“I want my guests to eat not only exciting dishes, but also be able to sleep well,” said at his impressive SHGF guest appearance in the Gutsküche on 1 and 2 November 2014. And they did, even after six excellent autumn courses full of spices and flavours.
At the five-year anniversary of Genusswerkstatt Gutsküche in Tangstedt, patrons and Rebecca and Matthias Gfrörer expressed a wish to invite two-Michelin star guest chef Kempf to this year’s festival. They could be brothers: both dynamic and sustainability-oriented chefs, they conveyed all the excitement to their team and the guests of the sold-out restaurant. The 37-year-old explained each course of the autumn menu in detail: “I’m from southern Germany and there turnips are used as animal feed. Here in the north it’s a popular vegetable. That’s why I based the vegetarian course ‘Turnip, pineapple and cashew nuts with Sichuan pepper’ entirely on the diversity of the turnip.”
In Berlin, has a large fan base at his modern restaurant Facil at Potsdamer Platz, some of whom where guests at the event as well. Kempf became head chef at restaurant Facil in the Mandala Hotel in 2003. Only one year later, at 26 years of age, he became the city’s youngest Michelin star chef. His cuisine is praised as witty, creative and stylistically uninhibited. Apparent simplicity meets highest sophistication and give each dish their unique flavour. 2013 was a good year for Kempf: First the wedding bells rang and shortly afterwards two Michelin stars flickered over his head. His cuisine got more mature, his compositions delicately balanced and prepared with subtle finesse.
The autumnal menu
Amouse bouche
Labskaus of mild smoked duck – Waldorf Salad “liquid”
Mackerel Escabeche with pumpkin and Ras El Hanout
Char with cidre, wheat and kale with cherry wood and nut butter
Turnip, pineapple and cashew nuts with Sichuan pepper
Onglet of Red Holstein cattle, Bamberg potatoes, flax oil and cottage cheese with cumin
Roast Galloway beef from the Alster, aubergine ‘Rosa Bianca’ and harissa with orange flower
Holsteiner Cox, lychee, fennel and chocolate Dulcey with fennel pollen