepi and his team can answer. For many food critics and food observers Noma was already worthy of the three stars many years ago. The greatest tectonic shift is for the Michelin guide. By awarding Noma three stars this year, it has shown that it is changing, adapting to the times. By taking this decision albeit too little too late, it might end up coming out of the pandemic stronger because it portrays itself to be more nimble and agile than it was before. It is a small step in the right direction. Of course there are others waiting in the corridors for the same acclaim. The next one that comes to mind is Spain's Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz. But that's another story.
What's for sure is that today, 18 years after the restaurant opened you could say Redzepi has reached his first destination. But the next expedition has already started.
Food and Wine Gazette posted: " Chef Dabiz Muñoz of DiverXo in Madrid won The Best Chef Top100 Award during a live awards gala that took place in Amsterdam. Chef Björn Frantzén of Frantzén in Stockholm repeated his second place and also took the award for The Best Chef voted by Ch"
Chef Dabiz Muñoz of DiverXo in Madrid won The Best Chef Top100 Award during a live awards gala that took place in Amsterdam. Chef Björn Frantzén of Frantzén in Stockholm repeated his second place and also took the award for The Best Chef voted by Chefs. To round up the top three, Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz in San Sebastián made a huge jump from his previous 45th position on last year's list, to clinch the third spot.
"Getting the number one in the Best Chef Awards is the biggest joy. An incredible pride and responsibility. For me, The Best Chef Award is one of the most prestigious publications in the world today, and an award like this is a dream come true. It recognizes many years of creativity, dedication, passion and hard work. The last years in the Xo world have been very intense and brutal, but my team and I are clear that this is only the beginning, and the best is yet to come. There are no limits in sight," said Dabiz Muñoz from restaurant DiverXo in Madrid, Spain, the winner of this year's Best Chef Top100 Award.
The following were all the special awards of the evening
–The Best Chef Top100 Award powered by Perlage: Dabiz Muñoz from Spain The second place went to Björn Frantzen (Sweden) followed by Andoni Luis Aduriz (Spain)
–The Best Chef Rising Star Award powered by Perrier-Jouët: Fatmata Bintafrom Sierra Leone This young chef wins this award as an appreciation for her talent and progress in the world of gastronomy.
–The Best Chef Fol-LOVERS Award powered by Custom Culinary: Manoella "Manu" Buffara from Brazil This award values the opinion of the audience of The Best Chef's followers on social media.
–The Best Chef Pastry Award powered by Valrhona: Maša Salopek from Slovenia This award celebrates the best pastry chef among all the chefs.
–The Best Chef Food Art Award powered by Antonius Caviar: Vicky Lau from China This award is dedicated to the Best Artist among all the chefs.
–The Best Chef Gourmet Award powered by Maida: RIJKS from Amsterdam (host city) Joris Bijdendijk (executive chef), Ivan Beusink (chef de cuisine) and Yascha Oosterberg (chef de cuisine) win the award for the best restaurant in the host city.
– The Best Chef New Entry Award powered by Le Nouveau Chef: Henrique Sá Pessoa from Portugal This category award honours the chef who achieves the highest ranking amongst all the new candidates.
–The Best Chef Voted by Chefs Award powered by Difference Coffee: Björn Frantzen from Sweden This award is dedicated to the most voted chef by all the other chefs.
–The Best Chef Science Award powered by LSG Group: Joan Roca from Spain This award is a distinction for the chef who is outstanding in relation to research, experimental techniques and transformation.
–The Best Chef Legend Award powered by Chopin: Alfonso Iaccarino from Italy This category award celebrates the best chef who is not active in the kitchen as a chef anymore, but who still has a crucial impact on the world of gastronomy.
–The Best Chef Pizza Award powered by Molini Pizzuti: Franco Pepe from Italy A new award created to celebrate the best pizza chef in the world.
After a virtual edition in 2020, and with this year's slogan being: "Back to LIVE. Back to reality", some of the most influential names in the culinary world met in Amsterdam to celebrate the best of the best in gastronomy. This year's list features chefs from 29 countries worldwide, out of which Spain performs best with 15 chefs.
THE BEST CHEF is a vibrant world community of passionate food lovers. A project dedicated to celebrating the talented chefs that create the best food experiences around the world, as well as being a global family of like-minded individuals that share culinary experiences. A common space where the old guard shares the cores of the craft with the next generation, who in return inspires new ways of thinking.
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