Mickael Viljanen

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They came from the north, when no one was expecting it. As Rene Redzepi of Noma has been conquering the globe, it is his foot soldiers, like Mickael Viljanen, who are acting as emissaries – and conquerors – as they spread the good news of the new Nordic cuisine. Just as Adria and his Spaniards seemed to emerge, fully formed, from the ether, the Nordic champions have appeared with all the necessary skills intact, combined with judgement, taste and imagination. Viljanen has all these gifts, and he is modest, to boot: he soaked up all he needed to know in those early days in Helsinki, and a spell with Paul Flynn in Dungarvan and at Gregan's Castle in Ballyvaughan, showed him what local ingredients could offer.

Born in 1981, he is still a beginner, yet he has a somewhat aged mien, a Breughelesque openness of face and manner that makes him seem older than he actually is. He works hard, and he has a clear verdict of what he wants to bring forth, which is something somewhat opposite of what Andria and his cohorts wanted. For Viljanen, locality and seasonality is paramount. He may work hard on his ingredients, but only in order to get them to usher forth the effects he wants. His touch is light, sympathetic, he surrenders to his foods, and he has no ego. First time you encounter his work, expect to be mesmerised, for the confections and concoctions are so potent that the surprise is total. Second time, it is the grace of the dishes that most enchants, the chef's hard work allied to his humility.

Mickael will shortly make his Dublin debut in a forty seater just off St Stephen's Green.

 

 

 

The Greenhouse Dawson Street, Dublin 2
+ 353 1 676 0300