The Grand Gelinaz Shuffle has got to be one of the wackiest events on the international culinary calendar. For the uninitiated, think of it as something like restaurant musical chairs – chefs from some of the world’s most prestigious dining rooms (Copenhagen’s Noma, say, or Central in Lima, Peru) swap places and cook for one night only in a kitchen on the opposite side of the globe. The catch? Ticket holders have no idea who’s on the pans or what they’ll be eating until the big reveal on the night.
Back in 2016, 40 chefs from 16 countries took part. Guests at Sydney’s Momofuku Seiobo were treated to dinner by Alex Atala, the radical chef at D.O.M. in São Paulo, Brazil, while Seiobo head honcho Paul Carmichael found himself at the helm of Le Chateaubriand in Paris.
This year, things have changed. A whopping 148 chefs from 38 countries are participating, but the recipes will be the ones doing the travelling this time around. That’s a relief, because we can’t possibly bear the thought of sharing O Tama Carey, chef-owner of Time Out’s 2019 Restaurant of the Year, Lankan Filling Station, with another restaurant.
On November 1, Carey and her cohorts all received eight new recipes without knowing which restaurant they came from. On Tuesday, December 3 all the chefs at the 138 restaurants will be undoing those recipes, rethinking and remodelling them, and cooking their interpretations at their very own venues.
We’re not sure where Carey’s menu comes from – maybe Massimo Botura’s Osteria Francescana, Tokyo’s Narisawa, or even Brae, a few hours south-west of Melbourne – but we can guarantee it’ll be a rare chance to see one of Sydney’s best chefs at the very top of her creative powers.
There are two sittings for the eight-course meal, at 6pm or 8.30pm, and tickets cost 100 Euros a pop (approximately $160 AUD). Don't miss out.
To learn more about the Grand Gelinaz Shuffle and to find out who else is on board, visit gelinaz.com
Down for more great restaurant adventures? Check out our list of Sydney’s 50 best restaurants.
