Pillow Talk mit Rolf Fliegauf
His tell-tale name translates into “take off” and he seems to have done just that, running three restaurants and donning six Michelin stars at age 36. Rolf Fliegauf is not one to leave good enough alone. Born in southern Germany, he is one of the most successful head chefs of Switzerland today. All three of his Ecco restaurants in the Giardino Hotels in Ascona, St. Moritz and Zurich have been decorated with two Michelin stars each. Rolf Fliegauf was just 29 years old when he earned his second Michelin star at the Giardino Ascona, becoming the youngest two-star chef in Europe. His purist aroma cuisine is taste-focused, and known well beyond the borders of Switzerland.
There are dishes that you simply never forget. One of them is the tuna steak with Ponzu radish, kelp and dashi (stock from dried tuna fin) that we sampled at the Ecco in the Giardino Ascona. Rolf Fliegauf’s work here is committed to a light cuisine. We talked to him about the art of cooking and his passion for Ticino.
Joanna Peyer for Pillow & Pepper: Rolf Fliegauf, where does your culinary passion come from?
Rolf Fliegauf: I’ve loved cooking since my childhood days; I remember cooking simple things even as a kid. My parents ran a country inn that offered straightforward home cooked food. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would become a chef. And I never really considered any other option. During my traineeship at the Dehner Blumen Hotel (in Rain, Germany), the sous-chef once brought an edition of the Gault-Millau. I started browsing through it. When I had read the profile of the “Schwarzwaldstube” restaurant I realised that I wanted to enter the world of haute cuisine and to learn from Harald Wohlfahrt in Baiersbronn.
You picked up several different trends, including the molecular cuisine. Lately, you have put your own handwriting on a purist kind of natural aroma cuisine. Can you tell us who influenced your present style of cooking?
Rolf Fliegauf: My internship at the Noma left a deep impression. René Redzepi raised my awareness for the product and its origins. I have become highly respectful of his natural cuisine and the sensitive food philosophy. When I returned I found myself questioning everything and reconsidering my style of cooking.
Can you name an ingredient you could not do without?
Rolf Fliegauf: Citrus – citrus fruit lend freshness, zest and lightness to dishes.
Where do you get your inspiration for new dishes?
Rolf Fliegauf: I get inspired by products and social media. For me, being creative means 98 percent hard work, and actively engaging the material. Any new dish develops in my mind first. Then I start taking notes. Next, we cook each component six to eight times. My team is deeply involved in the process, because cooking is a team sport.
Honestly: Are you aiming for a third Michelin star for the Giardino Ascona?
Rolf Fliegauf: It is one of my goals. I’m healthy, ambitious, and it is dream of mine; but I don’t feel like subordinating my life to this goal. The most important thing to me is to keep my guests satisfied.
Tell us, who does the cooking back home? You or Jennifer?
Rolf Fliegauf: I do, but very simple things, because there is no time. Usually something pan-fried to keep the dirty dishes to a minimum (laughs).
You have been living in Ticino for 10 years now. What do you love most about it?
Rolf Fliegauf: I love being out on the lake. There is no better way to clear your head than speeding across Lake Maggiore in a motorboat. The Giardino Ascona keeps its own yacht.
What should a person not miss when in Ticino?
Rolf Fliegauf: The Brissago Islands and, on the Italian side, the Borromean Islands. To our guests I recommend spending a day aboard our exclusive design yacht Frauscher 1017-GT. It’s the ultimate day cruiser when you want to go yachting in style on Lake Maggiore. The yacht can be hired together with the skipper through the Giardino concierge.
When you want to dine your wife in Ticino, where do you take her?
Rolf Fliegauf: My favourite place is Da Enzo in Ponte Brolla. Me and my wife both love the beautiful ambience, the fantastic wine list, and the warmth of the Andreatta family.
On pillowandpepper.com we will share the number of the best rooms at the Giardino Ascona and another 11 unique destinations in Ticino with you. Let us inspire you, because Ticino is always worth a trip.