Björn Frantzén46, is one of Sweden’s foremost chefs who runs the restaurants Frantzén, Astoria and Bobergs dining room.
In 2018, the former made history as the first restaurant in Stockholm to be awarded three Michelin stars. And if it tastes good, it costs money. A tasting at Frantzén costs SEK 4,800 excluding drinks.
What is the recipe for great success then? Björn Frantzén himself believes that he has his background to thank.
– I think one reason why the restaurants have been so successful is that I didn’t grow up on Lidingö or Djursholm or am used to running at star restaurants when I was ten years old. I come from a simpler background – from Uppland’s fucking Väsby. There it was a party to go to McDonald’s. My parents didn’t go to the pub, as a child it was a luxury to buy takeaway pizza, he has said in an interview with Café.
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Björn Frantzén’s boot against Swedish home cooks: “Too bad…”
During Sunday, Björn Frantzén was one of the guests in Bianca Ingrosso talk show “Bianca”. There he was asked about the most common mistake Swedes make in the kitchen, and he had a few things to say about it.
– Slightly different things, but above all, you overcook most things. The fish is too dry, and so on. You are afraid to keep the temperature down, he says in the program.
He also criticizes the way Swedish home cooks season their food, as he believes that a very important aspect is being forgotten.
– Then you have far too little acid in the food, i.e. lemon, that’s the most common. Then it can be vinegar or lime or however you want to joke about it. But you are too bad at using acid, acid lifts the flavors, says Björn Frantzén and continues:
– People salt, then they think it’s done. But that’s barely half.