When you arrive at Nobelhart & Schmutzig you don’t know what to expect. The taxi driver that took me there nearly missed the place despite having his GPS on. The door to the restaurant is closed, the restaurant window is covered in a dark curtain. Nothing is visible from the outside. It is like Billy Wagner wants to keep the place a secret. For a while, nothing from a culinary standpoint was happening in Berlin. But things have started to change over the past few years. This part of Berlin is maybe most famous for Checkpoint Charlie and the tourists that flock to this historic and formerly rough area of Berlin. Today, it is making a name for itself for the restaurant scene. Nobelhart & Schmutzig is one such restaurant and around the corner is what could be one of Berlin’s most famous restaurants, Tim Raue. Soon after I ring the bell, Billy Wagner, the sommelier and co-owner of the restaurant opens the door. He is expecting me courtesy of Per Meuling, of Berlin Food … [Read more...]
The last wine: Going once, going twice…. sold
When Gut Hermannsberg's general manager and oenologist Karsten Peter opened a bottle of the Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube Trockenbeerenauslese 1921 vintage in 2017 to replace the cork he was astonished by the concentration, complexity and freshness of the wine. He was heard exclaiming 'the wine is as fresh at the new morning'. This was the last bottle of the wine that remains in the Rarities Cellar of Hut Hermannsberg, a bottle that that is not only historical but also comes from a phenomenal vintage. The neck of the bottle is decorated with a banderol, where one can read the ornamental script: Presented as a celebratory libation to honour the President of Germany, General Field Marshall von Hindenburg, at the liberation festivities in Cologne, on 21 March 1926. This last wine bottle is being put on auction. The couple who own Gut Hermannsberg, Dr Christine Dinse and Jens Reidel, along with the general manager Karsten Peter, made the decision to auction the 1921er for this … [Read more...]
Second NEU dinner in Berlin to feature Will Goldfarb with René Frank
The second NEU Dinners will welcome Will Goldfarb, fresh from the latest season of Chef's Table of restaurant Room 4 Dessert in Ubud, Bali to cook one dinner in Berlin with René Frank from CODA in Neukölln. The dinner takes place in Berlin on Sunday 29 July from 7pm. The second edition of Berlin's most exclusive dinner series united two of the most recognised and forward-thinking chefs in their field to conceive a once-in-a-lifetime dinner at the Kreuzberg rooftop Atelier Berlin that organisers promise will 'blow minds on all levels'. "Think a full fine-dining tasting menu based on sweet and savoury 'dessert' creations, unlike anything you know about desserts with a matching cocktail and wine pairing, all while you watch the summer sun set over the roofs of Kreuzberg. The second dinner is hosted by the Bechstein Network at the legendary Atelier rooftop in Kreuzberg (www.atelierberlin.net) and there are 70 places. The beverage pairing for the evening will be a mix between … [Read more...]
Thomas Bühner returns to Villa Louise
Thomas Bühner, chef of 3 Michelin star resturant La Vie, in Osnabrück, North West Germany was recently a guest at Villa Louise for a dinner which forms part of the 'seventh' season. Villa Louise, an offshoot of asset manager Creutz and Partners has been inviting some of the world's best chefs to cook at their premises to collaborate, cook and share their creativity with their clients. This was not the first time that the German chef was guest of Villa Louise which today has accumulated 78 stars. Bühner is chef of one of the best restaurants in Germany and you can see why. At the dinner he focused on exceptional ingredients and worked perfectly with produce to ensure that the flavours are not only clean but also intensified. In 2001, he was awarded the Gault Millau “Rising Star of the Year” award and was voted “Chef of the Year” just five years later. Together with his wife Thayarni Kanagaratnam, he has been running Restaurant La Vie in Osnabrück since April 2006. For the … [Read more...]
Nine top chefs to cook at Sven Elverfeld’s Aqua in Wolfsburg
Nine chefs of three Michelin star restaurants will be cooking in separate events at the restaurant of Sven Elverfeld, Aqua in Wolfsburg, Germany. The German chef of the the three Michelin star restaurant announced the events to celebrate 10 years of 3 Michelin stars on his Instagram page. The chefs are Jan Hartwig of Restaurant Atelier in Germany, Niko Romito of Reale in Italy, Andreas Caminada of Schauenstein in Furstenau, Switzerland, Rasmus Kofoed of Geranium in Denmark, Jonnie Boer of De Librije in the Netherlands, Norbert Niederkofler of Restaurant St Hubertus in Italy, Gert De Mangeleer of Hertog Jan in Belgoium, Paolo Casagrande of Restaurant Lasarte in Barcelona and Corey Lee of Restaurant Benu in the United States. "Unfortunately, we tried to get women from three Michelin star restaurants but we did not manage," he said with Maria Canabal, of Parabere Forum saying that unfortunately there are too few women at the helm of 3 Michelin star restaurants. "I hope there will … [Read more...]
Einsunternull: Forget everything you have previously tasted, seen, smelt, felt and appreciated
You know that you are in for a ride when the restaurant website tells you to forget everything that you have previously tasted, seen, smelt, felt and appreciated. Einsunternull does just that. The Berlin dining scene may be dominated by Tim Raue, the German chef who features in the third Netflix season of Chef's Table but that should not deter you from exploring what is on offer in this vibrant city with a increasingly interesting dining scene. There are many restaurants worth trying and not necessarily easy to make a choice. I decided to try the intriguing restaurant which was recently awarded a Michelin star despite the fact that the owner and chef ran away from a two Michelin star because they wanted to have the freedom not to use luxury ingredients. The restaurant named Einsunternull (or one floor below in English) is called like this because its dining room (for the evenings) is housed in the cellar. Lunch is however served upstairs in a space next to the open kitchen … [Read more...]
Lineup for this year’s Chef Sache taking place on 25 and 26 September announced
The 8th edition of Chef Sache, the avantgarde Cologne culinary festival will take place on Sunday 25 and Monday 26 September in Cologne with a very interesting line-up of world class chefs. This year's theme is winds of change and features some of the world's top chefs who will showcase their ideas. Among the chefs that have been announced for this year's edition of Chef Sache are Albert Adria of the Adria empire which includes Tickets, Pakta, Bodega, Hoja Santa, Niño Viejo and Enigma in Barcelona Spain, Jonnie Boer (De Librije) and Poul Andrias Ziska from Koks in the Faroes Islands which has been considered as the best Nordic Restaurant. On Monday, chefs on stage will include Andre Chiang from Restaurant Andre in Singapore, Andreas Döllerer from Restaurant Döllerer in Golling, Austria, Alexandre Gauthier from La Grenouillère, Jordi Roca, the pastry chef and one of the three brothers who create magic at El Celler de Can Roca and Joachim Wissler of Restaurant Vendôme in … [Read more...]
Sven Elverfeld: Food education should start with young children
Sven Elverfeld is a chef with a conscience. His restaurant Aqua in Wolfsburg may be one of the best in the world (it has three Michelin stars since 2009) and is currently 33rd in the World's 50 Best Restaurant list) but he is thinking not only about the current refugee crisis but also how to raise awareness about proper eating among children. When I sat to talk to him at Chef Sache in Cologne a few days ago he started talking about the current refugee crisis and how he recently organised a charity dinner at Aqua with the Wolfsburg football team to raise money for refugees. So even though I am interested in his creative process (which we discuss later) my first question is about the current crisis. I asked him why he felt the need to do something and he said: "At the moment, I have the possibility to do it. If you are known in your community then it is easier to do something like this. It is not all about glamour. This is a problem and it does not scare me but makes me sad. When you … [Read more...]
Virtual reality for Tim Raue’s restaurant in Berlin
When Tim Raue went up on stage in Cologne to present a new concept, we knew he was onto something. Despite admitting that the technology is still in its early stages, Raue is experimenting with offering diners at his restaurant a unique experience by immersing them into his kitchen and explaining what they are about to eat in a personalised audiovisual manner. He is using virtual reality goggles to take diners at his restaurant on a 'tour of Berlin' and see the chef explain the story behind the dish he is serving as well as how it is prepared. Raue said at Chef Sache that many of the guests at the restaurant might not have time to visit Berlin. "We could have told the story in a different way but we felt that it would be more appropriate to use visuals to tell the story," Raue said. Two Michelin star chef Tim Raue can be considered as one of the most prominent German chefs in Berlin if not the whole of Germany. Apart from his flagship restaurant Tim Raue, the German chef has a … [Read more...]
Think twice before posting your photos of food in Germany
Chefs may privately hate it when customers take photos of their culinary creations. For every mouthwatering photo on social media like Instagram and Twitter there are dozens of bad shots taken with phones which do not do justice to the food being served. At the same time, they know this is a trend that they cannot really fight against and in general it has enabled a certain food culture to emerge and one which we are likely to look at years from now as the start of a food revival. Most chefs who speak to Food and Wine Gazette actually don't mind sharing their work on social media or even having people share photos of their culinary creations. There is obviously the issue of food becoming cold on the plate or else disturbing other clients in the restaurants and that is really something that should be avoided. We've heard stories of people standing on chairs in restaurants to take a photo of their dish to be able to share on social media. But in Germany, you may think twice … [Read more...]