{"id":46167,"date":"2025-08-05T10:38:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T08:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/?p=46167"},"modified":"2025-08-08T10:48:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T08:48:12","slug":"18-michelin-stars-on-the-jury-panel-for-the-international-chef-balfego-semifinal-in-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/18-michelin-stars-on-the-jury-panel-for-the-international-chef-balfego-semifinal-in-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"18 MICHELIN Stars on the Jury Panel for the International Chef Balfeg\u00f3 Semifinal in Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li data-start=\"150\" data-end=\"315\">\n<h4>Seven renowned chefs from different European countries will judge the 16 semifinalists of Chef Balfeg\u00f3 on September 8th at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris.<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"317\" data-end=\"530\">\n<h4>This semifinal \u2014 the first to welcome chefs from all over Europe \u2014 will determine the eight finalists who will earn a place in the grand final, where they will join the four Spanish chefs who qualified directly.<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"532\" data-end=\"854\">Just over a month before the VIII edition of the Chef Balfeg\u00f3 semifinal, the full jury panel has been confirmed. This year, for the first time, the competition \u2014 considered the most important of its kind in Europe \u2014 has opened its doors to chefs from any European country, regardless of the location of their restaurant.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"856\" data-end=\"1142\">As a result, Paris will host the semifinal, where 16 chefs will prepare their best Balfeg\u00f3 bluefin tuna recipe in the hopes of securing one of the eight coveted spots in the grand final in Madrid, scheduled for October 27th. The following chefs will form this year\u2019s distinguished jury:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"856\" data-end=\"1142\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-46154 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_2-min-1-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"407\" height=\"509\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_2-min-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_2-min-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_2-min-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_2-min-1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1167\" data-end=\"1685\"><strong data-start=\"1167\" data-end=\"1193\">Christopher Coutanceau<\/strong> \u2013 Head Chef at <em data-start=\"1209\" data-end=\"1244\">Restaurant Christopher Coutanceau<\/em>** (La Rochelle, France), was born and raised in La Rochelle, fishing with his grandfather Andr\u00e9 and cooking with his grandmother Guiguitte. He trained with some of the greatest culinary masters, including Michel Gu\u00e9rard (Eug\u00e9nie-les-Bains), Ferran Adri\u00e0 (El Bulli), and Jo\u00ebl Robuchon (Le Laurent, Paris). He opened his own restaurant in La Rochelle in 2000 alongside his father, and since 2007, he has been running it with Nicolas Brossard.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1687\" data-end=\"1953\">A strong advocate of sustainable artisanal fishing that protects marine resources, Christopher Coutanceau has turned his ecological convictions into the foundation of a refined, sea-inspired cuisine that draws daily from the treasures of the La Rochelle fish market.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1687\" data-end=\"1953\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-46119 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_6-min-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"396\" height=\"496\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_6-min-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_6-min-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_6-min-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_6-min.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1976\" data-end=\"2496\"><strong data-start=\"1976\" data-end=\"1996\">Paolo Casagrande<\/strong> \u2013 Head Chef at <em data-start=\"2012\" data-end=\"2032\">Lasarte Restaurant<\/em>** (Barcelona, Spain), was born in Susegana (Treviso, Italy) and trained at the Alfredo Beltrame Hospitality School in Vittorio Veneto. He worked in fine-dining restaurants in Milan, London, and Paris, under renowned chefs such as Alain Soliv\u00e9r\u00e8s. In 2003, he joined the team at <em data-start=\"2311\" data-end=\"2342\">Mart\u00edn Berasategui Restaurant<\/em>** (Lasarte-Oria). In 2005, Berasategui appointed him head of <em data-start=\"2404\" data-end=\"2436\">M.B. at The Ritz-Carlton Abama<\/em>**(Tenerife), where they earned their first MICHELIN Star.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2498\" data-end=\"2755\">In 2012, Casagrande became Executive Chef at <em data-start=\"2543\" data-end=\"2563\">Lasarte Restaurant<\/em>** in Barcelona. Four years later, in 2017, the restaurant was awarded its third MICHELIN Star. He has served as a jury member for Chef Balfeg\u00f3 in both Spain and Italy across several editions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2498\" data-end=\"2755\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-46140 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_1-min-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_1-min-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_1-min-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_1-min-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_1-min.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2778\" data-end=\"3233\"><strong data-start=\"2778\" data-end=\"2797\">Heinz Reitbauer<\/strong> \u2013 Head Chef at <em data-start=\"2813\" data-end=\"2838\">Steirereck im Stadtpark<\/em>** (Vienna, Austria), began his culinary journey in 1970 at the original Steirereck in Vienna, founded by his parents. He later trained with top chefs including the Obauer brothers (Werfen), Jo\u00ebl Robuchon, Alain Chapel, and Anton Mossimann. In 1996, his parents opened a new establishment, where Heinz took over the kitchen. In 1999, he was named Austria\u2019s top chef at <em data-start=\"3207\" data-end=\"3230\">Steirereck im Pogusch<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3235\" data-end=\"3340\">The restaurant\u2019s move to Vienna propelled it to new heights, eventually earning its three MICHELIN Stars.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3235\" data-end=\"3340\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-46105 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_7-min-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"395\" height=\"494\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_7-min-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_7-min-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_7-min-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_7-min.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3363\" data-end=\"3720\"><strong data-start=\"3363\" data-end=\"3378\">Viki Geunes<\/strong> \u2013 Head Chef at <em data-start=\"3394\" data-end=\"3412\">Zilte Restaurant<\/em>** (Antwerp, Belgium), began as a self-taught chef and opened &#8216;`t Zilte&#8217; in 1996 with his wife Viviane Plaquet in Mol (Belgium). The first MICHELIN Star came in 2004, and in 2005 Gault &amp; Millau named him Best Young Chef in Belgium. In 2008, they earned a second Star, and Geunes was named Chef of the Year.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3722\" data-end=\"3925\">In 2011, the restaurant moved to the Museum aan de Stroom, offering panoramic views of the port and the Scheldt River. In 2020, it was renamed <em data-start=\"3865\" data-end=\"3872\">Zilte<\/em>, and in 2021 it was awarded its third MICHELIN Star.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3722\" data-end=\"3925\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-46112 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_5-min-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"388\" height=\"485\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_5-min-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_5-min-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_5-min-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_5-min.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3948\" data-end=\"4200\"><strong data-start=\"3948\" data-end=\"3972\">Daniel Schimkowitsch<\/strong> \u2013 Head Chef at <em data-start=\"3988\" data-end=\"4012\">L.A. Jordan Restaurant<\/em>* (Deidesheim, Germany), earned his first MICHELIN Star in 2011 at the age of 26 at <em data-start=\"4096\" data-end=\"4104\">Tramin<\/em> in Munich. In 2014, he moved to Deidesheim to open <em data-start=\"4156\" data-end=\"4169\">L.A. Jordan<\/em>, where he retained the Star.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4202\" data-end=\"4487\">In 2019, Gault &amp; Millau named him \u201cRising Star of the Year,\u201d and in 2022 awarded him the title of \u201c4 Red Toques.\u201d In 2023, MICHELIN awarded him a second Star. Schimkowitsch\u2019s cuisine is inspired by Japanese influences, which he interprets in a unique, personal style without imitation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4202\" data-end=\"4487\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-46126 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_4-min-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"377\" height=\"471\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_4-min-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_4-min-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_4-min-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_4-min.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 377px) 100vw, 377px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4510\" data-end=\"4814\"><strong data-start=\"4510\" data-end=\"4523\">Rui Paula<\/strong> \u2013 Head Chef at <em data-start=\"4539\" data-end=\"4564\">Casa de Ch\u00e1 da Boa Nova<\/em>* (Le\u00e7a da Palmeira, Portugal), has focused throughout his career on developing his own restaurants while exploring various culinary traditions across Portugal and internationally. He opened his first restaurant, <em data-start=\"4777\" data-end=\"4789\">C\u00eapa Torta<\/em>, over two decades ago.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4816\" data-end=\"5076\">In 2017, <em data-start=\"4825\" data-end=\"4850\">Casa de Ch\u00e1 da Boa Nova<\/em> earned its first MICHELIN Star, followed by a second in 2019. Today, he oversees <em data-start=\"4932\" data-end=\"4937\">DOC<\/em> in the Douro wine region, <em data-start=\"4964\" data-end=\"4969\">DOP<\/em> in Porto\u2019s historic center, and <em data-start=\"5002\" data-end=\"5027\">Casa de Ch\u00e1 da Boa Nova<\/em>, a National Monument awarded two MICHELIN Stars.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-46147 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_3-min-240x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"375\" height=\"469\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_3-min-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_3-min-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_3-min-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Post_3-min.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5099\" data-end=\"5490\"><strong data-start=\"5099\" data-end=\"5117\">Domenico Stile<\/strong> \u2013 Head Chef at <em data-start=\"5133\" data-end=\"5151\">Enoteca La Torre<\/em>* (Rome, Italy), was born in 1989 in Gragnano. His culinary passion was sparked by his uncle, Chef Franco La Mura. He studied at the Institute of Hotel Management in Castellammare di Stabia and trained with top chefs such as Grant Achatz, Gianfranco Vissani, Enrico Crippa, Antonino Cannavacciuolo, Massimo Bottura, and Nino di Costanzo.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5492\" data-end=\"5778\">In 2016, he joined <em data-start=\"5511\" data-end=\"5529\">Enoteca La Torre<\/em> at the luxurious Villa Laetitia in Rome. Seven months later, the restaurant received its first MICHELIN Star, and in 2022, its second. The restaurant also holds the prestigious \u201cThree Forks\u201d from Gambero Rosso and \u201cFour Hats\u201d from L\u2019Espresso Guide.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5785\" data-end=\"6048\">Thus, a total of <strong data-start=\"5802\" data-end=\"5823\">18 MICHELIN Stars<\/strong> will gather at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris on the morning of <strong data-start=\"5881\" data-end=\"5898\">September 8th<\/strong> to evaluate and score the aspiring chefs competing for the title of Chef Balfeg\u00f3. The names of the semifinalists will be revealed in the coming days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seven renowned chefs from different European countries will judge the 16 semifinalists of Chef Balfeg\u00f3 on September 8th at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris. This semifinal \u2014 the first to welcome chefs from all over Europe \u2014 will determine the eight finalists who will earn a place in the grand final, where they &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/18-michelin-stars-on-the-jury-panel-for-the-international-chef-balfego-semifinal-in-paris\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":46162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46167"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46349,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46167\/revisions\/46349"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}