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 sixth batch of nominees has been announced. Here they are.
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GUILLAUME BRACAVAL
A French Chef in Tokyo.
“I want my food to create big emotions and big memories,” says Chef Guillaume Bracaval, who brings artistry and a passion for impeccable ingredients to Est, the French-Japanese restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi. “There should be a ‘wow’ moment when you take the first bite, not just when you look at the beautiful presentation. When a guest comes to me and says, ‘I still remember the taste of a dish you made five years ago,’ then I know I have succeeded.”
Guillaume Bracaval, France
Est, Tokyo, Japan, www.est-tokyo.com
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JOHN SHIELDS
John Shields began his culinary training in the St. Louis area, attending culinary school and working in local restaurants. Shields spent two years serving as sous chef at the world-renowned Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago before continuing his career with Chef Grant Achatz at Alinea as sous chef in 2005. During his two years there, Alinea grew from an exciting upstart to one of the best restaurants in the world.
After leaving Alinea in 2008 to pursue the next step in his career, John (and his soon-to-be wife Karen Urie) turned down an offer to lead the opening of a Charlie Trotter restaurant in Las Vegas.
John and Karen moved to Chilhowie, Virginia, in 2008 and were given carte blanche to re-imagine the then-unknown Town House restaurant. Now able to craft their own vision, chefs John and Karen rebuilt the Town House concept as a modern exploration of imaginative flavor and visual compositions that utilized the wide array of seasonal, locally grown, and foraged ingredients
John Shields, USA
Smyth, Chicago, USA, www.smythandtheloyalist.com
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ANATOLY KAZAKOW
Chef of the Selfie restaurant in Moscow. He seeks and finds harmony in the combination of 3-4 ingredients in each dish, showing that even the simplest products may be really gastronomic. The main thing is to be able to show their pure taste and lay correct emphases.
Anatoly Kazakow, Russia
Selfie, Moscow, Russia, www.selfiemoscow.ru
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SEAN MAC DONALD
Chef Sean MacDonald has opened his much anticipated debut space: Ēst is an intimate small plates wine bar located in the heart of the vibrant Queen Street East community of Riverside, Toronto. Featuring shifting, seasonal creations from Chef/Owner Sean MacDonald and Chef Reece MacIsaac, the cuisine is influenced by the many cultures within Canada’s borders.
The native Calgarian graduated from the Professional Cooking Program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and began his role as Executive Chef at Market Restaurant in Calgary at the age of only 23. After being named a 2016 Game Changer, he was featured on the cover of BRANDED Magazine’s 2016 winter issue.
Sean MacDonald, Canada
Ēst Restaurant, Toronto, Canada www.estrestaurant.ca
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BENOIT DEWITTE
Benoit Dewitte’s career started in the kitchen of La Bastide de Moustiers, a restaurant by Alain Ducasse in the south of France and then took off, working in two star restaurants Chez Bru, Ousteau de Beaumaniere, Le Moulin de Lourmarin and Auberge de Capelounge before opening his own restaurant with his brother ‘Benoit & Bernard Dewitte‘ near Ghent, Belgium.
Chef Dewitte likes to collaborate with other chefs from all over the world in an effort to share knowledge and experiences. From Singapore to Denmark and Austria to France he has collaborated with chefs to discover authentic local cuisines.
Benoit Dewitte, Belgium
Benoit en Bernard Dewitte Restaurant, Zingem, Belgium, www.benoitdewitte.be
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MARK BIRCHALL
Talented Chef Patron, Mark Birchall, creates delicate produce-driven menus inspired by exceptional surroundings and home grown ingredients.
Mark was born in Chorley, Lancashire and trained at Runshaw College. He was most recently Executive Chef of 2 Michelin Star L’Enclume in Cumbria and won the Roux Scholarship, the premier competition for chefs in the UK in 2011. He also worked at El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, a 3 Michelin Star Restaurant owned by the Roca Brothers, twice voted The Best Chef in the World.
Mark Birchall, UK
Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Aughton, Lancashire, www.moorhall.com
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THITID TASSANAKAJOHN
Thai Philosophy of Chef Ton.
“Le Du actually comes from a Thai word – “ฤดู”, a synonym for the word “season” in Thai. The name reflects an emphasis on our culinary creations out of seasonal produce.
For a very long time, Thai ingredients have been under appreciated. At Le Du, we believe Thailand is one among the best places on earth for the finest ingredients. We source only quality ingredients from local farmers who grow their amazing produce with love and care. Then, we combine them with modern cooking techniques, and turn them into something tastefully fanciful and extraordinary.”
ThiTid Tassanakajohn, Thailand
Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand, www.ledubkk.com
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DAVIDE OLDANI
“My Cucina POP comes from the desire to blend the essential with the well-made, to create something good that is accessible, to combine tradition with innovation. I am convinced that the greatness of Italian cuisine lies – not only in the variety and flavours – but also because it is open to continuous re-interpretation: I have done this with simplicity, giving importance to each ingredient and having seasonal products and quality as the foundation of my cuisine.
On these two cornerstones I have added the principle that guides me in the preparation of each dish: the search for harmony by balancing contrasting elements, which for me means not only the promise of sweetness in something savoury and a “memory” of savoury in something sweet, but also the harmonious co-existence in each dish of elements that stimulate the palate, crisp, soft, hot, cold, sweet, bitter…”
Davide Oldani, Italy
D’O – Davide Oldani, Milan, Cornaredo, Italy, www.cucinapop.do
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JACOB HOLMSTRÖM & ANTON BJUHR
Gastrologik – the philosophy.
“Logical Swedish gastronomy is based on close cooperation between us and passionate farmers, growers, breeders, fishermen and hunters who share the same values as we do in terms of quality; as well as environmentally and ethically.
We have chosen to work with exclusively Swedish produce. Close proximity contributes to fine cooperation with producers, and that, in turn, triggers our creativity. The local climate and the dramatic difference in our seasons affords us a great variety of produce throughout the year, and no day is the same.”
Jacob Holmström & Anton Bjuhr, Sweden
Gastrologik, Stockholm, Sweden, www.gastrologik.se
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JUAN LUIS FERNÁNDEZ
French-Andalusian Avant-Garde Cuisine.
Juanlu Fernández began his career with artisan pastry then passed through the different kitchens of the great chefs of Spain exploring his passion for French cuisine and merging it with the traditional cuisine of his home town of Jerez.
His enthusiasm, along with his culinary training, and his tireless ability to reinvent core cuisine is the guiding light behind the menus he creates.
A Universe created by chef JuanLu Fernández immerses all senses.
Juanlu Fernández, Spain
LÚ, Cocina y Alma, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, http://universolu.com/restaurantes/lu-cocina-y-alma/
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.
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please contact Kristian Brask Thomsen at:
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Hungry for more? Read this in-depth US-article on The Best Chef.
