Tokyo's Tsukiji Market
Photo: hitthatswitch / CC BY 2.0
For our March issue, I also asked chefs about up-and-coming food destinations. From previous experience, I know that, by and large, chefs are obsessed with Japan. Blame it on the soba, the tofu, or the sake, but they all love it. When pressed to pick the next big culinary destination, Japan was a constant, but they also had their eyes on some other countries.
Daniel Boulud, Daniel, Bar Boulud, and more: "Singapore will become even more of a culinary
destination than it is already. Locals there are obsessed with food and
find the best cuisines from every corner of Asia."
Eric Ripert, Le Bernadin, NYC: "We have just discovered a tiny piece of Japanese culture in terms of food--we're going to be more and more inspired by Japanese cuisine. When I visited I was blown away by the respect they have for ingredients. They have a ritualistic way of preparing, cooking, and serving."
Jose Andres, Think Food Group: "Portland, Oregon is where it's at. For years the food community there has been doing what we are all doing now. They were trailblazers. Food trucks, which are the trend of the moment, have been in Portland forever."
Graham Eliott Bowles, Graham Elliott, Chicago: "While most of the larger metropolitan cities still produce the majority of talented chefs, it is only a matter of time until smaller markets catch up. A chef with something to prove while showcasing ingredients and techniques inspired by his local surroundings will undoubtedly equal or surpass the competition once the word gets out. I'm thinking of Bluestem in Kansas City, Hen of the Woods in Vermont, and McCrady's in Charleston."
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco: "I’m interested to see what happens in New Orleans because there is this incredible energy right now toward preserving their cultural heritage, their cultural traditional and I really think it’s really possible that the cuisine will evolve in a very interesting way."
Alex Atala, Dalva e Dito and D.O.M., Sao Paulo: "We are mastering techniques and gaining ground at a great pace. This is a very exciting time here in South America--in particular Brazil, where we have such an abundance of natural flavors and produce. At D.O.M we take many of our ingredients from the Amazonas, and prepare them with European techniques. In 20 years, we probably will be able to showcase the best of new Amazonian produce to the world...and eventually, because Brazil doesn’t have its own edible mushroom by then we will have found one too!"
Eric Ripert, Le Bernadin, NYC: "We have just discovered a tiny piece of Japanese culture in terms of food--we're going to be more and more inspired by Japanese cuisine. When I visited I was blown away by the respect they have for ingredients. They have a ritualistic way of preparing, cooking, and serving."
Jose Andres, Think Food Group: "Portland, Oregon is where it's at. For years the food community there has been doing what we are all doing now. They were trailblazers. Food trucks, which are the trend of the moment, have been in Portland forever."
Graham Eliott Bowles, Graham Elliott, Chicago: "While most of the larger metropolitan cities still produce the majority of talented chefs, it is only a matter of time until smaller markets catch up. A chef with something to prove while showcasing ingredients and techniques inspired by his local surroundings will undoubtedly equal or surpass the competition once the word gets out. I'm thinking of Bluestem in Kansas City, Hen of the Woods in Vermont, and McCrady's in Charleston."
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco: "I’m interested to see what happens in New Orleans because there is this incredible energy right now toward preserving their cultural heritage, their cultural traditional and I really think it’s really possible that the cuisine will evolve in a very interesting way."
Alex Atala, Dalva e Dito and D.O.M., Sao Paulo: "We are mastering techniques and gaining ground at a great pace. This is a very exciting time here in South America--in particular Brazil, where we have such an abundance of natural flavors and produce. At D.O.M we take many of our ingredients from the Amazonas, and prepare them with European techniques. In 20 years, we probably will be able to showcase the best of new Amazonian produce to the world...and eventually, because Brazil doesn’t have its own edible mushroom by then we will have found one too!"
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