Remember those "mystery flights" from the '90s? Where you would buy a plane ticket and not know where you were heading until check-in? Well, the global culinary collective, Gelinaz!, has organised something similar with international chefs and it's way cooler than a day trip to Dubbo.
On July 9, 37 of the world's best chefs will be swapping kitchens with each other as part of The Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle. The chefs know which restaurant they'll be cooking at but ticket holders will have no idea who is on the pans until they sit down to dinner.
Jock Zonfrillo (Orana, Adelaide) and Ben Shewry (Attica, Melbourne) are providing their Australian kitchens for this event, which features a line-up of the food world's heavy-hitters. We're talking Rene Redzepi (Noma), Magnus Nilsson (Faviken), Daniel Patterson (Coi), Danny Bowien (Mission Chinese), Alex Atala (D.O.M), Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana), David Thompson (Nahm) and Alain Ducasse (Le Plaza Athenee).
Chefs just won't be swapping kitchens either. They'll be living in each others homes and performing day-to-day tasks like dog-walking and plant-watering. "Swapping lives and identities," says the Gelinaz! website.
Tickets for the dinners are on sale to the public from May 13. Prices are still to be announced although the cost should still be cheaper than an international flight to one of the world's best restaurants.
Rene Redzepi was recently in Australia for purposes unknown. Perhaps Melbourne or Adelaide will be getting a taste of Noma come July?
The full Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle line up:
Ben Shewry, Attica, Australia
Jock Zonfrillo, Orana, Australia
Kobe Desramaults, In De Wulf, Belgium
Alex Atala, D.O.M., Brazil
Colombe Saint-Pierre, Chez Saint-Pierre, Canada
Rodolfo Guzman, Borago, Chile
René Redzepi, Noma, Denmark
Paul Cunningham, Henne Kirkeby Kro, Denmark
Claude Bosi, Hibiscus, England
Bertrand Grebaut, Septime, France
Alain Ducasse, La Plaza Athenee, France
Yannick Alleno, Le Doyen, France
Inaki Alzpitarte, Le Cheateaubriand, France
Mauro Colagreco, Mirazur, France
Alexandre Gauthier, La Grenouillere, France
Davide Scabin, Combal Zero, Italy
Fulvio Pierangelini, Hotel de Russie, Italy
Riccardo Camanini, Lido 84, Italy
Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana, Italy
Massilmillano Alajmo, La Calandre, Italy
Yoshihiro Narisawa, Narisawa, Japan
Virgillo Martinez, Central, Peru
Ana Ros, Hisa Franko, Slovenia
Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz, Spain
Albert Adria, Pakta, Spain
Magnus Nilsson, Faviken, Sweden
Peter Nilsson, Spritmuseum, Sweden
David Thompson, Nahm, Thailand
Mehmet Gurs, Mikla, Turkey
Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food, USA
Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko, USA
Sean Brock, McCrady's, USA
David Kinch, Manresa, USA
Daniel Patterson, Coi, USA
Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, USA
Carlo Mirarchi, Blanca, USA
Blaine Wetzel, Willow's Inn, USA
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