As 16 days of Obsession 19 is over, we take a look back at our favourite dishes from each night of the festival.
Day 1
Lisa Goodwin-Allen • Northcote
Lancashire
1 Michelin Star
Our own executive chef got this year’s festival underway in true Lancashire style. Her menu echoed the ‘classics with a twist’ style of her gourmet and tasting menus, but offered different flavours including an ox dish matched with aged sour cream, cucumber pickle & dill and a stunning blood orange “jaffa” dessert that was a real showstopper. Lisa’s night set the bar high for the next 16 days as she looked forward to welcoming an array of eclectic chefs, each one with their own signature style for guests to savour.
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Day 2
Norbert Niederkofler • Restaurant St Hubertus
San Cassiano in Badia, Italy
3 Michelin Stars
The second evening saw the three star chef from the Dolomites bring his ‘cook the mountain’ ethos to the Northcote kitchen. Norbert looks for natural synergies between the agriculture, scientists, historians and cooks of the region. Revealing his ‘Pomodoro?’ (‘Tomato?’) opening dish contained no tomato at all, the suceeding plates delighted throughout the evening with dishes including white fish tartare, trout ‘Mugnaia style’ and finishing with a sweet ravioli with chestnut, clementine & coffee flavours.
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RAVIOLI DI CACHI, CASTAGNE, MANDARINO E CAFÉ, Kaki Ravioli, Chestnuts, Clementine & Coffee • Norbert Niederkofler
Day 3
Ian Scaramuzza • In Situ
San Francisco, California USA
1 Michelin Star
Many believe cooking to be an art and on day three the two were combined as Ian Scaramuzza who heads up In Situ. The restaurant is housed in the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco and, just as the museum curates its art collection, the restaurant curates a collection of signature dishes of the world’s most famous chefs. Ian’s chosen Obsession dishes included a 48 month parmesan custard, Périgord truffle glaze, piedmont hazelnuts and a striking dessert of frozen mandarin marshmallow.
FROZEN MANDARIN MARSHMALLOW • Ian Scaramuzza
Day 4
Ollie Dabbous • Hide
Mayfair, London
1 Michelin Star
Since 2018, Ollie Dabbous has concentrated his considerable culinary talents on Hide, a £20million, three story restaurant and bar overlooking Green Park which was awarded its first Michlin star in October 2018. Head chefs Luke Selby from Hide Above and Josh Angus from Hide Ground cooked Ollie’s dishes which were intricately presented. His famed ‘nest egg’ was on the menu alongside roast dusk, earl grey custard and ‘gold leaf’ to finish the experience.
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ALLIUMS IN A CHILLED PINE INFUSION • Ollie Dabbous
Day 5
Cristina Bowerman • Glass Hostaria
Rome, Italy
1 Michelin Star
The second Italian Obsession chef is hard to miss with her trademark bright pink spiky hair, but it didn’t detract attention away from the former lawyer’s stunning food. While intriguing dishes like orzotto “like a risotto” and panetonne sandwich with duck leg confit may have left diners wondering what to expect, they transferred onto the plate in a playful style which really delivered.
PANETTONE SANDWICH WITH DUCK LEG CONFIT Duck Pastrami, Mango Kimchi & Duck Heart Tartare • Cristina Bowerman
Day 6
Marc Fosh • Restarant Marc Fosh
Palma de Mallorca
1 Michelin Star
It was a family affair as Marc’s wife Iris who works with him as a chef joined him on the trip to Northcote’s Obsession kitchen. His position as the only british chef to win a Michelin star in Spain still stands as he set to producing dishes whose flavours could transport you to the Balearics. Colourful and flavour-ful, wild seabass with smoked eel ‘pil-pil’ and a refreshing preserved lemon cream dessert were among his beautiful, delicate courses.
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IBERIAN SUCKLING PIG WITH BRAISED CHEEKS, Rhubarb, Star Anise & New Potato-Sobrasada “Skins” • Marc Fosh
Day 7
Srijith Gopinathan • Taj Campton Place
San Francisco, California, USA
1 Michelin Star
A contrast in flavours for our first San Franciscan chef of the festival, Sri. Born in India, he brings delicate spices to his dishes with the emphasis on flavour rather than heat. His European-Californian-Indian fusion cooking. Taking inspiration from his time in the UK, classical European cooking techniques and of course growing up in Southern India, his Obsession menu combined the styles in a flurry of flavour and colour.
AVOCADO VARIATIONS • Srijith Gopinathan
Day 8
James Lowe • Lyle’s
Shoreditch, London
1 Michelin Star
Like many of the chefs at this year’s Obsession, James is passionate about sustainability. His daily changing menus feature some of the finest British seasonal produce. His dish of brussel tops, mussels and loveage is a fine example of using as much of the seasonal produce as possible to create picture perfect courses.
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RICOTTA ICE CREAM & FIG LEAF OIL • James Lowe
Day 9
Hywel Jones • Restaurant Hywel Jones
Lucknam Park, Colerne, England
1 Michelin Star
Eatng Hywel’s food has been described as ‘superb’and ‘an unforgettable experience, but receiving critical acclaim and accolades as head chef at Foliage at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (where he earned his first Michelin star), Damien Hirst’s Pharmacy restaurant in Notting Hill and Lola’s in Islington, it’s easy to see why. His precise salmon course set the tone for the duck, turbot, lamb and dessert courses which followed.
CITRUS CURED LOCH DUART SALMON Porthilly Oyster, Petrossian Caviar, Sea Vegetables • Hywel Jones
Day 10
Joao Oliveira • Vista
Praia de Rocha, Portugal
1 Michelin Star
A taste of the Portuguese coast was brought to Lancashire by Joao and his team, with a largely Portuguese wine flight to accompany the delicate flavours, matched as always by MD Craig Bancroft, head sommelier Tamas and the wine team. No less than four of the delicious courses were fish based, and included giant azores squid, clams, seabass and a stunning langoustine dish. A refreshing menu ended with a pineapple and coconut course which succeded an homage to the Algarvian orange, a permanent fixture on the menu back at Vista, his restaurant at Hotel Bela Vista which hugs the coast.
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LANGOUSTINE Cauliflower, Halophytic Herbs, Caviar, Champagne • Joao Oliveira
Day 11
Niall Keating • Whatley Manor
Wiltshire, England
1 Michelin Star
A young gun with a Michelin star and Michelin’s young European chef of the year accolade to his name, 2019 looks set to be bright for Niall. His exciting innovative approach to country house cooking transferred beautifully to Northcote, as the British, French and Asian flavours that he loves to work with formed an Obsession menu that tasted as good as it looked.
CARAMEL CUSTARD TART, Toasted Rice Ice Cream Liqueur • Niall Keating
Day 12
Andrew Wong • A. Wong
Pimlico, London
1 Michelin Star
The kitchen was buzzing as a myriad of Chinese ingredients arrived; some well known, others not. Andrrew’s modern style brings the fine dining element into some classic dishes he learned from his family, making for an exciting menu. Guests could be forgiven for losing count of the courses which were served as salads, seafood, crackers and meat were presented to expectant diners who enjoyed the Chinese feast they were hoping for.
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ROASTED SCALLOP WITH GAI IAN Sichuanese Dressing & Barbecued Crispy Pork • Andrew Wong
Day 13
Lisa Goodwin-Allen • Romy Gill MBE • Marianne Lumb
Northcote • Romy’s Kitchen
It was the turn of a trio of talented chefs to cook up an Obsession 19 storm. An eclectic menu married together Romy’s Indian British flavours with Marianne’s influences from worldwide travel, book-ended by Lisa’s modern take on classic dishes. Each chef served up two dishes from mallard to mutton to masala sea bass. It was certainly a night to remember!
SEA KALE Burnt Celeriac, Yorkshire Rhubarb • Marianne Lumb
Day 14
Sayan Isaksson • Esperanto
Stockholm, Sweden
1 Michelin Star
Looking at Sayan’s menu, it could be difficult to picture what was to be served, but almost a week of non-stop planning in the Northcote kitchen with his assistant paid off with an unforgettable feast from the Thai born Swede. A menu of intricate, carefully-executed dishes included Yorkshire duck with blackcurrants, cod with wasabi and a dessert with potato. It had to be tasted to be believed and did not disappoint.
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CARAMELISED POTATO Grilled & Frozen Winter Apple Juice • Sayan Isaksson
Day 15
Matt Orlando • Amass
Copenhagen, Denmark
1 Michelin Star
Californian Matt Orlando has become a leading voice in hospitality on the subject of sustainability, reducing waste in his own kitchen by 75 per cent and laying out principles and practices for others to follow in order to achieve similar results. His restaurant Amass, is one of the most talked about contemporary restaurants in Copenhagen where he is head chef and owner. Working in professional kitchens since the age of just 15, Orlando has some of the finest establishments in the world & delivered some incredible flavour matches on his Obsession menu.
View all photos, video and menu of the night.
EGG WHITE CUSTARD Petrossian Caviar, Warm Brown Butter • Matt Orlando
Day 16
Nigel Haworth • Northcote
Lancashire
1 Michelin Star
As always it was left for Nigel to close the festival he created in style. The chef who retained Northcote’s Michelin star for over 20 years returned to the kitchen to create a menu which combined all of his influences from his career. It was a celebratory evening with good friends, good wine and food to match; the very foundations that Obsession was built on.
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HALIBUT Squid, Fermented White Cabbage, Yeast • Nigel Haworth