Bernhard Zimmerl
“I see it as our generation’s duty to promote the transition to a more conscious life.”
Bernhard Zimmerl, Foggy Mix
Bernhard Zimmerl has been rocking the Waldviertel culinary scene for more than ten years and can rightly count himself as one of Austria’s best chefs thanks to his refined creations. The Foggy Mix in Waidhofen an der Thaya has become an insider tip for fine dining fans: in the menu, which is available four days a week, the chef comes up trumps with a composition of wagyu, einkorn truffle risotto, einkorn truffle fritters, marzipan calvados gel, Szechuan buttons and clover or takes his guests with scallop ceviche, Elderberry-lime vinegar, scallop-shell caramel, shallot pickled in champagne vinegar and Chioggia beetroot, Baeri caviar and apple-ginger pearl on a journey of flavors. In addition, there will soon be a newly designed fine dining restaurant, the “Zimmerl”. The Lower Austrian restaurant has currently been awarded 13 points and two toques by Gault&Millau.
Those who prefer more down-to-earth cuisine should not stay away from the Foggy Mix, despite the fine dining: Because true to the name, which on the one hand stands for the foggy Irish weather and therefore for the Irish pub area and on the other “for everything you can mix”, there’s an à la carte selection of burgers and pizza, Austrian classics and a vegan-vegetarian selection. Zimmerl talks about his career, culinary goals and why the fine dining branch at Foggy Mix was the logical next step.
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ALEXANDRA EMBACHER: Your name has been associated with fine dining in Waidhofen an der Thaya for several years now. How did that come about?
BERNHARD ZIMMERL: I have always been very attracted to expressing my creativity, the delicate work and the artistic presentation of food. The concept of the Foggy Mix made it obvious to integrate a new area. I felt that I was drawn in this direction and that I had to realize myself. It started with the classic five-course candlelight dinner and has now developed into a 13-course fine dining menu, which is no longer just aimed at couples, but at real fine dining lovers.
And so this menu will soon have its own environment. Next year, we will be opening our own fine dining area in the same building, but under our own name, “Zimmerl”. The name is derived from my surname, of course, but also from the fact that the new area will not be very large and will therefore be a small room, a Zimmerl. I'm currently developing the room concept together with Yvonne from Meindl Cavar Concepts in Vienna and I'm really looking forward to implementing the project close to my heart.
What is it about the carp that not only features in the dishes on your menu - for example pork belly in carp dashi as a signature dish - but also in the storage of the 10th anniversary wine in the carp pond?
The Waldviertel is known for its carp. As we are lucky enough to be only 500 meters away from the nearest carp pond and therefore also from our carp producer, it is a must for me to include fish in my menu. Sustainability has become a focal point of the whole cooking scene in recent years. This topic is also important to me - even if we use products in the menu that are not always from the region, we can bring them back into balance by using regional products.
In principle, we are always on the lookout for the best quality. Carp is a very underestimated fish that can do more than just be served baked at Christmas. It can be used to make international dishes regional. A few fellow chefs from the Waldviertel, Amelie Seiler from Schloss Litschau and I launched the Produzentenarena this year, which aims to connect chefs and restaurateurs with producers from the surrounding region. Even I, as a Waldviertel native, was really impressed by what we can already grow and produce in the Waldviertel.
And that was also the case with our anniversary wine, the Karpfenreiter. I really wanted to produce my own wine for our 10th anniversary. But as we don't have our own wine in the Waldviertel, we have to rely on winegrowers in the Weinviertel. However, as the foggy Waldviertel was supposed to play a role, the wine was quickly put in a barrel in the aforementioned carp pond and allowed to swim in the water with the carp. This process gave the wine a unique, great aroma thanks to the optimal timing.
Your passion for cooking and food is clear from the conversation, you've been cooking all your professional life. Why did you decide to become a chef?
I realized as a boy that I was fascinated by working with food. My mother always worked a lot and to make her happy, I baked her a birthday cake when I was 7 years old. You could certainly argue about how it looked back then, but the cake always tasted good. I later wanted to start an apprenticeship as a confectioner, but there were no vacancies in our town.
This gave me the idea of starting an apprenticeship as a chef, which fascinated me even more. However, there was no apprenticeship vacancy in a company in the area that really appealed to me. So I started my apprenticeship in Krems, where I was assigned to the pâtisserie in my first year. I quickly realized that this area was not for me and that I had made the right decision.
Foggy Mix stands for everything that can be mixed. Fine dining with an Irish pub and generations from young to old.
Biggest dream: Michelin star
The catering industry is constantly changing. How do you and your team deal with trends?
I like new challenges and I see these developments as very positive. If we weren't constantly evolving, we would still only have cordon bleu and typical tavern cuisine on our menu - especially in our region without much tourism. I get a lot of inspiration from plant-based dishes and products when I travel and always take something new with me.
So everyone in the company already knows that when I come home, new dishes will soon be gracing our menu. I see it as our generation's duty to promote the transition to a more conscious lifestyle. It should be normal for us to work with plant-based foods and to highlight them. I don't think we should have to emphasize this sector anymore.
Are there any particular culinary goals that you have set yourself personally?
Anyone who knows me knows what's coming next. My biggest goal and biggest dream is a Michelin star. I am very lucky to have started my own business at a very young age. This gave me time to develop my dishes and myself as a chef. I therefore feel no time pressure to fulfill this dream as a “must”, as I am still very young. I was really pleased to hear that the Michelin star will now be awarded again throughout Austria, because it means I can stay true to my roots, but the goal has come closer.
You were also part of the Puls 4 cooking show “Die Kochgiganten” in 2018. Are you still benefiting from the hype?
The hype straight after the show was incredible, but then it leveled off. In the meantime, I've been involved in so many other projects outside of television that these have become more prominent, such as cooking at the Oscars in Los Angeles together with Wolfgang Puck. Cooking alongside such a great legend was a great honor for me. There are currently no further TV projects in the pipeline - but you never know if you might see me on TV again at some point.
Foggy Mix stands for everything that can be mixed. Fine dining with an Irish pub and generations from young to old.
Claus Kadrnoschka
