Recent Albums
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Pierre Gagnaire, Paris
Pierre Gagnaire, Paris, France - So, I guess you were curious to find out about my personal top of the tops favourite. It's him. I call him 'professeur Gagnaire'! And Yes...another shock to some of you out there, I even prefer him to Ducasse and Robuchon (I know...some will hate me for that, but he had impressed me more than Ducasse and Robuchon..who..btw..are also undeniable great geniuses)! Professeur Pierre is pure GENIUS with no need of the bells & whistles of avant-garde cuisine (eventhough some items of his cuisine are inspired of avant-garde cuisine, Professor Pierre's cuisine should not be confused with those of Redzepi, Blumenthal, Ferran Adria). He pushes the limits of savours, tastes, flavours to limits that even the fanciest molecular gizmos cannot pursue. -
Helene Darroze, Paris
Helene Darroze, Paris, France - At this moment, she is my top personal favourite #2 chef right after Professeur Pierre. I had absolutely no clue of who she was, when -- earlier this year -- a buddy had invited me to HD's restaurant in Paris. I was stunned! I managed to get a 2nd visit there, then a 3rd one within 3 months. Darroze, a bit in line with Gagnaire, hits exactly where I like: high end classic french cuisine with contemporary fine dining touches that works the flavors/savors/tastes to it's heavenly limits (for example, her goose foie gras is simply miles superior to it's equivalent at most top 100 S.Pellegrino's restaurants, same for the duck and other classics of French Cuisine). Her "chef d'oeuvre" is NOT just another "gallerie d'art"..NO...it is indeed appealing to the eyes -
NOMA, Denmark
NOMA, Copenaghen, Denmark - Was there this year (2009). I was curious to see how a previous student of Ferran Adria would find his way off the lanes of his master. Although you see an omnipresence of his master, he managed to find his own signature methods and dishes (thanks to massive focus on local products of his natve Danemark). So basically, a Ferran Adria of Nordic Europe. Truely great although it happened that both my girlfriend and I had to return some dishes (totally normal -> it also happened to the Master himself. Those geniuses invent great stuff that will as much blow your mind as some can intimidate you. It's inventive food after all, so no need to unecessarily get down on the very few misses. Just be opened minded when you indulge in such high end fantasy culinary world!)
