Fred Sirieix on teaming up
with top chefs to showcase
exceptional restaurants
COOKERY
Masterclass:
Angela and
Fred make
risotto
F r e d ’sREMARKABLE PLACES TO EAT IS
PREVIEWED ON PAGES 64-finest dining
F
red Sirieix is the most
famous maitre d’ in the
country thanks to C4’s
First Dates, and in real
life he’s the general manager of a
Michelin-starred London eatery.
So if anyone knows what makes a
top restaurant experience, it’s him!
In new BBC2 series Remarkable
Places to Eat, Fred travels the globe
with a host of famous chefs to reveal
some of the world’s best dining
establishments. The first episode
sees Angela Hartnett sharing her
Venetian gastronomic tips, while
later weeks see Fred sample the
culinary delights of Edinburgh
with Tom Kerridge, tour Paris with
Michel Roux Jr and visit Spain’s
San Sebastian with Nisha Katona.
Here Fred, 47, tells TV Times
what’s on the show’s menu...What’s the thinking behind the
programme?
It’s hard when you
go to a new cityand don’t know where to eat. So I go
with chefs who know their stuff. We
were there to discover; we immersed
ourselves in the restaurants and met
like-minded people who believe in
quality. It’s the best show I’ve done.What was your highlight?
Venice. I was amazed how the locals
go everywhere by boat, and even the
restaurant deliveries are done like
that. In Venice they often just put
on food for tourists, but we found
a place that gets in fresh fish daily.What was it like touring Paris with
Michel, who you worked with at his
London restaurant Le Gavroche?
I love spending time with him. We
went to [famous Parisian restaurant]
La Tour d’Argent, which was a dream
come true. It’s the Holy Grail in the
restaurant industry. I went in the
wine cellar and learnt how, during
World War Two, the owner
walled it in so the Germans
wouldn’t get his wines!Do you visit budget-
friendly places, too?
Yes, the simplest foods
are the best. You don’t
need to spend€200 per dish to eat well – you can
just have a baguette. The baguettes
in Paris were great. Michel even
made baguettes for the first time!You get stuck in behind the scenes
at several restaurants, but you
struggled carrying vast trays at
Venice’s Caffè Florian, didn’t you?!
Thanks for reminding me! I like to
experience what other people do. But
carrying that tray was hard! It’s what
I do for a living but it was huge and
awkward – you need strength.Finally, what’s next for you?
A new CBBC show with Allegra
McEvedy called Step Up to the Plate,
where I teach kids aged nine to 14
to run restaurants. And we have
another First Dates Hotel coming
up. I still love First Dates!
Caren ClarkNEW COOKERY
Remarkable
Places to Eat
WEDNESDAY / BBC2 / 8PM
Wellington, banana-hazelnut tarte
tatin for dessert and elderflower
cooler to drink.
Sounds delicious! Who would be
your dream dinner guests?
The Backstreet Boys, Sir David
Attenborough, [American actor]
Dwayne Johnson, musician Alicia
Keys and Sister, Sister stars Tia
and Tamera Mowry.
Finally, you’re always cooking
for other people – what is the
best meal you’ve ever had
cooked for you?
[Israeli-English chef, writer
and restaurant owner] Yotam
Ottolenghi cooked me a semolina
gnocchi that was pure cheesy
deliciousness when I was on his
podcast. It was the most delicious
thing ever. Nobody ever cooks for
me, so it was a real treat!
elaine reilly
Fungi farm:
Nadiya discovers
how mushrooms
are grownNADIYA’S TIME TO EAT IS
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