ALT is the new project which Niko Romito, chef of three Michelin star restaurant Reale, considered to be one of the best restaurants in Italy if not the best. The project is part of the Niko Romito academy which will enable students of the school to run and operate this place along the road (the Statale 17) of Castel di Sangro where he and his sister operated their first restaurant before it moved to Casadonna. Niko Romito said the new spot will be completely managed by the students including the communication and social media. The idea behind the project is for people on a road trip to stop and spend some time eating, dining, having a snack or breakfast in an informal place on the road. ALT is the natural extension of the bread laboratory PANE which is just behind ALT. It is from here that bakery products which are either sold or delivered to various places in Italy are made. Niko said that the students will use the social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram) of the … Continue reading
Latest Posts
It is time to rethink Italy again: Why Italians hope Bottura’s rise to the top can put the country in the culinary spotlight
Italy is not just heritage. Under the surface, there is a lot going when it comes to food. It is time to think of Italy again When Ferran Adria placed at the top of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list successively he not only helped to make a name for himself and his restaurant el Bulli but he also lifted the fortunes of Spain and its gastronomy for good. Italians are now hoping that Massimo Bottura’s second top position in the space of three years will have a similar effect. Look at the world’s leading chefs today and most of them will have one thing in common. They have nearly all trained at the Adrias’ iconic restaurant el Bulli. No one has had an impact like the Spanish chef over the past years and one can say he has given chefs like Massimo Bottura and René Redzepi and many others the license to reinvent restaurants. There is maybe no one today who has the aura that Ferran Adria had though in a few years we may look at a number of today’s stars in the same … Continue reading
Pino Cuttaia to organise Cooking Med in Agrigento, Sicily next year
Pino Cuttaia, chef of La Madia in Licata (photo courtesy of La Madia) Pino Cuttaia, chef of two Michelin star Sicilian restaurant La Madia will be organising Cooking Med, an event that will bring to the fore sustainability of the sea and focus on themes like marine pollution, seasonal fishing, cooking ‘humble fish’ and the geopolitical role of the Mediterranean. The first edition of the event takes place in Agrigento in September 2019. Cuttaia loves to call the Mediterranean Sea his garden and has decided to launch this project which aims to bring topics that have always been close to his heart from sea sustainability to the cultural role of the Mediterranean into the spotlight. He has been inspired by his friend and colleague Norbert Niedekofler, the organiser of Care’s and Cook the Mountain. Cuttaia’s aim is for Cooking Med to become a laboratory for research on gastronomy. He aims to bring together the traditions of various Mediterranean countries and explore the … Continue reading
Chef of the century Joel Robuchon dies aged 73
Joel Robuchon, the French chef who owned and ran restaurants around the world including several that were awarded three Michelin stars, died today in Geneva aged 73. French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the French chef, one of the most influential chefs in the world who inspired a generation of chefs, died of cancer. The French chef was named the "chef of the century" by the Gault et Millau restaurant guide in 1990. Among his most iconic dishes was the Humber mashed potatoes cooked with a decadent amount of butter. He owned restaurants in cities from Paris to Monaco, Hong Kong to Las Vegas and Tokyo to Bangkok and over the past years was famous for his Robuchon, known for his mashed potatoes among many other dishes, owned restaurants in cities including Paris, Monaco, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Bangkok. He was the chef who held the most Michelin stars ever in 2016 with 32 (31 this year) including five three-star restaurants. He started a revolution with his “Atelier … Continue reading
Dealing with loss: Cherishing the memories of a loved one through food
A few Christmases ago, my father was standing next to me at the stove as I was preparing the traditional Christmas lunch which I’ve been cooking pretty much since I met my wife in 2000. He asked me a very simple question. Where did your love for food and for cooking come from? And while that might look like a very simple question, my relationship with food, as Facebook would say, is complicated. It is a question I’ve often been asked and the best answer is probably centred around the key people in my life, that is my wife, my parents and my parents-in-law. This is maybe the closest that I’ll get to answering this question for the time being. The story is much longer and includes many twists and turns and stories along the way but you’ll get the gist below. A few weeks ago, as readers of the Food and Wine Gazette newsletter know, I lost my mother-in-law. For my wife who lost a mother and for me who lost a second mother, it was hard, very hard, made more complicated and difficult by … Continue reading
More stories
Ana Ros: ‘Every ingredient is a challenge for a chef. The less valuable it is the bigger the challenge’
When Ana Ros, the Slovenian chef of Hisa Franko cooked at Christophe Hardiquest’s Bon Bon earlier this month she brought dishes with very bold flavours to reflect her style of cooking. “This is my character. I am very explosive. I cannot say that 100 per cent of my dishes are like this but 70 per cent of our dishes are very intense. They call me thunderstorm and I can be very emotional but this is how my kitchen is,” she told Food and Wine Gazette after the fourth Bon Bon dinner at the Brussels restaurants. “I don’t think the cooking is extreme because it is not extreme but it is strong. There is of course a risk that people don’t like … Continue reading
Matthieu Beudaert: “Tasting menus are dead, we want gastronomic freedom”
Chef Matthieu Beudaert, a former art historian turned chef and his wife Sofie Delbeke have announced that they have decided to close their fine-dining restaurant Table d’Amis and gastro bar Gust to reopen in a more casual style a new restaurant called Beudaert. The decision comes a few weeks after the 9th anniversary of the opening of the restaurant in the Belgian city of Kortrijk. “We have been reflecting for a long time and on a trip to Bordeaux and San Sebastian last summer we became convinced that fine dining and long tasting menus was not what we wanted to do any more,” Matthieu told Food and Wine Gazette in an interview. “We no longer … Continue reading
Nick Bril: “People want to dine in a fine dining restaurant but don’t want to dine in finesse”
Holidays are meant to calm you down and relax you before you are ready to face the daily grind again. And as many people in high stress positions know, that feeling of relaxation can immediately turn sour on return to work. Chef Nick Bril, one of the top European chefs who runs The Jane in Antwerp faced just that last weekend after he returned back to work from a deserved holiday. He went on to Instagram Stories to say that it was impossible to work properly because over a given service, there were 38 out of 80 customers who asked for something different because of allergies, a fashion diet or just because they did not like a given … Continue reading
Gelinaz! to return with events in Los Angeles, Berlin and an Asia shuffle
GELINAZ! is set to return before the end of the year in Los Angeles with an event Vespertine plays Gelinaz! A series of events is currently being planned for 2019 including ones in Berlin and a shuffle in Asia. Just under a year after the highly successful Gelinaz! does Upper Austria at the Muhltalhof, Andrea Petrini one of the co-curators of the chef collective together with Alexandra Swenden told publisher Gestalten that the event in Los Angeles will be a gig staged at chef Jordan Kahn’s restaurant. “15 or so Gelinaz! chefs, boys and girls, exploring the four floors of the restaurant that is more like a spaceship than a restaurant, … Continue reading
Second NEU dinner in Berlin to feature Will Goldfarb with René Frank
The second NEU Dinners will welcome Will Goldfarb, fresh from the latest season of Chef's Table of restaurant Room 4 Dessert in Ubud, Bali to cook one dinner in Berlin with René Frank from CODA in Neukölln. The dinner takes place in Berlin on Sunday 29 July from 7pm. The second edition of Berlin's most exclusive dinner series united two of the most recognised and forward-thinking chefs in their field to conceive a once-in-a-lifetime dinner at the Kreuzberg rooftop Atelier Berlin that organisers promise will 'blow minds on all levels'. "Think a full fine-dining tasting menu based on sweet and savoury 'dessert' creations, unlike anything you … Continue reading
Chef Nick Bril to deejay at the Best Chef Awards Gala in Milan
Nick Bril, chef of one of the trendiest restaurants in the world The Jane in Antwerp Belgium will be deejaying at the Best Chef Awards Gala that will take place on 1 October 2018 in Milan. The chef who together with Sergio Herman opened The Jane is also one of the finalists of the awards who is in the running to win the awards for 2018. The global selection of The Best Chef Top 300 has started with all the finalists in the running to win the award for 2018. Last year, the 2017 The Best Chef Awards, held in Warsaw, Poland was awarded to Joan Roca from Spain. This year, the event takes place in Milan and is expected to be attended by … Continue reading
CKBK: The ‘Spotify for cookbooks’ launches kickstarter campaign
ckbk, a new service providing seamless digital access to the world's best cookbooks, today announced the launch of its kickstarter campaign with exclusive early access, benefits and rewards for founder subscribers. The service has been compared to Spotify as it enables you to have unlimited online access to a curated collection of cookbooks including over 100,000 recipes for a monthly fee. The cookbooks were selected with the input from hundreds of leading chefs and food writers including Nigella Lawson, Yotam Ottolenghi and Fergus Henderson. "We have been thrilled by the response to ckbk since we announced the service earlier this … Continue reading
Q&A with Kasper Kurdhal: ‘Intellectual stimulation leads to creativity’
Kasper Kurdhal, the executive chef of Le Chalet de la Foret, a two Michelin star restaurant in Brussels loves intellectual stimulation and discussion. It is what guides him at work in his interactions with chef patron Pascal Devalkeneer but it is also something he cherishes in his friendships as you can see from the second part of our interview with this talented chef. He is at his best cooking in a fine-dining environment but away from the cooking he looks for authenticity and simplicity. For our in-depth conversation with Kasper head to our interview here. This is the second part of our interview in our usual Q&A format. Your best … Continue reading
Opening the senses to something new as Ana Roš cooks with Christophe Hardiquest at Bon Bon
Before she decided to take up cooking around 14 years ago, Ana Roš was heading to Brussels to work with the European institutions where she had just been offered a job. As fate had it her partner’s father was retiring from the restaurant he owned, the Hiša Franko and there was no one to take over his work expect Victor who would become her husband. On the spot and against the will of her father she decided to stay in Slovenia and build her career in the restaurant. Having knowledge of 5 languages, she did not start in the kitchen but soon she realised that this would be necessary. Yesterday (4th July) she was in Brussels again, this … Continue reading
Belgian chef Yves Mattagne to cook at gastronomy week in Crete
Belgian chef Yves Mattagne is currently the guest of the Radisson Blu Beach resort in Crete. He is there for a gastronomy week which started on Wednesday and will come to an end on Sunday 8 July at the Bellevue Restaurant. Guests for the dinners will be able to savour the food of the two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Sea Grill with a view of the Aegean Sea. The Belgian chef will be preparing Red Tuna with a baked goose liver nougatine, fried garlic, daikon, fennel and combava followed by a Tiger Shrimp with Coconut bouillon, verbena, cabbage, red curry, lychee and tangy tomato. This will be followed by a sea bass with oyster … Continue reading
Andy Gaskin: The world is far more food oriented than it was in the past
You could say Andy Gaskin is a nomad. Born in London in 1962, his cooking journey has taken him from London to Anguilla with stops among others in Malta, Porto Cervo, Rome, Paris, Monte Carlo, Sicily, Africa, Thailand, China, the Pacific island of Bora Bora and more recently in Croatia. His love of travel has given him the opportunity to move and discover new places, get new ideas and create recipes and memories along the way. In the years he has been inspired by Professor Hubert from his culinary school, who taught him the basics, Marco Pierre White, whose dedication to top quality and perfection he immensely appreciates and … Continue reading
Vegetarian menu is biggest challenge of my entire career – René Redzepi
Last week, Noma 2.0 turned fully vegetarian as the first ever full vegetarian menu was served at the restaurant. Guests at the Copenhagen restaurant were served a full vegetarian menu from start to finish. Chef René Redzepi has said on his Instagram Stories feed that the vegetarian menu is without a shadow of doubt the biggest challenge of his entire career. "We are very happy even though it was difficult because there is something that feels like you are cooking the future by choosing the plant kingdom," Redzepi said. "We will see," he said. Redzepi and his team have often worked with vegetables but this is the first time that they … Continue reading
Sergio Herman to open third restaurant in Cadzand called Blueness
Sergio Herman, the Dutch chef who closed one of the best restaurants in the world, the Oud Sluis, is set to open his third restaurant in the seaside resort of Cadzand-Bad in Zeeland, the Netherlands. The Japanese inspired bar and restaurant called Blueness will be housed inside the refurbished and extended Strand Hotel which also houses his restaurant Pure C led by chef Syrco Bakker. Last year, the Dutch chef who lives in Belgium also opened AIRrepublic, a restaurant located in a pavilion in the newly build marina of Cadzand within walking distance of the hotel and Pure C. The two restaurants in Cadzand both have a Michelin star. The … Continue reading
Kasper Kurdhal (Le Chalet de la Foret): The offer from Ferran Adria that was too good to accept
When Ferran Adria was riding the crest of popularity he offered Kasper Kurdahl, then 27, the possibility to become his sous-chef and go to Seville to open a restaurant with him. Most people would have jumped at that opportunity or pinched themselves to make sure they heard it right. But Kasper is not like that. While most people would think this is too good an offer to refuse, the Danish chef thought otherwise and reasoned that that it was too good an offer to accept so he turned it down. Were you too young I asked him. “No. I was very precise about it. If I had accepted, I would have become a product of el Bulli for the rest of my life. I … Continue reading
Esenzi to open in Malta later this year with Tim Butler at the helm
British entrepreneur Mark Weingard has the ambition to turn a new restaurant that is set to open in Valletta, Malta later this year into one of the world’s most spectacular restaurants and also one of the best in the world. The chef at the helm is Tim Butler, who is also chef and co-owner of Esenzi in Phuket. Esenzi will open in a new boutique hotel being currently refurbished on St Barbara Bastions which is considered as Malta’s best street with a spectacular view of the Grand Harbour. Mark Weingard has set an ambitious target of November for the opening of the restaurant. The 23 room hotel, Iniala, is scheduled to open around March next … Continue reading
Tim Butler in series of charity dinners in Malta
A series of dinners by Tim Butler, chef of Thailand restaurant Esenzi have been organised at the Maltese president’s summer residence at the Verdala Castle to raise money for charity over the past few weeks. The dinners are also a way for the chef to assess the local’s response to his cuisine as he is set to open a Maltese version of his signature restaurant Esenzi in Phuket while researching on Maltese produce, suppliers and also receive feedback from Maltese customers for his Asian inspired cuisine. Held in a majestic dining room in a palace built by the Knights of St John in 1586, Tim and Mark Weingard, the Englishman who has been … Continue reading
Highlights
Le Chalet de la Forêt: Creating emotions by joining the creative forces of two chefs
If you happen to arrive to Le Chalet De la Forêt blindfolded or haven’t paid any attention to how you got there, you will not believe that you are still in the Belgian capital, Brussels. Nestled in the immense Sonian Forest a bit further away from one of the main parks of the city, the Bois de la Cambre, is a chalet that houses this two Michelin star restaurant. The road leading to the restaurant is stunning whichever season you pass through it. Be it the austere winter months, spring, summer or autumn when the leaves turn golden, it … Continue reading
Massimo Bottura reclaims top spot in World’s 50 Best Restaurants list
Massimo Bottura, chef of acclaimed Modena restaurant Osteria Francescana reclaimed the no 1 spot in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list 2018 when it was announced in Bilbao. El Celler de Can Roca, the restaurant of the Roca brothers placed second while Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur in Menton clinched third place. Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant which clinched top spot in 2017 placed fourth. After winning the award, Massimo Bottura said his first thoughts were with his teams in Modena and Florence but also Refettorio, the soup kitchen in … Continue reading
Eneko Atxa opens Eneko in Bilbao
Eneko Atxa, chef of 3 Michelin star restaurant Azurmendi and Eneko, both in Larrabetzu in the Basque countryside has opened a new restaurant in the city of Bilbao. The Spanish chef from the Basque region also has restaurants in London and Tokyo. The Basque chef has opened the restaurant in the Euskalduna Palance on May 24 with the aim of serving traditional Basque dishes and showcasing the land, the culture, the traditions, the Basque producers and their work. This approach has already been recognised in the restaurant Eneko in Larrabetzu … Continue reading
Q&A with Karen Torosyan: ‘You need to eliminate the excess’
In the second part of our interview with Karen Torosyan, chef of Bozar Restaurant in Brussels we get to know more about the chef who earlier this year bought the restaurant from David Martin of La Paix. The chef of Armenian origin arrived in Brussels when he was 18 years old and has established himself today as one of the most artisanal chefs in the country if not Europe. He is known for his pate en croute which made him famous not just in Belgium but also outside the country particularly when he won the pate en croute championship in … Continue reading
8 restaurants drop out of World’s 50 Best list including classics as 13 new restaurants get into 51-100 position
At least eight restaurants have dropped out of the World's 50 Best list according to a preliminary list of restaurants from 51-100 of restaurants published by The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. These include classic restaurants who have graced the list for many years like Amber in Hong Kong, De Librije in the Netherlands, Vendome in Germany and Hof van Cleve in Belgium. Other restaurants that have dropped places in the list include the Copenhagen restaurant Relae, Paris restaurant L'Astrance, Australian restaurant Brae and Argentinian … Continue reading
Massimo Bottura brings together 24 chefs for Al Méni in Rimini on 23 and 24 June
It is sometimes called the G8 of international cuisine. On 23 and 24 June, close to the sea in Rimini, Massimo Bottura, chef of Osteria Francescana, will organise the fifth edition of 'Al Méni' an open air food festival where 12 chefs from Emilia Romagna and 12 up and coming international chefs join forces to serve top cuisine at 'street food' prices. Among others, there will be top Polish chef Adrian Klonowski, the Indian rising star Garima Arora or Tekuna Gachechiladze, the star of Georgian popular cuisine. 'Al Méni' is dialect in the … Continue reading
No brunch, no well done steak and no fish on Monday: RIP Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain, a cook, a writer, a traveller, a TV personality and producer, a foodie at a time when food was barely on the radar screen and one of the main instigators of today’s culinary travels is no more. He sadly took his life away in what is an apparent suicide. It’s hard to think that someone you have never met could impact you so much but that was the case with Anthony. His two seminal books Kitchen Confidential and A Cook’s Tour where what triggered an interest in me for food, food books and food writing. He was a cook when he … Continue reading
Ana Ros, Emmanuel Renaut, Peter Goossens and Arnaud Lallement to cook at Bon Bon
Christophe Hardiquest, chef of two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Bon Bon has announced the line up that will complete his Bon Bon Origins collaborative dinner series this year. Ana Ros, Emmanuel Renaut, Peter Goossens and Arnaud Lallement will cook together with Christophe in separate events that take place from July to October. Christophe Hardiquest, chef of the two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Bon Bon launched Bon Bon Origins out of the desire to rediscover traditional Belgian recipes that have stood the test of time but … Continue reading
Taking the doughnut to the next level: Niko Romito opens Bomba in Milan together with Autogrill
If Niko Romito has his way, he will revolutionise street food in Italy by turning the 'humble doughnut' or bomba as it is known in Italy into a protagonist of Italian street food. The chef of 3 Michelin star restaurant Reale in Castel di Sangro has opened a new 'fast food' concept in Milan together with Autogrill on 7 June. Called "Bomba" this is the first in a series of outlets that are set to open not just in Italy but also internationally. The 'bomba' is a doughnut that is being served in both a savoury and a sweet format at Bomba. … Continue reading
Karen Torosyan: “To evolve you need to compete with yourself not with others”
The evening that Michelin awarded Bozar Brasserie with a Michelin star was the day that Karen Torosyan knew that he would become the master of his own destiny. His fate changed that day, he knew he was about to make the investment of a life time. It was not the star that changed everything but rather the realisation that now was the moment to turn his dream of owning a restaurant into reality. Since he started cooking in Georgia at the age of 13, he always dreamt that he would one day own his own restaurant. “The moment we clinched a … Continue reading
New restaurant and noodle bar by the Bun team in Antwerp
Huibrecht Berends and Hoa Truong, the duo behind Bun Vietnamese Street Food, the popular food bar in Antwerp have announced new plans to expand their business and bring more authentic Vietnamese food to the Flemish city of Antwerp. Their current Bun Vietnamese Street Food restaurant which is on Sint Jorispoort will be turned into a Vietnamese noodle shop from 12 June 2018. Hoa Truong and Huibrecht Berends have announced that they will also be opening a new bar and restaurant in summer on Volkstraat in Antwerp. Hoa and Huibrecht told Food … Continue reading
Noma to open bookings for Game and Forest season on June 6
Bookings for the Game and Forest season which starts on 2 October and runs till 22 December at noma will open tomorrow June 6 at 4pm (Central European Time). This is the only period of the year when René Redzepi will be serving meat at noma. Since the restaurant reopened in a new location in February, the restaurant has been working with three fixed seasons. The first focused on seafood and the vegetable season will follow when the restaurant reopens after a short break later this month. Redzepi said that meat will be playing a key … Continue reading
Great lineup of chefs for this year’s Flavour Fair in Vilvorde on 10 June
The third edition of the Flavour Fair organised by Big Green Egg Belgium and Luxembourg will be held at Kruitfabriek in Vilvorde on the outskirts of Brussels on Sunday 10 June, 2018. The Flavour fair offers an interesting list of chefs who will use their culinary talents to cook on the Big Green Egg. Among the chefs taking part are San Degeimbre of L'Air du Temps, Bart de Pooter of Pastorale, David Martin (La Paix and Ateliers de la Mer), patissier Joost Arijs, North Sea Chefs Broes Tavernier, Piet de Vos of Arto, Nicolas Decloedt of … Continue reading
Carbonara king Luciano Monosilio quits Roman restaurant Pipero
Luciano Monosilio, known for his legendary spaghetti carbonara which is considered to be one of the best if not the best in Rome announced on Facebook today that he has quit Pipero, a restaurant he has been chef of for the past eight years. The chef from Albano said these past eight years had been intense starting at Rex than moving to the new restaurant at Chiesa Nuova. "I have grown professionally and also personally but the cuisine at Pipero was becoming smaller and smaller for me. Many have asked me over the past years whether I felt the … Continue reading
SingleThread in California is restaurant to watch in World’s 50 Best
SingleThread farm restaurant in Sonoma County, California, a farm restaurant has been named this year’s Miele One To Watch by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Founded in December 2016, SingleThread is a partnership between husband-and-wife team Kyle and Katina Connaughton, comprising a restaurant, inn and farm built on the ethos of Japanese omotenashi — the spirit of selfless hospitality— bringing an infusion of Eastern philosophy and culture to the farm-to-table concept. SingleThread’s founders will be presented with this highly coveted award … Continue reading
How Bozar chef Karen Torosyan became the ‘pie king’ of Belgium
To understand Karen Torosyan you need to understand his love affair with the pâté en croûte. In 2015, he became the World Champion of Pâté en Croûte and there has been no looking back since then. In many ways it has defined who he is but it also explains the philosophy of this talented chef who pushed Gault & Millau to create a category of Artisan of the Year to acknowledge his talents and skills. Today foodies who visit Brussels or Belgium on a food trip are known to head to Bozar Restaurant for a taste of his world famous ‘pâté en … Continue reading
René Mathieu wins restaurant philosophy award as Gault & Millau Culinary Innovators Awards 2018 are announced
René Mathieu, chef of Luxembourg restaurant La Distillerie has clinched the restaurant philosophy award at the Gault & Millau Culinary Innovators awards 2018 for Benelux that were announced on Monday evening at the beautiful premises of the Verbeke Foundation in Kemzeke. The chef is known for his use of nature in his cuisine and has recently launched a unique augmented reality book Vegetal. The focus of the awards was on sustainability, reasonable consumption and how we can all be more conscious about what we eat and how we handle … Continue reading
Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens to open second L.E.S.S. in Ghent, a traditional Flemish bistro in Bruges
Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens, the co-owners of three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan in Zedelgem, Bruges, Belgium have told Flemish newspaper Het Niewsblad they plan to open a second bistro L.E.S.S. in Ghent either next year or the following. At the beginning of this year they announced that they would be closing their 3 Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan on 22 December 2018. Originally, they had planned to sell the property when they announced that they would close the restaurant. They no longer have plans to sell the … Continue reading
14 top international sommeliers visit Douro Boys
14 top international sommeliers among whom Mattia Spedicato of Copenhagen 3 Michelin star restaurant Geranium and Melania Bellesini of the acclaimed The Fat Duck in the UK have visited the Douro Valley to visit the 'Douro Boys' which is composed of five wine estates, the Quinta do Crastro, Niepoort, Quinta Vale D. Maria, Quinta do Vallado and Quinta do Vale Meao. Over the course of three days, the 14 sommeliers visited the five wineries. There, they were able to learn things that they had always known about the Douro Valley and experience … Continue reading
Conversations around food: Voices at the Table in London
On Monday 25 June, Voices At The Table founders Miranda York and Anna Sulan Masing will continue their exploration into the conversations around food with the 7th event of the series. Drawing together voices from the realms of literature, theatre, history and food, speakers will read or perform pieces of writing that evoke a visual, sensory and emotive connection to food, sitting among the audience and joining them for a special three-course meal prepared by legendary chef Henry Harris at his Clerkenwell Pub & Dining Rooms, The Coach in … Continue reading
Bon Bon’s Christophe Hardiquest signs deal with RSC Anderlecht
Christophe Hardiquest, the chef of two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Bon Bon has signed a deal with the new chairman of one of Belgium's top football clubs RSC Anderlecht to cook at a flagship restaurant that the Brussels team will operate during the club's home matches. In a bid to boost the club's finances, Marc Coucke, the Anderlecht chairman is focusing a lot of his efforts on offering football supporters a culinary offering. Apart from signing Christophe Hardiquest, who has a 19.5/20 score in Gault & Mlllau and who will be … Continue reading
Second edition of alternative wine fair PURR to be held in Ghent on 2 and 3 June
Three youngsters from Ghent with a passion for natural wines are organising the second alternative wine fair in the old docks of the Belgian city of Ghent on June 2 and 3. PURR (with additional emphasis on the final 'r' as pronounced in the Ghentian dialect) was founded by Jason Zappa Janse, Stijn Demeulemeester and Tristan Lybaert. Starting off as a 'wine fair' it has evolved into an informative, socio-cultural and culinary concept, immersed in a relaxing atmosphere. The passion for natural wine of the founders has led them to create an … Continue reading
Dirk van der Niepoort is winegrower of the year
Dirk van der Niepoort, the Portuguese winemaker has been honoured as winegrower of the year at the Wine Awards gala presentation by German culinary magazine Der Feinschmecker. Over the past two decades, Dirk van der Niepoort has been the motivating force behind the quality revolution in the Douro. The region, which in the best cases, was producing grapes for Port wine has developed into a highly respected appellation for impressive red wines and mineral-driven white wines. Niepoort has played an extremely important role in the process. … Continue reading
Can you feed people for $1.25 without using processed foods? Former Noma head chef Dan Giusti thinks it is possible
Dan Giusti, the former head chef of Noma in Copenhagen is inviting 10 world class American chefs to Brigaid's hub in New London to compete in the first ever $1.25 throwdown. The chefs will be devising school lunches that fit within both the national school nutrition standards and the $1.25 budget. The event takes place on Saturday 2 June and the guest chefs will cook head to head serving school lunches to the public. The people attending the event will get to savour one of these school lunches and also to join Brigaid for the after party … Continue reading
Clamato: A must-have experience in Paris
A few years ago my wife was celebrating her birthday on a Sunday. Armed with a list of 10 restaurants I wanted to take her to, I discovered to my dismay that they were all closed on Sunday. This was Brussels but Paris, just one hour and 20 minutes away by train is no different. The reason for Sunday closure is understandable though frustrating for visitors who do not have a choice. Many restaurants want to give their staff a well deserved weekend break. Beggars cannot be choosers so finding yourself in certain cities on a Sunday or … Continue reading
World Restaurant Awards to be launched on 18 February 2019
Some of the world’s top chefs and food writers convened in Paris for a workshop that officially launched the World Restaurant Awards which will be held for the first time on 18 February 2019. The workshop was aimed to discuss the categories for the awards, the judging panel composition and the methodology and code of practice. Among the chefs that were present in Paris on Monday 14 May for the launch of the Awards (originally the first awards were planned to be announced on the day) and who will form part of the judging panel where … Continue reading
Applications open for Niko Romito year long cooking course
Niko Romito’s cooking school has opened the registrations for the next course which starts on 1 October 2018. The Professional Italian cuisine course of the Niko Romito academy is aimed to train future professionals in the restaurant world. It is aimed at those that have a diploma from a hotel school or those who are passionate and want to learn the principles and techniques of the Italian kitchen. The course lasts one year and is held at the Niko Romito academy, a cookery school that is annexed to Ristorante Reale and Casadonna, the … Continue reading
Young Maxime Maziers takes over Brussels institution Bruneau
Maxime Maziers, the 29-year-old chef of the one Michelin star Brussels restaurant L'Ecailler du Palais Royal has announced today that he will be taking over the legendary Brussels restaurant Bruneau. The young Belgian chef had been sous-chef at Restaurant Bruneau and worked under Jean-Pierre Bruneau for five years before moving on to clinch a star for L'Ecailler du Palais Royal. Maziers announced that he will become the chef-patron of Bruneau and will retain the name of the restaurant of previous chef who retired and closed the restaurant … Continue reading
Mélanie Englebin teams up with Philippe Limbourg to take Cécila on tour
Mélanie Englebin, chef of former Brussels restaurant Cécila which closed its doors in summer last year will be touring Belgium in what she is calling 'Cécila' on tour. The Brussels Gault & Millau young chef of the year 2017 has teamed up with Philippe Limbourg, former director of Gault & Millau to organise a series of events around Belgium. The first event will take place at Brussels gourmet supermarket ROB on Friday 1 June and Saturday 2 June at 8pm. Melanie Englebin will also be cooking in the Belgian province of Namur and … Continue reading
Alexandre Couillon is third guest of Christophe Hardiquest for Bon Bon Origins dinner
Alexandre Couillon, the French chef of two Michelin star restaurant La Marine in Noirmoutier will be the third chef to cook at the Bon Bon Origins collaborative dinner series. The dinner takes place on Tuesday 29 May at the restaurant in Brussels. Christophe Hardiquest, chef of the two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Bon Bon launched Bon Bon Origins out of the desire to rediscover traditional Belgian recipes that have stood the test of time but deconstructing them and bringing them to life again in a contemporary way, he will be organising … Continue reading
Moeder Lambic to open Pasta Madre in Brussels with top Bologna pizzaiolo Francesco Oppido
Francesco Oppido in Bologna, known for his contemporary pizza and his quality beers is set to open a new pizzeria in Bologna but Italian food magazine Gambero Rosso has announced that he is currently working on his first ever project outside Italy. The team at Moeder Lambic have recently signed a deal with the new owners of a hotel, A la Grande Cloche, that was built in 1840. The owner of the hotel will be completely restoring the hotel while the restaurant will be in the hands of Francesco Oppido, in partnership with Moeder Lambic. Pasta … Continue reading
The newspaper review that saved Belcanto – José Avillez
Things were looking bright for José Avillez six years ago. He had been through two life-changing experiences first as a trainee at Ferran Adria's legendary restaurant el Bulli and then clinching a Michelin star at the oldest and most prestigious Lisbon restaurant. The opening of Belcanto was the culmination of a journey that had seen him move from a business management degree to cooking. The restaurant was fully booked in the first few weeks for lunch and dinner. José's idea was to serve contemporary Portuguese cuisine, something that at the … Continue reading
A truffle kerfuffle in Provence
Foodies are always on the lookout for the uncommon and the creative. This does not always work out well. I once ate at a truffle-only restaurant in the Var in Southern France. The place was called Chez Bruno and was so pretentious you could only see waiters by appointment. When we turned up and announced we were ‘sans reservation’ the Gallic horror and hand wringing was pure comedy. Had Kim Jong Un sauntered over the border yesterday and told the S Korean president ‘I’m gonna nuke your nuts’, he would have taken it better than them. My wife, … Continue reading
First Belgian Whisky, rum and spirits festival to be held in Brussels in June
Belgium will finally have its whisky, rum and spirits festival. This will take place on the weekend of 1 June to 3 June at the Autoworld at the Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark) in Brussels. This unique festival is open to the general public. It will celebrate whiskey, rum and gin as well as cognac, armagnac, calvados, vodka, tequila, mescal as well as sake, pisco and cachaca as well as some associated products related to the theme such as cigars, chocolate as well as a selection fo Scottish kilts. This event is intended to increase the … Continue reading
The curious incident of the OAD European top 100+ list
When chefs gathered at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London for the launch of the Opinionated About Dining top 100+ European list, they were given a list of the top 100+ restaurants. As one would expect on such occasions, they took to social media to announce their positions and take photos of the list which they posted on their social media profiles. Little did they know that the list they had been given at the dinner was not the correct one. A quick look at the online list showed discrepancies from the 32nd place till the 62nd place. While … Continue reading
US chef Dave Chang launches podcast
Majordomo Media, co-founder by US chef Dave Chang has launched its first project featuring the outspoken Korean-American chef. The Dave Chang show is a new podcast that has just been released. The first five episodes feature the chef in conversation with Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer, the producing partner of Majordomo Media about dining, anger management, living in Los Angeles and the difficulties of opening a new restaurant. Chang, who is mostly known for his award-winning Momofuku restaurant and group recently opened Majordomo, the … Continue reading
Nick Bril launches his first book
Nick Bril, chef of two Michelin star Antwerp restaurant The Jane has launched his first book 'Nick Bril 33'. At 33, the Dutch chef has been cooking at the highest level for a long time having been the sous chef with his business partner Sergio Herman at Oud Sluis, a 3 Michelin star restaurant that closed at the end of 2013. For his first book, Nick Bril 33, the Dutch chef has bundled together 33 recipes, thoughts and projects from inspiring trips. It depicts a year in the life of this talented chef. The book has been written by Pascale … Continue reading
Andreas Caminada takes top place in 2018 OAD Top 100+ European restaurants
Opinionated About Dining this evening announced the list of the top 100+ European Restaurants for 2018. Andreas Caminada managed to top the list for the first time, surpassing last year's no 1 Alain Passard of L'Arpege in Paris who placed fourth on the list. The second placed was Magnus Nilsson of restaurant Faviken while third place was Etxebarri. Eneko Atxa of Azurmendi placed fifth while Kobe Desramaults who opened Chambre Separee last year in Gent placed 6th. Jonnie Boer from De Librije in Zwolle placed 7th. The OAD list claims to be … Continue reading
‘Heroes of Oud Sluis’ to take part in 2018 Foodfest in Cadzand on 4 June
Syrco Bakker and Sergio Herman have announced that this year's Foodfest will take place on Monday June 4 in and around Strandkerk in Cadzand-Bad. This year, Syrco and Sergio have decided to invite a selection of former colleagues who worked with them at Sergio's restaurant Oud Sluis in Zeeland. They call them the 'heroes of Oud Sluis'. Most of these chefs today work in some great restaurants in the Netherlands, Belgium and even further afield such as New York and Singapore among others. Together, they will be working with beautiful … Continue reading
Christophe Hardiquest cooks rabbit with gueze at Brussels brewery Cantillon
Rabbit is the type of dish that you either love or you hate. It has a lot to do with culture. Belgium, like France, Italy and even Malta, the country I come from has a certain affinity to this dish. It is a lean meat with lots of nutritional benefits though in some places people are starting to lose the tradition of eating rabbit. Christophe Hardiquest, chef of two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Bon Bon has been on a mission to recreate a traditional rabbit Brussels recipe at his restaurant. Over the past months, he has been working … Continue reading