26/10/2024
Slovenian chef, Ana Roš Stojan, a passionate culinary activist and one of the few women who have been able to make a name for themselves in the world of gastronomy in the world with a three Michelin starred restaurant, fully embraces her moto "I don't cook my dreams, only my reality", paraphrasing a quote by Frida Kahlo, which encapsulates her idiosyncratic, bold and highly experiential cuisine. Her story is inspiring, and her tenacity and discipline for excellence are admirable. All this from a self-taught chef who has never set foot in a cooking school or apprenticed alongside big names on the world culinary stage.
The mountain and the abundance of flora and fauna of the Soča Valley are the source of her gastronomic inspiration, her dishes are part of an eloquent culinary narrative with idiomatic, playful cooking. Intense flavors and unusual surf 'n turf combinations are her signature. In the modern elegant spaces of her "off map" Hiša Franko (three hours drive from the Slovenian capital) - which turned half a century old last year- you will experience several fresh gastronomic innovations by a chef who's not repeated and frequently refreshes her cooking profiles and anfás, which means that "signature dishes" have no place on menus. Why? Because she's bored of them. You will catch three of her classics at her recent menu though like the corn beignet with fermented cottage cheese and smoked trout roe, the hey baked potato and the oyster. These dishes are a serious reason to break the rule.
Chef Ana’s cuisine is deeply sentimental, but survival on the fine-dining planet relies on consistency and the charming flirt of robust and delicate nuances on the tasting palette. And yes, this woman definitely knows how it’s done and she has a team capable to support her vision with Yvonne Simon leading the way.
Pictured, is the recent menu “50 Shades of Red”, with dishes accompanied by gorgeous beverages by Anja Skrbinek and an expertly chosen selection of quality wines. And if course, the "mascot" of the restaurant, his majesty, The Prince.
