"Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars - Season 2" by Apple TV
This Special Edition Vino Voices post is the last that will take place while episodes from the series "Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars - Season 2" from Apple TV are released.
I was fortunate enough to be provided with advanced screenings of this series and have been watching them during past weeks. Episode 8 premiers today on Apple TV. Below is a brief overview.
"Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars - Season 2"
Episode Eight: We don't compromise
Restaurants & Locations:
Naides, in San Francisco, California in the USA—with Filipino style cuisine. Aiming to win one Michelin star.
Troubador Restaurant in Healdsburg, California in the USA—a bread & bistro sandwich store by day transforms to a restaurant at night. Aiming for one Michelin star.
Tensions/Conflict:
The Filipino food from Naides is high in acidity, which could be "unfamiliar for an American diner," as host Burgess says. Can such acidic food please a Michelin inspector?
The location of Troubadour is in Healdsburg, which is, according to host Burgess, "Slap bang middle of California wine country. Which in my view makes some of the best wines in the world."
Quotations:
Chef Patrick Gabon of Naides: "Traditional fine dining tends to be more subtle. Filipino food, actually, is the opposite of it. Everytime we put up a dish we make sure it caters to the Filipino palate. We ted to be more bold and robust. It could be salty, it could be very sour, it could be funky stronger flavor. We don't compromise."
"As a kitchen we always gotta push. Every single time, get better every day."
Chef Shaun McGaughey of Troubadour: "I realize I love cooking. I'm not just a sandwich guy. I'm a three Michelin star chef. And Michelin never goes away. It's contagious."
"All that we can do is make the best food possible, and have the restaurant at its highest level."
"I love creating that memory that they will probably never forget."
Anonymous Michelin Inspectors: “As a restaurant is striving for its first star, what they are putting on the plate really matters. Are the flavors balanced? Is there harmony? So everything from the canapes to the appetizers, mains and dessert have to be working together to create something beautiful."
“The great thing is that the culinary world is so diverse and you learn something new all the time. Discover new ingredients, new dishes, new flavors. However, for us as inspectors, it’s important that the consistency over the whole menu is there, and not only one dish."
"When we walk into a restaurant we try to keep to ourselves and take a low profile. It's important that we are not getting any preferential treatment, 'cause this is all about the food and nothing else."
Narrator/Host Jesse Burgess: “California is home to more Michelin star restaurants than any state in America. And chefs aren’t afraid to experiment. Korean tacos, anyone? But the restaurant scene is cutthroat. If you think making it in Hollywood is tough, making it here as a Michelin star chef is even tougher.”
Culinary Highlights:
Naides: Sweet chewy lobster bites—a popular dish that balances out more acidic dishes on the menu.
Troubadour: Reworking of the classic French duck dish—Canard au Pruneau—using fresh plums instead of prunes.
Local Quirks:
Troubadour Restaurant is, by day, the Troubadour Bread & Bistro Sandwich Shop, which is the busiest bakery in town. At night, this is transformed into a restaurant.
Chef Shaun McGaughey was previously head chef of a three Michelin star restaurant. He abandoned that six years ago for a simpler life.
Vino Voices
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