His restaurant concept moves from the YOSO restaurant to the PURS Luxury Boutique Hotel & Restaurant
Executive chef Peter Fridén’s “New Nordic-Japanese Cuisine” will move to the PURS Luxury Boutique Hotel & Restaurant from May 2024. The unique cuisine of the South Korean-born chef, who grew up in Sweden, was recently awarded a Michelin star in the current Michelin restaurant guide. The implementation of New Nordic-Japanese Cuisine in the PURS Restaurant enriches the overall work of art by star designer and antiquarian Axel Vervoordt, who has designed the hotel, which is part of PURS Fine Hotels & Restaurants, in the spirit of Wabi-Sabi.

With this change, PURS Fine Hotels & Restaurants aims to achieve two goals at once. On the one hand, the hotel concept based on the design and philosophy of Axel Vervoordt is to be strengthened and now also completed in the culinary field. From the check-in ritual with Oshibori cloths, the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and the art tour in the afternoon to the New NordicJapanese cuisine in the evening: during their stay, guests immerse themselves in the world of Axel Vervoordt and the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi. Peter Fridén, previously head chef at the YOSO restaurant, will unite three culinary worlds at PURS, which guests will be able to enjoy here from the beginning of May 2024: Asian-Japanese cuisine with Scandinavian cuisine and French haute cuisine. “When I cook, I connect with these three cultures. Even as a child, my uncle in Sweden taught me how to cook – with down-to-earth, typical Swedish dishes. My travels to East Asia have given me a connection to Asian cuisine, which is also where my roots lie,” says the 42-year-old chef.
Asian and Nordic cuisine have very different culinary traditions and ingredients, and the cooking techniques are also different. Nevertheless, there are unifying elements such as fish and seafood, the strong connection to nature and the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients. In terms of cooking style, wabi-sabi means preparing restrained dishes that emphasize the beauty and taste of natural ingredients and offer a deep indulgence. This is exactly what Peter Fridén does and he is deeply impressed by the perfection and respect in Japan – not only for the food, but also for the people. “After all, food is one of the fundamental elements of life that brings people together,” says Peter Fridén. In addition, Peter Fridén will remain responsible for the YOSO restaurant as Executive Chef. He and his team are currently working on a “Fine Asian Street Food Concept” and want to bring the diversity of Asian street food to Andernach and YOSO. A reopening is planned for the second half of the year.
The repositioning of the culinary world of PURS Fine Hotels & Restaurants will counteract the trend of classic gourmet gastronomy declining throughout Germany. “We also had to make this experience at the PURS Restaurant in 2023 and had to accept a sharp drop in guest numbers,” says Gerhard Pohl, Managing Director of PURS Fine Hotels & Restaurants. “We spoke to Yannick Noack back in 2023 about an upcoming concept change
at PURS. This will now take place from May 2024. We are grateful that he and his team have been able to delight our guests with their award-winning cuisine in the past and wish him all the best for the future.”