Poland has gained its first Michelin star for a Warsaw restaurant helmed by a chef who’s been called the future “Ferran Adrià” of the country.
After landing on Michelin’s Rising Star category last year, the latest edition of the red guide’s "Main Cities of Europe 2013" promoted chef Wojciech Modest Amaro’s restaurant Atelier Amaro to single-star status.
Inspectors say they were “enchanted” by the chef’s preparation of local products, his innovative cooking style and original combinations of ingredients.
Atelier Amaro also has the endorsement of the Slow Food movement for using local, traditional ingredients and for its efforts at promoting Polish cuisine.
Amaro the chef, meanwhile, is among a wide-reaching fraternity of young chefs who were mentored by Spanish chef Ferran Adrià before returning to their respective countries to carry on the Adrià gospel in the form of science-cum-gastronomic alchemy.
After working in Adrià’s now-shuttered Catalan restaurant El Bulli, the Polish chef went on to work in the kitchens of René Redzepi’s Copenhagen restaurant Noma and Yannick Alléno’s Paris kitchen at Le Meurice.
'Copenhagen and Stockholm'
Meanwhile, other highlights from the 32nd edition of the Michelin Europe guide includes the awarding of a second star to Copenhagen restaurant Geranium, helmed by former Bocuse d’Or winner Rasmus Kofoed, the only chef in the world to have won bronze, silver and gold medals at the event known in the food world as the culinary equivalent of the Olympics.
The capital of Denmark and capital of Nordic cuisine also saw Kadeau inducted into the Michelin club with the awarding of a single star.
Stockholm likewise won two new, one-star restaurants with Gastrologik and Ekstedt, while new stars were also awarded to eateries in Vienna and Athens.
In total, Europe gained nine new two-starred restaurants this year and 50 new single-starred restaurants for a total of 412 starred restaurants overall – about 10 percent more than the previous 2012 edition, which listed 376 establishments.
Their Bib Gourmand section, which lists affordable, good value eats, also added 54 new addresses for a total of 265 restaurants.
The English-language edition of the Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe 2013 covers 44 cities in 20 European countries and is out now for €24.
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