Le Pan Focus
Kick off the new year in truly delicious style by making a date for a meal during award-winning chef Christian Bau’s guest chef stint at Le Pan
Showcasing Bau’s distinctive style of contemporary European cuisine blended with inspired Asian elements, this three-day culinary extravaganza takes place from 10-12 January 2019—featuring a five-course lunch menu and eight-course dinner menu of Bau’s signature creations, before culminating in a unique four hands wine dinner collaboration with Le Pan’s own chef Edward Voon.
The fact that Bau’s restaurant, Victor’s Fine Dining in Germany, was awarded three Michelin stars back in 2005 (making him the youngest ever German chef to receive the honour)—and has retained the accolade to this day—should give diners a hint as to the gastronomic wonders that await during the time at Le Pan.
Having been inspired by his long-time travels in the East, Bau has gained a reputation for his impeccable balance of French and Asian cuisine—an exciting evolution of classic techniques and ingredients, but which isn’t just innovation for innovation’s sake either. Whilst you might find Bau wearing sneakers and jeans in the kitchen, perfection, precision and discipline remain at the heart of his cooking; his unique style comes from understanding when to respect the traditions of French haute cuisine, whilst also being open to embracing new influences when they actually stand to make his food taste better—resulting in dishes that are known to be not only technically complex and assured, but also brilliantly balanced and accessible.
Whilst you might find Bau wearing sneakers and jeans in the kitchen, perfection, precision and discipline remain at the heart of his cooking
This is an inventive, vibrant style of fine dining that wears its excellence with zero pretentions. Instead, Bau describes his cuisine as “light, contemporary and cosmopolitan”; for instance, in contrast to tradition French cooking, his dishes rarely use rich creams or butters, instead preferring to let fresh or raw ingredients sing. A frequent visitor to Asia, Bau is particularly renowned for shining the spotlight on Japanese ingredients and cooking techniques in Europe—in fact, he was one of the first chefs to import fresh yuzu to Germany. And as a self-proclaimed “product fetishist”, if an ingredient is not available in the best possible quality, it simply does not make the cut on Bau’s menus.
