Richard Juhlin was interviewed in Svenska Dagbladets Friday section. [read the full champagne story]
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
What kind of Friday night coziness (Fredagsmys in Swedish)will it be at The Juhlin House?
My kids often talk about Fredagsmys and it sounds great, but my job has no weekdays or weekends so that concept doesn’t exist for me.
If you could only choose one champagne to drink this summer?
I could never get through an entire summer with just one champagne, but if I had to, it would be the 1976 Taittinger ‘Comtes de Champagne‘, a gigantic champagne that is also refreshingly citrusy and an exotic summer smile.
Which restaurant do you visit most often? And why?
Snobby answer, but it’s actually Mancini and Aira with Frantzén in third place. Mancini because it’s the country’s best Italian and the other two simply because they’re the best and because people like to invite me there.
Is there a ‘safe card’ champagne you always return to?
Many, but I often serve Pol Roger, Bollinger, Henriot, Jacquesson and Bonnaire at home.
Your most memorable meal?
I have been to 475 different Michelin-starred restaurants so it is impossible to choose between the most romantic meals, the most beautiful places and the most delicious dishes. Guy Savoy in Paris and Mirazur in Menton are currently my favourites.
The first time you drank an extraordinary champagne?
It was when I first tasted a sip of the Yellow Widow on New Year’s Eve, when I was 10 years old. My parents always drank it at midnight. A transformative taste experience of awe-inspiring delight that I still remember like it was yesterday.
Your proudest moment in your career?
When I was the second person in the champagne world to receive the Legion of Honor from the French President for my achievements. The first was Monsieur Moët who received the same medal from Napoleon and that was a while ago.
Your signature dish?
Sole with saffron-spiked champagne sauce and black truffle. But it’s been a long time since I made it. Pasta Pomodoro with real San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and good parmesan is much more common.
Bar you dream of opening?
I lived my dream and actually had my dream bar, The Juhlin Champagne Bar at the top of Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper in the unreal premises of the Ritz Carlton. It was a dream! But it became too expensive to run so I’ve put my bar dreams and plans aside and instead enjoy visiting other people’s food temples.
Best flavoring?
Yuzu if you can get find it, otherwise it’ll have to be lemon.
Best food and drink city in the world?
Paris without the slightest doubt.
What is your house drink
Lidingö’s eminent tap water for lunch and dinner. Brämhults blackcurrant juice and cappuccino from my Siemens machine for breakfast.
What is your favorite food and wine pairing? Preferably something a little unexpected.
A runny egg yolk in all its forms with champagne.
What semi-finished products do you always have at home?
Unfortunately, I give the kids Go Meal Meatballs with cream sauce and mashed potatoes far too often when I don’t have time to cook anything better.
Which lesser-known champagne house deserves more attention?
Oh, there are a lot of talented small producers these days. This week I have been particularly impressed by Mouzon Leroux and Nicolas Maillart.
What junk or fast food is your “guilty pleasure”? That is, something that you are a little ashamed of liking.
I would never be ashamed of something I like, so I am a little hesitant about the expression “guilty pleasure”. But among simpler gastro-highs, I love Jesper Blomqvist’s Pizza Margherita and a really good Cheese Burger. Hot chocolate and cheese rolls are also not for the faint of heart, even though I’ve replaced my childhood Oboy and Skogaholms loaf with country cheese with Valrhona cocoa, farm milk and sourdough bread with Comté cheese.
