Monday, August 27, 2012
LE MERIDIEN BRUSSELS - A NEW HUB IN TOWN
Hotels should not only be a comfortable place to stay but can also offer a lifestyle element to the business traveller and private guest. With this in mind, the international Starwood hotel group recently launched the Le Méridien Hub directly opposite Brussels Central station. A concept whereby the traditional hotel lobby has been transformed into a contemporary and interactive zone with an avant-garde interior, a coffee/cocktail bar and a display of cutting-edge art. Under the name "Unlock Art", new keycards have been decorated with images created by selected artists - these will certainly become collector's items. Not only do they look good but also provide free entrance to the Palace of Fine Arts - BOZAR - which is only a 3 minute walk from the hotel. This is yet another special step that Starwood has taken to bring the established hotel image into the 21st century- something started by the lobby "living room" concept in their trendy W hotels worldwide. The new Le Méridien will also kick-start a welcome regeneration of the area around the railway station. During the last few months, more than 200 rooms and suites have been brought on-stream after a complete makeover as you can see in the photos below. Another must is L'Epicerie restaurant ( 15 points GaultMillau ) under the very capable leadership of chef Vincent Masson.
Monday, May 7, 2012
MASSIMO BOTTURA - SAN PELLEGRINO WORLD'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2012
The awards for the World's 50 Best restaurants sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna were held on April 30th at The Guildhall in London. Another chance for the greatest chefs to meet up before hearing their positions in the 10th edition of the awards that are gaining more worldwide importance.
NOMA is number one again for the third year running; El Celler de Can Roca 2nd, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was the highest new entry at 6; Hibiscus from Claude Bosi dropped to 94 and out of the top 50 - we visited the restaurant a few day's later and had a fantastic meal. The 50 Best List is certainly personal and can lead to many differences of opinion. Alvin Leung from Bo Innovation in Hong Kong at 52 is our tip for the Top 50 next year. He will open in London later this year.
Special awards to Thomas Keller for his lifetime's work, Elena Arzak for Best Female chef and the Slow Food Award went to Steirereck in Vienna. We have visited all these chefs and the recognition is really well deserved
Massimo Bottura - who achieved a fantastic 5th place - is the charismatic chef/owner from one of our real favourites, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. The video interview below shows the importance of the awards for the local producers in his region of Emilia-Romagna and how much a place in the top 5 means to him. You can find more info on a previous blog from November 17, 2011 when he was awarded 3 Michelin stars.
www.theworlds50best.com
www.osteriafrancescana.it
NOMA is number one again for the third year running; El Celler de Can Roca 2nd, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was the highest new entry at 6; Hibiscus from Claude Bosi dropped to 94 and out of the top 50 - we visited the restaurant a few day's later and had a fantastic meal. The 50 Best List is certainly personal and can lead to many differences of opinion. Alvin Leung from Bo Innovation in Hong Kong at 52 is our tip for the Top 50 next year. He will open in London later this year.
Special awards to Thomas Keller for his lifetime's work, Elena Arzak for Best Female chef and the Slow Food Award went to Steirereck in Vienna. We have visited all these chefs and the recognition is really well deserved
Massimo Bottura - who achieved a fantastic 5th place - is the charismatic chef/owner from one of our real favourites, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. The video interview below shows the importance of the awards for the local producers in his region of Emilia-Romagna and how much a place in the top 5 means to him. You can find more info on a previous blog from November 17, 2011 when he was awarded 3 Michelin stars.
www.theworlds50best.com
www.osteriafrancescana.it
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
ANDRE CHIANG - OCTAPHILOSOPHY
The 8 dogmas according to Chiang
Andre Chiang was in Amsterdam this week at the invitation of chefs Alain Caron and Ferry van Houten with his intriguing Octaphilosophy....his Octa ... what?! Octaphilosophy - eight self-defined words describing the philosophy behind the special cooking style of this young (33), passionate - and very French - chef from Singapore. "The idea behind a creation is the main interest for me. It doesn't matter whether it's a sculpture, a painting or a plate of food. Every day, a wealth of fresh ingredients are delivered to the restaurant and they inspire me to create a complete 8-course menu....spontaneously .We do not work with recipes, rather with sketches that are pinned on the wall. "
Each dish in this daily - or even hourly - changing 8 course menu is inextricably linked to the 8 themes, based on Andre's philosophy that good food is an emotional experience encompassing the elements that Andre feels are the distillation of his art - Memory; Purity, Terroir, Uniqueness, South, Artisan, Salt and Texture. A squid ink risotto transformed into an Oriental cracker or a goose liver chawanmushi are amongst the interpretations on offer. He sculpts his culinary compositions around these fixed themes with his dedicated team. He believes in all modesty that perfection does not exist ..."we can only aspire."
In Asia, Andre Chiang is already a celebrated chef and thanks to his inclusion in the San Pellegrino list of World's 50 Best Restaurants he is enjoying growing fame in Europe. In our opinion, Andre is on the way towards the top. Would you also like to experience this? The Amsterdam restaurant Het Bosch will present an eight course Octaphilosphy dinner every Thursday this month (March)... saves the air fare or helps you decide to experience even more in Singapore.
www.restaurantandre.com
www.hetbosch.com
www.theworlds50best.com
Andre Chiang was in Amsterdam this week at the invitation of chefs Alain Caron and Ferry van Houten with his intriguing Octaphilosophy....his Octa ... what?! Octaphilosophy - eight self-defined words describing the philosophy behind the special cooking style of this young (33), passionate - and very French - chef from Singapore. "The idea behind a creation is the main interest for me. It doesn't matter whether it's a sculpture, a painting or a plate of food. Every day, a wealth of fresh ingredients are delivered to the restaurant and they inspire me to create a complete 8-course menu....spontaneously .We do not work with recipes, rather with sketches that are pinned on the wall. "
Each dish in this daily - or even hourly - changing 8 course menu is inextricably linked to the 8 themes, based on Andre's philosophy that good food is an emotional experience encompassing the elements that Andre feels are the distillation of his art - Memory; Purity, Terroir, Uniqueness, South, Artisan, Salt and Texture. A squid ink risotto transformed into an Oriental cracker or a goose liver chawanmushi are amongst the interpretations on offer. He sculpts his culinary compositions around these fixed themes with his dedicated team. He believes in all modesty that perfection does not exist ..."we can only aspire."
In Asia, Andre Chiang is already a celebrated chef and thanks to his inclusion in the San Pellegrino list of World's 50 Best Restaurants he is enjoying growing fame in Europe. In our opinion, Andre is on the way towards the top. Would you also like to experience this? The Amsterdam restaurant Het Bosch will present an eight course Octaphilosphy dinner every Thursday this month (March)... saves the air fare or helps you decide to experience even more in Singapore.
www.restaurantandre.com
www.hetbosch.com
www.theworlds50best.com
Friday, February 10, 2012
VINITES TASTING AT THE WINE PROFESSIONAL 2012: DOMAINE GEORGES VERNAY & LUC KUSTERS
A tiny French winery and a top Amsterdam restaurant combined their skills during the opening day of the recent Wine Professional 2012. The presentation was organised by Vinites:one of the major wine importers in The Netherlands. The wines selected from their portfolio came from the family run Domaine Georges Vernay in the Rhône Valley, made by the charming Christine Vernay - daughter and current winemaker. The opening wine was a velvety, very vinous pink saignée made from syrah and a glass of a winning viognier from the recent Dutch National Wine Competition, both from 2010. This was followed by magnificent Condrieus; ; chef Luc Kusters from restaurant Bolenius combined a 2010 Terrasses de l'Empire with three preparations of celeriac (see attached photo) in a sauce of crushed tomatoes with grapefruit and grated black olive – not the most obvious choice for a wine tasting - but one of the most refreshing and purest vegetarian dishes I've ever tasted and a superb combination with the Condrieu. The other wine on offer was an extra glass of Vieux Vernon Condrieu 2009 with even more depth, produced from grapes grown on a plot planted before 1940 by Christine’s grandfather.
If you think that the summit had been reached, think again! The Côte du Rhône St. Agathe 2009 caught everyones attention; a thoroughbred cousin of the following Côte Rôtie 2009 Blonde du Seigneur but of course with a more customer friendly price. The Côte Rôtie was the ideal wine to complete this superb wine and food experience as Luc Kusters presented a lighter, contemporary version of Lièvre à la Royale – hare with a sauce made from the offal, carcass and blood - a classic of French haute cuisine and later a signature dish of the Dutch super chef Robert Kranenborg, with whom Luc worked for years. A combination made in heaven.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
3 MICHELIN STARS FOR MASSIMO BOTTURA: OSTERIA FRANCESCANA
Massimo Bottura, the innovative chef from the Osteria Francescana in Modena, has been awarded his third Michelin star. This is only the seventh restaurant in Italy to achieve the distinction in the 2012 guide. Earlier in the year he was voted number 4 in the world by the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants - what a year.
The dishes he invents reflect the traditions of his region Emilia Romagna and are based on local ingredients such as Parmesan cheese and Balsamic vinegar - pictured below. The smashed dessert originated with an accident in the kitchen and others are the result of a fertile imagination powered by art, jazz and history. Congratulations.
www.osteriafrancescana.it
www.modenatur.it
The dishes he invents reflect the traditions of his region Emilia Romagna and are based on local ingredients such as Parmesan cheese and Balsamic vinegar - pictured below. The smashed dessert originated with an accident in the kitchen and others are the result of a fertile imagination powered by art, jazz and history. Congratulations.
www.osteriafrancescana.it
www.modenatur.it
Monday, September 26, 2011
René Redzepi - NOMA Book
Top chef René Redzepi from restaurant NOMA ( No.1 in the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best ) was in The Netherlands last week to present his cooking bible about the new Nordic cuisine.
Within his allotted hour, he expounded on his philosophy to the fans and press who had flocked to an old church outside Amsterdam from far and wide - a real challenge considering the numerous debates and words written about this revolutionary approach. He opened his presentation by thanking ( 3 star ) Dutch chef Jonnie Boer who had earlier welcomed him with a box of fresh cèpes, picked that morning in the Veluwe forest and Dutch wine from Thérèse Boer "to show we also have beautiful products here which have been used for many years in our restaurant". René had brought some food for the audience to taste; homemade rye biscuits and beach rose petals pickled in vinegar in order to show that even humble products can be delicious. A simple way to show that the essence of his cooking is based on locally grown, foraged, caught or shot products. The use of new cooking techniques - and the reintroduction of traditional methods - enabled Rene and his team to develop a new taste and combination palette, setting this son of a Macedonian muslim immigrant on the culinary map for good. The book is a true reflection of his vision and a new look at culinary possibilities and attitudes and reads like a recipe laced novel. It has been an 8 year journey at NOMA; starting with a playful exploration of Scandinavian nature that gradually grew into a culinary journey that shows no signs of ending. Fortunately, René retains his friendly and open attitude despite all the international attention. We have followed him for years; sometimes up close and often at a distance and intend to continue this adventure that is having an influence on chefs worldwide.
ISBN 9780714859033 Phaidon Publishers
Within his allotted hour, he expounded on his philosophy to the fans and press who had flocked to an old church outside Amsterdam from far and wide - a real challenge considering the numerous debates and words written about this revolutionary approach. He opened his presentation by thanking ( 3 star ) Dutch chef Jonnie Boer who had earlier welcomed him with a box of fresh cèpes, picked that morning in the Veluwe forest and Dutch wine from Thérèse Boer "to show we also have beautiful products here which have been used for many years in our restaurant". René had brought some food for the audience to taste; homemade rye biscuits and beach rose petals pickled in vinegar in order to show that even humble products can be delicious. A simple way to show that the essence of his cooking is based on locally grown, foraged, caught or shot products. The use of new cooking techniques - and the reintroduction of traditional methods - enabled Rene and his team to develop a new taste and combination palette, setting this son of a Macedonian muslim immigrant on the culinary map for good. The book is a true reflection of his vision and a new look at culinary possibilities and attitudes and reads like a recipe laced novel. It has been an 8 year journey at NOMA; starting with a playful exploration of Scandinavian nature that gradually grew into a culinary journey that shows no signs of ending. Fortunately, René retains his friendly and open attitude despite all the international attention. We have followed him for years; sometimes up close and often at a distance and intend to continue this adventure that is having an influence on chefs worldwide.
ISBN 9780714859033 Phaidon Publishers
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)