Norbert Niederkofler closed his awardwinning restaurant St Hubertus and opened Atelier Mossmer just 2 years ago. 4 Months after it opened it gained 3 Michelin stars and this year it was ranked 20 among the 50 best restaurants. Incredible achievements and a testament to his food and hospitality.
The concept at both of the placed are based on his filosofi of “cook the mountain” which translates into only using ingredients that are found in the local mountains. This also means that it is probably the only restaurant in Italy where olive oil is nowhere to be found.
I visited in July and what better place to start then on the terreases with a glass of local sparkling wine and snacks in the form of tartlet with mushrooms, river trout and fish… As technical, beautiful and delicious as you would expect at a 3 Michelin star restaurant.
The restaurant is located about 1000m above sea level and going skiing from the restaurant in the winter is a short drive up the mountain which means that you truely feel that you are in the mountains so what better filosofi than cooking whats around you in the mountains which I actually don’t think anybody has ever done prior to him.
Before starting our dinner we would have a tour of the old house which is now the restaurant. As the building came with lots of restrictions the restoration was done with a tremendous amount of respect. The actual kitchen where we would sit this evening is the only new thing added to the building where as the rest truly reflects the house history..
Our first dish would be a spring salat mixing fresh herbes as well as preserved ones and topped of with a sour creme sauce bringing more umami and acidity to a delicious dish. On the side a herbal cracker with lots of sunflower seeds.
A simple piece of catfish had been marinated for 2 days before being grilled over open fire. Simple and delicious where a juice of kohlrabi gave a nice punch to the dish.
The next dish had been on the menu since day one. Beetroot and horseradish is always a delicious combination as was it here. The sweet and earthy flavors of the beetroot is a great match for the punch of horseradish.
A local pasta version called passatelli was served. Here with a umami rich sauce of egg yolk, breadcrumbs and once again reduced yoghurt. Naturally the latter gives lots of acidity which would be a red tread through out the evening.
Acidity and sour flavors were at the center again with dish of veal tongues and kohlrabi. Lots of small preserved herbes had been precisely placed around on the dish both for flavor and presentation. A dish that left an impression for its great punchy flavors and nice presentation.
We would however finish the savory dishes with a dish of pure deliciousness. A piece of grilled steak with fresh spinach and “mountain kimchi” to give the dish an acidic twist.
To finish our evening we would have 3 very different desserts each representing a very different side of the mountains. First a fruit salat mixing fresh and preserve berries, then a “cheesecake” with rhubarb and finally ending with a classic and delicious tarte tartin but with yoghurt and not vanilla icecream. My favorite was the classic tarte tartin. It was kept classic and comforting just like its suppose to be.
Restrictions usually fuels creativity as chefs have to find new ways of creating delicious flavors. Noma is probably the best example of that and a similar creative energy is found at Atelier Mossmer. Their filosofi of “cook the mountain” gives a unique sense of “time and place” which I think is very important in terms of providing an identity for the restaurant. The use of fermentation is obvious necessary and gives to me a familiar and delicious flavor palette. Through out the menu often two different wines were served to show off both the incredible winecellar but more often two complete different directsions that the winemakers take despite using the same grapes from the same region.
End to end a classic 3 Michelin star experience
Practical information
Location: Brunico, Italy
Head Chef: Norbert Niederkofler
Menu: +10 course tasting menu €320
Website: www.ateliernorbertniederkofler.com
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