Sang Hoon Degeimbre, Belgian chef of L’ Air du Temps in Liernu and creator of three successful San restaurants has launched a cookbook called San, Around the world in 75 recipes.
The book is inspired by recipes of dishes that have been served in the San restaurants since the first one opened 3 years ago in Brussels.
The concept behind the restaurant is to serve food in a bowl and to eat it with a spoon. The menu changes every month according to the seasons and the travels of San and his team and is always inspired by Belgium, Korea or cities around the world.
Out of over 100 dishes that have been created at the San restaurant over the past three years, 75 recipes have been selected. The main criteria has been that of ensuring that the recipes could easily be replicated at home and where quantities of certain components of the dish are not impossible to make at home.
The book is published by Racine and the photography is by Frederic Raevens. It is currently available in French but will soon be available in English and sells from bookstores and San restaurants.
The book is divided into recipes from Korea, from Belgium and then take you on a trip around the world from Corsica to Biarritz, Boston to Bangkok, Jerusalem to Shangai.
In the introduction to the book, San says that when he opened L’Air du Temps he wanted to make gastronomy accessible to everyone. With time, L’Air du Temps has become what it is today, maybe a bit less accessible.
The idea of San was born with my experience and reflection and I wanted to create a concept based on urban cuisine that is influenced by the voyages, by nature and by the association with L’Air Du Temps.
“A bowl and a spoon are symbols of sharing. The style of San is serious but amusing, rich in flavour combinations but easy to understand. Every ingredient has its place in a dish. It is a modern gastronomic project which centres around well-being and also improving morale. San, like all of my projects, has a certain sense not only for me but also for the team that work for its future,” he said.
One recipe that is missing from the 75 dishes is a signature dish at L’Air du Temps and now also at all 3 San restaurants. This is the Liernu vegetables dish which changes according to the seasons. “This is not something that can be replicated at home. It is a dish that changes every day,” San told Food and Wine Gazette when asked how many variations of the dish he has.
The dish is composed of lacto fermentated vegetables as well as vegetables and herbs that come from the garden of L’Air du Temps which is an integral part of the restaurant experience.
The recipes have been written by Sang Hoon Degeimbre and Toshiro Fujii who has worked with San for many years at L’Air du Temps before taking over the running of San.
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