Enjoying the world's best meal at Osteria Francescana restaurant in Modena

What is it like to eat at the world’s best restaurant? Last week, I was in Milan on a work engagement, from where I made the long journey to Modena, a small town in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, to find out.

I was headed to Osteria Francescana, helmed by chef-patron Massimo Bottura, and first voted the “World’s Best” in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2016. Earlier this year, it regained its rating, affording it legendary status in the world of fine dining.

To be termed “best of the best” comes with pressure, expectations and, of course, demand. Perhaps it is only fitting that the restaurant is not easily accessible. Modena is a two-hour train journey away from cities like Florence or Milan and the restaurant prides itself on the concept of “destination dining”.

A plate of Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart

Getting to Modena is perhaps easier than getting a reservation at the restaurant. Its online booking system opens six months in advance and the 30 or so seats for any given day are typically sold out within minutes. Finally, if you manage to beat the odds, be prepared to dish out a princely sum. The tasting menu starts at 250 euro (approx Rs 20,900) per seat, and if you opt for the wine pairing that’s an additional 140 euro (approx Rs 11,700). But to be fair, these prices are not extraordinary — most three-star Michelin restaurants in Paris charge even more!

Modena was not always known for its haute cuisine. Before he opened Osteria Francescana, earned three Michelin stars and became known as the “best chef in the world”, Massimo Bottura was like any other struggling young chef — passionate about cooking but miles away from figuring among the crème de la crème. He worked briefly under his mentor Allain Duccase in Monte Carlo and returned home to begin his entrepreneurial journey in partnership with his girlfriend (now wife), Laura. Early failures didn’t deter him. In any case, his aim was not to be revolutionary or avant-garde; he simply wanted to cook what he knew best — personal dishes using family recipes and local ingredients.

Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano

I’ve known Bottura for some time now. We’ve met in different parts of the world, and I have tasted his food while he cooked at a pop-up at Gaggan, in Bangkok. But going to his restaurant is a completely different experience.

As we approached the famous but unassuming apricot-tinted façade, I spotted a baseball cap-wearing Bottura sitting on the sidewalk sharing coffee with his kitchen team. Around me were 32 other guests, all of whom had flown in from different parts of the world for this meal. With a 2:1 ratio of staff to guests, several excited diners were here to celebrate special occasions. The doors opened at exactly 12.30 pm and we were greeted by Gucci-clad staff and ushered to Bottura’s legendary private dining room behind the kitchen, which doubles up as his personal wine cellar.

A few minutes later, Bottura was at our table. “How hungry are you today?” he enquired. We told him that we had not only skipped breakfast but made sure to eat a light dinner the previous night. “Perfetto, I will give you everything,” he smiled. And he did. We spent the next four hours eating a variety of his classic dishes till we begged him to stop.

Chef Massimo Bottura

Three signature dishes in particular allowed me insights into Bottura’s genius. The first is called The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna, a simple dish he enjoyed while growing up. “My brothers and I would fight to eat the crispy burnt part, and I thought why not make just this part a dish,” he explained. Second, Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano; as the name suggests, the dish champions the region’s cheese and, to display its versatility, Bottura cooks it at different temperatures, textures and tastes. The end products: a soufflé, a mousse, a liquid cream, a crisp wafer and a broth, all using a single ingredient. The third, perhaps his most famous dish, Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart, was born from a comical error, when his sous chef Takahiko dropped a tray of tarts during service. Bottura saw an opportunity and instructed him to drop all the tarts till they looked the same. “It is okay to make mistakes. The best restaurant in the world made a mistake — today the mistake is one of the most famous dishes,” he recounts.

Did the world’s best restaurant live up to the hype? The simple answer is yes. But that is, of course, a subjective view. I doubt that even Bottura believes his restaurant is the single best in the world. But what’s beyond debate is that Osteria Francescana offers an unforgettable experience: flavours from Northern Italy presented in intelligent dishes, cooked perfectly, aided by impeccable service, all produced by a charming, engaging and iconic chef.