As in the previous years, a dozen or so head chefs were nominated in five different categories. At the inaugural gala in Łódź one laureate in each category was chosen. The jury chose Andrea Camastra (Senses, Warsaw) to be the Chef of the Year and Katarzyna Daniłowicz (Olszewskiego 128, Wrocław) as the Female Chef of the Year. Ernest Jagodziński won in the category Chef of Tomorrow (Cucina 88, Poznań) while Łukasz Budzik (Mennicza Fusion, Wrocław) won the Young Talent category.
The gala was accompanied by a degustation dinner. Janusz Fic served rabbit with pumpkin, green pea, matzo and caviar for the cold appetizer; Katarzyna Daniłowicz cooked the hot appetizer: soft-boiled egg with yellow beetroot, quince and vegetarian black pudding; Ernest Jagodziński and Martin Gimenez Castro prepared the main dishes, having consecutively cooked halibut with coconut milk and mango, and lamb loin with black quinoa, sweet grass and red pepper. Maciej Rosiński proposed chocolate with yuzu, plump and mascarpone for the dessert.
As much as 123 restaurants in Warsaw were awarded. Atelier Amaro and Senses – the only two Polish restaurants to have gained Michelin stars – received four hats. Kraków may flatter oneself on having 45 awarded restaurants. Two restaurants: Trzy Rybki and Copernicus, received three hats.
A restaurant needs to gain at least 10 points (out of 20) to find one's way into the guide. The points are converted into hats.
Author: Magdalena Kasprzyk-Chevriaux, December 2016, translated by AW, December 2016