THE BEST CHEF AWARDS 2021 – NOMINEES VOLUME 5
Amsterdam will host the 5th THE BEST CHEF AWARDS powered by PERLAGE on September 13, 14 and 15th 2021.
The three-day long culinary celebration will include FOOD MEETS SCIENCE, AREA TALKS and a few new activities, ending with the grand AWARDS GALA, as they continue to honor the many talented chefs that create the best food experiences around the world.
This year the announcement of the new 100 candidates from 35 different countries who will compete for the title of THE BEST CHEF together with the chefs of the TOP100 2020 will be full of suspense. Starting from February 25th and for 100 days, THE BEST CHEF will announce one candidate per day (in random order) through its social channels.
The fifth batch of nominees has been announced. Here they are.
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LUIZ FELIPE SOUZA
Modern, creative and with Italian roots: the same attributes that Evvai describe apply to its chef, Luiz Filipe Souza. In his signature haute cuisine restaurant, the young and award-winning talent explores his origins, the cultural exchange born of the immigration from Italy to Brazil and the resulting cuisine, practicing what he often calls Oriundi cuisine.
Evvai’s menu refers to inspirations, sometimes Italian, sometimes Brazilian, sometimes both, drawing parallels and connections between tradition and contemporaneity. A cultural exchange that takes place in the kitchen combining local produce and traditions from his descendants. A true immigrant cuisine.
Luiz Filipe Souza, Brazil
Evvai, São Paulo, Brazil, www.evvai.com.br
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NIKLAS EKSTEDT
A warm welcome to Stockholm
“I grew up in Järpen, a little village in Jämtland, northern Sweden and like a lot of young people, my attitude was to turn my back on where I came from. When I trained as a chef, we had it drilled into us that the Nordic region was not the place to look for good ingredients. I fell in love with Italian olive oil and French poulet de Bresse. When I opened my first restaurant at the age of 21, the focus was on ultra trendy molecular gastronomy, serving dishes such as asparagus cloud and deep-fried rice paper.
It couldn’t have been further away from the rustic slow cooking of the Jämtland forests. But one day I felt the urge to return to my roots. What was I going to do? I was 33 and lost. In the eyes of the media and the public I was the lightweight TV chef from “Niklas mat”. Time to do something big. It was now or never… How could I put my own personal stamp on New Nordic Cuisine?”
Ekstedt opened in November 2011 in central Stockholm, with a fire pit, a wood fired oven and a wood stove. Plenty of people said I’d made things too difficult for myself. But since then I’ve continued to make things more and more challenging for myself and my team. Because that’s what makes us better. And now we also have the stone-age equivalent of a microwave oven, a smoker and extra fires burning. We continue to explore age-old techniques and to learn more about a lost art of cooking.”
Niklas Ekstedt, Sweden
Ekstedt, Stockholm, Sweden, www.ekstedt.nu
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SERGIO BARROSO
A Spaniard in Santiago de Chile. Born in Madrid to a family of chefs, Sergio Barroso has worked at elBulli, the legendary Spanish restaurant known for its extraordinary food revolution, Denis Martin in Vevey, Switzerland, and the five-star Monte Carlo Beach in Monaco – all of which have shaped his esteemed cooking style. Sergio is reinventing the way Chileans eat, by marrying European techniques with local ingredients.
“I can’t stop thinking about food. I have lots of notebooks and keep one at home and one here at the restaurant, full of recipes, ideas, drawings. When I have an idea, I jot it down right away.”
Sergio Barroso, Spain
Restaurante 040, Santiago, Chile, www.040.cl
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VICKY LAU
The Pursuit of Perfection by Vicky Lau. “At TATE, we believe that fine dining is not a medium particular to a region, collection of ingredients nor even classical recipes. It’s foundation lies in the belief that a meal can and should be elevated to an art form – the perfect expression of an idea that can be consumed by all senses.
The intentional control of space, lighting, timing, aroma, plating, temperature, texture and flavour can transport and reveal. To pursue these perfect moments and lasting experiences is possible not only through dedication to fine dining’s intricacies, but also to the constant pursuit of innovation. Finding balance between tradition and adaptation inspires purpose as we practice consistency and procedure as a form of creative meditation.”
Vicky Lau, China
TATE Dining Room, Hongkong, China, www.tate.com.hk
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TONI KOSTIAN
“At Grön we make tasty, focused, plant-based and inspiring food that has a strong emphasis on high-quality. All this happens in an atmosphere that makes our guest feel relaxed, happy and welcome. We offer two menu options from which one is fully vegan. The food is based on seasonal, organic, wild and Scandinavian produce. Toni Kostian and his team create an experience to remember.
This is a tribute to creativity, the wild and us all.”
“For us sustainability is much more than just a ‘green trend’. It has been built in our company values and strategies since the beginning. We aim to work towards the highest sustainability industry standards and in everything we do. Sustainability is an essential part of how we run our day-to-day businesses. This Sustainability Plan is based on our previous plan dated on January 2020 written by Toni Kostian and Janne Keskevaari. The core mission is to openly and honestly share our key guidelines and daily practices to all individuals working at Grön and everyone interested.”
Toni Kostian, Finland
Restaurant Grön, Helsinki, Finland, www.restaurantgron.com
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DIEUVEIL MALONGA
A Congolese chef in Kigali, Rwanda with ambitions to write a new gastronomic story rooted in Africa.
“My name is Dieuveil but you can call me Malonga. I am a young gourmet chef and my specialty is Afro-Fusion cuisine. A subtle blend of tradition and modernity. A culinary bridge between African flavours and Western cuisine. My roots and my values are grounded in my name, Malonga, a legacy from my parents that I will keep forever. My young story is a journey struck by fate. An unlikely route made of encounters, sacrifice, brewing, exchange, and sharing opportunities. Everyday I aim at transcending African cuisine. At 13 my fortune took me to Germany where I was warmly welcomed. There began a new life. Cooking and Music soon became my tools of choice to express myself.
From the underground aromatic leaves braising to the molecular techniques. One gamely modern, contemporary and traditional at the same time.
My commitment is to share the endless wonders of this garden called Africa. To reveal its many flavours, merge them and to compose a harmony of the terroir. My inspiration has been enriched by my travels, my sensibility for art, my love for people, their culture, their products and history. My goal is to combine the best quality products with technical excellence, all led by a seamless inspiration in order to give you an ever inventive, warm and tasty cuisine. I try tirelessly to enrich the definition of the African way of gastronomy and sophistication.”
Dieuveil Malonga, Rwanda
Meza Malonga, Kigali, Rwanda, www.mezamalonga.com
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JAN SOBECKI
“Our global cuisine is characterized by simplicity, quality, and passion. We utilize French cuisine as our base, complementing it with a wide range of international accents.
Continuously looking for the best ingredients and holding them as sacred. Honoring simplicity, flavor, and pure ingredients. At Tribeca, you will see that less that is actually more.”
Jan Sobecki, The Netherlands
Restaurant TRIBECA, Heeze, The Netherlands, www.restaurant-tribeca.com
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PABLO RIVERO
The King of Beef in Buenos Aires
Parrilla, the Argentinian method of barbecuing, has become ingrained into the cultural and culinary DNA of its country. Its people’s collective love of this philosophy of beef and fire can be seen throughout the land, from its roadsides to its rich country houses. And it’s for this reason that Argentina has formed a reputation as the world’s number one destination for beef.
In the centre of Palermo, one of Buenos Aires’ oldest neighbourhoods, sits perhaps the most celebrated Parrilla establishment in Argentina – Don Julio. Opened in 1992. The restaurant was created by three generations of one family. Pablo Rivero, the current owner and youngest member of Rivero founders was in his 20s when the restaurant opened and it’s said that his mother, father and grandfather, all of whom had backgrounds in beef farming and butchery, helped create the restaurant to give Pablo a job.
Pablo Rivero, Argentina
Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina, www.parrilladonjulio.com
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TIM GOLSTEIJN
Tim Golsteijn has worked at internationally-renowned restaurants in Amsterdam, such as the Amstel Hotel and Parkers Restaurant, where he has developed a passion for patisserie and top gastronomy. Tim puts great emphasis on flavours and aromas, since every flavour tasted can be matched to a certain memory. Golsteijn is the modern gastronomic conscience behind Restaurant Bougainville. The Next Generation of Dutch Cuisine.
Restaurant Bougainville is a destination unto itself and offers the finest, unique and sensory gastronomic experience – and this experience all starts with personal attention, an elegant setting and a panoramic view of Amsterdam’s city centre.
Tim Golsteijn, The Netherlands
Bougainville, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, www.restaurantbougainville.com
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MICHELANGELO MAMMOLITI
At La Madernassa Restaurant, Chef Michelangelo Mammoliti, a native of Roero, creates dishes with outstanding mosaics combining nature, memories, thoughts and inventiveness in the kitchen. A young chef with a full luggage of experience in the kitchens of some of the most notable chefs in Italy and France, Gualtiero Marchesi, Stefano Baiocco, Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Yannick Alléno, and Marc Meneau. With the experience in France, Michelangelo was able to form the basis of his own kitchen which has strong leanings towards the French cuisine.
Michelangelo Mammoliti, Italy
La Madernassa, Guarene, Italy, www.lamadernassa.it
On June 6th, THE BEST CHEF begins the voting process, where all the chefs included on last years’ list (plus an anonymous group of independent professionals) and the new 100 candidates will be invited to vote for their peers to name 2021’s TOP100 AWARDS.
In case of interest or/and press on The Best Chef Awards,
please contact Kristian Brask Thomsen at:
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The diplomacy speaks to a strong network of 600 journalists, bloggers and writers, as well as 5000+ global diners around the world.
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Hungry for more? Read this in-depth US-article on The Best Chef.
