New book release: Culinary excellence from around the world

The world's chefs as guests at Ikarus - Volume 10
Cover photo by Helge Kirchberger Photography
Cover photo by Helge Kirchberger Photography
Alexandra-Embacher-c-Martin-Guggenberger-Photography-web
13. January 2025 | 
Alexandra Embacher
13. January 2025
|
Alexandra Embacher

For the tenth time, “Ikarus” Executive Chef Martin Klein is providing insights behind the scenes of the restaurant with a book. However, the anniversary edition of “Die Weltköche zu Gast im Ikarus” not only offers a look back at the culinary highlights of the last year and a half, but also a deep insight into the world of 17 top guest chefs from all over the world.

Gourmet temple in Salzburg

Since its opening at the end of 2003, the “Ikarus” restaurant in Salzburg's Hangar-7 has stood for the highest culinary standards and a variety of taste experiences. With currently two Michelin stars, five toques and 19 points in Gault&Millau, it is one of the most renowned gourmet addresses in Austria - not least because of its globally unique concept. Every month, an internationally acclaimed culinary virtuoso takes over the stove to create an unparalleled menu together with Executive Chef Martin Klein and the “Ikarus” team. In December and before the renovation-related move, it was Thitid Tassanakajohn, “Chef Ton”, currently number one on the list of Asia's 50 best chefs.

Culinary world tour

Take-off in Salzburg, destination is the whole world: the “Ikarus” guest chefs featured in the anniversary edition come from the most diverse regions of the world - from the USA and South Africa to various European countries and Thailand. In addition to the typical national influences of their cuisine, they also bring their own personal culinary signatures with them.

In the portraits in the anniversary edition, readers can find out what drives the top chefs, how their culinary philosophy came about and what formative experiences have influenced their work. Big names such as Gareth Ward (“Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms”, Machynlleth) and Wolfgang Puck (“Spago”, Los Angeles) are representative of the class of the guest chefs. Their award-winning restaurants are known all over the world, and their expertise and creativity continue to set new standards in the international gourmet world. The 2024 guest chefs also included:

  • Christian Kuchler - “Taverne zum Schäfli” (Wigoltingen, Switzerland)
  • Wassim Hallal - Restaurant “Frederikshøj” (Aarhus, Denmark)
  • James Gaag - “La Colombe” (Cape Town, South Africa)
  • Viki Geunes - “Zilte” (Antwerp, Belgium)
  • Javier Olleros - “Culler de pau” (O Grove, Spain)
  • Matthias Diether - “180° by Matthias Diether” (Tallinn, Estonia)
  • Thomas Schanz - “schanz. restaurant.” (Piesport, Germany)
  • Franck Putelat - “La Table de Franck Putelat” (Carcassonne, France)
  • Thitid Tassanakajohn - “Le Du” (Bangkok, Thailand)

The world of cuisine in an anniversary volume

The guest chef concept is now celebrating a milestone birthday, with Executive Chef Martin Klein looking to the future: “After 20 years, it is still our declared aim to bring the best chefs in the world to Salzburg and to keep inviting guest chefs from countries that have never been represented at Hangar-7 before.” 266 “stars” of the industry from more than 30 countries have already been welcomed and thousands of dishes cooked together. And culinary stories, kitchen philosophies, formative impressions and recipes have been recorded in “Die Weltköche zu Gast im Ikarus”, which will be published for the tenth time on January 23, 2025.

 

Publisher: Pantauro
ISBN: 978-3-7105-0096-1
Pages: approx. 480
Dimensions: 248 mm x 335 mm
Retail price: 89.95 euros (114.00 CHF)

International concept as an enrichment

The concept of the “Ikarus” restaurant not only brings world-class cuisine to Salzburg, but also makes the city itself an international hotspot for gourmets and foodies - other excellent establishments do the rest. However, the collaboration with top chefs from all over the world creates a cultural exchange that goes far beyond the culinary realm. With “Ikarus”, Salzburg has a stage on which modern, global cuisine takes center stage every month.

Our conclusion

The tenth volume of “Die Weltköche zu Gast im Ikarus” is more than just a collection of recipes: it is a tribute to the diversity of international cuisine and the creative power that arises when different culinary worlds come together. The personal stories and insights of the guest chefs make the book a richly illustrated journey through the world of top cuisine - for professionals, gourmets and passionate amateur chefs alike.

A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît!
Copyright for the featured images used:
Cover photo by Helge Kirchberger Photography

Book tip: Lasagna, Moussaka, and Co. – Happiness in Layers

Ilse Fischer's “Lasagna, Moussaka, and Co.” is a culinary journey through Europe in casserole form

Casseroles are underestimated. They are often considered cozy, filling, a little old-fashioned—but they are actually culinary narrative forms. This is exactly where Ilse Fischer comes in. Lasagne, Moussaka und Co.: Das Glück in Schichten (Lasagna, Moussaka and Co.: Happiness in Layers) is not just another “lasagna book,” but a collection of cultural identities, layered in dough, vegetables, sauces, and memories.

What sets this book apart from classic recipe collections is its focus on the principle of layering. Fischer shows that whether it’s Italian vincigrassi, Greek pastitsio, Alsatian baeckeoffe, or Savoyard tartiflette, ingredients are layered, interwoven, and combined in the oven to create something greater than the sum of its parts throughout Europe. It’s about more than technique. It’s about origin, climate, availability, and food culture.

INFO:
Lasagne, Moussaka and Co. – Happiness in Layers
Author: Ilse Fischer
Illustrations: Gudy Steinmill-Hommel
Publisher: Christian Verlag GmbH
Publication date: November 2025
Length: 256 pages
Binding: Hardcover
Language: German
ISBN: 978-3-9895101-6-6

How price acceptance actually arises

Why guests are happy to pay the price for menus, rooms, and non-alcoholic alternatives when quality and character match

Price has long been more than just the result of a calculation. It is a signal. For attitude, for standards, for credibility. Guests read prices as a silent message about what a business stands for and how consistently it lives up to its promise of quality. Today, guests no longer pay for the cheapest option, but for the most harmonious one. For an offer where price, product, and atmosphere form a coherent whole.

Highballs, Deep Cuts & Vienna's New Underground

How Salon Paradise at The Hoxton is reinventing the night—and why Vienna's most exciting cultural space is emerging beneath it.

Vienna has many bars. But only a few places that truly create their own world. Salon Paradise is exactly that: not a nightclub, but a state of mind. A dimly lit basement bar where conversations become deeper, drinks taste clearer, and music doesn’t accompany, but leads. After the summer break, Vienna’s most iconic underground bar returns to The Hoxton, Vienna on November 22—with a new tempo, a new sound, and a sharpened attitude. The rebellious soul remains, but it now beats with greater focus.

quick & dirty
Restaurant “Ikarus” in Salzburg's Hangar-7 © Helge Kirchberger Photography
New book release: Culinary excellence from around the world

For the tenth time, “Ikarus” Executive Chef Martin Klein is providing insights behind the scenes of the restaurant with a book. However, the anniversary edition of “Die Weltköche zu Gast im Ikarus” not only offers a look back at the culinary highlights of the last year and a half, but also a deep insight into the world of 17 top guest chefs from all over the world.