Being the only female chef in the world with seven Michelin stars is no easy feat, especially when straddling restaurants in Japan and Barcelona. However, Catalonian chef Carme Ruscalleda does it all, and now, she’s brought her talents to Joël Robuchon’s Odyssey Restaurant, the Karl Lagerfeld-designed poolside restaurant of Hotel Metropole in Monte Carlo. Ruscalleda’s “pop-up restaurant” opened on July 3 and will remain open until August 31. “We have been invited to offer our gastronomy in Monte-Carlo without any limits, and to work with the freedom of our ideas. At Odyssey at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo, the hotel team works with the best,” Ruscalleda said of the collaboration.
Photo credit: Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo
While most of the menu is inspired by local cuisine in Monaco, Ruscalleda has brought a few of her signature dishes to the table, too: her salmorejo (think gazpacho, but heavier and creamier), as well as her Mondrian Cod Brandade. “We’ve been provided with good products, good chefs and freedom of action,” she says. “We offer a style of gastronomy inspired by the fishermen and farmers of our area, as well as other cultures of the world that have seduced us.” Other menu items include pluma of Iberian pork, or cow cheek with pumpkin.
Photo credit: Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo
The final result is a force of culinary creation with ingredients exclusively purchased for the menus. Ruscalleda credits her team as much as herself, knowing that not as much could have been done without their aid. “Without a great team to accompany you, it is impossible to achieve prestige,” she says. “Everyone has joined forces not only in the gastronomic realization, but also in the aesthetics of the dishes and other details to create a very, very special atmosphere.”
Main photo credit: Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo
