My personal highlight: A delicate dish called “Pacman” made with a layer of corn catches all of my attention

We waited for so long and couldn’t be more excited to finally attend the 28th edition of St. Moritz Gourmet Festival in the upper Engadine! This year’s festival was dedicated to Swiss Chefs with the aim to specifically support the country’s top gastronomy and the producers as well as suppliers of fantastic regional products.

At the center of the program with different events as gourmet dinners and tastings were celebrity guest chefs, such as Tanja Grandits and top chefs Markus Arnold, Mitja Birlo, Stéphane Décotterd, Tobias Funke, Dominik Hartmann, Stefan Heilemann, Patrick Mahler, Heiko Nieder and Mattias Roock. Lovefoodish had the pleasure to attend the Gourmet Dinner of Chef Tobias Funke (Restaurant Incantare, Heiden)  and Chef Markus Arnold (Restaurant Steinhalle, Bern).

Gourmet Dinner Experience with Chef Tobias Funke -Restaurant Incantare (2 Michelin starred), Heiden at Saratz Hotel, Giodi Vegetarian and Co., Pontresina

Chef Tobias Funke -Executive Chef and Managing Director of Gasthaus zur Fernsicht Heiden and his staff took over the kitchen of the renewed vegetarian Restaurant Giodi located in the Hotel Saratz, Pontresina for a week to spoil all Festival guests with his culinary and complex cuisine. Funke’s passion consists in constantly creating new compositions using international, specifically selected or cultivated products with mainly local ingredients following a nose-to-tail philosophy. He likes cooking with cuts of meats that are not so well-known, this makes his signature dish is the “Challans Duck breast: A sandwich of heart with an onion stick. According to Funke the biggest challenge at the Festival was to adapt to a different kitchen setup – they brought all of their ingredients from their Restaurant in Heiden.
The menu represented a real piece of fresh and delicate art discovered bite by bite. Every dish came accompanied by beautiful illustration cards created by his friend Massimo Milano, The illustrations explain the ingredients used in every dish. What a great idea getting mentally prepared to read the story of each dish before the cutlery guides the bite into my mouth!

A dish inspired by a video game – and a plate to lick!

My first culinary highlight was the amuse-bouche representing broccoli in 4 different ways and the text: Läck Mii (lick me) that according to Tobias Funke should bring us back to the time as a kid when we used to lick up the plate when we liked something a lot. And yes, that’s the way I ate the amuse-bouche of course.

The second highlight was the “Pacman” dish – also this reminded me of my childhood and the videogames! I was impressed by how thin and elastic the shape of the Pacman, the taste was a little sweet and delicate. Tobias Funke used a corn base for the Pacman, the sides were bulgur and eggplant.

The dessert called “The Stone” was an absolute joy, too. Little tiny cut cubes of granny-smith apple with a base of roasted rye, yogurt, and parsley ice cream made me fly to heaven! The bit sour and sweet taste was a delight.

All dishes were served in beautiful hand-made pottery that is created exclusively for the restaurant by a local artist. The menu was accompanied by wines of course. Another very special experience was the paired non-alcoholic drink offer, which was put together by the sommelier of the Hotel Saratz! Absolutely fantastic idea to enjoy an elegant wild quince Juice or a Green Dragon Lung Ching Green Tea with the dishes.

The vision of a Swiss Chef and entrepreneur

Talking to Tobias Funke made me understand, that he is a full-time entrepreneur and Chef. He takes care of the social media accounts himself, has a webshop where you can buy several products, leads Cooking classes for team buildings at his restaurant, and always has ideas ready as a pop-up hotel or the cozy gondola village for an incomparable fondue experience  (open only in winter) at his Restaurant Fernsicht. We also talked about the image of Swiss Cuisine in the world and I can only support his view, that Switzerland has much more to offer than Chocolate and Cheese. There are many high-level gastronomes (as we could experience during the whole St. Moritz Gourmetfestival) that develop innovative, sophisticated, and holistic food concepts. Maybe we just need some more acknowledgment from national media to bring this Swiss culinary message out to the world.

About the complex Zur Fernsicht in Heiden:

Heiden is a village in the region of Appenzell. The Gasthaus zur Fernsicht lies at the Constance Lake. Find two restaurants in the old factory owner’s villa: the Incantare (two Michelin stars, 17 Gault Millau points) and the Swiss Alpine (Bib Gourmand). Tobias Funke is one of the first chefs to receive a green star, by the way, the restaurant Guide Michelin gives this green star to particularly sustainable restaurants.

Thank you St.Moritz Gourmetfestival, Tobias Funke, and the staff at Hotel Saratz for this unforgettable dinner!

Read here more about the experience at Nira Alpina Hotel/Silvaplana with Chef Markus Arnold (Steinhalle Bern), my second Gourmet Dinner night at St. Moritz Gourmetfestival 2022.

Presstrip – St. Moirtz Gourmetfestival

My personal highlight: Delicate white & red drops tickling my senses to discover Switzerland’s wine heritage month by month

How better way to discover the selection of a wine producer than having a surprise wine box flattering directly into your letterbox? It’s the ideal way to get introduced to one of the most important wine producer and distributor in Switzerland.

Who is the wine company Obrist ?

Back in the year 1896 Emile Obrist recognizes the importance of owning vineyards to ensure the production of quality wines. He gradually acquires prestigious wineries such as the Cure d’Attalens, the Clos du Rocher and the vineyards of the Château de Chardonne. Since the 1960s, Obrist has worked closely with the traditional wine cellar Maurice Gay to cover wine demands from the canton of Valais.

What I learn today, is that Obrist belongs to one of Switzerland’s most important wine producers and distributors. They own 83 hectares of vineyards extending from the La Côte region, through the Lavaux terraces, to the Chablais.

Lavaux Vineyard Terraces – A world heritage nominated by UNESCO

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces stretch for about 30 km along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva. They go from the Chateau de Chillon to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne (Vaud region). This valley is breathtaking, traveling by train will give you the opportunity to catch the beauty of this spectacular landscape. It demonstrates in a highly visible way the evolution and development over almost a millennia, through the well preserved landscape and buildings.

The different soils and microclimates of the vineyards create an captivating variation of flavors in the wines of this area. At the edge of the lake, the vineyards gorge themselves on the triple effect of the sun: the rays directly from the sky, those reflecting off the lake and the warmth stored in the walls forming the thousands of terraces of Lavaux. The famous grape variety of the region is the Chasselas, a fruity and dry wine.

Talking about how to experience the wines best paired with food, discovering my favorite white, rosé and red drops from Obrist

Shared happiness is double happiness

Together with my foodie friends we prepared an aperitivo Italian Style containing healthy grilled veggies, prosciutto e melone, tomato bruschette and tasty Swiss Cheese as the tête a moin.

The wine we paired with this aperitivo is the rosé Nr. 1 Cuvée E. Obrist 2016. A wine offering a smooth delicate note on your tongue with a cherry and pepper note.

Price / bottle: 7.30 CHF – Order it here

Best white wine to use for a traditional Cheese Fondue

An excellent wine to pair with an aromatic and creamy cheese fondue moitie moitie is the Arvine from Yvorne Chablais – Cloes de Rennauds AOC 2016. Dry and fruity with a lightly sour note from the rhubarbs. It just points out perfectly the flavors of the cheese. Wine & Cheese made our belly go boom!

Price / bottle: CHF 19.40 – Order it here

Find here the basic recipe for 4 persons – 800 grams of cheese fresh grated, moitie moitie (Gruyère AOP and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP)

1. Cut half kilo of bread in little squares (bread with a crust is recommended)
2. Take 2 cloves of garlic and rub it all over the caquelon pot
3. Boil 4 dl of wine together with garlic on a small heat in the caquelon pot
4. Add 800 grams of the pre-grated cheese. Melt the cheese over medium heat and stir constantly
5. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch (for example maizena) in 2 dl of kirsch Schnaps and stir in the cheese
6. Continue to stir patiently. If the cheese and wine do not bind, add a little lemon juice or some more maizena
7. Season with pepper and grated nutmeg
8. Remove the caquelon from the heat, light the heater and place it on the table on your heater
9. Stir constantly and get ready to start the pleasure

A red wine for a special occasion, time for some romance with your romeo?

Food Matters, where and why?

In this story my goal is to give you an overview of sustainable food projects going on in the city of Zurich. Do you know a project to share? Drop me a line !

Cuisine sans frontières – Kitchen battle for a good aim!

I found about this project just by case. I participated as a volunteer the first time in 2014 and I am back here this year. The idea to support a humanitarian project by filming Swiss Chefs live on a stage fascinated me immediately when I heard about kitchenbattle.

Who stands behind Kitchen battle?
This gastro event organized by the association “Cuisine sans Frontière” is the food event highlight in autumn. Chefs bring their whole team on the stage to cook with the aim to have fun and gather donations to support a humanitarian project.

For example the refugee camp of Burj el Barajneh is situated south of the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Cuisine sans frontières offers simple gastronomic training to groups of women refugees. They learn about work in a gastronomic environment, preserving foodstuffs, preparing a balanced menu plan as well as the basics of business administration. More information about the actual projects CSF are available here.

What happens at Kitchen battle ?

A selected group of best local restaurants prepare a 4 course menu live on the stage 3 days in a row. The event takes place in Basel, Bern, Lucerne and Zurich. The teams get a defined seasonal box of fresh food following a topic (Nose to tail, Farm to table for example) They don’t know before what expects them. Their creativity has no limits to prepare dishes that get judged by a jury and the attending guests. In order to attend the event as a guest it’s best to get a member, you have privileged registration possibilities to the event. Find all information here.
The winner of the cooking series is rewarded with the Kitchen Battle trophy. The ambience at this event is very entertaining and relaxed. It’s fascinating to see the Chefs rushing from one plate to the other.

Get involved with Cuisine sans Frontière

Cooking and eating together improves quality of life: conversations take place, relationships are built and problems approached. These everyday experiences are the base of Cuisine sans Frontières activities.
Convinced? Join one of the events next year!

Ässbar in Zurich, St. Gallen and Bern – Foodwaste was yesterday, here we get fresh bakery from yesterday, because Food matters!

We are all striving for a healthy living and we consider choices to make sure that our environment gets protected.
Did you know that 1/3 of all Swiss food lands in the waste? This was reason enough for a group of food-conscious people to create the project called Ässbar.

In cooperation with various local bakeries, products and patisseries are sold at a very discounted price at their own shops or by a food truck. For big events they offer home delivery! Try it! The one in Zurich is located in the Niederdorf.

www.aess-bar.ch

Eat in, a meetup table for foodies in Zurich organized by the association Slow Food Youth Schweiz

Mark every first Wednesday of the month big in your calendar! This is when all the foodies meet on a big round table to eat together. Location varies from time to time. Since foodies care about what they eat at the event you recognize the emphasis is put on bringing something self prepared or even a rarity that cannot be found in every shop. What comes together here is enchanting and delicious! The conversations inspiring, variety of food and lots of actual food themes. The association always reports about ongoing projects and offer ways to contribute or support the association.

Who is Slowfood Youth ?

An association of an international network of young people setting themselves the goal of paying attention to the origin of food. In addition, the organization wants to sensitize people to a better food future. Slow Food Youth operates predominantly on a regional level. There are cantonal or international projects, too. Show-up and enjoy! The main table is accessible to all, you can register on an e-mailing list, then you always get news on events.

www.slowfoodyouth.ch

My personal highlight: Probably the most tender deer scallop and fluffy home made Spätzli of my autumn 2017

Rubina is a cozy place located at Universitätsstrasse 56 that serves local Swiss food with a French accent. Their products are all selected from regional suppliers. I love the romantic interior design with the long wooden table and the beautiful candle lights.

During my blogging I had the chance to try the seasonal wild menu. There are different specialties available as sausages, deer or duck paired with delicious autumnal veggies and chestnuts. My deer scallop was super tender, cooked just to the point. It melted on my tongue like butter.
A typical Swiss wild menu comes with Spätzli, red cabbage and chestnuts.

A secret hint that makes their red cabbage really tasty

Observing the food preparation in the kitchen I talked to the Chef and found out, that the red cabbage has been pickled and prepared with some slices of oranges, spices, red wine and fresh herbs as juniper. Its taste is not too sour, exactly as red cabbage has to be. The Spätzli are super fluffy, guess why? They add a bit of curd to the dough.

A signature dish of their Autumn card is the Jäger Salad. It’s a corn salad with grapes, Crôutons and a tender deer-Bresaola. It comes with a cowberry Vinaigrette for veggies with a poached egg.
A complete 3 course menu is available for 57 CHF (veggie) or with meat for 68 CHF. Find the wild menu here.
Discover a variety of seasonal and local  dishes on the menu of Restaurant Rubina.

Encounter a very friendly and very helpful staff. By the way, the place is ideal for a quick lunch menu, too.

www.restaurant-rubina.ch

My personal highlight: Fresh meat dishes, traditional place for a Zurich tourist

Spätzli & Co.

If you are curious to know more about local Swiss cuisine this is the place of your choice. You get fresh food every day mostly selected from regional suppliers. On the menu you find a variety of local dishes, mixed with some international food.

Try some homemade “Spätzli“. It’s a kind of Swiss gnocchi let’s say. Often they come with meet but at Neumarkt you can also get them with vegetables like lentils for example. Very healthy.

Try their selection of good Swiss wines. Neumarkt is located in a wonderful alley in the old town, Neumarkt 5.

ww.wirtschaft-neumarkt.ch

My personal highlight: Zürich Geschnetzlets is a must here, crispy meat, fresh potatoes, the portion is huge, it’s worth every Swiss Franc

If you are looking for a place to eat traditional and tasty Swiss food in a high class ambience do not miss this place. The Kronenhalle is in the heart of the city close to the lake. Did you know that artists like Picasso, Strauss or Coco Chanel used to come here for a drink and food?  It was founded 1924 and is still very recommended in every food guide of Zurich. I absolutely recommend the “Zürich Gschnetzlets”, it is a must try when you travel or live in Zurich. The Schnitzel with Röschti is a good option, if you do not like the creamy sauce.

What is Zürich Geschnetzlets?

A potato dish called “Röschti”. They are grated and fried till they got golden and crunchy. Röschti are served with veal meet in champignon sauce.  The restaurant is located at Bellevue, 2 Minutes from the tram station Bellevue.

www.kronenhalle.com