‘Take me to the chef’s place’

The Norwegian village of Bekkjarvik on the northeastern coast of the island of Selbjørn is home to Beckerwyc House, an exclusive boutique hotel run by the Johannessen family. Even more exclusive is its restaurant, Mirabelle by Ørjan Johannessen, though locals tend to refer to it as “the place where the chef lives”.

The restaurant is renowned for its use of natural ingredients and “island gastronomy”, sourcing fresh ingredients such as crab and shrimps from surrounding waters and creating dishes that are often a tribute to local heroes, such as the fishermen in the area. Protein can also be venison and wild lamb from the island.

“Local fish from the island and food from my life and travel influences feature prominently in the dining,” says Johannessen who won the Bocuse d’Or, the world’s most prestigious international culinary competition, in 2015 for his previous restaurant in the same location, Bekkjarvik Giestgiveri.

High-end travellers pursue top restaurants and curated dining experiences, much like what’s on offer at Mirabelle (named after his daughter and favourite plum).

Johannessen won the Bocuse d’Or at his second attempt. After falling short the first time he took a different approach, hiring a mental coach who’d worked with cyclists and sportsmen to train and hone the mental skills required and to get the team in the right space.

Johannessen became a father six months before the competition, which helped to sharpen his focus even more so he could get home by five and see his baby.

“As chefs we like to train a lot, from early morning to late at night. I don’t think new ideas after five a clock are a good idea,” he said from the annual Constance Festival Culinaire in Mauritius where he’s a judge and involved as a chef.

As for the coaching, Johannessen said it included questions about what the team was doing wrong and what they felt they weren't good at. “Then you need to go deep into yourself,” he explains.

“It’s all about psychology and good strength. When I win a competition, I usually have a feeling I’m going to win before I get started,” he said.

Mirabelle by Ørjan Johannessen is on the top floor of Beckerwyc House in the old fishing village surrounded by old buildings and wharfs, a short trip by speedboat from Bergen or one-and-a-half hours by car.

Johannessen and his family have a fine dining restaurant, a pizza restaurant, a steakhouse (bistro) in the north of Norway and two hotels spanning 70 rooms, with 85 staff.

The one hotel was bought by Johannessen’s parents (both chefs) in 1982 and is in a historical building built in 1689. The island he lives on is part of an island community, with 660 islands.

Three years ago, they built their fine dining restaurant Mirabelle.

Food and hospitality have always been part of Johannessen’s life, having grown up in the hotel on the island.

He and wife Cecilia have worked together for 20 years; they met at another fine dining restaurant where they were both working, she as the sommelier. She now manages Mirabelle and the service staff of the hotels.

For the first year after the Bocuse d’Or win there was an uptick in reservations. “We always have a low season every March and April but it was full for the first year, thereafter people know you’re there, but you still need to market the restaurant again,” Cecilia says.

The dish that won Johannessen the coveted award remains on the menu, and features Dover sole, artichokes and white truffles. Every dish tells a story of the island, and includes ingredients such as venison and monkfish.

Desserts include Mimmi’s Four O’Clock Coffee — cakes and pastries inspired by Johannessen’s grandmother.

Is Norway known for its cuisine? “I don’t think so, Johannessen said. “We are known for the quality of our seafood. Food in Norway is quite like Scandinavian cuisine. It’s more or less the same style, same ingredients but a little different here and there. I will say it’s Nordic, Scandinavian cuisine”.

Ingredients are constantly evolving, which helps keep the menu fresh. Johannessen’s head chef (from Canada) recently went to Champagne, San Sebastian and Barcelona to check out the food there. Another chef went to Gambia and is giving a cooking class to Gambian kids on how to prepare and cook fish, while another of his chefs has just been to the Czech Republic.

French cooking has also been a big influence, and he travels to see what other people eat and do. “It’s also about the mood. Some days you want Asian, some days it’s tarte tatin. Another day you want ravioli.”

The Johannessens host a culinary academy once a month, where people can come and learn to cook basic dishes or make a sourdough. They also run a school and currently have 12 apprentices.