10-04-2017
Everyone's smiling in the final group photo in Melbourne last April 5th. In the middle, the two engines and souls behind Eleven Madison Park in New York, restaurant No 1 for the 2017 World's 50 Best Restaurants: Will Guidara (in the middle) and Daniel Humm (to the right). Copyright The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
Since the plane landed in Melbourne at 4.20 a.m. on Tuesday 4th April, it was a great pleasure to get into room 1729 at the Langham Hotel on the South Bank of river Yarra and find some fresh fruit
The skyline at night in Melbourne from the room at the Langham. The sun rose a couple of hours later
Breakfast with a view of the centre of Melbourne and of river Yarra
Nicolas Chatenier, director of the French panel of the jury for the 50 Best. He invited press, chefs and friends to Philippe Restaurant right in the centre of Melbourne. «France and the Fifty Best had a troubled relationship in the past but this should be behind so here we are visiting a chef who has worked for years with Paul Bocuse». Indeed Philippe Mouchel is as far as it gets from contemporary dining these days. From one extreme to the other?
Clement Vachon and Yannick Alléno
Mauro Colagreco and Massimiliano Alajmo. For the first time, the chef-brother represented Le Calandre at the 50 Best. In the past, in London and New York, it was always Raffaele Alajmo who went
Dominique Crenn, real dynamism
An Italian table is always nice and attracts everyone, even Yoshihiro Narisawa
The first dinner in Melbourne? Cafè Di Stasio, fine Italian dining around the world
Rinaldo Di Stasio, aka Ronnie, produces wine in the Yarra Valley since 1994. His father designs the labels in a very special way: they're hand written
«DOC, siamo nati pizzaioli» says a large blackboard in one Tony Nicolini's DOC pizzerias. This is the one in Albert Park
The same viewpoint as before but showing a different sequence to highlight the photo of dad Nicolini when he was a young pizzaiolo who arrived in the metropolis in the state of Victoria
Hot-air balloons flying over Melbourne at dawn on Wednesday 5th April 2017
Wednesday 5th April at 9,30 am, revelation day for the Fifty Best 2017: Massimo Bottura awaits nervously
Massimo Bottura and Ben Shewry, chef from New Zealand working in Melbourne
Dan Barber, patron-chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns north of New York. A prophet of comprehensive sustainability he sighed and then smiled when we asked him about President Donald Trump: «My work will get harder, but the challenge is much more interesting»
Once the conference and interviews are over, the 5 chefs interviewed pose for the pictures. Left to right Gaggan Anand, Dan Barber, Elena Arzak, Virgilio Martinez and Yannick Alléno
Souvenir photo with, from the left, Virgilio Martinez, Valeria Senigaglia, Alessandra Gesuelli, Gaggan Anand and Elisabetta Canoro
Wednesday 5th April in Melbourne: at 6.30 pm the doors to the Royal Exhibition Building are open and the almost 1000 guests start to enter, in two rows. To the right, the red carpet for VIPs, to the left, the backstage for the press
After the photos with wives, girlfriends and friends, Alajmo, Bottura, Crippa and Romito, each holding a piece of paper, remember friend Bob Noto, who passed away in Torino last 23rd March. A very nice gesture
When it was opened in 1880 this was the largest building in Australia. Two areas are used for the after-party. With fish on one side...
And beef on the other. Processed there and there then grilled outside with some excellent lamb. Seeing the beef didn't charm every guest. In fine dining you also have vegetarians or vegans...
Massimo Bottura and Massimiliano Alajmo once the game was over and the announcements made
Among the exhibitors of delicacies during the ceremony there was also Calia, a high quality distributor of fabulous honey made with Leatherwood flowers, a bush that grows in Tasmania. I asked a sample to bring back to Italy. They gave me one with this motivation: «Take it because you asked kindly instead of slipping it into your pocket». Edifying, in a way
IPhones sometimes take pictures out of focus, especially when the person taking the picture is in a rush to depict the wives of the awarded chefs, including, in the middle, Lara Gilmore, Mrs Bottura
Professional photographers never make photos out of focus. If they do, it’s on purpose
Massimo Bottura always brings a flag with the first articles in the Italian constitution, one per each colour, starting from the green
The ceremony is over, the party almost so, so a pair of very comfortable sandals are very welcome for Ana Ros, Best Female Chef in 2017
Higher Ground is a large beautiful place, but so noisy, in the centre of Melbourne. A point of reference for chefs arriving from all around the world. Bottura and Humm held a conference here, before the ceremony. Daniel returned the following day with his wife Olimpia after being praised as the number one in the world, on Thursday 6th April
Toast and avocado at Higher Ground for a creamy start to the day after a sleepless night due to the 50 Best
Hummus with vegetables and poached egg, again for breakfast at Higher Ground
An outdoor photo in Carlton where Tony Nicolini opened the second DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar, in 295 Drummond Street
Tony Nicolini’s pizzeria in Carlton after the lunch service. An important fact: Nicolini’s motto is honourable: «People and pizza before profit».
The great Abruzzo in Italy and in the world: Tony Nicolini, restaurateur in Melbourne, and Niko Romito, from Castel di Sangro to a place in the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Tony Nicolini’s take on Pizza Margherita, with buffalo milk mozzarella made in Australia
DOC and tuna pizza. In my family, we have a soft spot for pizza with tuna :-)
A rich take from Tony Nicolini on Marinara with a purée of yellow tomatoes harmonising anchovies, capers and olives
IDES, Peter Gunn’s restaurant. He worked for 5 years at Attica with Ben Shewry and won the Oceanic selections in the 2015 S.Pellegrino Young Chef. After a few pop-up restaurants, a place of his own. Unfortunately, there’s only a tasting menu, with no alternative. Take it or leave it. This approach is not always pleasing
The Cucumber at IDES marinated in oil, mint and rosemary on sour cream and poppy seeds, Greek hay and finger lime
Baked barramundi with sweet corn and black garlic, later caramelised with red wine and lamb jus. A round taste, almost sweet, a pleasure to eat. Unfortunately the meat has a creamy texture. Sometimes annoying
Excellent fillet with pepper from IDES. Unfortunately it was the smallest I’ve ever been served in 60 years
The entrance to Embla, alternative food and wine in the middle of Melbourne. Patron Christian McCabe, chef and co-owner Dave Verheul
The open view kitchen at Embla
Amberjack carpaccio on a cream of peppers
Beef steak tartare, shiitake mushrooms (it’s the new parsley, added everywhere, wherever), garum (?) and mustard leaves
A charming Soupy corn cream, creme fraiche, lemon, marjoram and onions. I asked for the recipe
Roasted flathead with garlic cream and beetroot
The manifesto at the beginning of the wine list at Embla. Praise for them
Yogurt semifreddo, feijoa and green almond essence
Computerised bathrooms at Embla. Good idea, everything is modern, but what if you’re in a rush to pee and can’t understand how it works?
After three days looking at Melbourne from the south bank of the river Yarra, here’s the south bank from the other side
An edition of the 50 Best as well organised as the one just celebrated in Melbourne, creates an echo that needs to be listened to and shared, with some aspects to which, as Italians, we should pay at least a little attention because they could turn out to be useful. One above all: the Australian effort to promote restaurant scene and products, a work plan that started some time, after 2010, when the federal government of Canberra and of the various states got together so as to enhance Restaurant Australia, a showcase for the cuisine of this huge country.
I was having lunch on Friday, before my night flight back to Milan, with Jo-Ann Moody and Natalie O’Brien. They're managers at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival which throughout a dozen of days covers every culinary aspect, from popular to exclusive food . After 24 years they moved it from early March to early so that the ceremony of the 50 Best wouldn't stand by itself. «Summing everything up, what with the capital, Visit Melbourne and the State of Victoria, the final investment could reasonably be almost 3 million of our dollars, around two million euros. A lot, but putting aside the sponsors, we had journalists, experts and influencers from every continent who would talk about our excellences in countless ways. This is what counts in the end».
Massimo Bottura smiles on Wednesday 5th April when he gets on the stage of the 50 Best in Melbourne to get the prize for the Best Restaurant in Europe, being the second restaurant in the world. Copyright The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
After 14 editions in London and one in New York, where they didn't invest as much. Melbourne marked a turning point. Once chefs and restaurateurs paid for their travel expenses. Take it or leave it. This year everything was offered by the hosting nation. If you get people accustomed to good things, going back is never easy. Between May and June, in Barcelona, the 2018 location will be announced and everyone gives for granted it will be Paris. Some whisper Moscow will be next in 2019 and should this be the case, money will be flowing for sure.
In order to stand out, having or being great chefs and restaurants is not enough. They must get known, leave their shed, become part of the global tourism and news network so that they can be judged like hundred others. It's as if Bottura, Humm, Crippa and Roca enrolled in the cookingChampions League . They should first be convincing in their country and I believe that the chef from Modena, second after the success in Manhattan, as well as Enrico Crippa, Massimiliano Alajmoe Niko Romito represent our restaurant scene in the best way, just like Davide Scabin, down to 59th, an eternal creative lion, and Umberto Bombana, up to 60th place, a formidable Italian prophet in the world, four starred restaurants between Hong Kong, Shangai and Macao, a total of seven stars, like no other Italian chef.
Copyright The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
It's the female chefs who are finding it hard to stand out, but once two they are now 4 among the 100 best, as Elena Arzak, 30th, and Helena Rizzo, 81st, were joined by Ana Ros, 69th, and Dominique Crenn, 83rd. Arzak said: «It's a social matter. The more girls will be able to work in this field without giving up on some choices, the more will emerge in events like this. It's just a matter of time. There are more and more in the kitchen».
But can you tell if the same dish was made by a man or a woman? I don't think so and how about the Basque chef, who shares the kitchen with her father Juan Mari? She agrees: «It's a question of sensitivity, not gender. My father is sensitive and sometimes he embellishes fish with flowers. So when we greet the clients there's always someone who thought it was me and I smile and say no and point at him».
Elena Arzak and Ana Ros. Copyright The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
Please note: in two months' time, on Saturday 10th June Daniel Humm and Will Guidara will celebrate the eleventh anniversary at Eleven Madison as we know it with friends and colleagues, then they'll close it. It will open again, completely renovated, in the autumn. Guidara said on the eve: «You must renovate when nobody is expecting is. Never wait for the first signs of tiredness». Humm said after the party: «This success makes our choice even better timed». Never change a winning team, but do change the theatre in which the show takes place. Not everyone is capable of this, and in such a short time.
As for the photo gallery, I took all the pictures with an iPhone 6. It's a way to tell about my four days in a town, Melbourne, which has just one downside for an Italian: it's on the other side of the world.
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by
born in Milan in March 1955, at Il Giornale for 31 years dividing himself between sports and food, since 2004 he's the creator and curator of Identità Golose. blog www.paolomarchi.it instagram instagram.com/oloapmarchi