Fire. Wood. Ash. Mallman cooks with wood fires and cast iron and has opened three restaurants: 1884 Francis Mallmann, in the Argentine wine region of Mendoza, Patagonia Sur, in Buenos Aires, and Hotel & Restaurant Garzon in Uruguay. Sizzling shrimp in an iron box, smashed and roasted goat cheese, burnt carrots with rosemary, and 7-hour baby goat are all exemplary dishes that are on the menu.
Niki Nakayama, N/Naka Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA, USA Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, chef Niki Nakayama began her career at the renowned Takao restaurant in Brentwood, working under the guidance of esteemed chefs Takao Izumida and Morihiro Onodera. Committed to exploring new techniques, Niki embarked on a three-year working tour throughout Japan, sampling her way through different regional flavours and immersing herself in the essentials of Japanese cuisine, both traditional and cutting-edge. While working at Shirakawa-Ya Ryokan, (a Japanese inn owned by relatives) Niki trained under chef Masa Sato in the art of kaiseki the traditional Japanese culinary practice that emphasizes balance and seasonality of a dish. Upon her return to Los Angeles, Niki opened her first restaurant - Azami Sushi Cafe, which quickly became known for Niki's popular omakase menu. Azami was an immediate LA staple, touted by Zagat and the Los Angeles Times in addition to earning Citysearch's "Best of Sushi" distinction in 2006. Inaka, Niki's ambitious second venture, functioned as a gourmet Japanese take-out by day and an intimate eight-course chef's table by night. Focusing on tasting menus allowed Niki to do what she enjoys - and thrives in - most: creating a thoughtful and cohesive series of dishes that provides a personal experience for each diner.
Dan Barber, Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns and in New York City, USA Dan Barber is the co-owner and executive chef of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and the author of, The Third Plate. His opinions on food and agricultural policy have appeared in the New York Times, along with many other publications. Appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, Dan continues the work that he began as a member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture's board of directors: to blur the line between the dining experience and the educational, bringing the principles of good farming directly to the table. In 2009 he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. A model of self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility, Stone Barns is a working farm, ranch, and a three-Michelin-star-worthy restaurant - it's a vision of a new kind of food chain. Dan's philosophy of food focuses on pleasure and thoughtful conservation - on knowing where the food on your plate comes from and the unseen forces that drive what we eat. He's written on US agricultural policies, asking for a new vision that does not throw the food chain out of balance by subsidizing certain crops at the expense of more appropriate ones.
Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy Massimo was born and raised in Modena in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. In 1986 he was studying law when he heard that a roadside trattoria was for sale on the outskirts of Modena. He decided to put his studies on hold then bought and renovated the building opening Trattoria del Campazzo a week later. Massimo then apprenticed himself to chef Georges Coigny to build his culinary foundation, a combination of regional Italian cooking and classical French training. He also worked with Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Montecarlo in 1994. Alain invited him to stage in his kitchen following a surprise visit to Trattoria del Campazzo. In 1995 Bottura opened Osteria Francescana and then spent a summer at El Bulli with Ferran Adria, which encouraged him to continue pushing boundaries and re-writing rules with his cuisine. Osteria Francescana was awarded its third Michelin star in 2012 and received third place in 2014 on the World’s 50 Best List for the second consecutive year. Massimo is able to balance the demands of heritage and modernity and has created a restaurant where traditionalists and those seeking something entirely new are both amply catered for. Massimo’s more avant-garde creations are fun and unapologetically eccentric, yet always underpinned by perfect execution and, most importantly, deliciousness. The menu can now be split into three categories. The traditional dishes such as tortellini with Parmesan sauce and tagliatelle with ragù. Then the modern classics, such as the kitchen’s five ages of Parmesan and foie gras. Finally the newly developed dishes, with recent examples including ‘camouflage’ – a thin layer of foie gras decorated with powders (hare blood, chestnut, various herbs), arranged to look like army woodland camo.
