First there’s the face. Literally. Before the culinary battle starts, Tim Mälzer brings his competitor into the boxing ring at the legendary Hamburger Ritze. The sparring is primarily about fooling around, but Hans Jörg Bachmeier has to take the occasional low blow. At least verbally. The Munich chef takes it all in stride. It quickly becomes clear that behind his nice facade there is a real rascal.
Hans Jörg Bachmeier enjoys a high reputation in the cooking scene. Among other things, he worked in Heinz Winkler’s team at the renowned Tantris Munich and in the Kurhausstüberl with Alfons Schubeck. The 57-year-old from Lower Bavaria currently runs the “Beim Sedlmayr” inn and “Bachmeiers Genussfreuden” in Munich. Experts describe Bachmeier’s cuisine as fusion home cooking. Last season he served the original dish, this time he is allowed to cook himself and “doesn’t give a damn”, as the Bavarians say
Hans Jörg Bachmeier cooks in Salzburg in the Ikarus – Hangar 7: Mälzer sends Bachmeier to Salzburg, where he doesn’t get to deal with Austrian cuisine, but with Nordic cuisine at the highest level. The original chef is Dane Eric Vildgaard, who has two Michelin stars. The task: scallop with gooseberry and rose and white asparagus panna cotta with grapefruit and lobster
Tim Mälzer cooks at Tantris DNA in Munich: In the Bavarian capital, Mälzer is first given a traditional costume, which immediately puts a damper on the Hamburger’s mood. But what’s worse for him is what’s lurking in the box: a classic developed by chef Eckart Witzigmann himself. The task: veal sweetbreads Rumohr with Albufera sauce
Hans Jörg Bachmeier cooks at KePalla in Palermo: Bachmeier has to try the typical street food in Sicily – arancine. He believes he has the rice balls, confident of victory. But as we all know, pride comes before a fall. It’s not just Sicilian heat and frying fat that make Bachmeier sweat. The task: Arancine
Tim Mälzer cooks at Botín in Madrid: Bachmeier sends Mälzer to Spain and not to just any restaurant, but to the oldest in the world, the Botín. There he is supposed to cook a traditional soup. Mälzer only later finds out that this is not the only dish he is supposed to prepare – cooking against the clock begins. The task: garlic soup croquettes
“That I can now go in there, little sausage…”, Hans Jörg Bachmeier is flabbergasted when he realizes that he is supposed to cook in the Ikarus in Hangar 7. There, the stars of the hour serve as guest chefs. This time the Dane Eric Vildgaard delivered the dish to be recreated. Vildgaard has been awarded two Michelin stars and has served something that Bachmeier calls a great spectacle: scallop with gooseberry and rose and white asparagus panna cotta with grapefruit and lobster. “Saugut. Absolutely world class. Few components, but incredibly great in terms of taste – great cinema,” says Bachmeier. The Munich native sets out to “keep it simple” in advance, but it’s not quite that simple.
Bachmeier has Mälzer arrive in Munich, where he has to recreate a dish in the two-star restaurant Tantris DNA that the chef of the century, Eckart Witzigmann, personally developed. For him, Tantris DNA is the “most important culinary temple in Germany,” says Mälzer. And the dish, sweetbreads rumohr with Albufera sauce, is something like the “Mona Lisa for food”. Even if it is a dish that is probably only served at the Bavarian court these days, “when King Leopold rises from the crypt again.” The dish, which is layered and baked in dough, doesn’t suit Mälzer. But these are exactly the moments in which the Hamburger is at his best. What he brings to the plate surprises him: “It’s not possible unless your name is Tim Mälzer.”
Tim Mälzer is allowed to cook in the oldest restaurant in the world in Madrid. The Botín has been around since 1725 and has been cooking on a coal oven for 300 years. According to chef Rubén Manzaneque, the dishes on the menu were passed down from the grandmothers of the grandmothers of the grandmothers. This is a tradition, even if it takes some getting used to visually. He can only describe the garlic soup that Mälzer takes out of the box as “manschepansch”.
Hans Jörg Bachmeier can laugh at himself – and with all his heart. He’s ready to play the full range of “Kitchen Impossible” – including trash talk and swagger à la “better than the original.” In addition, the chef exudes warmth and mischievous boyishness in equal measure, which is also shown by the selection of tasks he has chosen for Maltzer. “Kitchen Impossible means you drop your pants, turn around in a circle and everyone is watching,” he says. He mastered it with flying colors and wanted revenge.
In this match, Tim Mälzer shows once again why he is “Mister Kitchen Impossible”. In Munich he tricks and manipulates his dish until it actually works. This surprises not only him, but also the jury, who reward him with high points. In Spain, the hamburger even adds one more thing. In the end he won a huge victory against Bachmeier with 16.4 to 11.5. He comments: “Bachmeier pulverizes!”
“Kitchen Impossible” can be seen on Vox every Sunday from 8:15 p.m. This and later all other episodes of “Kitchen Impossible” can be streamed on RTL.
Transparency note: Der stern is part of RTL Deutschland
