FOR THE LOVE OF FORAGED FOOD

by CHANTAL PANOZZO

How a celebrated Swiss chef has turned high-end dining into a down-to-earth experience

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In July 2019, when chef Sven Wassmer opened his latest restaurant, Memories, in the Swiss spa town of Bad Ragaz, he began a new chapter of his life. But before doing so he had to leave behind the two hardearned Michelin stars awarded to his former employer. That didn’t worry

INTERVIEW Wassmer, who was also awarded 18 Gault Millau points in 2018. ENTREVUE

Despite all the accolades, he is still humble enough to personally serve guests, including me, the food he cooks. What happens before your meal ever hits the dining room is what matters most. Imagine this – Wassmer, wandering the steep slopes and deep woods of Bad Ragaz. In all types of weather, there he is foraging for wild fruit, herbs, and mushrooms – the best of which end up on diners’ plates at Memories. Saying he has an appreciation for produce is an understatement. Wassmer is a guy I might have a drink with – if he wasn’t so busy. He operates his kitchen with such precision it almost appears as if his crisp, white-collared team is performing surgery instead of preparing hay kombucha for my first course.

The amber liquid is served in a plain bowl. On its inner rim is a small bouquet of hay. I hold the bowl up to my mouth and inhale. MUSIC MUSIQUE I’m immediately transported out of the dining room and into to the surrounding Alps while the flavor of a freshly picked apple swirls around in my mouth and a surprisingly spicy aftertaste cleanses my RECIPE RECETTE palate. For the next course, all that matters to Wassmer is that my carrot tastes like a carrot. But a funny thing happens when a chef makes a carrot taste like itself, it’s no longer a carrot. It’s a culinary piece of art. “The longer I cook, the more I leave out,” he explains. He sets the “Carrot from Pratval” in front of me.

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The single carrot, cooked whole, is sitting on a bed of Alpine barley, as if it hasn’t quite left its mountain garden. But if I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought I was eating sweet potato. This carrot is melodious and it melts in my mouth. We’re far from the final course, and yet this carrot could have been the nine-course meal’s sweet finale.

His desire is for all his diners to “taste again, as if they’ve never tasted before.” My meal could stop now and he would have already succeeded.

But luckily, it didn’t end there. I would have missed the miniature Alpine herb bouquet tied with a single chive and the sourdough bread, made with only flour, water and salt. I would have also missed the “white mountain sheep from the Bernese Oberland” placed on a bed of herbs from the meadow of its origin. And then I would not have been served drinks by Amanda Wassmer-Bulgin, Switzerland’s most famous female sommelier and also Wassmer’s wife.

And finally, I’m glad I didn’t miss the encore – pickled Alpine flowers set atop a meringue resembling the cloud nine I feel I’m floating on after this meal. Such an experience, however minimal the intention, is hard to forget. To that notion, Wassmer simply smiles. After all, his restaurant is called Memories for a reason.

Swiss wines you need to try

You’ll need to visit Switzerland if you want to sample its wines since the vast majority of them are not exported. Here’s a wish list of wines recommended by Memories’ sommelier Amanda WassmerBulgin.

Weingut Donatsch, Pinot Blanc, Malans

Gentle on the aromatics, but a refreshing white to suit any occasion.

Weingut Donatsch, Pinot Noir Unique, Malans

You’ll think you’re in Burgundy, thanks to the pronounced bright red notes of wild strawberries and violets.

Weingut Obrecht, Completer, Jenins

Offering a vibrant, mouth-watering acidity and rich, broad texture, it’s white that could easily replace a red on a menu.

Demeter Biodynamic, Weingut Hansruedi Adank, Brut, Fläsch

Simply the best sparkling wine in Switzerland.

Peter Wegelin, Chardonnay, Malans

An exceptional local Chardonnay with lean and taut structure with a Chablisesque mineral streak. Think juicy candied lemons with a salty finish.

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