Michelin star chef Xavier Mathieu impressed with the gourmet scene in Zagreb.
Chef Xavier Mathieu is one of the most respected chefs in France, a winner of a Michelin star and numerous other awards. The chef from Provence visited Croatia this week and held a culinary workshop for local chefs at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, reports Vecernji List on December 6, 2015.
“I have never been to Croatia, but I immediately liked your cuisine and the way your cooks work”, Mathieu explained and added that he likes to visit new places and meet new chefs with whom he can exchange experiences and give them his expert advice. He added that for him cooking is a mixture of art, passion and knowledge which should be shared with others. In Zagreb, he had the opportunity to cook with chef Ana Grgić from the Esplanade Hotel and her team.
“It means a lot to us to have the opportunity to learn from a chef who has a Michelin star, but our team is also very good and we have surprised him with our knowledge”, explained Grgić who together with chef Mathieu prepared cod, shellfish, lamb, chocolate cake with raspberries… She said that even the language barrier was not a problem, because everybody who works in the kitchen can easily understand the common culinary language.
The French chef was particularly impressed by the offer of fresh and local ingredients in Croatia. Before getting to work in the kitchen, he visited Dolac farmers’ market and was surprised by what he saw. “I have to admit that I am a bit jealous of the ingredients which can be bought at Dolac. It is amazing that you have daily access to ingredients like prawns, which are very rare and expensive in France”, Xavier Mathieu said and concluded that citizens of Zagreb do not know how lucky they are.
