Chef's Table Lech

(March 22)
In an ideal world I would have the superpower to relocate chefs & restaurants at my will. So César Ramirez would suddenly find himself cooking at a counter in my Mum’s second bedroom in Solihull, my favourite struggling misunderstood chefs would be gently relocated to more ‘money no object’ locales, not you understand completely removing them from their terroir, but say Dina would now be on the shores of lake Garda rather than buried in an urban backwater.
It seems that someone has already beaten me to it & taken one of my favourite restaurants on the planet, Frantzén, & gently placed it, or something very like it, in the stunningly beautiful mountains of the Austrian Alps in the ski resort of Lech. The term ‘an Alpine Frantzén’ has been used to refer to Rote Wand Chef’s Table & I think it is well earned. To be clear, the term is being used in an incredibly complimentary way & is not implying any copycat-ing.
This meal was another incredible highlight of our March/April tour. We stayed for two nights in the beautiful Rote Wand Gourmet hotel and enjoyed meals at Klösterle, Rote Wand Stube the more casual offering at the hotel & of course the Chef’s Table restaurant where chef @maxnatmessnig & partner @_bekahroberts gave a masterclass in hospitality & cooking. The meal started with a parade of delicious snacks that we enjoyed in the downstairs small open kitchen. Then the ingredients of the evening are presented, a la Frantzén & just about every other restaurant on the planet now, before heading up to a horseshoe counter very much like that at Frantzén.
This was a fantastic meal that I would gladly jump on a plane to experience again. I recommend that you visit Rote Wand even though Max has now moved on. I urge you to visit him in Munich at @alois_restaurant_dallmayr This was a strong two star meal in my opinion and surely stars await him in Munich
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Michelin Guide -
OAD - 33
W50B - ‘Discovery’
Best Chef Awards - New candidate 2023 Max Natmessnig
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#achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodie #foodies #foodporn #foodpic #foodpics #finedining #michelindining #eats #instafoodie #michelinstar #oad #worlds50bestrestaurants #worlds50best #eater #michelinguide Less

Delicate workmanship, professional and beautiful in every movement of all the staff at every moment. The little hand food appetizers, everything was wonderful. The perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, crunchiness, the excellence of each little ingredient and the harmony of the whole.

There are so many things worth mentioning that I am not sure which dish to write about.
The marriage of sea urchin and pumpkin, the
The marriage of Ootoro and buckwheat in perfect condition, always present with umami, acidity and deep nourishment.

A careful attitude toward the ingredients, a solid and abundant knowledge, and a way of incorporating Japanese ingredients in the right direction. Light yet firmly delicious. Some of the dishes took us on a trip to an Asian city. In a very right direction.

I was truly impressed by his sensitive creation of taste and his delicate workmanship. Less

Max Natmessing, being groomed overseas for many years, has established himself as one of the best cooks in Austria. His former concept of Alpine-ingredients-only got killed by the pandemic where he now uses products from all over. This enables him to display the mastery of his cooking which he learned in places like Chef’s Table in New York. In short, the bread is out, the langoustine is in.
All of this gets presented in a casual atmosphere, small bites and Canapés on the ground floor of the former school house, a quick presentation and explanation of the ingredients and then upstairs in the open kitchen the main event.
Max and his team are now at the peak of their craft, executing the task with precision and calm professionalism, layering flavors sublimely. A wonderful meal, worth the trip to Lech/Zug. There are very few places in Austria on this level, in other countries he would get at least 2 stars, if not more.

PS: as this post was delayed for traveling reasons, at the time of this post, it was announced that Max is leaving for brighter shores. I wish him well and surely will visit him at his new place. But, I will certainly not miss the chance to go back in the summer season for another, last visit at the CT at the Rote Wand.
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Brooklyn Fare meets the Austrian Alps!

Max Natmessnig cooked for 4 1/2 years for César Ramirez in one of the best restaurants in the Western Hemishpere, Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. There he learned to focus, the techniques of the Grand Master and the respect for great ingredients.

When he moved into the Austrian Alps, he intelligently translated these learning into his new environment. The result is simply the BEST RESTAURANT in Austria.

It all starts with his ingredients, sourced mostly from the West of Austria, from selected suppliers. His creativity and fine calibrated palate enables Max to create phenomenal dishes. A blood sausage in a completely new form and texture, paired with a veal tongue and red current elevates a peasant food to a fine-dining experience. A egg royal with local perch and crayfish rivals some of the best chawanmushis I have eaten in high-end kaiseki restaurants in Japan.

All of this embedded in Austrian hospitality and casual easiness makes this meal an extraordinary experience.

Go there, in the winter and in the summer! Less