15-05-2018

Seasons at Amaro

In Warsaw, in the most famous Polish fine dining restaurant. Where the menu changes weekly

Rhubarb, rose and green juniper, one of the many r

Rhubarb, rose and green juniper, one of the many remarkable dishes by Wojciech Modest Amaro, chef at Atelier Amaro in Warsaw, one Michelin star

Atelier Amaro is without any doubt the most emblematic restaurant in Poland. You could even say, without running the risk of exaggerating, that it’s more than just a restaurant. It’s a point of reference, a temple for contemporary Polish cuisine.

Wojciech Modest Amaro, the first Polish chef to receive a Michelin star, keeps broadening his gastronomic horizons by making the greatest use of the delicious ingredients offered by his homeland, always respecting the seasons – which are not 4, but 52. Just like the weeks.

Amaro presents his country through authentic ingredients that recall fields, lakes, forests and seas. The menu shows a strong commitment in proving to the whole world that Poland is a melting pot of flavours: there’s a tasting menu divided into “moments”, simply defined by three main ingredients. The main themes are nature, biodiversity, reminiscence.

Wojciech Modest Amaro, 46 (photo from Loroch)

Wojciech Modest Amaro, 46 (photo from Loroch)

The tasting menu has nine (around 90 euros) or six “moments” (68 euros), while at lunchtime you can choose 3, 4, 5 or 6 “moments”, respectively for 34, 44, 50 and 54 euros. We chose the nine-course tasting menu, plus the opening amuse-bouche and the petit fours at the end. Overall, the experience lasted 3 hours. The ingredients were those of the 17th week of Amaro’s calendar: the main colour was green, with creative, gastronomically surprising and technical dishes. They showed how the chef intended to blend all the elements that appear in nature in the same seasonal context. An extraordinary culinary journey, with three particularly significant moments.

Green asparagus – blackcurrant – pine: asparagus with pine gems and dried and grated goose. On the side, a cheese fondue with blackcurrant leaves. It’s a tribute to seasonality, a proof of respect for every ingredient in the recipe. The blackcurrant leaves are a nice surprise, a perfect match for the fondue.

Sturgeon – ants – dill flowers: smoked sturgeon, seasoned with a light mayonnaise, covered with thin slices of apple and black turnip and garnished with dill flowers, Polish wasabi and dried ants. The smoky aroma, so typical of Polish cuisine, the delicate fish and the naturalness of the ants make a perfect combination for this dish.

Asparagus, blackcurrant and pine 

Asparagus, blackcurrant and pine 

Sturgeon, ants, dill flowers 

Sturgeon, ants, dill flowers 

Wild duck – hay – pear: duck breast, served with pear, beetroot, pistachio purée. Amaro perfectly combines nature, technique and creativity, awakening old memories, in my case memories from my childhood in the Polish countryside, recalled by the aroma of hay and duck meat, served with a strong flavoured jus.

A final note goes to the interesting choice of Polish alcoholic beverages: on top of a selection of wines, there’s also spirits, vodka and mead, presented in a range of possible matches. And we also report that Wojciech Modest Amaro will be among the protagonists of Terroir Warsaw Forum, on 27th and and 28th May, in the Polish capital.

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso

Atelier Amaro
Agrykola, 1
Warsaw, Poland
www.atelieramaro.pl
+48.22.6285747
Closed on Sunday. At lunchtime, open only on Thursday and Friday.
Tasting menus: 34 and 90 euros


Dal Mondo

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Beniamin Chalupinski

Chef, journalist, a Phd in Italian linguistics, author of books on the theme, experiences that converge in the same profession, from writing to cooking, from cooking to journalism and back to cooking. The same that led him to write for Mexican magazines such as ProtocoloSaborearte and Siempre

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