"The real fireworks should happen in your head, not on the plate." This is what Edip Sigl believes, from Es:senz restaurant in Grassau, Bavaria, the latest addition among Germany's three-star establishments. Despite the crisis, the national gastronomy has set a record for stars, with the south experiencing strong growth.
The news
"My phone almost exploded," says German chef Edip Sigl about the 300 messages received during the recent presentation of the Michelin guide in Hamburg. "I couldn't even read them all." Just minutes before, he had officially ascended to the pinnacle of the global gastronomy scene, earning the country's tenth three Michelin stars.
It's a crowning achievement for a boy born in 1985 in Hatay, on the border between Turkey and Syria, raised in Cologne, and apprenticed under Heinz Winkler and Juan Amador, previously awarded stars at Les Deux in Munich but promptly demoted after his departure. His arrival at Es:senz, located at the luxury resort Das Achental, dates back to spring 2021. The signage plays on his initials, with references to eating (essen) and, obviously, the essential.
In the kitchen, he shows a clear vision. "Everything must look good, of course, because visual appeal in eating plays an important role. But our priority is taste. We've created many dishes that, although they seemed sensational, never made it onto the menu because they didn't taste perfect. Fireworks should explode in the mind, not on the table," as seen on welt.de. Sigl had already perceived from his guests' reactions that the restaurant was growing, and the cuisine was becoming more precise. Already last year, one of his dishes, made of perch, artichoke, gremolata, and saffron foam, was selected among the top five. The attention to detail was clear.
But in general, March 26th was a day of celebration for German gastronomy. Despite the winds of war and the multiple crisis factors, from inflation to the flight of skilled labor, more stars rained down than ever: a total of 340 restaurants were awarded, the all-time record, including 34 brand new stars, often located in small villages. To demonstrate the widespread presence of fine dining in the countryside, previously more metropolitan. However, only a couple of women stepped onto the stage: Sabrina Fenzl from Das Mind in Markt Indersdorf and the starred Rosina Ostler from Alois in Munich. Because it's from the south that the most beautiful satisfactions have come, while the north and east of the country seem to be dormant.
