“Fire is not only an ingredient. It’s an actor in the story that Ekstedt is telling, and the chef is a master director.”

Forbes has highlighted Niklas Ekstedt’s groundbreaking approach to live-fire cooking, where he revives ancient techniques that predate electricity. The article discusses his philosophy of focusing on the simplicity and authenticity of ingredients, combined with the primal allure of fire. This method enhances flavors and adds a theatrical dimension to the dining experience, perfectly exemplified by his Stockholm restaurant, where dishes are cooked solely using fire and wood.

“Ekstedt was a pioneer on several fronts. Not only was he among the first to play with fire in a serious way. But his current restaurant was also a conscious repudiation of the excesses of 1990s and early 2000s fine dining.“