FZN by Björn Frantzén, is it a case of 3 Michelin Stars in waiting?
Björn Frantzén is a big deal in the culinary world. We were invited to taste why and some asked, is this going to be Dubai's first 3 Michelin Starred restaurant?
Björn Frantzén is, in the words of Ron Burgundy, kind of a big deal, and his highly anticipated foray into Dubai’s dining scene should send tremors across the city.
With six restaurants between his native Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Stockholm, two boast three Michelin stars each: Zén in Singapore and Frantzén, the Swedish flagship. Frantzén was the first three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Sweden, etching its status as a fine dining destination in marble. Today, it is no. 35 on the 2024 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Björn’s collaboration with Gregoire Berger’s Ossiano in November 2022 was, evidently, both reconnaissance and a statement of intent. (Some ex-Ossiano team members now work at FZN.)
Björn, while highly respected within the international restaurant community, is not a household name for most. A Swedish footballer turned chef who ended up at Alain Passard’s L’Arpége and Gordon Ramsey at Claridges before embarking on his own.
Now Dubai is his stage with FZN due to open on 8 November, or so we are told during a private preview dinner for media and others. It takes over from Nobu’s former space in Atlantis the Palm. (I am sure we will not miss it.)
FZN by Björn Frantzén, what can we expect?
Frantzén is known for combining traditional Nordic ingredients with modern techniques from Japanese and French cuisine. Between the Ossiano collaboration and this private invite, it’s clear Frantzén’s cuisine is restrained and focused, linear and simple, and fastidious about quality, provenance, and seasonality.
The evening’s service was excellent, something frequent diners like me complain about bitterly in Dubai. This preview—while meticulously orchestrated as a showpiece for one night only—raises questions about whether FZN could become Dubai’s benchmark for elegant service.
Our 6-course preview tasting menu reinforces Frantzén’s food ideology cooked under the expert hands of Torsten Vildgaard, Executive Chef at FZN (and, fun fact, brother to Eric Vildgaard of Restaurant Jordnaer in Copenhagen).
FZN’s preview dishes were superb, quietly capable and understated. The ingredients speak for themselves; the dishes were calculated and calibrated, but nothing felt risky. The most daring moment came in a ramekin of mushroom-based XO sauce, which I slathered remorselessly over a bread, so soft that geese will trade in their feathers for its downy feel. Moreover, a few dishes felt reminiscent, like I had enjoyed a version somewhere before, but not quite as good.
A dainty amuse-bouche tartlet shingled with black truffle and Jerusalem artichoke is brightened with green apple and has an intense, lasting finish. It is paired with Krug Champagne 170eme. The plating is dreamy, elegant, and fine, as evidenced by a chutoro starter with Japanese radish and fermented strawberry that resembled a flower in bloom. Gossamer sheets of apple unfold like an accordion with the slightest pressure of a fork on a tart tatin lacquered with Punsch, a Swedish liqueur.
A langoustine so broad and hench it was probably a Crossfit world champion is flash-fried and plunged like a seafood tender into a ginger emulsion. A 10-day-aged duck is wood-grilled to a blushing pink and anointed with a coin of foie gras and locally grown wasabi leaf (apparently, Atlantis the Palm only grows the leaves).
The standout dish of the evening was arguably the bone marrow chawanmushi, served with delicately smoked beef broth and a caviar bump the size of a newborn’s fist.
The wine was serious. Premier Cru Burgundian whites from Saint-Aubin followed by a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, where my only gripe was when it was gone. FZN promises to be very well-stocked, with some excellent bottles for discerning guests.
FZN by Björn Frantzén, what’s the verdict?
A media preview dinner is a highly curated affair, and a lot can change within the actual restaurant.
Can Björn Frantzén slide into Dubai and be the first restaurant to claim three Michelin stars? Is this his three Michelin star hat trick after Stockholm and Singapore?
It would seem ridiculous to some that any restaurant could do this within one year of opening, except Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler did just that. Oh, and so did Zén, by Frantzén. Dubai’s Row on 45 landed hot with two stars within their first year, so Dubai has some precedent for punchy first-year openings. With Atlantis the Palm’s firepower and an excellent FZN team with a long Frantzén pedigree, anything is possible. We did not see FZN’s menu pricing, but I expect it to be face-draggingly expensive.
was an invited guest of Atlantis the Palm for a private media invite to preview FZN by Björn Frantzén.
Looks decadent, mighty envious obviously. Are you able to share how it stacks up to his other ventures? What do you reckon is the primary goal of a private media invite event - do you reckon they did what they wanted?
A lovely (and quick) write up. I'm looking forward to the big launch (and delighted Nobu is out). Here's my concern: "We did not see FZN’s menu pricing, but I expect it to be face-draggingly expensive." I think they will set the new pricing levels (beyond Takahisa).