Allegro

    

Restaurace Allegro hotelu Four Seasons podruhé obhájila kulinářského Oskara - michelinskou hvězdu. Nejprestižnější ocenění mezi labužníky tak získala už potřetí v řadě, vyplývá z výsledků nového průvodce luxusních hotelů a restaurací Michelin Guide 2010. Velké oslavy čekají Budapešť, která získala svou první hvězdu.

Šéfkuchař Allegra Andrea Accordi slavil michelinskou hvězdu se svým týmem už v roce 2008. | foto:  Dan Materna, MF DNES

Šéfkuchař Allegra Ital Andrea Accordi tak splnil očekávání, která do něj čeští labužníci vkládali. Accordi získal michelinskou hvězdu už počtvrté, tu první získal ještě za svého působení ve Florencii a další dvě loni a předloni právě v Praze, v restauraci Allegro.

Praha se tak díky němu stala v roce 2008 prvním městem střední a východní Evropy, které michelinskou hvězdu dostalo.

Restaurant Allegro.

Naopak La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise očekávání nenaplnila. Že by se i tato restaurace mohla pyšnit nejvyšším kulinářským oceněním, doufal gourmet kritik Vladimír Poštulka.

Tato restaurace bojovala o nejvyšší ocenění už třetí rok po sobě. "Když hvězdu dostaneme, bude to jedině dobře, když ne, nic se neděje," říkal v předvečer vydání nového průvodce smířeně spolumajitel a šéfkuchař Oldřich Sahajdák.

Budapešť zabodovala

Maďarské hlavní město si letos mezi odborníky získalo velké uznání. Podle michelinských inspektorů se totiž Budapešť stala metropolí, která zaznamenala prudký narůst kvalitních restaurací.

Vůbec první michelinskou hvězdu vybojovala pro město restaurace Costes. Další čtyři restaurace získaly označení Bib Gourmand, které patří takovým zařízením, jež dokáží připravit výborné tříchodového menu za rozumnou cenu.

Letošní průvodce se patrně kvůli krizi a nižší ochotě lidí utrácet velké peníze zaměřil právě na vyvážený poměr mezi kvalitním jídlem a dobrou cenou. "Oproti loňskému roku došlo k velkému nárůstu právě restaurací s označením Bib Gourmand," píše v tiskové zprávě Daniel Cahel, mluvčí společnosti Michelin pro Česko a Slovensko.

Praha získala v této kategorii pět zářezů. Ocenění si odnesly restaurace Aromi, Divinis, Le Cornichon, Le Terroir a SaSaZu.

 

Michelin Guide Francouzský výrobce pneumatik Michelin začal své průvodce na cesty pro automobilisty vydávat už v roce 1900. Měly poradit, kde natankovat, kde se vyspat a najíst a kde se cestovatelům postarají o jejich vůz. Postupně se z něj stala bible gourmetů, která loni oslavila sté vydání (během válek nevycházela). Část nákladů na inspektory se hradí z jejího prodeje, část dotuje Michelin jako svou reklamu. Průvodce Michelin – Hlavní města Evropy 2010 obsahuje 324 "hvězdičkových” restaurací. Z nichž 14 se třemi hvězdami, 59 se dvěma hvězdami a 251 s jednou. Součástí je i výběr 195 restaurací Bib Gourmand servírujících tříchodové menu a nabízející dobrý poměr ceny a kvality. Letošní edice zahrnuje výběr 44 měst ve 20 zemích, z nichž jedno město (Salzburg, Rakousko) je v průvodci vůbec poprvé.

Zdroj: http://ekonomika.idnes.cz/restaurace-allegro-znovu-obhajila-michelinskou-hvezdu-pip-/ekonomika.aspx?c=A100316_091730_ekonomika_spi

A soli trentatré anni, ha girato mezzo mondo e conquistato già due stelle Michelin, il primo a conquistarne una in Repubblica ceca. Ha lavorato in Inghilterra, Francia, Svizzera, Hong Kong e Tailandia, prima di sbarcare a Praga, dove si è messo ai fornelli della struttura più esclusiva e raffinata della città: il FourSeasons, con il suo marchio Allegro. Eppure, malgrado i riconoscimenti internazionali e una clientela affezionatissima che lo segue in tutto ciò che fa, Mr. Andrea Accordi non ha mai dimenticato le sue radici venete e soprattutto la cucina di sua madre, la donna che per prima gli ha fatto amare i piaceri della tavola.

E proprio a mamma Teresa è dedicato il menu speciale disponibile per tutto il mese di febbraio a pranzo e cena, destinato - con tutta probabilità - ad entrare ufficialmente nella lista del ristorante. "Sta avendo un successo incredibile", confessa Accordi. "I praghesi semplicemente lo adorano". A scegliere i piatti è stata la mamma stessa, ospite per una settimana a Praga con la missione di "prendere per la gola" la capitale della Repubblica ceca.

In cucina con la mamma. "I miei amici e colleghi mi chiedevano sempre di cucinare qualche piatto tipico della mia regione, il Veneto", racconta Accordi. "Per me la cucina regionale è quella di mia madre, i piatti che ci preparava quando eravamo in famiglia". Così lo chef ha pensato bene di invitarla a cucinare per i clienti di "Allegro": un menu che rispecchia la grande tradizione veneta, dove non possono mancare piatti come il fegato alla veneziana o il baccalà alla vicentina. "Stare ai fornelli insieme a mia madre è stato emozionante", dice Accordi. "In questi giorni ho riscoperto i sapori di casa mia: è stato come tornare indietro nel tempo, quando i sei figli di casa Accordi si sedevano tutti attorno al tavolo per assaggiare le delizie di mammà".

Il menu del cuore. I piatti forti del menu, a parte l'immancabile stoccafisso e il fegato di vitello, sono il risotto "al tastasal" (antica ricetta che deve il suo nome alla tecnica con cui si assaggiava il salame per vedere se era salato al punto giusto), i cappelletti in brodo e le tigelle con lo gnocco fritto (a base di culatello, pancetta e altri affettati). Vanno forti anche gli gnocchi con pomodoro, cipolla e guanciale, per non parlare della porchetta e dello stracotto di piccione: "uno dei piatti preferiti dei praghesi", assicura Accordi. Una pagina a parte meriterebbe la lista dei dolci, in cui spiccano i rofioi (mezzelune ripiene di uvetta, cioccolato e amaretti), la bignolata e il gelato al fior di latte e riso alla vaniglia.

Lo chef: "In giro per il mondo con il Veneto nel cuore". "Ho lasciato l'Italia a 17 anni per andare a Londra, dove sono rimasto per tre anni", racconta Accordi. "Poi ho passato cinque anni tra Thailandia e Hong Kong. Dopo di che ho lavorato in Francia e Svizzera, per tornare per un po' in Italia, a Firenze". Infine, il successo nella Repubblica ceca, a Praga, dove lo chef italiano è diventato una vera e propria celebrità: è stato lui, infatti, a portare per la prima volta l'ambitissima stella Michelin in una città dell'ex blocco sovietico.

http://viaggi.repubblica.it/articolo/il-grande-chef-e-il-risotto-di-mamma/220305

My guest for One on One this week is the leading chef Andrea Accordi (31). Earlier this year, this Italian native caused a stir in culinary circles when his Allegro Restaurant in Prague became the first eatery in the former Eastern bloc to win a Michelin star. When I met up with Andrea in his busy restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel, I started by asking him what it took to become a Michelin-standard chef:

Andrea Accordi“A lot of sacrifice and hard work. A lot of experience is important as well. In my case I not only got experience in Italy, but also around the world. It’s important to see different cultures, because culture and food go together. Basically, you need experience and hard work.”

You’ve now been awarded a number of Michelin stars, which is some indication of how good a chef you are. What do you need to take a restaurant to the level that you have?

“Well, first of all you always have to begin by establishing the style of the chef, so the guest knows the chef’s touch. They should come to the restaurant because they want to eat Andrea’s cuisine.

“When you become established, you should then improve step-by-step. This means using very good produce. This doesn’t have to be very expensive produce like caviar or lobster. It can be a fresh ingredient in season. This can start with a simple potato, but it has to be a fresh, high-quality potato.

“Basically, it’s about selecting these types of ingredients and presenting them in a well-combined dish.”

You were already very well established in Italy, and your restaurant there was well on the way to its second Michelin star before you left. Was it hard to give all that up and come to Prague?

“When I got the offer [from the Four Seasons Hotel], I just came to Prague for one day to have a look. I saw the hotel and then I saw the Charles Bridge and the view of Prague.

“I thought that it looked like a very interesting city and the hotel was very nice, so I said to myself: ‘Why not? I can build what I’ve built in Italy over here.’ So I made that choice. As you suggest, it was hard to go from a place where we had nearly got our second Michelin star and to leave all that behind. But sometimes you have to make these decisions.”

So you don’t regret it?

“No, because what I did in Italy, I can do here as well. I’m very clear in my mind about that. And I have a very good team. Together we can build exactly the same thing here.”

Allegro RestaurantYou have been awarded the Czech Republic’s – and actually the former Eastern bloc’s – first Michelin star. This could be taken as a sign that the standard of restaurants and catering is improving in this part of the world. What do you think the level of Prague restaurants is like compared to other places you’ve worked?

“It’s getting better and better. There are lots of new restaurants with traditional, modern cuisine and I have to say that all of them are doing very well.

“From my point of view, I have to say that I will have a lot of restaurant competitors in Prague very soon. It will be fun to have a lot of competition. It will mean that I’ll always have to be improving, because you always want to do better than other people. That makes things a little bit exciting.”

Do you think there are obvious places where the Prague restaurant industry can improve a little bit?

“Well, I still think it still lacks a market to some extent. The food market in Prague is only starting to grow now. The more restaurants that get set up in Prague, the bigger the market will get.

“The local market is also improving in that Czechs now have quite high expectations. They are travelling around and seeing what’s going on. When they come back Prague they try to find the same quality here.

“A lot of people are looking for adventure in terms of food, which means they like to try new dishes and new produce, which is very good.”

Speaking of culinary adventures, have you yourself tried any Czech food?

“Yes, of course. I’ve had dumplings, some svíčkova and, of course, goulash. They were very nice. They have a very compact taste.

“Czech food perhaps looks very bad, but it’s always interesting in terms of flavour. If a Czech chef knows how to present this cuisine in a nice way, it can be really, really interesting. And there are now a lot of restaurants in Prague that are presenting Czech food in a modern way, which is really great.

Typical czech dumplings“At the same time, it’s important for chefs to keep this tradition alive, but to be able to present it in a modern way. There are a lot of restaurants here now that are doing very well in this respect.”

What do you mean by saying Czech food is “very compact”?

“It can be very heavy. But if you have a good hand you can make it lighter and present it in a nice way. But the same flavours should always be maintained. This is important.

“You can present the dish in a light way by using different cooking techniques and new modern methods of cooking. These help you to keep flavour but with less fat.”

How can you cook Czech food – or even Italian food – with less fat?

“To cook at low temperatures, for example, without making the oil too hot. You simply cook in a different way.”

Allegro RestaurantI actually worked as a waiter in various restaurants for a number of years. In my experience, the best chefs I met in my work were always a little bit crazy. Would you describe yourself in these terms?

“I think every chef is crazy, but we show it in different ways. It can be expressed outwardly or internally.

“Being crazy can mean shouting a lot, or it can mean being crazy enough to create a certain dish. There are different kinds of craziness, but one way or another we are always crazy inside”

I think there was a reason that these chefs I mentioned were crazy. In a way it was part of the spark of creativity that made them such good cooks. I know it’s a cliché, but what do you think of the idea of the chef as an artist?

“There are similarities. You paint something, you create a dish. Or you can create a nice combination – a dish with some ingredients that nobody ever would have expected, which has an extremely beautiful taste.

“And then there’s also the way you present the dish. Cooking can be artistic in both these ways.”

Andrea Accordi (right), photo: CTKIt’s kind of a golden rule that a good chef is supposed to taste absolutely everything, but is there anything that you personally just can’t stomach?

“One thing: I don’t eat calf liver. I like to taste all the sauces when we are cooking it but I really cannot take a bite of the liver.

“I think it was because my family always made me eat it as a child when my mother cooked it. I still remember her pushing me to eat it. I’m not able to eat it now. I’ve tried many times to have a bite, but I just can’t.

“I like all types of liver – rabbit liver, goose liver and other kinds of liver, but calf liver? No!”

So even Michelin chefs can harbour traumatic childhood experiences of food! One last question: what is your ideal meal? If you were on death row for some reason, what would you have as your last meal before you were executed?

“My mother’s risotto. I come from an area in Italy which is famous for its risotto and where they grow rice.

“My mother is a great cook. We have a tradition in our family in that she always cooks risotto when we meet each other. It’s a very traditional recipe and I just love it. That could be my last meal!”

-Link http://www.radio.cz/en/section/one-on-one/andrea-accordi-the-chef-who-was-awarded-pragues-first-michelin-star