Culinary legend Martin Dalsass and rising star Sasha Spring dazzled at the UBS Four Hands Dinner in Gstaad. The 44 guests were delighted. 44 out of over 5,500
At the Bernerhof in Gstaad, two generations of top chefs came together as part of the UBS Four Hands Dinner series – where seasoned experts meet breakthrough chefs. The stars of the evening were Martin Dalsass, celebrated 18-point chef, and Sascha Spring, the up-and-coming talent from the Seepark in Thun. With the new dinner series, UBS, partner of GaultMillau and dedicated supporter of promising culinary newcomers, has created a platform for encounters between experienced master chefs and young creatives. For the exclusive experience in Gstaad, 22 spots were raffled from 5,500 participants, with each winner receiving two tickets – allowing 44 lucky gourmands to be part of this special evening.

An accolade from Martin Dalsass.
The two chefs set the tone for the culinary journey with their amuse-bouches. Whereas Martin served a melt-in-themouth foie gras terrine with apple chips, Sascha created a beetroot macaron with noix gras and herbs. He remembered that Martin loved the macaron during his guest appearance at the Seepark and was only too happy to serve it in Gstaad as well. The Thun team devoted meticulous care to each macaron, spending about a minute perfecting its delicate wood sorrel garnish. The amuse-bouches were paired with a 2022 Riesling by Erich Meier from Uetikon, Zurich.

Sour is delicious
Sascha’s appetizer was equally remarkable: Sinser Masu salmon with radish, green apple sorbet and celery-sudachi broth, served with blossoms and herbs. The dish was accompanied by a Chasselas Les Bans 2022 from Valentina Andrei in Saillon, Valais. Martin countered with pasta of the highest caliber: “olive blossoms”, hand-shaped by his wife, with Carabinero and Taggiasca olives in a sauce that brimming with crustacean flavour – an Italian culinary powerplay. The South Tyrolean, who showcased the “Locanda Dalsass” with his classic dishes at the Bernerhof, pulled out all the stops despite a recent foot operation. Sascha raved about Martin, calling him a great chef and role model.

Truffles from Lotta and Glacier 51
For one course, Sascha enlisted an unusual helper: Lotta, a friend’s dog, who diligently unearthed Burgundy truff les in Thun’s Schadaupark. The truffles were then crafted into a foam of Steffisburg potatoes with confit egg yolk and leeks. Martin meanwhile relied on Glacier 51, black hake from Patagonia, juicy and thick-fileted, accompanied by a perfectly balanced miso sauce, along with sauerkraut. A Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Grand’Cour from Jean-Pierre Pellegrin of Satigny GE was the ideal paring for the two umami creations.

Signature dish: pigeon
As a main course, Sascha served Bresse pigeon, accompanied by Hokkaido pumpkin, cassis and whey jus. He explained that a sous-vide process was originally planned before he ultimately opted for the traditional roasting method. A large block of butter, wrapped in gold foil, was used for basting, along with fresh thyme.

Above all else, joy
Martin was impressed by Sascha’s energy and enthusiasm and advised him that the priority must always be the joy of cooking combined with first-class products. Regarding the format of the UBS Four Hands Dinners, he noted that it was exciting for both the chefs and the guests, as it allowed them to try dishes with completely different styles.

Lemon freshness and grandma’s “little rascal” cookies
After the hearty menu, Martin offered refreshment in the form of an “Amalfi lemon” filled with lemon yogurt foam and filleted Amalfi lemons. The friandises were complemented by “little rascal” cookies based on his grandmother’s recipe, warmed under the salamander broiler before serving – true to this young chef’s motto: Always go the extra mile.

A passion for fostering talent
Marco Formoso, Team Leader Private Wealth Bern at UBS, emphasized that passion and the promotion of talent are crucial for success in the gastronomy industry. “The same is also true of banking. We train around 120 young people annually in our region, and over 2,300 across Switzerland”. This commitment is a central part of UBS’s DNA and also emphasizes its role as the main partner of SwissSkills, the most important platform for promoting vocational education.

JOURNALIST: ALEX KÜHN | PHOTOS: MARCUS GYGER