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Christoph Rainer, Villa Rothschild
2009-07-27
A former summer home of the Rothschild banking family in Taunus on the outskirts of Frankfurt, now converted into a boutique hotel, is making a real name for itself in Germany’s gourmet circles.
Heading up the kitchen of the impressive 22 room hotel is head chef Christoph Rainer (35) who, just eight months after opening, was awarded a coveted Michelin star. The accolade won’t be a surprise to anyone who has experienced the restaurant’s exclusive and extravagant cuisine and immaculate levels of service.
The philosophy of the ambitious "Villa Rothschild" chef is to deliver light Mediterranean cuisine and creative flavour combinations. Rainer is fascinated with the ease and simplicity of Mediterranean food. "It’s from this region that I draw the most inspiration," he comments. The chef places huge importance on using exotic ingredients and high quality, mostly organic, regional produce in order to create well-balanced, perfectly presented combinations and unusual flavours.
Rainer’s passion for cooking is matched by an impressive attention to detail, drawn from his experience of working under some of Germany’s culinary masters. The chef first harnessed his culinary finesse in Hanau, just outside Frankfurt, serving an apprenticeship under Alain Faessler at Zum Adler in Bruchkoebel. Subsequent years spent travelling and honing his craft led to opportunities with some of Germany’s great culinary masters.
Rainer’s passion for cooking is matched by an impressive attention to detail, drawn from his experience of working under some of Germany’s culinary masters. The chef first harnessed his culinary finesse in Hanau, just outside Frankfurt, serving an apprenticeship under Alain Faessler at Zum Adler in Bruchkoebel. Subsequent years spent travelling and honing his craft led to opportunities with some of Germany’s great culinary masters.
Rainer cites Alois Köpf at Fürstenbahnhof in Hanau, Markus Nagy at Villa Hammerschmiede (1 star) in Karlsruhe on the northern outskirts of the Black Forest and Heinz Winkler at Der Residenz (3 stars) in Aschau as particularly strong influences on his career but the crowning achievement of his CV was an appointment as sous chef at Dieter Müller and Nils Henkel’s three starred Schlosshotel Lerbach in Bergisch Gladbach. Indeed, Müller is known to drop in to Villa Rothschild every now and then for a catch up with his former employee.
Private dining
Whether it’s a picnic in the Villa’s grounds or a private dinner in the wine cellar, this idyllic location offers a wealth of culinary options including regular tasting evenings with renowned wine and champagne producers. A particularly special culinary pleasure is the "private dinner" setting of the Villa Rothschild Vinothek, available for bookings of up to four guests. More than 500 fine wines, including 70 Rothschild vintages, are stored here and guests are served a six to seven course degustation menu with corresponding wines by Rainer and his 12-strong team.
The Villa Rothschild restaurant has even devised a "financial crisis” menu to enable foodies to enjoy Michelin starred cooking during these economically unstable times. A sample menu includes a foam of chestnut and black salsify soup, followed by milk-fed veal braised in Banyuls jus with spiced golden beet puree and onion ravioli. And for dessert? Well, how about Gianduia Feuillantines? Christoph Rainer wishes you Bon Appetit!
The Villa Rothschild restaurant has even devised a "financial crisis” menu to enable foodies to enjoy Michelin starred cooking during these economically unstable times. A sample menu includes a foam of chestnut and black salsify soup, followed by milk-fed veal braised in Banyuls jus with spiced golden beet puree and onion ravioli. And for dessert? Well, how about Gianduia Feuillantines? Christoph Rainer wishes you Bon Appetit!
8 questions for Christoph Rainer
What would you have done if you hadn’t become a chef?
At one stage I wanted to become a primary school teacher but as I wasn’t the most conscientious of students, I feared that as a teacher I would struggle to stick to the rules myself.
Do you have a favorite spice or ingredient?
Fresh herbs are indispensable in my kitchen. Behind the kitchen, we have created a herb garden with more than 30 varieties.
What was you biggest culinary flop?
These days…I would rather not remember!
What is your favourite dish and who cooks it best?
Boiled rump of beef with horseradish sauce, boiled potatoes and green salad, prepared by my grandma… that would always cause my eyes to grow bigger.
What is the worst things you’ve ever eaten?
That was "Tulong", a dish from Singapore: A very tough, stewed and almost inedible mutton. It was served to me by a colleague as a delicacy but I found both the look and taste an absolute catastrophe.
Do you have a favourite restaurant?
The Zum Löwen restaurant run by the Nagy family in Karlsruhe Eggenstein. I like the way the food is spiced and tastes and I really enjoy the informal and amiable interaction with guests.
Where do you head for and what do you like to do on vacation?
Because so many countries interest me, I usually choose to go to a particular continent each year. This year we remained in Europe – Copenhagen, London and Athens were all on the itinerary.
Which person or people (historic or living) would you most like to cook for and why?
I was recently asked to cook for Jürgen Habermas [German philosopher and sociologist] on the occasion of his 80th birthday. This was something special for me as he is almost certainly the most renowned intellectual of the postwar period.
Villa Rothschild Hotel & Restaurant
Rothschildpark 1
D-61462 Königstein im Taunus
Tel. 06174/90 90 40
