Watch the episode about Anatoly Komm, whom some have called “an advocate of Russian cuisine and molecular gastronomy.” He wears many hats, being a former fashion designer, the head-chef of five restaurants, a restaurateur who loves culinary experimentation, and a molecular chef who serves traditional Russian dishes in the new shapes and presents familiar flavors in the new forms.
In 2004 his restaurant Green in Geneva was reportedly listed in the Michelin Red Book. In 2011 his elegant Moscow restaurant Варвары (Barbarians) is the only Russian restaurant listed in The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants. It has a classic, sophisticated yet cozy Russian interior and sources Russian ingredients for its menu, which include, for example, seafood from the Far East, or sea cucumbers from Kamchatka and hand-raised vegetables from nearby farms. The menu features rye bread in pillowy gel form, capsules of borscht and smoked lard submerged in cloud of soured cream, an ice-cream “gazpacho” with lobster bisque, beetroot maki rolls, and dumplings with Kamchatka crab. Visitors admit that in Варвары one can learn something about Russia’s rich culinary history as well as about both Soviet space race technology and scientific endeavors to feed the populace. Komm figures that dinner at Варвары is akin to performance. The menu groups under the themes such as Russian Traditions or Russian Renaissance , and features such sets as "A Tribute To All Grannies” or "Back in the USSR." It should be mentioned that this place is above the means of the average citizen, which is the biggest criticism that Варвары faces.