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- Wednesday 31st January 2018
Wednesday 31st January 2018
Day 14 of 18
Jorge Vallejo
Quintonil
Newton 55 Polanco, 11560 Miguel Hidalgo CDMX Mexico
+52 55 5280 1660
Jorge Vallejo
Jorge Vallejo is one of Mexico’s leading progressive chefs. His restaurant Quintonil is currently placed at 22 on the World’s 50 Best List. A native of Mexico City, he graduated from the Centro Culinario de Mexico Ambrosia and began his career in the kitchens of Princess Cruises’ liners, before returning to Mexico to work at Pujol.
He then took on the position of corporate chef at Grupo Habita, where he oversaw kitchens at the Condesadf, Habita and Distrito Capital hotels and was executive chef of Restaurante Diana at The St Regis hotel. He spent time in René Redzepi’s kitchen at Noma before opening Quintonil with wife Alejandra Flores (who runs front of house) in 2012.
Quintonil’s black painted frontage stands out on the tree-lined street in the upmarket Polanco district of Mexico City. Inside, the elegant yet relaxed dining room has a natural feel with light wood panelling, exposed wood table tops, mirrors and greenery, a nod to the chef’s passion for vegetables, herbs and greens.
Vallejo uses locally sourced Mexican ingredients, some from the restaurant’s own rooftop garden, to create vibrant dishes such as the signature avocado tartar, made with ant larvae and Mexican herb chips. Vallejo employs his encyclopaedic knowledge of Mexican cuisine to reinvent traditional dishes so that salbute, the puffed deep-fried tortilla usually topped with chicken and avocado, is instead stuffed with glazed mushrooms in agave honey, fresh corn kernels and ‘chile mixe’ salt.
One of the chef’s own favourite dishes on Quintonil’s 11-course tasting menu is his take on the classic dish of huazontles (a wild green native to Mexico) that he serves with cheese from the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, tomato salsa and habanero chilli. “It incorporates excellent Mexican ingredients but also reflects an interest in new techniques and simply, the way I want to cook something,” Vallejo told eater.com.
In 2014, FOUR Magazine named Vallejo a World Rising Star and he won Best Plate Presentation at the Gourmet Awards. He has een named Chef of the Year by GQ magazine and has received Millesime México Best Restaurant prize. Vallejo was invited by The Best Chef, an organization promoting new global culinary talents, to cook a dinner for the world’s 100 best chefs in Lyon and he has appeared at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and Madrid Fusion.
Jorge Vallejo's Menu
SCALLOPS “VUELVE A LA VIDA”
Noisette Spices
Redoma Rosé, Dirk Niepoort, Douro Valley, Portugal 2015
LANGOUSTINE MOSAIC
“Tomatillo” Sour Cream and Caviar Sauce
Montlouis, Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups, Clos de Mosny, 2013
TURBOT
Chilhuacle Chilli Gastric
Viognier, Tepusquet Vineyard, Cambria Estate Winery, Santa Maria Valley, California, USA, 2014
PARTRIDGE
Caramelised Onion Glaze and Chestnut Purée
Beaune, 1er Cru Clos Du Roi, Jean-Jacques Girard, Burgundy, France, 2012
LAMB SADDLE
Hoja Santa, Mole from Atocpan
Finca Terrerazo, Vino de Pago, Bodega Mustiguillo, Valencia, Spain, 2014
MAMEY PANNA COTTA
With Toasted Corn Crumble and “Pixtle” Ice Cream
Late Harvest Semillon, Gewürtztraminer, Casa Silva, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2015
Obsession Food Festival
Obsession is a celebration of great food, wine and a meeting of friends, old and new. It began in 2001 at Northcote and was created by Chef Ambassador Nigel Haworth.
From that first event, its size has grown but the ethos is still very much the same; a completely memorable culinary experience with some of the world’s most innovative chefs creating unique Obsession menus for guests to enjoy at Northcote.
Video
Film by Skyhawx
Image Gallery
OBSESSION 18 SPONSORS
HEADLINE SPONSOR
Sous Vide Tools
sousvidetools.com
01524 770060
Sous Vide Tools
Contact Details
sousvidetools.com
01524 770060
MAIN KITCHEN SPONSOR
Electrolux Professional
www.electroluxprofessional.com/gb/
03444 631 260
Electrolux Professional
Electrolux Professional provides globally renowned kitchen solutions and innovative products to meet the needs of chefs at Northcote; the home of Obsession 24.
Contact Details
www.electroluxprofessional.com/gb/
03444 631 260
CHEF TABLE SPONSOR
Gaggenau
gaggenau.com/gb
0344 892 8988
Gaggenau
Gaggenau is a manufacturer of high-quality home appliances and acknowledged as an innovation leader in design and technology “Made in Germany.” The company, with a history dating back to 1683, has revolutionised the domestic kitchen with its internationally acclaimed products. Gaggenau’s success is founded on technological innovation and a clear design language combined with high functionality. Gaggenau is currently represented in more than 50 countries with 24 flagship showrooms in major cities around the world.
Contact Details
gaggenau.com/gb
0344 892 8988
TRAVEL SPONSOR
Pure Luxury Holidays
pureluxuryholidays.co.uk
0800 747 0000
Pure Luxury Holidays
Gold Medal Travel's Pure Luxury provide personally tailored worldwide holidays to exact specifications of individuals, couples or family groups.
Contact Details
pureluxuryholidays.co.uk
0800 747 0000
Obsession Partners
The Wright Wine Company
Yorkshire Wine & Spirits Merchant
Specialist supplier of wine and spirits, ranging from the everyday to the premium, for both retail and the trade. We are proud to be chosen by several leading restaurants and michelin-starred hoteliers to help create award-winning wine lists and drinks menus, and enjoy a close working relationship, both personal and professional, with owners, sommeliers and managers alike.
Contact Details
Louis Roederer Champagne
Founded in 1776 in Reims, Louis Roederer is an independent family-run champagne house producing Louis Roederer and Cristal champagnes. Pioneers in sustainable farming, Louis Roederer works hand in hand with nature to produce extraordinary wines that reflect the terroir of the champagne soils and the passion of the Rouzaud family.
Contact Details
Wedgwood
Wedgwood exports all over the world with a commitment to creating premium, desirable and distinctively English home and lifestyle products to delight consumers.
Contact Details
Riedel
Riedel is known for the creation and development of grape varietal-specific stemware. Riedel Crystal was the first in history to recognize that the taste and aroma of a beverage is affected by the shape of the vessel from which it is consumed, and has been recognized for its revolutionary designs complementing alcoholic beverages and other drinks.
Founded in 1756 and pioneering grape varietal-specific stemware since 1958, Riedel has become the brand of choice for wine connoisseurs and drink specialists, hospitality professionals and consumers globally.
Contact Details
EVENING SPONSOR
Obsession Partners
Gaggenau
Gaggenau is a manufacturer of high-quality home appliances and acknowledged as an innovation leader in design and technology “Made in Germany.” The company, with a history dating back to 1683, has revolutionised the domestic kitchen with its internationally acclaimed products. Gaggenau’s success is founded on technological innovation and a clear design language combined with high functionality. Gaggenau is currently represented in more than 50 countries with 24 flagship showrooms in major cities around the world.
Contact Details
gaggenau.com/gb
0344 892 8988