Chef Mathias Dahlgren on Creating a Fabulous Two-Faced Restaurant

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For a restaurant that has just opened a couple of years ago, Mathias Dahlhgren has managed to get into El Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Unlike Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants that have jumped off the list, Chef Mathias Dahlgren’s restaurant has managed to grab the 50^th spot. It’s a great honor for a new entry.

This restaurant is located in Stockholm’s Grand Hotel. It is actually a twin restaurant where you would find the informal food bar, Matbaren, and the more formal dining area, the Matsalen. The genius behind the food of the restaurant is its owner and head chef Mathias Dahlgren.

Let’s Get to Know the Chef

Mathias Dahlgren is no ordinary chef. Perhaps, you can think of him as the best chef in Sweden. First of all, he is the only chef in the country who has received the Bocuse d’Or award. He has been named Chef of the Year four times by Restaurang & Storhushall. He has also received one Michelin star as the owner of Bon Lloc, his former restaurant in Stockholm.

Despite the success of Bon Lloc, however, he chose to close it and opened the Mathias Dahlgren in 2007. He was the one who thought of the two-restaurant concept. Matbaren offers classic food presented in a contemporary environment while Matsalen offers contemporary food in a more classic environment. Make no mistake, however, that both restaurants embody the culinary ideals of the chef and owner. Mathias Dahlgren is an exclusive restaurant that offers an entirely different dining experience. Curiously, Matbaren and Matsalen completely complement one another.

Chef Dahlgren is inspired by traditions. He also draws inspirations from his childhood memories. Over time, he has pushed the frontiers and raised the bar of Stockholm’s culinary arts. Some people will argue that he has raised the standards for all chefs in the country. His goal is to create a new identity for Swedish cuisine. The restaurant offers a new menu practically on a daily basis. This makes it possible for the chef and his staff to make sure that only the finest ingredients will be used.

Chef Dahlgen has certainly captured the fancy of his Swedish diners. Apparently, his cooking is good enough for the rest of the world. Since he opened his restaurant a couple of years ago, he has received strings of awards and accolades. The inclusion in this year’s list just caps all these list of achievements. There is a lot of more that we can expect from this chef. He certainly has the making of being one of the greats.

Mathias Dahlgren’s Tartar made of Salmon, Cucumber, Apples and Horseradish

Recipe via Luxury Experience

Recipe for 4 persons

Salmon Ingredients:

200 Grams (7 ounces) Salmon

1 Liter (33.8 ounces) Brine (10% salt)

2 Green Apples

1 Cucumber

Method:

Cure the salmon in the brine for 12 hours, then wash it lightly in cold water.

Cut in small cubes. Cut apple and cucumber the same way.

Horseradish Cream Ingredients: