The protagonists at Identità Milano: René Frank, the pastry chef who opened a successful restaurant

We have already written at length about an authoritative and identity-strong presence that will enrich the programme of the Identità Milano congress, 9/11 March 2024. We’re talking of René Frank, the pastry chef and owner of Coda in Berlin, a unique professional who applies the techniques of fine pastry making to an entire tasting menu, with great attention to the natural sweetness of vegetables and the intertwining of umami, salty and sour.

At 40, the young man boasts a CV that speaks for itself. Now the blazon establishes two important things: he is the World's 50Best Pastry Chef according to the 2023 World's 50Best and Coda, opened in 2016, is the first 'dessert restaurant' capable of obtaining two Michelin stars, the first in 2019, the second a year later, in 2020.

It is a success that comes from afar, the result of a long apprenticeship: Frank was born in 1984 in Wangen im Allgäu, a German municipality in the south of the country, a stone's throw from Switzerland and Austria. At 22, he was already the junior pastry chef at the Zirbelstube in Stuttgart. After finishing his apprenticeship, he accumulated a series of experiences in multi-starred restaurants, outside and inside the borders: Oriol Balaguer in Barcelona, Akelarre in San Sebastian, Lampart in Switzerland, Georges Blanc in France, Nihon Ryori RyuGin and Kikunoi in Japan and many others.

Between 2010 and 2016, the most important experience before his Berlin establishment: he is the head pastry chef at La Vie in Osnabrück, a restaurant that received its third star halfway through, in 2013. Then there are the titles of 'pastry chef of the year', which he got several times from important guides such as Gault & Millau and Rolling Pin. The rest is recent history.

 Some of his famous phrases:

‘My priority is to take a sustainable and holistic approach in everything I do. It means using the highest quality products and encouraging respectful co-operation in our team while maintaining a healthy workplace.’

‘I believe in the holistic philosophy: a perfect menu is worth more than the individual sum of the dishes. It represents a symbiosis of cuisine, matching drinks and personal wine recommendations.’

‘Avoiding industrial processed products is an obvious choice for me from a gastronomic point of view. I am interested in pure and natural ingredients with distinctive flavour profiles. In the world of pastry, partially refined products limit our craftsmanship.’

‘We take inspiration from pastry techniques from around the world. Each course is conceived with great care, aiming to challenge conventions deliberately and break boundaries.’

‘I do not believe that the future of pastry-making necessarily lies in sugar-free preparations. However, as desserts become less and less sweet and rely less on fat, they will be naturally lower in calories.’

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso