Recently in Pierre Koffmann Category

Last week, Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, co-owner of L'Anima in the City of London (which is closing for an extension this summer), went on a mission to find the perfect potato for gnocchi.

Mazzei and his team of chefs set out to test three different varieties of potatoes to see which one would make the best base for the Italian staple, with iconic French chef Pierre Koffmann testing the final product.

The varieties of potatoes on the menu were: Markies, Ramos and Sierra Gold which were supplied by QV Foods.

After boiling, peeling and ricing the potatoes, the chefs added flower and egg yolk to make the gnocchi dough, which they rolled out into strips, cut into pieces and shaped with a ridged, wooden gnocchi board.

First up was the Markies potato, which Mazzei mixed with dried spinach to give the gnocchi a vivid green colour. Markies are the new rival of the ever popular Maris Piper; they are a good all-round kitchen potato with a floury texture and mild flavour.

Mazzei served the Markies gnocchi with basil pesto and the result was a bright green plate of food made up of gorgeous, light and fluffy gnocchi perfectly balanced by the sweet basil sauce. "A definite winner," judge Koffmann declared.  

Tom Kitchin, chef-proprietor of the Micheli-starred Kitchin in Edinburgh, receives fulsome praise from Jasper Gerard in The Daily Telegraph for scouring the Highlands for the best quality ingredients.

The result is an exceptionally well produced menu that is unashamedly Scottish, hardy rather than twirly, showcasing the influence of Kitchin's mentors Pierre Koffmann and Alain Ducasse.

Meanwhile Sicilian restaurant Mennula garners another rave review, with John Walsh in The Independent praising chef-patron Santino Busciglio's knack of combining his grandmother's recipes with new flavours.

In The Times Giles Coren takes up a new cause: that of the vegetarian diner. In his search for a restaurant that serves non-meat eaters with something that is inspiring and enticing, he comes up with a corker in Philip Howard's new restaurant, Kitchen W8 in London.

His counterpart at the Sunday Times, AA Gill, is equally impressed with Kitchen W8 saying that while the food isn't quite as immaculately pristine as The Square, it is far better than anything else you can eat in Kensington.

Jay Rayner, restaurant critic of The Observer, pays a visit to Polpo, a Venetian-style bacaro in London's Soho, and likes what he finds. He is impressed by the authentic bare brick walls and distressed painted wood and - apart from a couple of minor gripes - with the quality and the price of the food, which is served tapas-style.

Selfridges is planning a permanent restaurant on the roof of its London department store following the massive success of Pierre Koffmann's pop-up restaurant.

The iconic store on Oxford Street has revealed it is looking for a chef to head up the potential venture.

Koffmann, the former three-Michelin-starred chef patron of the famous La Tante Claire restaurant, was initially scheduled to run his temporary eaterie for one week as part of the London Restaurant Festival. But it was extended for 39 days following the huge number of requests for bookings. 

Selfridges food and restaurants director Ewan Venters said demand far exceeded expectations, with the restaurant catering for 8,000 diners in total.

"We created an environment that equalled the quality of food produced by Koffmann, which led to so many guests say that we ought to have a permanent feature on the roof of Selfridges," he said.

"So much so that the search has begun to find the right chef and concept for a future project, whatever that might look like."

Iconic French chef Pierre Koffmann is planning a new restaurant in London.

The former three-Michelin-starred chef patron of the famous La Tante Claire restaurant, has confirmed that he is looking to open a new site in the West End.

"Yes, I am looking to open a new restaurant," he told me earlier today. The move follows Koffmann's successful pop-up restaurant at London department store Selfridges. Initially scheduled to run for six days, the temporary eaterie was extended to run for nearly two months following overwhelming demand for bookings.

In an exclusive interview with Caterer earlier this year, Koffmann hinted that he would like to open a simple brasserie. "It wouldn't be to have Michelin stars or anything like that, just a simple restaurant where I can cook the things I want to eat," he said.

Koffmann has appointed property agents Restaurant Property to assist him in finding a suitable site.

The group's director David Rawlinson said: "Koffmann's triumph as Selfridges is a great foundation on which to build a new restaurant concept. We are currently looking for a suitable site for him in the areas of Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Chelsea and South Kensington."

Koffmann ran La Tante Claire for 25 years, first in the site currently occupied by Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea and then in the Berkeley hotel. His culinary style, a refined version of the French country cooking of his home region of Gascony, not only gained him the top accolade of three Michelin stars but has also inspired the cooking of countless other chefs.

Iconic chef Pierre Koffmann's pop-up restaurant at London department store Selfridges has been extended by two weeks following overwhelming demand for bookings.

The former three-Michelin-starred chef patron of the famous La Tante Claire restaurant is still so popular among chefs and foodies alike that his temporary restaurant, which was first scheduled for a week, will now run from 8-31 October.

The 80-cover La Tante Claire at Selfridges, which forms part of the inaugural London Restaurant Festival, will be housed in a marquee atop the Oxford Street department store, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. The restaurant will be designed, set up and managed by Selfridges with its high-profile sommelier Dawn Davies overseeing the front of house. All produce will come from Selfridges's suppliers.

Koffmann will be joined in the kitchen by some of his former protégés including the Michelin-starred chefs Eric Chavot, Tom Aikens and Tom Kitchin.

Raphael Duntoye, head chef at La Petite Maison, and Helena Puolakka, head chef at Skylon, will also be part of the restaurant together with award winning chocolatier William Curley.

Each will spend a day in the kitchen with Koffmann, cooking a three-course menu to represent their respective restaurants.

Koffmann, whose passion for cooking is clearly as alive as it has ever been, said he was excited to stay at Selfridges for longer and was thrilled people still remember him.

"By extending my time I am thrilled to have more opportunity to experiment with new dishes and introduce a daily special, which will sit alongside some of my more classic dishes," he said.

Iconic chef Pierre Koffmann is set to return to the stove later this year in a pop-up restaurant at London department store Selfridges.

The former three-Michelin-starred chef patron of the famous La Tante Claire restaurant will run the 80-cover pop-up restaurant on the roof of Selfridges for one week in October.

La Tante Claire at Selfridges forms part of the inaugural London Restaurant Festival, which will run from 8-13 October.

Koffmann will be joined in the kitchen by some of his former protégés including the Michelin-starred chefs Eric Chavot, Tom Aikens and Tom Kitchin.

Raphael Duntoye, head chef at La Petite Maison, and Helena Puolakka, head chef at Skylon, will also be part of the restaurant together with award winning chocolatier William Curley.

Pierre Koffmann told me he was thrilled to be getting back behind the stove.

"It's fantastic to be at the stove again with some familiar faces with me in the kitchen," he said.

He added that he's off on holiday now to the south west of France and will be spending most of his time coming up with recipes for the restaurant.

Well, I for one can't wait!