Tim Raue is one of the most prominent German chefs in Berlin if not the whole of Germany. His restaurant Tim Raue has made it to the 40th position in the recently published Opinionated About Dining list, moving forward from the 62nd place. The German chef is unique in his style and in his approach. His two Michelin star restaurant serving Asian inspired cuisine has been awarded 19 points by Gault Millau. His cuisine, as he himself says, reflects his character. We caught up with him a few months ago but had not yet published our interview and we feel this is the right time to bring to the fore this talented chef. But why would a European be cooking Chinese food in the German capital? "What I am looking for is basic, traditional Chinese dishes. What I love is that they are so pure and simple. In Western cuisine we are doing things which are so complicated and using too many techniques. At the end of the day, what I want to do is bring everything together. What I look for in a … [Read more...]
Tim Raue: Bold character, bold flavours
It is not unusual for Asian chefs, especially Japanese to serve French style cuisine in Europe. But it is not really common to find a German who is well-known for his 'Asian' cuisine and also has two-Michelin stars for this. When Tim Raue took the stage at Chefs Revolution there was no question that his presentation reflected not only his bold character but also his bold cuisine. He kept the audience in awe as he recalled his story of how he moved from cooking a random mix of food to Asian food. In 2007 he won the Gault Millau chef of the year award but as he himself put it "I was cooking randomly from Spanish molecular cuisine to French inspired shit. But it was not me and I always believe that you need to find yourself in a plate." He says that after a lot of soul-searching to find what he liked he managed to create a unique style of cuisine which is bold with lots of flavours. "I have now found the right balance," he said. At 40 years he is one of the most prominent … [Read more...]
Andree Köthe: Vegetables are not just a side dish
Andree Köthe is the chef of two Michelin starred German restaurant Essigbraetlein. He is known for keeping a very low profile. When the organisers of Chef Sache announched that Köthe would be presenting his philosophy and dishes at Chef Sache many food enthusiasts exclaimed "at last". I have to admit that I had heard very little about what many consider to be the German answer to Alain Passard before his presentation at Chef Sache. An internet search did not help because little is written about this very interesting chef in English and my German skills are pretty non-existant. The restaurant in Nuremberg, Germany, is called Essigbraetlein and looks like an ordinary Gasthaus or tavern from the outside. Until recently, the restaurant did not even have a website and is not even very active on social media. But behind this facade lies a 25-year-old story which Köthe started together with Yves Ollech. "My story is also his story and his thinking. He has a lot of ideas and courage so … [Read more...]
Interview with Joachim Wissler (Vendôme): Sensational plates always have a story
Joachim Wissler, German chef of Restaurant Vendôme, is considered to be one of the best German chefs if not the best. He heads the 3 Michelin star restaurant in the Schloss Bensberg hotel in Bergisch Gladbach, near Cologne. He is known for his blend of classical cuisine, creativity and modernity. The restaurant is number 12 in the World's Best 50 Restaurants 2014 and also the highest ranked German restaurant. He gave an excellent presentation at Chef Sache recently (more on this in the coming days) and also accepted to be interviewed by Food and Wine Gazette. In this interview he speaks about the importance he attaches to stories behind each dish. How would you describe your cooking style? I´ve had my apprenticeship in classic French cuisine. Over the years you change as a chef. You can hardly use terms like “avant-garde, modern or classic” to describe my style of cooking. My cuisine and style is part of me. I want to express memories, experiences and imaginations that … [Read more...]
Chef Sache, the Cologne avantgarde cuisine festival taking place next weekend
The Cologne Avantgarde Cuisine Festival will take place on Sunday 26th October and Monday 27th October at the Palladium in Cologne, Germany. For those still undecided whether to attend, this year's lineup proves to be extremely interesting. Having seen two of the chefs (Jonnie Boer of De Librije and Quique Dacosta) taking part at Chef's Revolution in Zwolle a few weeks ago, we would recommend finding the time to go to Chef Sache in Cologne, Germany. But apart from the Dutch and Spanish chef there is also an interesting line-up which includes Eneko Atxa, Mauro Colagreco, Virgilio Martinez, Kobe Desramaults, Andree Kothe, Joachim Wissler and Christian Humbs. Among them they have an impressive 20 Michelin stars. These top chefs will provide insights into their work with inspiring shows explaining their philosophy behind their cuisine. There will also be an exhibition which showcases innovative products and ideas as well as two wine tasting sessions of German and Spanish … [Read more...]
Monschau – a beautiful German town on the border with Belgium
Summer has started and we have had our fair share of barbecues already. Crisis point was reached a few days ago when we ran out of our special mustards with tarragon and Riesling which we had purchased from our annual visit to Monschau, Germany during the Christmas season. We had never visited the idyllic town during spring or summer for some reason and have always associated the town with winter especially given how spectacular it looks when it snows. So, we did what some might consider a crazy day trip, which is heading to Monschau to stock up on mustard lest our barbecues suffer from the lack of magic ingredients. Now you might probably have realised that when it comes to food, I do not cut corners and am bound to take a detour if I can procure great ingredients. But, given the fact that until a few years ago, I was not really keen on mustard, you will understand that the Monschau mustards are indeed special. All it takes to convert to the joys of mustard are a trip to … [Read more...]