SELF-TAUGHT CHEF ANA ROŠ’S HIŠA FRANKO HAS EARNED TWO MICHELIN STARS — HER COOKING COMBINES THE INGREDIENTS OF SLOVENIA’S SOČA VALLEY IN FASCINATING NEW WAYS. WORDS: ALI MAY


It’s ironic that Ana Roš is lauded as an ambassador for her country. Once destined for a diplomatic career, Roš rebelled. In 2000, she and her then-partner, Valter, decided to take over his family business: Gostilna Franko, an osteria-style restaurant in a 19th-century building in Slovenia’s Soča Valley. Having initially helped to manage


the restaurant, in 2002 short staffi ng led Roš to step into the kitchen, where she soon discovered a passion for cooking and experimenting with fl avours. She received some local recognition, but it took international journalists three years to take notice; when they did, it was all thanks to a trout broth served with steamed trout and liquid potato ravioli. “It was something that nobody had seen before,” she says. Fast forward to 2021, and the restaurant now


known as Hiša Franko occupies 38th place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. An appearance on Netfl ix’s Chef’s Table in 2016 cemented Hiša Franko’s popularity — and Roš’s reputation — and in summer 2020 it became the fi rst Slovenian establishment to be recognised by Michelin, receiving two stars. But these aren’t necessarily the achievements the chef is proudest of. “The culture of gastronomy didn’t exist


in the country,” Roš says of the time she started her culinary journey. “Together


with my team, we’ve managed to raise the consciousness of the Slovenian people to think about what they eat and how they eat. We’ve raised the consciousness of the chefs to respect nature and the seasons. We’ve also raised the awareness of the government about the importance of gastronomy and the role it plays in our everyday social life, and it’s now considered as an important touristic product.” Slovenia is one of Europe’s more compact


countries, but it’s also one of the most diverse in terms of geography. You’ll fi nd karsts on the Adriatic Sea in the south west, mountains in the north bordering Italy and Austria, a chain of peaks and rivers in the east — and it only takes 45 minutes to travel from the highest point to the sea. Traditional Slovenian cuisine, like the country’s topography, is varied; hearty and alpine in the hills, Mediterranean-style on the coast. “My cooking is a patchwork of respect for


the territory, tradition and seasonality. And then with a big creative twist,” says Roš. “[But] we’re far away from traditional fl avours. Some people say ‘she respects the territory and the season, so she’s traditional’, but Hiša Franko is anything but traditional; it has very weird fl avour combinations and amazing techniques behind the food.” The menu at Roš’s restaurant is like a living thing: each dish might be updated several


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IMAGES: SUZAN GABRIJAN


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