Among Germany’s top chefs Joachim Wissler is certainly unique. Regarded as one of the best chefs in the world he continues to push the frontier for new (and forgotten) ingredients, techniques and, most importantly, new and unique combinations of flavours. He is on the forefront of the development of a “New German Cuisine” in the last couple of years.
Filed under: Europe, Germany - Fine Dining, Vendôme | Tagged: Althoff Hotels, Germany - Fine Dining, Joachim Wissler, Miguel Calero, New German Cuisine, Restaurant Vendôme |
High-End Food 
Terrific. Very nice review Ingo.
There was a great report on Wissler and Vendome in the last release of Culinaire Saisonnier (a magazine dedicated to Gastronomy in France and Benelux : http://www.saisonnier.net/index/saisonnier/fr/accueil) : a 10 pages report on Wissler, very interesting and looking higlhly promising.
I definitely want to visit him and Amador, probably in spring 2009.
Cheers
Laurent
Thanks Laurent,
indeed worth exploring both of them – an Amador review is up next. Had a splendid meal there last week…
Whenever you plan to come just let me know – maybe you need company;-)
Cheers
Ingo
Meal looks fantastic IFS, in fact the best you’ve posted IMO!
Is the surprise menu only available to you or is it available to any patrons? Or do you think if asked in advance the restaurant would be happy to put one together?
IFS!
Great review, tasteful pictures!
New German Cousine is wonderful.
Even though Amador got only 18 points in the new Gault Milleau.
Maybe next time. He ist really due.
I would like to read a review on Nils Henkel, who just got cook of the year.
http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,druck-591214,00.html
All the best,
Michael
@Scott – thanks for the flowers. I think you could ask them in advance to put something together for you…
@Michael: good to hear from you.
Recent developments in Germany have been breath-taking. Sven Elverfeld is a well-deserved new three star cook. 19 points for Christian Bau are not surprising…
Juan Amador rose from 17 to 18, that’s maybe the maximum they could do… A review of Amador is next…
Have yet to visit Nils Henkel again… But this will be rather soon hopefully…
IFS,
can you activate the subscribe to comments plugin, than I and the other commentors get an immediate update of the comment stream.
All the best,
Michael
Hi Ingo,
very good review for Joachim Wissler. I think he is one of the best educated (HW) and innovative cooks in Germany (worldwide) I was in the Vendome in September 2008. Cologne has two other fantanstic restaurants and if had the choice I prefer Nils Henkel (Dieter Müller) because in my opinion when I look in each course I feel more harmony (the german word is “stimmig”, Joachim Wissler plays a lot with textures aromas, but in the moment I can not hear the whole orchestra playing, I hear high-end solo instruments.
The benchmark for putting all things together and play orchestral music are for me Philippe Rochat ( I had a great menu there this year, one of the best in my lifetime ) and for creative cooking Andre Köthe and Yvels Ollech in Nürnbergs Essigbrätlein. (my most loved restaurant). Have you ever been to Nürnbergs Essigbrätlein? (no internet site, but trust me, genious cooking). Oh I forget to mention two important cooks in Germany Christian Bau and Juan Amador. and here is “my list” for germany:
1 Essigbrätlein
2 Christian Bau
3 Nils Henkel
4 Juan Amador
5 Helmut Thielges
6 Le Moisonnier
7 Christian Jürgens
….and many more
Where do you life? (I life in Munich)
Best regards
Olaf
[…] Joachim Wissler – New German Cuisine at its Best […]
Olaf, thanks for your comment. Whereas Nils Henkel’s creations are more harmonious I don’t think at all that harmony is missing in Wissler’s creations but it is maybe more complex and with edges. If you don’t hear it listen more carefully;-)
With all due respect for Köthe but this is completely in a different league from the location to their approach to cuisine. It is great but there are worlds between them and Wissler, Bau or Amador!
As you mentioned Rochat: this was the second worst meal of my life. Totally dissappointing. Products were not handled well and were also of not the best quality. If you do a poll among the foodies you will see that some are lucky there and some are not. It looks great but does not deliver.
Hi Ingo,
Joachim Wissler do very well and he and Juan Amador do the most in Germany regarding the 3 star restaurants in developing new courses and make new things. I really like both cooks. I visited quite al lot of restaurants in the last 20 years (the first was in Lüdenscheid, where the Salzmanns had a one star restaurant, and Juan Amador !!!! was the cook and started his career. After that quite a lot of restaurants including El Bulli, Fat Duck, Michel Bras, Arzak, L’Arnsbourg, Louis XV, all *** Star Restaurants in Germany…
I visited the Essigbrätlein about 30 times and I know why, we should go there togehter, I need some time to unterstand the Köthe Style, too.
Have you ever been to Michel Bras? I think it is important to unsterstand what Andre Köhe do.
I don’t think that Köthe is in another league, maybe it is not the same sport because the approach is absolut differentt, there you are absolut right. He started there 20 years ago and like the location, I would prefer a more modern location, too. I visited enough restaurants to judge that he and Yves Ollech do genious things. They have 2 Michelin Stars in this location because there cooking is really great .The thing is that they do cooking with local ingredients and spices and no truffels and goose liver, the style is so different from all the other restaurant.
BR
Olaf
P.s.:
Maybe I was lucky at Philippe Rochat, when did you visit the restaurant?? (I think he needed a lot of time to get back his luckiness , because his wife died some years ago, I was there in September 2008)
Very nice review, however I am very keen to see some photos and a review of Aqua and Chef Elverfeldt, could anybody please post one or give me a link.
Many Thanks Roger
Roger,
for a review of Sven Elverfeld see
http://www.sternefresser.de/index.php?id=111 based on our Sternefresser visit in Wolfsburg last year in November. A new visit will be coming soon…
Best
Ingo
I visited Vendome on 30.10.08 and had a very fine diner, too. I think it´s important to mention that Wisslers dishes lack any kind of culinary kitsch which is common in so many great restaurants. The “stimmigkeit” of these courses depends on the clearly definited functions of the single ingredients and their art of prepairing-and nothing else.
[…] the overall big portion makes it very hard to be open for more afterwards. However, in a sense Wissler does the same “mistake” serving too much of a normally delicate and indulgent dish […]
[…] German resturants get more and more attention and are climbing up: Schwarzwaldstube (now at 23), Vendome (now at 25), Tantris (I don’t understand that), Aqua (new at 57), Dieter Müller (at 76) and […]
[…] up was oyster / green apple and sauerkraut / Aquitaine caviar – a dish I have already commented on. But, hey, wait a moment – this time the caviar was completely missing and the […]
[…] How do I know all this? Well, I didn’t talk to Jürgens about it – I found if here. More importantly, the tomato has been used in another dish by Dani Garcia since 2007. Yes, it was another dish, but the main effect of Jürgen’s dish is the tomato. The overall taste is good and the flavours work fine but the technique did not enhance the taste as in Amador’s virtual asparagus or the spaghetti of green beans in Wissler’s red mullet with bouillabaisse purée. […]