In the last couple of decades chefs have become increasingly popular. Most of the world’s best chefs have written books about their cuisine and even some of them have had their own TV show, but what makes a good chef the best in the world?
Being the best chef no longer means spending a ridiculous amount of hours in the kitchen and running a successful business. The best chefs in the world can be regarded as scientists; they research and experiment with ingredients until they come up with the formula to produce the most tasteful dishes.
Every year Restaurant Magazine publishes the list of the best restaurants and chefs in the world. Have a look at our three favourite chefs and discover the key to their success.
René Redzepi of Noma
René Redzepi is the chef and co-owner of Noma, the best restaurant in the world this year. This two Michelin star restaurant is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is not the first time Noma is considered the best restaurant in the world, it was also on the first of the list in 2011 and 2010.
Noma via Wikipedia
Redzepi’s work is famous because of its reinvention and refinement of new Nordic cuisine, as well as its inventiveness and use of clean flavours.
During the early years of his career, Redzepi worked at El Bulli, Ferran Adrià’s restaurant and previous best restaurant in the world from 2006 to 2009. In December 2002, Redzepi was approached by Danish chef Claus Meyer, who offered him the head chef position at Noma.
Ferran Adrià of El Bulli
Spanish chef Ferran Adrià began his culinary career in 1980 when he was working as a dishwasher at a hotel in a small town of Catalonia. Three decades later he’s considered one of the best chefs in the world and one of the main names, along Heston Blumenthal, in molecular gastronomy.
El Bulli's kitchen via Wikipedia
Adrià joined El Bulli in 1984 and was named head chef in 1987. The restaurant was closed on July 30 2011 but will reopen in 2014 under a totally new format which will focus on creativity and innovation.
Adrià’s cuisine has been the subject of controversy in the last few years. Spanish chef Santi Santamaria described Adrià’s approach to cuisine as pretentious and said that the chemicals used in his dishes could put diners’ health at risk.
Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck
The English chef is entirely self-taught. Before opening his three star Michelin restaurant, his only experience in a professional kitchen was one week at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant and 10 unpaid days in Raymond Blanc’s kitchen.
Blumenthal opened The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire in 1995. The restaurant is one of the major exponents of molecular gastronomy, serving unusual dishes such as “snail porridge” and “bacon and egg ice cream”.
Henston Blumenthal via Wikipedia
Blumenthal owns two other restaurants in Bray, Hinds Head and The Crown at Bray. He opened his first restaurant outside of Bray in January last year. The restaurant, called Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, is located at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London and has already been considered one of the 10 best restaurants of the world on this year’s list.
Apart from running 4 restaurants, Blumenthal has starred in different TV shows and even launched his own line of kitchenware, including precision thermometers, scales and knifes.
Who knows, maybe using his products improves your dishes! We’ve found that Boots Treat Street has some special offers on Currys and Comet’s products, check them if you’re interested in buying Blumenthal’s kitchenware and becoming the next top chef!
Have you ever been to any of the restaurants mentioned above? What do you think of molecular gastronomy? Let us know in the comments section below!
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May 10, 2012
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