Ana Roš and Rasmus Munk delight Rovinj audiences, as the Weekend Food Festival serves up the best of the best on the global gastro scene
A unique gathering place for gastronomy lovers, the Weekend Food Festival unquestionably attracted the best of the best to Rovinj. Through lectures, panels, discussions, masterclasses and gala dinners featuring the world’s greatest experts and connoisseurs of trends, as well as a rich educational and entertainment program, the heart of Istria was transformed into the center of gastronomy and all the charms that go along with it. The first day of the Festival was marked by the launch of the Manifesto of Croatian Cuisine, the document that aims to define the future direction of Croatian gastronomy; plus unforgettable presentations by Ana Roš—chef of Hiša Franko, the 21st best restaurant in the world with two Michelin stars—and Rasmus Munk—chef of Denmark’s Alchemist with two Michelin stars and his ‘five-act drama’.
Ana Roš, a leader in the trend of using fresh and local ingredients as part of a sustainable supply policy, spoke in front of a packed Weekend Food Festival hall about her long-term efforts to establish an indigenous and sustainable offer based on local and seasonal foods specific to the valley where Hiša Franko is located. “If you want to have an ambitious menu, you also need ambitious ingredients. Our menu is based on a trust that we’ve been building for the last 20 years. In order to succeed you need to be very creative and still have a structure in place which allows you to anticipate changes in the concept of the food you serve on a daily basis,” said Roš. In these challenging times of global geopolitical stability, she aims to strengthen the trend of locality and seasonality by developing relationships with local suppliers.
A completely different experience was offered by young chef Rasmus Munk, who took the audience of the Weekend Food Festival on a virtual tour of his mysterious Alchemist restaurant that welcomes each customer to the unconventional and eccentric world of the unknown. The presentation and interpretation of the dishes literally leave you breathless and unite Munk’s culinary philosophy and vision of holistic cuisine in which gastronomy, art, science and socializing are intertwined and complemented.
The panel discussion entitled “Women do (not) belong in the kitchen”, under the moderation of Antonija Blaće, brought together some of the most prominent women in the region—chef Ana Roš; creator of the food vlog #sLANA KUHArica, Lana Klingor Mihić; and chef and founder of the Chiarin tanjurić brand, Nastasja Chiara Petrić—to present their experiences and views on the current position of women in gastronomy, the problems they face and predictions for the future. The panel was concluded with the thought that women have made great progress, but there is still work to be done. One thing is for sure, however, women belong wherever they decide to be.
Veljko Ostojić, director of the Croatian Tourism Association; Tomislav Popović, CEO of Maistra; Zrinka Bokulić, CEO of Aminess Hotels & Campsites; and Tullio Fernetich, president of the San Rocco Heritage Hotel, spoke about why gastronomy is increasingly recognized as a key segment of the luxury hotel industry and where Croatia is in this regard, on the panel “Gastronomy – a key element of top hotels”, moderated by Nevena Rendeli. “We are increasingly witnessing that the world’s most elite hotels are trying to further establish themselves through gastronomy, which is why they bring in top chefs. We also strive to provide our region with the highest quality culinary experience within our hotels. We feel that having a prestigious Michelin star is, of course, a very important mark of excellence that carries a much broader significance,” said Maistra CEO Tomislav Popović.
The Weekend Food Festival continued on Saturday with some of the biggest stars of the global gastro scene, such as Dabiz Muñoz, the world’s best chef in 2021 according to The Best Chef Awards and Massimo Bottura, cult Italian chef and owner of Osteria Francescana—a restaurant with three Michelin stars and voted the world’s best according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Along with these world-famous greats, visitors heard why Istria is the best olive growing region and got to experience the best of Vinistra 2022. Lovers of sweets had the opportunity to listen to the panel “Icing on the cake” featuring Maša Salopek, pastry chef of the esteemed Slovenian restaurant Hiša Franko, and Ana Omazić, pastry chef in one of the most respected restaurants in the world—the Alchemist in Denmark. Maksut Askar, a Turkish culinary star widely known as a TV personality from 24Kitchen and as a chef and owner of Neolokal—a revolutionary gastro establishment located in a vault in the heart of the SALT Galata Museum in Istanbul—participated in the “Organic Wines” panel moderated by Ana Roš, which discussed world gastronomic trends, the acceptance of natural wines in the restaurant industry and many other current topics with renowned winemakers Tomislav Tomac and Primož Lavrenčič.
