Hiša Franko means learning about, living and eating traditions, getting closer to the environment of the lush Soča Valley and tasting it: how Ana Roš gives voice to the land and its community.
Photos by Suzan Gabrijan
The Restaurant
Red is the color of Hiša Franko, in all its 50 shades of life. 50 are also the years of the cozy Hiša Franko house. A celebration of red, not only the color of love, but of the enormous passion that lives daily in this restaurant through everything that is created, blended, fermented, cooked and served. This is the current chapter in one of the most deserving gastronomic destinations in the world.
You will have to cross the Italian border and go a few kilometers on Slovenian territory to arrive at the home of one of the most energetic and talented chefs the history of cuisine (grandmothers aside) has ever had. You will arrive in Kobarid, in the green, in nature, among the respected smells enclosed within the walls of the three-starred restaurant Hiša Franko.
Surely the name will not sound new to you after the success of the Chef's Table program on Netflix in 2016, the nomination of Ana Roš as best female chef in 2017, the three stars recently awarded by the Michelin guide (actually four considering the green star as well). But you have to touch it to believe, especially to realize why this is one of these rare places that can be counted on the fingers of two hands.
A lifelong lover of sports and travel, and a graduate of international and diplomatic studies in Italy, she is a self-taught cook whose cuisine is able to tell the story of the seasons, her territory, her character, her travels, and make her guests fall in love with it. She is an ambassador of the Slovenian land and actually, as anyone who succeeds in cooking in this way, of the world gastronomic culture.
Hiša Franko means getting to know, experience and eat the traditions, getting closer to the environment of the lush Soča Valley and tasting it: the imposing mountains, the rich adjacent river, the nature that offers something special in these parts between cheeses and meats, and related countless by-products from farmers, shepherds and producers of the farms located in the high mountains above Kobarid and Tolmin, with which the chef has established strong relationships.
The communities of foragers, hunters and fishermen, all are part of a circuit that Ana Roš has managed to create and make shine in the best of all worlds. Trout, deer, goats, berries, and wild plants appear daily on a menu that has no half-measures, made up of depth and distinct flavors.
The menu
A tasting menu that boasts exceptional dishes that stand out for their originality of colors, flavors and textures and reflect the cook's committed vision of always following nature, respecting the seasons and drawing inspiration from her travels, along with her international brigade . Among the classics there is hardly a shortage of corn beignets, fermented ricotta and smoked trout roe, and baked potatoes with hay, fenugreek and sour cream infused with toasted yeast.
But equally satisfying are the tagliolini, clams and melon, the cappelletti, black pear, Jerusalem artichoke, or the dumplings with caramelized walnuts, toasted apples, local cheese fondue and bee pollen. “50 Shades of Red": a menu of 15 dishes including 12 new creations, an excellent enjoyment of belly and mind, rhythmic and engaging, for those who choose to stop here for a few hours, in the enchanted Soča Valley.
A huge plus goes to the juicy pairing, which is fantastic: infusions, fermentations, extractions, kombucha at the hands of Davide Rovagnati and Anja Skrbinek, the best ever (there are also two wine pairing, one more classic and the other decidedly “funky” with natural and sui generis goodies). To the question, what else can you create? What can you still improve? Ana answers, “In everything, season after season, menu after menu.”
A place of energy, artistry and friendship. In a restaurant of this magnitude, the team is everything, and Ana has created a cohesive one that excels, starting with Yvonne Simon at the helm of the kitchen, a measured, capable, curious, trustworthy California chef. With Hiša Franko, Ana Roš has shown that cuisine can be a powerful vehicle for promoting the area, culture, and traditions. It thus remains not just a restaurant but a culinary manifesto, inviting people to rediscover nature through a dish and to approach food with awareness and respect.
“When you eat at Hiša Franko, you can close your eyes and fully understand the environment of which the restaurant is a part,” Ana Roš's words. Hiša Franko Natural and Culinary Heritage of Humanity.
Contatti
Hiša Franko
Staro selo 1, 5222 Kobarid, Slovenia
Phone: +386 5 389 41 20
