Some people make it their goal to eat at every Michelin three-star. Some want to tick their way through that strangely influential Restaurant magazine World’s 50 Best list. Some want to dine at every Relais & Châteaux. And others want to say, Enough with all that, and hightail it to the hawker stalls of Singapore or the food trucks in Mexico City.
Those are all perfectly valid strategies, of course. But in a world that’s both bigger and smaller than ever, new cuisines, new ingredients (ants, anyone?) and new talents are emerging at a dizzying pace. Much of it is very much worth eating—right now. It seems like a shame to wait until the inspectors file their reports and the critical establishment makes their rankings. Some gems already have the accolades they deserve, but those that are still under the radar are no less delightful.
But where to start? I asked Kristian Brask Thomsen, a sommelier turned professional bon vivant, restaurant communications consultant and culinary ambassador. Along with representing star chefs and restaurants from San Francisco to Moscow, he travels relentlessly to find new venues for his elite Dinner Parties (many of his first were at Noma) and his three-day, (Michelin) star-studded gastronomic blowouts known as Dining Impossible, which the Telegraph called the best dinner parties in the world.
Here are the places that intrigue him most for 2015. (The opinions that follow are largely his.)
Restaurant A.T, Paris
Atsushi Tanaka’s restaurant has been open for only eight months, so its brilliance is still a secret, says Brask Thomsen. Young and innovative, Tanaka—who trained with Pierre Gagnaire—turns out playful, delicious and extremely beautiful dishes. “A chef to watch.”
Geranium, Copenhagen
Multi-time Bocuse d’Or winner Rasmus Kofoed is at the absolute top of his game, serving a “culinary ballet” in an elegant dining room. “Thoughtfulness can be tasted. I have no idea of why the restaurant doesn’t have three Michelin stars.” (Disclosure: Brask Thomsen represents Kofoed, and insists he took him as a client specifically because he was so impressed.)
DiverXO, Madrid
Has tag line may be “craziness on canvas,” but the wildly creative David Muñoz is an intimidatingly good chef, in Brask Thomsen’s opinion. “Expect Babette’s Feast on LSD.”
Pakta, Barcelona
Among the top Nikkei restaurants in the world, Pakta is an operation in full harmony that shows Albert Adriá’s brilliance: “That man can take any cuisine and make it his own.” In this case, it’s Japanese Peruvian at its best. Ask for a seat at the counter.
Atera, New York City
This 14-seat fine dining counter is dark and sexy, like a James Bond movie scene. It stands in contrast to the bright flavors of chef Matt Lightner’s modern play on traditional cooking. “You feel very special at Atera, not to mention very pleasanty regaled with the extensive 20-plus course tasting menu,” which is different from day to day depending on which ingredients are best. (Disclosure: Brask Thomsen represents Lightner, as above.)
Central, Lima
Brask Thomsen has been hearing a chorus of his co-diners and food writers that he trusts saying that Virgilio Martinez is the best chef in South America—and high on his agenda for 2015. Martinez takes an anthropological approach to the diverse ingredients from Peru’s ocean, the lower Andes, extreme high elevations, and high and low jungles. But the cooking isn’t academic—just delectable. (I was one of those co-diners, having had a memorable meal there last year.)
Attica, Melbourne
Speaking of anthropology, Brask Thomsen says the World’s 50 Best review of Ben Shewry’s natural-Antipodean restaurant is spot-on: “Even as the upper echelons of the restaurant industry lean further towards the rediscovery and celebration of the land and culinary heritage, few can match the fundamental connection with connection with nature evident at Attica.”
Minibar by José Andrés, Washington DC
A study in avant-garde cooking, with an imaginative menu that combines art, science, tradition and culinary technique and is offered in an intimate setting. “You’ll be taken for a ride.”
Sukiyabashi Jiro, Tokyo
No, after Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the place is no longer under the radar. But as Brask Thomsen says, “If a 10-seat sushi restaurant run by an 89-year-old master chef in a metro station receives three Michelin starts, then you need to go.” Be patient or make friends with someone very connected.
Fäviken Magasinet, Järpen, Sweden
One of the world's most isolated high-end restaurants, Fäviken sits within a 20,000-acre hunting estate in the mountains of Are in northern Sweden. Chef Magnus Nilsson and his team don’t just forage like everyone else: They also hunt and fish from the surrounding fields and rivers to prepare nature-driven dinners just 12 guests at a time. Those seats will be come even more coveted, as Nilsson has just announced plans to close for several months each year to focus on research. Plan to spend the night in the small hotel.
Burnt Ends, Singapore
“Fun, forward and damn good. A surprisingly heartwarming watering hole,” says Brask Thomsen of this casual spot for modern Australian barbecue. He suggests taking a seat at the long counter and letting Asador Extebarri alumnus Dave Pynt decide your menu.
Robuchon au Domé, Macau
This outpost of Joël Rubchon’s empire has a stunning setting at the dome atop the Grand Lisboa hotel, excellent service, a huge wine list and wonderful food. “Sometimes you just don’t need a higher call to offer excellence. This restaurant is a pearl.”
