Scan Magazine | Culinary Feature | Charles & De
Honest cooking Delicious food does not always have to be expensive. Delicious food made by a world champion chef, however, tends to be somewhat pricy, if not extortionate. However, there are exceptions even to this rule. One of these exceptions is Charles & De, a friendly restaurant in Sandnes where everyone can enjoy exceptional food – without emptying their bank account. By Kjersti Westeng | Photos: Charles & De
One thing is for sure: it is certainly not every day that a culinary World Champion decides to open up his own restaurant in a small town like Sandnes in western Norway. However, that is exactly what happened in May 2005, when Charles and Monica Tjessem first opened the doors to Charles & De. The world-renowned chef Charles Tjessem was titled World Champion in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or in 2003 as well as being Captain of the Norwegian National Team of Chefs from 2000 to 2004. But despite his very impressive CV, Tjessem and his wife wanted Charles & De to be a casual yet stylish restaurant. They wanted the prices to be reasonable, so that people could afford to come back, and they wanted to make use of the ex-
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cellent local ingredients that western Norway has to offer. “Most of our guests are returning customers, which must mean that they not only like the food, but also enjoy the atmosphere,” says chef Tjessem.
cut at five in the morning and delivered to us at eight. In a few hours, I’m going to pick up freshly picked raspberries from a local farmer,” explains Tjessem, who believes in transparency and honesty, in both taste and ingredients, but also in people. His team consists of a hand-picked group of skilled chefs who are all determined to create amazing culinary experiences for every single visitor. At the same time, all visitors can trust that everything is made from carefully chosen ingredients of excellent quality. Seasonal menu
Local ingredients Known for his good craftsmanship and passion for local ingredients, Tjessem has written a total of seven cookery books, including the best seller Rett skal være rett in 2006. In this book, Tjessem shares hundreds of recipes made with local ingredients from Rogaland in western Norway. Keen to encourage the use of local produce and fresh ingredients, he wrote the book after the opening of Charles & De. “I always do my utmost to get hold of local and fresh ingredients. The lettuce is
Open Monday to Saturday from 11 am, Charles & De is popular for both lunch and dinner. The seasonal menu changes five times a year, allowing the use of ripe ingredients in season. “Because so many of our guests are returning customers, we make sure to reinvent ourselves from time to time,” says the star chef. The lunch menu consists of delicious sandwiches, soups, salads and pizzas, as well as other popular lunch favourites such as pasta, beef burgers and wraps. Dinner guests can choose between two à la carte