Twintastic revisits German cuisine
Double
Identical twin chefs, Thomas and Mathias Sühring, want to change the way people perceive German cuisine. Inspired by family traditions and new-age techniques, the brothers run their 2 Michelin restaurant in
What makes Sühring special isn’t just the fact that they’re currently ranked number seven on the
The Sührings cultivated their love for food while living on their grandparents’ farm, picking up old cooking styles like pickling, fermenting and smoking. Their restaurant is inspired by these memories and offers people a chance for “casual fine dining” inside their home. There are separate spaces keeping different themes in mind, and guests can choose to dine in the ‘living room’, the cozy ‘glass house’, or even the ‘kitchen’ with a direct view of the experts at the work in their natural habitat. .
Thursday, BM had a conversation with the
Here’s how it went.
First trip to town
“We haven’t been able to travel for the past two years because of covid. We have already explored Mumbai and Delhi and thought “why not Bangalore this time?”. India is so big and there is so much to discover and so many different cuisines to try.
Try local food
“We went to
“New German cuisine”
“The perception of German cuisine outside
Focus on Bangkok
“We arrived in Bangkok 14 years ago, in 2008. After 7 years there, we wanted to pursue our dream of opening our own restaurant. Thailand was the ideal market for this. The culture is very dynamic and it is very cosmopolitan. People like to try different types of food.
2 Michelin stresses
“It’s stressful to run a 2-star Michelin restaurant, but we’re also happy that people come to enjoy our German cuisine. It was quite difficult to open a German restaurant because it’s not French or Italian, which are more popular cuisines. People generally expect German food to be heavy, with big portions, but we mix old and new cooking styles and offer lighter dishes. We borrow old methods that we saw on our grandmother’s farm – preservation, cooking with wood – but also new cooking techniques to preserve vitamins, to preserve the nutrients of meat, vegetables and Fish.
Twins think together
“When we create a new menu, we usually do so according to the seasons. Then we discuss ideas among ourselves and with our sous-chefs. We keep the “ingredient storytelling” in mind. Sustainability is also a factor, so we like to use understated ingredients.
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Chef’s Picks at Sühring Thomas: Soft Egg Noodles
“Very traditional dish in Germany. Very comforting. Comfort and taste give you everything you need.”
Mathias: Homemade bread
“We bake our own bread in Sühring. Bread is something of a staple in Germany. We start by fermenting the sourdough and really enjoy the creative process here on our own. When we arrived in Bangkok, there weren’t many good bakeries.
Advice for future great chefs
“Don’t give up on your dreams – no matter how big they are. Nothing comes without hard work. Be passionate about what you do and keep improving. In today’s world, people give up too easily because success takes time, but the key is to have patience. Don’t be discouraged by others and do what makes you happy.
What makes ‘Sühring’
“When we were looking for a property and found it, we thought we always wanted to bring out people’s emotions, not just in terms of the food, but the whole experience. The architecture of the house reminded us our grandmother’s house. We made a “living room” and a winter garden or a “glass house” – like our grandmother’s house. We keep it cozy and give a soul to the room. We wanted it to be “casual fine dining” rather than fine dining so it wouldn’t be too stiff and people would have a good time and enjoy the food, wine and service. They shouldn’t be under pressure to come in costume and everything. Having a good experience is important.
Although the twins don’t have any Indian expansion plans just yet, we can always hope they’ll be inspired to bring their vision of “dining with a soul” to the land of cooking enthusiasts in the future.
