schiller-wine: Corso al Gusto: Outstanding Modern Italian Cooking at Biancalani in Frankfurt, with Chef Christoph Kubenz, Germany

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Corso al Gusto: Outstanding Modern Italian Cooking at Biancalani in Frankfurt, with Chef Christoph Kubenz, Germany

Picture: Chef Christoph Kubenz, Annette Schiller and Johnny Schrod at Biancalani

In Frankfurt, Annette and I are members of a group of wine and food aficiniados that meets about once a month in a top restaurant. In January, we had dinner at Biancalani.

There were eight of us. We had 13 bottles of 9 different wines. We all had 5 courses. We spent Euro 140 including tax and tip per person.

Pictures: Arriving at Biancalani

Biancalani

Biancalani has a menu with 10 items on it (Corso al Gusto). The standard is that you choose 5 items for Euro 70. Each additional item is Euro 10. If you want less, you can also eat a la carte for Euro 15 per item.There are about 20 seats and an open kitchen. You can watch Chef Christoph Kubenz and his team prepare your food.

Pictures: Pre-dinner Consultations with Chef Christoph Kubenz

Chef Christoph Kubenz

Chef Christoph Kubenz is a Juan Amador disciple. All his career, Juan Amador was a Michelin-starred chef, including at Restaurant Amador in Langen the south of Frankfurt/ Germany with 3 Michelin stars and more recently at Restaurant Amador's Wirtshaus und Greißlerei in Vienna/ Austria with 2 Michelin stars.

Pictures: Open Kitchen at Biancalani

Chef Christoph Kubenz cooking is obviously influenced by Juan Amador in that dishes are plated in a precise and transparent manner to let the main product be in focus. Christoph Kubenz at SchauMahl along with André Rickert at Weinsinn were among the first to showcase bistronomic cooking in Frankfurt.

Pictures: Dinner with Cameras

Christoph Kubenz is among the best chefs in town. For a long period, he was the Chef at SchauMahl in Offenbach, where he earned 15 points in the Gault Millau.

Picture: Christoph Kubenz and Christian Schiller at SchauMahl a few Years ago. See: The Bistronomics Cuisine of Chef Christoph Kubenz and the Wines of Winemaker Christian Stahl at Restaurant schauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany

In mid-2017, Chef Christoph Kubenz re-opened Biancalani and was immediately awarded 16 points in the Gault Millau 2018. That put him in the top 10 league in Frankfurt, with Lafleur (18 points), Carmelo Greco, Français and Lohninger (17 points), Erno’s Bistro, Gustav, Weinsinn and Schaumahl in Offenbach (16 points). With Carmelo Greco and Lohninger, Biancalani was in the group of restaurants that were downgraded in the Gault Millau 2019.

The Menu/ (Corso al Gusto)

The standard is that you choose 5 items for Euro 70. Each additional item is Euro 10. If you want less, you can also eat a la carte for Euro 15 per item.

Minestrone

Gemüsefond mit Urkarotte, Sellerie, Tomate, Lauch und Perlgraupen - vegetable broth with carrot, celeriac, tomato, leek and pearl barley

Cavolo

Zusammenspiel von Rotkohl und Rosenkohl mit Kichererbsencreme - red cabbage and Brussel sprout with chickpeas mash

Portobello

Geschmorter Portobello mit Zimt-Granola, Karotte und Zwiebeln - portobello with cinnamon granola, carrot and onions

Barbabietola

Auf Salz gegarte Rote Bete mit Pumpernickel, Rucola-Fond und Pesto - beetroot with pumpernickel, rocket and pesto

Aragosta

Hummer mit Tagliatelle, Petersilie und Peperoni - lobster with tagliatelle, parsley and hot peppers

Frutti di Mare

Sepia, Miesmuscheln und Octopus mit Salsiccia Ravioli und Grünkohl-Fond - cuttlefish, mussels and octopus with salsiccia ravioli and kale fond

Branzino

Filet vom Wolfsbarsch mit Linsencreme, Mandarine und Topinambur-Kaffee-Fond - sea base with lentils creme, tangerines and topinambour coffee fond

Maiale

Duett vom Schwein mit Kürbis und Maronen - two kinds of pork with pumpkin and chestnuts

Vitello

Gebratenes Filet und geschmorte Schulter vom Kalb mit Petersilienwurzel und Steckrübe - roast fillet and stewed shoulder of veal with parsley root and turnip

Tiramisú

Bisquit mit Mascarpone, Kaffee und Amarenakirsche - bisquit with mascarpone, coffee and amarena cherry

What I Chose

Minestrone

Gemüsefond mit Urkarotte, Sellerie, Tomate, Lauch und Perlgraupen - vegetable broth with carrot, celeriac, tomato, leek and pearl barley

Frutti di Mare

Sepia, Miesmuscheln und Octopus mit Salsiccia Ravioli und Grünkohl-Fond - cuttlefish, mussels and octopus with salsiccia ravioli and kale fond

Aragosta

Hummer mit Tagliatelle, Petersilie und Peperoni - lobster with tagliatelle, parsley and hot peppers

Greetings from the Kitchen

Branzino

Filet vom Wolfsbarsch mit Linsencreme, Mandarine und Topinambur-Kaffee-Fond - sea base with lentils creme, tangerines and topinambour coffee fond

Tiramisú

Bisquit mit Mascarpone, Kaffee und Amarenakirsche - bisquit with mascarpone, coffee and amarena cherry

The Wines

We had 12 bottles of 9 different wines.

After-party

We programmed the dinner to end at midnight, when Johnny turned a year older. A few other people showed up for Johnny's birthday and we partied for another 2 to 3 hours.