Expo Rains Diamonds: Spain's Amazing Chef Line-up
by Christopher St Cavish
in Dining
Spain wins. Stop the Expo. It's over before it started.
I've just come across the list of chefs who Spain will be bringing to Shanghai as part of its extended cultural program. It's unbelievable, except it's confirmed. Shanghai -- or, really, anywhere -- hasn't seen anything like this before. The complete list represents 45 Michelin stars.
Holy hell.
These guys are going to be cooking at the Gran Melia, the new Cuban five-star hotel in Pudong (more here), over the course of six months. It's part of an extended cultural program organized / funded / hosted by the Spanish Pavilion, highlighting a different region of Spain every week, and pairing up the Spanish chef with an int'l chef whose cooking is somewhat related. It's nice because, while these dinners aren't going to be cheap, at least you don't have to pay the 150rmb entrance to Expo, on top of dinner, as at the other pavilions. And they're open to the public.
So, who's lined up for this thing? Well, the highlight is the series of Basque country dinners, when you'll have Pedro Subijana, Juan María Arzak, Andoni Adúriz, and Martín Berasategui all in the kitchen for six days.
That is ridiculous.
Three of the four have three Michelin star restaurants; Adúriz is a younger guy, and his place, Mugaritz, has two stars. They're all legendary chefs, and their visit will be aimed at promoting the Basque Culinary Center, a kind of hi-tech research & gastronomy center, but, it goes without saying that a visit from every single chef on the list, Spanish and not, would be worth getting excited about.
Full list after the jump.
In order of their appearances:
Galicia:
Pepe Solla (Solla)
Alvin Leung (Hong Kong's Bo Innovation)
Cataluña:
Ramón Freixas (El Racó d'en Freixa)
Dong Zhenxiang (Beijing's Da Dong)
Cantabria:
Oscar Calleja (Annua)
Toshiro Konishi (Lima's Toshi)
Asturias:
Pedro Morán (Casa Gerardo)
Shane Osborn (London's Pied a Terre)
Aragón:
Josetxu Corella (Bal d'Onsera)
Frank Camorra (Melbourne's MoVida)
La Rioja:
Francis Paniego (Echaurren)
Patrick Jeffroy (Brittany's L'Hôtel de Carantec)
Valencia:
Raúl Aleixandre (Ca' Sento)
Mauro Colagreco (The French Riviera's Mirazur)
Madrid:
Paco Roncero
Michel Roth (Paris's L'Espadon at the Ritz)
Andalucía:
Dani García (El Calima)
Michael Hoffmann (Berlin's Margaux)
Baleares:
Tomeu Caldentey (Es Molí den Bou)
Gabriel Kreuther (New York City's The Modern)
Canarias:
TBC
Moshik Roth (Overveen's 't Brouwerskolkje)
Navarra:
Pedro Larumbe (Restaurant Pedro Larumbe)
Lea Linster (Luxembourg's Restaurant Léa Linster)
Basque Country:
Presentación del Basque Culinary Center (BCC)
Pedro Subijana (Akelerre)
Juan María Arzak (Arzak)
Andoni Adúriz (Mugaritz)
Martín Berasategui (Restaurant Martin Berasategui)
Castilla León:
Julio Reoyo (El Mesón de Doña Filo)
Björn Frantzen (Switzerland)
Extremadura:
TBC
Paul Cunningham (Copenhagen's The Paul)
Castilla la Mancha:
Adolfo Muñoz (Adolfo)
Alberto Herráiz (Paris's Fogón)
España:
Fina Puigdevall (LES COLS)
Elena Arzak (Arzak)
All confirmed.
deanmoriarty2
Mar 18, 10 - 15:35
Wow that's very impressive! The Basque contingent is incredible. Please post more information regardng the timing of these master's visits.
buzzworthy
Mar 18, 10 - 15:49
so. awesome.
shabi
Mar 19, 10 - 17:03
F'YEAH
