Departures United Kingdom Spring 2018

BLACKBOOK Clockwise from

BLACKBOOK Clockwise from top left: kingfish ceviche with tomatoes and jalapeños at Restaurant Intense; Markus Schneider at his eponymous winery; LA Jordan’s bright dining room; chef Benjamin Peifer (left) and his team at Restaurant Intense A TASTE When it comes to the gastronomic touchstones of Europe, names like Tuscany, Piedmont and Provence, not to mention the Rhone Valley and the fast-emerging Douro in Portugal quickly leap to the lips of global bons vivants. But mention Pfalz (up until recently known as the Palatinate) and you are more likely to be met with quizzical DISCOVERING PFALZ In the forested region between Germany’s Rhine and Mosel rivers, hitherto known as the domain of white-wine vintners, inventive cuisine is starting to emerge and take hold, as FRANZISKA SENG reports looks. This shouldn’t be the case: the region, now a Unesco-protected area, has been drawing visitors since the 19th century to view the majestic castles perched above the Rhine and has been tempting oenophiles since Roman times, all along producing many of Germany’s leading wines in a mild microclimate that allows for just the right acidity to create the rare white vintages that age well. Culinarily, it has been undermined by its most famous dish, the saumagen, about which the less said the better (it is essentially German haggis). But a crop of both young and established chefs have reignited Pfalz’s gastronomic pride and are innovating in ways that impress those with the most discerning palates. Take Restaurant Intense ( € restaurant-inten. se), in the hamlet of Kallstadt. The barrel- MARTIN KREUZER (3), © LA JORDAN (BOTTOM RIGHT) 28 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: STEFFEN BECK, THERESIAS TOCHTER FOTOGRAFIE, MARTIN KREUZER vaulted dining room is equipped with sleek wood furniture and only partially prepares guests for chef Benjamin Peifer’s audacious omakase menu of both homegrown and Asian-inspired dishes. Offbeat creations like salmon-trout ike jime with pumpkin, bergamot and verbena so impressed Michelin judges that the restaurant won its first star within a few months of its 2017 debut. Not far away, the small town of Deidesheim has become a de rigueur destination for gourmands. The storied winemaking village boasts a treasure trove of up-and-coming wineries, traditional guesthouses and fine-dining restaurants. At the LA Jordan (lajordan.de), in the heritage-imbued Ketschauer Hof, Daniel Schimkowitsch – who cut his teeth under chef Christian Jürgens at Bavaria’s acclaimed Restaurant Überfahrt – champions contemporary European fare that features local and foreign influences in dishes like charred beef teriyaki with summer truffles or goose liver and eel served with red cabbage, olives and shiso. Another Deidesheim highlight is Fumi (josef-biffar.de), a Japanese eatery at the 126-year-old Josef Biffar winery, a unique pairing of fine German wines and Nipponese staples by owner Fumiko Tokuoka. Just around the corner, Weingut von Winning ( € von-winning.de) is the place for exquisite vintages. At home in a grand sandstone villa, the winery has made a name for itself over the past decade under general manager Stephan Attmann for its superlative selection of experimental rieslings. Over in Ellerstadt, Markus Schneider’s (black-print.net) eponymous winery produces the expected rieslings and pinot gris, both of which are exceptional and top-notch, but it’s the red cuvées that have garnered the most applause, especially from those who normally give a wide berth to German reds. Favourites like Black Print and Tohuwabohu are dark, robust blends featuring varietals – such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot – most often associated with southern France. If the spirit so moves you, Pfalz’s beloved saumagen has been improved upon (if not perfected) by chef Manfred Schwarz, who serves it up at his Schwarz Restaurant ( € schwarz-restaurant. de), which opened in nearby Kirchheim in 2017. It’s a throwback to the region’s heritage and, with its truffle accents and novel flavours, a step toward Pfalz’s gastronomic future. ♦ EMMA WOLF SINCE 1920 Hidden in the basement of a shopping centre, the chic neo-bistro led by chef Dennis Maier – whose past credits include stints at the Ketschauer Hof and Juan Amador’s now-defunct Sra Bua in Frankfurt – serves up sophisticated yet utterly imaginative plates: from a delectable fish sandwich to a five-course meal (for which you can choose from dishes like grilled tomato with burrata, parsley frappé and pomegranate or Faroe salmon with radish, FOR THE WEEKEND apple-celery ice cream and kimchi stock). And apparently the secret’s now out about the subterranean eatery: Michelin recently award it a star. emmawolf1920.com SIEFERLE & SAILER Musician-cum-bartender Paul Sieferle’s bar and barbershop combines a number of life’s pleasures. After a refreshing trim or shave, the bar is a few steps away, where elixirs like the Black Forest Old Fashioned, with Jerusalem artichoke schnapps and an Clockwise from top: Paul Sieferle and Marco Sailer at their barbershopcum-bar; the colourful bar at Speicher7; grilled tomatoes, burrata, pomegranate and parsley frappé at Emma Wolf MANNHEIM RISING An energetic, creative spirit is gripping the once-industrial city on the Rhine, which is now worthy a detour infusion of ham and pickle, are as divine as the music selection. € sieferleundsailer.de SPEICHER7 Hugging the Rhine within the city centre, this intimate, 20-key hotel is housed in an erstwhile grain silo that retains its industrial charm, accented by a stylish mix of vintage and classic furniture. Don’t miss the yoga and meditation space, as well as the adjoining sauna area, for one of the city’s premier spaces to unwind. speicher7.com —FS CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM 29