A culinary extravaganza on June 27, 2019, as the JRE Chefs on Sea initiative returns to Croatia for the second year, bringing together talented Croatian and international chefs in some of Croatia's top restaurants.
It is seven years since the late, great Anthony Bourdain discovered Croatia and its cuisine. He was blown away by what he called the 'world-class food, world-class wine, world-class food.' I remember watching his No Reservations programme on The Travel Channel back in 2012 and commenting that this was the finest tourism promotion of Croatia I had ever seen.
It still is.
Croatian cuisine is getting more popular, and a LOT more creative. A new generation of chefs, coupled with higher standards in the luxury tourism sector have moved things forward. There are an increasingly number of gourmet choices and events taking place, a welcome trend that looks set to continue.
And this Saturday will see a great example of the creative flair of 10 of Croatia's brightest young chefs, cooking side by side with some of the brightest international talent from Italy, Holland, Slovenia, Germany and Switzerland. All are members of the prestigious JRE Jeunes Restaurateurs organisation. Chefs like Emanuele Donalisio, above, who will be cooking on Korcula at Lesic Dimitri Palace with rising star and resident chef, Marko Gajski.
Emanuele Donalisio comes from Ventemiglia, the region where Liguria and Piedmont meet France, in a complex and well-intertwined zone of culinary experiences united by a word “Riviera”. It is interesting to note that Emanuele restaurant Il Giardino del Gusto was part of the travel feature published in New York Times in September 2017, selected as an example of the gastronomy tradition and elements that form the heritage of this Italian region.
Marko Gajski, right, and pictured on the occasion of the opening night of Korculanske Pjatance Spring Food and Wine Festival in 2018, a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the famous Lumbarda Bire winery, is one of Croatia's brightest gourmet talents, and the Italian-Croatian duo will be one of ten cheffing partnerships in Croatian JRE restaurants all over Croatia. One of the aims of the event is a culinary cultural exchange between these exciting chefs - to learn from each other's heritage and methods - very much a two-way process.
Add in the Lesic Dimitri terrace as one of the locations (TCN gladly accepted an invitation to this special evening and will be reporting back in full) and one of ten perfect Chefs on Sea locations is ready for another outstanding evening.
About JRE:
JRE is an association of young restaurateurs and chefs who want to share their talent and passion for food with likeminded people. We have over 350 restaurants and 160 hotels in total, spread across 15 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
JRE chefs combine extraordinary talent, a deep passion for cuisine, a love of local produce, and a strong sense of tradition. Their cooking expertise paired with the outstanding atmosphere of their restaurants offers a truly incredible experience.
JRE membership is open to young restaurateurs and chefs under the age of 42. However, when members reach the age of 50, they are awarded ‘honorary’ status and join JRE’s ‘Table d’Honneur’.
At JRE, everything revolves around sharing, encouraging and inspiring passion and talent for food. Our young chefs show great solidarity with each other and are delighted to exchange their cooking knowledge and expertise. As a guest at a JRE restaurant, there’s no doubt you will reap the benefits of this collective passion.
To learn more about JRE restaurants in Croatia - and to book a table for Chefs on Sea 2019 on Saturday - visit the official website.
