How top chefs Joris Bijdendijk, Richard Ekkebus, Virgilio Martínez Véliz and Norbert Niederkofler are collaborating to make unique tasting menus

Only in recent years have we seen big-name chefs undertake globe-trotting adventures in four-hands collaborations, broadening their culinary horizons after spending so much time confined to their kitchens. These chefs take to the road – or more often, the skies – in a bid to get the creative juices flowing, or at least avoid having to stare into the dry river bed of menu imagination. Seeing new countries – markets, suppliers, ingredients – is part of the allure, evoking inspiration while offering a pretty nifty holiday opportunity, too. Perhaps it’s because of social media or the spiralling rise of the celebrity chef. Either way, four-hands are sprouting up everywhere across the world, from Kyoto to the Faroe Islands. STYLE EDIT: Why daring chefs pair Johnnie Walker whisky with Asian flavours Vladimir Mukhin has teamed up with Jorge Vallejo in both Moscow and Mexico City, and Gaggan Anand with Riccardo Camanini in Bangkok. Zaiyu Hasegawa travelled to Bruges to cook with Gert De Mangeleer. Chef Noboru Arai of Tokyo restaurant Hommage gathered in Hong Kong to cook with Hideaki Sato, head chef of Ta Vie for a degustation journey. Michelin-starred chef Richard Ekkebus welcomed Danish chef Bo Bech and Korea’s Mingoo Kang, chef-owner of Mingles, respectively, for some “joint venture” at his base, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong; later, he returned to the Netherlands after 33 years to cook with Joris Bijdendijk, executive chef of RIJKS, who also invited Mauro Colagreco to Amsterdam. There was a British tag-team in Singapore, when Simon Rogan cooked with Kirk Westaway at Jaan, just to name a few. These one- or two-night events open up new opportunities to both them and the public, allowing chefs to offer a cross-collaboration tasting menu in which they present an insight into another chef’s repertoire, promoted alongside their own. Ronin: over 100 Japanese whiskies and a stellar seafood selection “A four-hands is like a duel, two chefs or bartenders trying to do something amazing, it pushes each other,” Ekkebus says. “It is about bringing another chef, another culinary thought process, into your kitchen and is highly motivating for the team, a wonderful learning curve for all of us at Amber and the visiting team to understand each other’s concept, techniques and method. It has enabled us to grow and to build a unique community.” According to food writer Mattias Kroon, who recently completed a documentary series titled Four Hands Menu with Niklas Ekstedt, the best and most successful collaborations are when “chefs come up with creations together, a true creative effort,” Kroon adds. “Often, they’re common and boring, a parade of premeditated hits and signatures – the chef playing the safe bet.” One of the first events of 2020 was in January at AlpiNN Food Space & Restaurant in South Tirol, between Virgilio Martínez Véliz, of Central Restaurante and chef Norbert Niederkofler, who helms the Michelin three-star restaurant at Hotel Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano, Italy. The two chefs met during Cook the Mountain in 2014, an event at Alta Badia in the Dolomite mountains of Italy, which focused on mountain food. The two established a close friendship, as they share similar concepts in recipe sourcing, both looking to their naturalistic surroundings for inspiration. Street snacks to tandoor: Indian food gets a delicious makeover at New Punjab Club Sharing what they call “Mountain Cuisine”, they created an extraordinary cross-cultural encounter between the Dolomites and the Andes, an eight-course menu incorporating a variety of flavours and knowledge. “We’re chefs from very different parts of the world,” says Niederkofler, “yet we’re bound by the mountains. Inviting Virgilio back to the Dolomite mountains, we’re able to share culinary philosophies and the same attention to detail along with the promotion of our mountain suppliers”. Another big-name collaboration in January saw Ana Roš visit Bangkok and cook alongside Garima Arora at the Michelin-star Gaa, bringing Thai flavours to some of her signature Slovenian dishes, rather than replicating her menu staples ingredient-for-ingredient. The four-hands was actually part of Roš’ wider Asian adventure, taking time out from Hiša Franko to cook alongside Richie Lin at MUME in Taiwan and Vicky Lau at Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong. Roš in turn welcomed Brazilian chef Manoella “Manu” Buffara in March, and the Colombian Leonor “Leo” Espinosa in May. I seek chefs that stand for something in sustainability, are involved in addressing social issues, have a unique terroir they represent. It is more about the substance Richard Ekkebus Earlier this year, Maksut Askar of Neolokal in Istanbul welcomed Tim Butler of Eat Me, in Bangkok, and the chefs shared stories of each other’s city markets – and their tolerance for spice. Rather than simply serving standardised menus from their respective restaurants, they scoured the markets and developed a one-off menu, cleverly walking the line between Turkish heritage produce and lip-smacking Thai spice. Cross-cultural creations included “smoked lamb heart salad” and “red curry with pan-seared sweetbreads”. Bijdendijk, who regularly invites chefs to cook with him at RIJKS, at the Netherlands’ Rijksmuseum, believes these invitations offer him an opportunity to learn from other chefs without having to leave his restaurant environment. “We’ve had Fergus Henderson, André Chiang, Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura, Dan Hunter cook here; next month, Manoella Buffara from Brazil will visit, and we’ll cook a completely meatless menu,” he says. Have you been to any of these emerging foodie destinations in Asia? Takagi Kazuo, of Takagi, the two-Michelin starred Kyoto-cuisine restaurant in Japan, participates in two or three collaborative dinners annually, and looks upon the travelling as “educational cooking field trips”. Four-hands dinners are also a platform for him to spread Japanese cuisine and culture, promoting “more than just sushi and yakitori”. Kazuo sees these events as an opportunity for cultural exchange. “I’m able to bring new things back to my guests, which I can adapt in my restaurant. My guests always look forward to the new techniques that I have learned from these trips,” he says. These collaborations have, in many cases, replaced pop-ups, and they show no sign of slowing down, with chefs planning their itinerary at the start of a new year, keen to mix work with holiday opportunities. Josean Alija, of Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao, chooses his four-hands based on chefs who share his cooking philosophy – networking sessions with like-minded peers. “It’s a way to build relationships with people,” Alija said after cooking in Singapore with Julien Royer, of two-Michelin starred Odette, “and although cooking styles often vary, it’s a way of learning from one another”. Royer, who manages four or five chef collaborations a year, is selective about picking “top and exciting chefs” to team up with, seeking those who inspire, such as Dominique Crenn and Alexandre Couillon. “Attracting world-class guest chefs to my restaurant gives the staff a break from their routine, it also helps to broaden their horizons.” Going hyperlocal: will Hong Kong restaurants stop importing Chinese produce? The growth in popularity of these four-hands also benefits diners, which is a primary reason they continue to expand, mushrooming across the globe at a rapid pace. The modern diner expects to be introduced to new and exciting trends, and the four-hands experience offers just that. Chefs and restaurateurs know this, and can therefore capitalise, charging higher fees and advertising the event around a particular “celebrity” name, a chef with a certain number of stars or one who enjoys a world ranking. In some cases, we’re beginning to see six-hands, and I even attended an 18-hands meal in 2018 in Macau – it was a very long dinner, indeed. Now that everyone does the four-hands it could become diluted and repetitive, Ekkebus cautions. “For me, it’s more about the messaging than about just the event itself. I seek chefs that stand for something in sustainability, are involved in addressing social issues, have a unique terroir they represent. It is more about the substance.” If the axiom “the guest is always right” is true, and these chefs continue to connect – on social media, at industry events, or through sponsorship opportunities – then the diner will continue to demand and the chef will deliver, and these international four-hands (or possibly more) kitchen alliances will appear in more and more restaurants, pairing chefs from all corners of the globe. Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter . 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How top chefs Joris Bijdendijk, Richard Ekkebus, Virgilio Martínez Véliz and Norbert Niederkofler are collaborating to make unique tasting menus

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Moscow to Mexico City, Hong Kong to Tokyo, famous chefs are working together to offer cross-collaboration tasting menus to promote with their own

From Moscow to Mexico City, Hong Kong to Tokyo, famous chefs are working together to offer cross-collaboration tasting menus to promote with their own