Featuring over 90 recipes with full coloured photos and written in a casual, approachable style, this cookbook makes the perfect gift for fans of Artichoke, Bjorn or uninhibitedly rockin’ food in general.
Bjorn Shen, chef-owner of popular and rebellious restaurant Artichoke, reveals the scrappy stories and recklessly creative recipes behind his deviant Middle Eastern enterprise in this no-holds barred memoir-cookbook. Expect stories on cooking accidents, tasteless jokes, masochistic behaviour, epic staff meals, ridiculous customer complaints and more.
His penchant for unapologetic, full-blown flavour is also reflected in recipes that run the gamut from Middle Eastern-inflected basturma-cured tuna to borderline insane offerings of Oreo ‘pancakes’, a Mamee salad and a humongous lamb shoulder called, appropriately, The Lambgasm.
Reader Reviews:
“People who buy chef Bjorn Shen's cookbook, called Artichoke like his restaurant, will get much more than recipes. Even if they have not met him, his wacky personality comes through and he tells readers candid, no-holds-barred stories about life in a restaurant kitchen. It is no accident that the tagline of the book is Recipes & Stories From Singapore's Most Rebellious Kitchen.”
—Eunice Quek, The Sunday Times
“Besides a groovy playlist, a reputation for unpretentious and damn tasty grub, an incredibly cool city-centre setting and a commitment to giving patrons a most relaxing, enjoyable dining experience, Artichoke hasn't got much going for it. The chef isn't very chio either.”
—Tan Huang Ming, Chef, Lolla
“Bjorn is Artichoke and Artichoke is Bjorn. He cooks simply with fresh ingredients and allows the flavors to shine. I try to get back as often as possible.”
—Dave Almany, Executive Chef, Osteria Mozza
“A chef like Bjorn doesn’t come along too often - a culinary rebel with soul and attitude. Artichoke is a kick-ass restaurant, a breath of fresh air and one of my favourites in Singapore. This book's gonna be a keeper!”
—Yuan Siang Oeij, Chairman, The Privé Group
“Gutsy, robust, from the heart. These words describe Bjorn Shen's food, and, come to think of it, the chef himself. Artichoke is a restaurant Singapore can be proud of.”
—Tan Hsueh Yun, food editor, The Straits Times Life!
“Bjorn Shen, Singapore's most refreshingly rebellious chef...dishes out recipes that are nothing short of generous.”
—Esquire Singapore
“Singapore's most rebellious kitchen is rewarding its firm fans with Artichoke, a 256-page book of scrappy stories, unsightly kitchen scars and recipes that range from 'frankenfoods' like bak chor mee baos to the restaurant's famous fried chicken (it has never come off the menu).”
—August Man