Michelin star dinners at DIECI: 4-handed magic by Chef Gianfranco Chiarini and Chef Daniel Galmiche
Have you been to a theatre performance without knowing anything about the play, besides the director and the actors (who are extremely good but haven’t worked together by now)? Today’s story is about such a performance. The official name of the play is “Four-handed dinner at Dieci Boutique Restaurant with Chef. Daniel Galmiche & Chef. Gianfranco Chiarini”. Considering the experience and class of the two of them, we could not imagine what to expect. We were ready to see and try everything, absolutely everything.
This was the first one of a series of such events, unique for Bulgaria, initiated and hosted by Dieci restaurant and Chef Gianfranco Chiarini. A whole constellation of Michelin starred chefs is coming to Bulgaria in 2022 to present to Bulgarian audience 10-course dinners, prepared together with Chef Chiarini. The first guest was Chef Daniel Galmiche from France who has earned Michelin stars for 4 restaurants in England and Scotland. Learn more of the initiative of Dieci here: A CONSTELLATION OF MICHELIN STAR CHEFS COMING TO BULGARIA TO COOK WITH BULGARIAN PRODUCTS.
A festive day in Dieci
On 14 July the mood at Dieci is wonderful, even festive. Besides it is France’s National day, we are preparing to celebrate the fact that we will be a part of a unique event that will not only take us to a new culinary world but will show us again that great things can happen in Bulgaria, thanks to chef Chiarini.
We arrived early and found ourselves in a real paradise – we have the opportunity to witness the preparation of the dinner. I don’t know whether all great chefs look like this in the kitchen, but for us it was incredible. Their faces were calm and smiling, joking from time to time. But in their hands they were precise as surgeons, working absolutely calm, with no sign of stress.
Tonight there are actually three chefs at Dieci’s kitchen. First, the host and ideologist of this event, chef Gianfranco Chiarini. Next to him the guest chef Daniel Galmiche. And a precious support comes from Gabriela Grozeva – a talented young Bulgarian chef with experience in 2-Michelin star restaurant in Barcelona. And of course, the always charming chef Anna Chiarini, who takes perfect care that things between the kitchen and the dining room go smoothly at all times.
A curious fact is that chef Chiarini and chef Galmiche work for the first time in such format. But they both proved that when you are high-level professional, it is not complicated. Obviously, stress was out of the menu tonight. We left them finish the last details and took our seats in the cozy dining room of Dieci, waiting for the curtain to raise.
Showtime
Anna Chiarini enters the dining room with her unrepeatable charm, delicate gestures, sense of humour and empathy. She is able to make every guest relaxed. Dieci is everything but a restaurant making you feel uncomfortable with pretentious service or something else. Anna is very good at making people feel relaxed with her friendly smile and delicate recommendations on how to enjoy each dish or wine in the most proper way.
She explained that today’s 10-course menu will include 5 dishes from each chef, prepared with Bulgarian products (with very tiny exemptions). The dishes will arrive in order – one dish from Chef Gianfranco, one dish from chef Galmiche and so on. It is a great way to make the difference between the two chef’s styles. As chef Gianfranco has mentioned before, this is the goal. If he is to compete with someone, let it be the best in the profession. And let he public decide. Because the stars come naturally when you cook for the people and not for food critics.
Wine that talks to food
Enchanted by Anna’s introduction to the upcoming evening, we are quick to order our wine. We decided to order wine by the glass so we can pair different wines with the proper dishes. The wine list is well-known, from our favourite winery Villa Melnik. After several visits to Dieci, we can confirm that food and wine here are literally “talking”, as they were meant for each other. For the start we choose white wines from the Aplauz series – Chardonnay for Maria and Viognier for Andrey. We have tried both of them multiple times and we love them.
Welcome with bread and butter
Bread is the usual start of every dinner at Dieci. This time it is sourdough bread with savory, paired with orange butter. Exclusively for tonight the bread is supplied by a master baker from Veliko Tarnovo – Radoslav Todorov – Talented Musician & Baker (always fan and supporter) of Dieci.
While we enjoy the flavours of the bread and the citrus freshness of the butter in the warm summer night, here comes the amuse bouche.
Gianfranco Chiarini: Amuse Bouche
In the regular seasonal menu of Dieci the amuse bouche is usually a surprise. No description, not even a hint of what to expect. It is usually the bonus dish from Chef Gianfranco Chiarini, outside the official 10-course menu. It comes with a bang, sends our minds into a vortex of tastes and flavours to prepare us for the deep waters, where the real performance for the senses begins.
Today’s amuse bouche comes in a waffle cone with biochar. Biochar is lightweight black residue, made of carbon and ashes, remaining after the pyrolysis of biomass. This biochar is house-made by Chef Chiarini from vegetable residue in consent with their policy of minimum waste.
The cone itself, besides the very attractive colour, was full of flavours and almost as delicious as the stuffing. And what was inside was absolutely amusing. The “ice cream” was actually a delicious mousse of foie gras with pistachio. On the top is an attractive caramelised black truffle.
Truffles will be present in many other dishes in today’s menu, because there is abundance of them in Northeastern Bulgaria, where restaurant DIECI is located. The black winter truffles had a strong place in Dieci’s autumn/winter menu and now it is time for the summer black truffles. Today’s amuse bouche was prepared by chef Gianfranco Chiarini as a compliment to the guests, before the official 10-course tasting menu.
Daniel Galmiche: Welcome to Franche-Comté
With his first dish chef Daniel Galmiche welcomed us in his home – the French region of Franche-Comté, where he originates from. The dish is pork rilletes with coriander and star anise.
Rillettes is a preservation method where meat is slow cooked submerged in fat for several hours. Chef Galmiche explained that it was a popular apetizer during big family dinners in his home region. What we feel from this dish is the tender texture of the pork, in contrast to the freshness of the pickled red onions. And, as French people like, there is bread in the plate as well – so you can spread the pork onto it if you wish.
As a bridge through time and space, the fancy restaurant in the deep Bulgarian Northeast, determined to bring to Bulgaria the highest world culinary awards, took us to the French countryside, where warmth between people goes hand in hand with the cult to good food.
Gianfranco Chiarini: Phantom Black
The scary name of this dish has nothing to do with its tenderness. Inside the crispy tartlet is the creamy cheesecake from ricotta and smoked sturgeon, garnished with black sturgeon caviar on the top.
The fish comes from the Bulgarian part of Danube river. The feeling is tender and at the same time explosive. As you are awakening from a long sleep with a good news. The only unfortunate thing here is that there are very few producers of such products in Bulgaria and finding them is not that easy. But this is one of the unique powers of chef Gianfranco (we have written about it before) – he is always searching and discovering great Bulgarian products with world-class quality, although few people believe they even exist.
Daniel Galmiche: Salmon Mi-Cuit
Fish is the favourite product of chef Galmiche and Salmon Mi-Cuit is one of his world-known specialities. Mi-Cuit literally means “half-cooked”. The preparation method includes low-temperature cooking, cooling and finally quick grilling before serving. The result is almost creamy structure and extreme freshness, because the fish has not been through a harsh cooking. In our plates is comes together with Vierge sauce with Melnik grapes, caramelised endives and lemon basil leaves on the top for an even fresher finish.
Gianfranco Chiarini: Scallops lemon crudo and Bulgarian roses
The crude seafood is a stunning pleasure when it is high-quality and served in a good restaurant. In the spring menu of Dieci chef Gianfranco made us happy with fresh langoustines. Now it is time for scallops. They are covered with soft jelly made of Bulgarian roses from Kazanlak and rose hips. Topped with dried rose flowers and delicious summer truffle.
For us the most curious part of this dish were the caviar-looking pearls of squid ink, looking stunning similar to the sturgeon caviar from the cheesecake. Chef Chiarini explained that he made it by hand and it was simple and easy, in his words. With his experience, passion and imagination, chef Gianfranco Chiarini easily charm us every time.
Daniel Galmiche: Leeks with Black Truffle Thyme Jus and roasted hazelnuts
Chef Galmiche was obviously determined to take us to a journey through French cuisine, to the traditions and cosiness of his home. He personally noted that he liked leeks, so the last apetizer for the night was leeks with black truffle and thyme Jus.
A curious fact is that the sauce has been cooked for 2 days on slow heat until it reduces gradually, in order to reveal all tastes and flavours. It is not perfectly smooth so we can feel the truffles. For a crispy note on the final, there are sprinkled roasted hazelnuts from Stara Zagora region.
Intermezzo
We love this part of the menu. It is the time when the chef comes to speak to the guests, to take some rest, to have a talk about the place, the concept and to answer the many questions that have arised during the dinner. We spent this break on the comfortable white chairs around the fire pit in the garden, watching the pink sunset.
Chef Galmiche noted that when he stands at the front door of the old school in Devino and looks to the right, he sees his home village of Lure in France. When he looks to the left, he sees Tuscany, his wife’s home.
During these breaks we can see what is behind the beautiful and delicious dishes, sometimes looking as of another planet. And it is actually starts with human nature, inspiration and passion for a better and more beautiful life, accompanied by a lot of education, work and professionalism. We understood that the cooking of this dinner in the kitchen started 2 days before the date. And the collecting and preparing the products – months earlier by Chef Gianfranco Chiarini and chef Anna Chiarini.
Watching the sunset, we drink the last sips of our white wines and decide to proceed to something better fitting with the upcoming dishes. Our choice is GSM Barrel Aged by Villa Melnik – a wonderful blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Very aromatic but light wine, suitable to be served chilled. A great choice for the hot summer evening.
Gianfranco Chiarini: Lavender Gnocchi with Cherni Vit cheese bechamel
The pasta dishes of chef Gianfranco Chiarini act as a bridge between his Italian origin and his current life on Bulgarian soil. We adore his pasta with lyutenitsa which we have tasted in the spring 2021 menu. Now he presents pasta with one very interesting, almost forgotten and then revived product – the green cheese from Cherni Vit. We have previously told you how we discovered the cheese accidentally in 2015 and since then we love visiting the man who revived it – Tzvetan Dimitrov. We are more than happy that the Cherni Vit cheese was awarded a place in such a high-level menu and restaurant. Everybody in the kitchen of Dieci shared the thought that it was an amazing product. But let’s get back to the dish.
Lavender Gnocchi with Cherni Vit cheese bechamel by Chef Gianfranco Chiarini. Italian texture and flavours of summer. The final touch in this dish is the crispy pancetta, again of Bulgarian origin. A perfect combination and another bold invention of chef Chiarini that stunned everyone.
Daniel Galmiche: The Lamb
Although we are not big fans of lamb, we always try, especially if it is offered by a professional chef in a really good restaurant. Here we return to the French traditions and the feeling of home-made taste. The lamb rack is presented with Kazanlak roses scented Jus, carrots lime and pistachio. Touched to the last detail, this dish made us empty the dishes quite quickly.
Gianfranco Chiarini: Duck and Chocolate
Cold duck magret may sound more like an apetiser rather than a main course in most parts of the world. Well, not in Italy and the birth town of chef Gianfranco – Ferrara. As he noted, there it is acceptable and even popular to serve cold duck magret as a main course in the hot summer days. Why not? The dish quickly convinced us that Italians are always right when it comes to food. Today’s duck is tender, pink, almost creamy. Paired with cocoa and Troyanska slivova rakia demi-glace and topped with a smoked apple. The feeling in the mouth was like melting chocolate – just irresistible.
I doubt there is a theatre performance more exciting than this one. Bite after bite, we wonder what could possibly come next. And you can never guess, although you have the menu in front. Words are useless until you see it.
Daniel Galmiche: Pre-dessert
The pre-dessert is goat milk ice cream with pickled raspberries. The caramelised fennel seeds bring wonderful contrast and everybody in the room is admiring the great ideas of the two big chefs.
Gianfranco Chiarini: Yogurt on a pedestal
Bulgarian Yogurt is a product that chef Gianfranco often uses in his menus and we strongly appreciate this. Now we thank him again for choosing this traditional Bulgarian product as a basis for his main dessert and final of the menu. The dessert is Kiselo Mlyako Trilogy – three variations of Bulgarian yogurt. In the dish we have ice cream, jelly and a crust of dehydrated yogurt. Paired with mulberry gel and pistachio.
It brings the thought that here in Bulgaria, our home, great things can happen and there are places and ways to have a truly wonderful time. We just need to believe it and work more on this.
At the end of the dinner Anna Chiarini served us wonderful coffee and an unexpected digestive – small gummies in the shape of a Michelin star. Another bold invention of chef Chiarini. They are made of pear rakia (Bulgarian traditional brandy). As one of the guests noted, it was the first time we actually ate rakia!
Finale? Not at all!
This is how the play ended, the lights were lit and on the scene (actually on the couch) arrived the directors of this evening. They again shared the thought that working with Bulgarian products is a pleasure. We asked chef Galmiche what he would advise young Bulgarian chefs-to-be? “Visit all parts of the country, find traditional and artisanal products and realize what they have here, just like chef Gianfranco does.”, he replied.
We could not resist to ask another curious question to chef Galmiche, who has been awarded 4 times the Michelin star. Does DIECI and chef Gianfranco Chiarini have the potential to earn a Michelin star?
“Of course, I already told him” – said chef Galmiche. “I believe he will bring the first Michelin star to Bulgaria! I am pretty, pretty sure about it!”
We will also be more than happy Bulgaria to become a part of the Michelin map, because there are places and people that deserve it. And we believe the best is yet to come. Meanwhile, we thank chef Gianfranco Chiarini for the joy and pleasure he brings to us and the opportunity to become a part of events like the one tonight.
This was the first one of a series of such events, unique for Bulgaria and organised by Dieci restaurant. In 2022 Dieci is hosting 3 special dinners with Michelin Star chefs, who will cook together with Chef Gianfranco Chiarini to present a unique 10-course menu, produced entirely with Bulgarian products. Learn more about the initiative in this article: A CONSTELLATION OF MICHELIN STAR CHEFS COMING TO BULGARIA TO COOK WITH BULGARIAN PRODUCTS.
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