ANTWERP: Sergio Herman will open a second restaurant in Antwerp, Le Pristine, in April 2020. Following the success of The Jane, which he owns together with chef Nick Bril, the talented Dutch chef has set his sights on a new concept for Antwerp blending the terroir of his home region Zeeland with Italian flair. Le Pristine will open its doors in the fashion heart of the Belgian city at Lange Gasthuisstraat 13. It is likely to have a similar concept to the highly successful AiRrepublic in Cadzand. Sergio Herman will open Le Pristine restaurant and Le Pristine café in April though the date has not yet been announced. He said that the new restaurant and cafe will be focused on the local terroir but will be internationally inspired. The name Le Pristine comes from the English word ’Pristine’ which means pure and unspoiled. The restaurant will take reservations and walk-ins while the Café will welcome just walk-ins and is aimed at being ideal for a short stop while shopping in … [Read more...]
Vicky Lau to host Ana Ros, Manu Buffara and Leonor Espinosa at Tate Dining Room
HONG KONG: One-Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux member TATE Dining Room has announced a series of exclusive chef collaborations for 2020. Chef-patron Vicky Lau will host exclusive dinner events with three of the world’s most pioneering female chefs, including Ana Ros (Hisa Franko, Slovenia), Manu Buffara (Restaurante Manu, Brazil) and Leonor Espinosa (Restaurant Leo, Colombia) from January till May 2020. TATE Dining Room’s all-female chefs’ residence program launches in tandem with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ “50-50” initiative to support gender parity in the restaurant industry. 50 Best has pledged to contribute towards fostering a more inclusive environment in which expert female voices can thrive. “It is my honour to welcome these incredible female chefs from all corners of the globe to my home, TATE Dining Room, for a special culinary and cultural exchange with the guests of Hong Kong. It is particularly exciting to have some of the finest in the world to join us … [Read more...]
Third edition of 50 Best BBVA Scholarship launched
Awards reception at The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2019, held on the 25th June at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore with winner Andersen Lee. Chefs from around the world have the possibility to win a scholarship to work at Mirazur in France, The Test Kitchen in South Africa and Leo in Colombia. These are the restaurants which will host the winner of the scholarship organised by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants with the support of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA). Entries are open for the initiative, which is in its third year. The annual scholarship scheme identifies talented aspiring chefs and seeks to develop their potential with the aid of internships or ‘stages’ in the kitchens of some of the world’s leading restaurants. The recipient of the 50 Best BBVA Scholarship 2020 will be invited to work at the following top-tier establishments: Mirazur in Menton, France, crowned No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019, led by chef Mauro Colagreco The Test … [Read more...]
Once upon a kitchen features Massimo Bottura, Mauro Colagreco, Alex Atala and Antonio Bachour
Four of the greatest chefs in the world will be travelling to Miami Beach in December for what promises to be one of the most extraordinary culinary experiences in the World. GR8 Group, the leading international agency for distinctive VIP travel and luxury events has unveiled South Florida as its 2019 destination for "Once Upon a Kitchen" a bucket list-worthy epicurean extravaganza that will unique a quarter of culinary masters: Massimo Bottura, Mauro Colagreco, Alex Atala and Antonio Bachour. Now in its third edition, this collaboration will take place on Sunday 1 December at the Frank Gehry-designed New World Symphony concert hall in South Beach. The first two editions took place in New York. The event will start with a VIP cocktail reception on the rooftop with the biochemistry guru turned alchemist Alex Ott who will create some elixirs and wine expert Robert Cipresso presenting the wines for the general cocktail in the lobby. A seven course wine paired dinner will … [Read more...]
Alchemist named “Restaurant of the Year” in Denmark
COPENHAGEN: Restaurant Alchemist which opened four months ago has been awarded the restaurant of the year award in Denmark at the White Guide Gala last week. After only four months of opening Alchemist was awarded this year’s top award during the release of the national restaurant guide White Guide Denmark. The position was secured by reaching a score of 98 points out of 100, and thereby reaching the number one position on the “Global Masterclass” list, closely followed by Noma in Copenhagen and Koks in the Faroe Islands. “We are extremely grateful for this prize. It has been a long laborious process to create the restaurant and right now I am so thankful to our amazing team for pulling this off”, said Head Chef and co-owner of Alchemist, Rasmus Munk, after the award ceremony. White Guide motivated the choice of Alchemist by noting that “The experience is on such a large scale that such a totality has never been seen before" and that “the sustainable message is not only … [Read more...]
Sketch in London gets 3 stars, but Jordan Bailey in Ireland surprises everyone with 2 stars in less than six months
Jordan Bailey (at Al Meni in Italy last June) There was one new three Michelin star restaurant in London (Sketch - the Lecture Room and Library) when the guide announced the results for Great Britain and Ireland. But, the biggest surprise, at least for those who did not know the background to Jordan Bailey’s success in Ireland was the promotion of his restaurant Aimsir in Celbridge directly to two Michelin stars (it had been open for only a few months). The restaurant which is focused on produce from Ireland is led by Jordan Bailey, originally from Cornwall is the former head chef of Maaemo in Oslo, Norway which has three Michelin stars, and his Danish front of house manager and wife Majken Bech Bailey. They moved to Ireland early last year to explore the food procurers and ingredients of their newly adopted home and got married during their first six months there. “Despite the obvious challenges being faced by the industry here in the UK, we are thrilled that this has … [Read more...]
Third International Chef Summit to debut in Singapore this year
SINGAPORE: Following two successful editions in Taipei, the International Chefs Summit Asia (ICSA) will be held in Singapore this year from 9 to 11 October 2019, with the theme of ‘Sourcing Locally, Innovating Globally’. Organised by Favorable Impression Media (FIM Media) and supported by Singapore Tourism Board, this year’s event will showcase the stellar cuisines and flavours of Asia, and see the region’s internationally acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs, food experts, and industry insiders taking part in constructive dialogue on the pulse of Asia’s culinary development. “As two cosmopolitan cities and gastronomic hubs in Asia with rich food cultures, it was only natural to take ICSA to Singapore this year and allow Taiwan-based chefs to share their philosophies away from their home ground and on the international stage. With ICSA providing a platform for mutual exchange of experiences and learnings between chefs, we hope to encourage even more positive changes in the sector,” … [Read more...]
Strong demand and record price for sparkling wine at Nahe Wine Auction
The steep terraced slope behind the estate house of Gut Hermannsberg © Uwe Schiereck The Kupfergrube is a great vineyard site. This steep terraced slope with a wall-like appearance standing behind the estate house of Gut Hermannsberg is majestically framed by a handful of other great vineyards in the Middle Nahe Valley. Even a superficial glance is enough to make clear that remarkable wines with charismatic personalities must grow there. This is the reason why Gut Hermannsberg only releases its Rieslings from the Kupfergrube when they reach five years of age. “These wines need far more time than all our others,” explained winemaker Karsten Peter, “to drink them earlier than this would be a mistake.” The decision to move to this “Very Late Release” strategy was taken by the Reidel family last year. “The 2017 Kupfergrube has such a complex structure it was clear that it’s full potential wouldn’t be reached after just two years of maturation,” explained estate co-director Jasper … [Read more...]
Ana Ros auctioning three chef jackets in aid of little Kris
Ana Ros, chef of Slovenian restaurant Hisa Franko is auctioning three of her most coveted chef jackets in aid of Mali (little) Kris, a 19-month-old Slovenian boy who was born with a serious disease called spinal muscular atrophy. Hisa Franko has already made a donation but the chef has announced that she will auction these three jackets through their Facebook page to raise funds. The boy only has four months to get revolutionary care from the US which would help to cure the disease. Slovenians have already pooled in resources and raised 2.3 million euros in funds that will allow Kris to get treatment. Each of the jackets that are being auctioned are unique and have important stories. One of them is Ana's JRE jacket which is a symbol of the first organisation that recognised her talent as a chef and which gave her the Talent of the year title in 2015. Another comes from 2018 when Ana was a member of the jury in the finals of the San Pellegrini young chef 2018 in Milan and the … [Read more...]
Bjorn Frantzén wins the The Best Chef Award Top100, followed by chef Joan Roca and chef David Muñoz
BARCELONA: Chef Björn Frantzén has been won the Best Chef Top100 Award for 2019 followed by Joan Roca (winner of the previous two editions) and David Muñoz in third place. The 2019-list includes chefs from 24 countries worldwide and features 15 new entries among which is Disfrutar, the restaurant in Barcelona which made the highest jump. The winners of The Best Chef Awards 2019 The Best Chef Top100 Award : Björn Frantzén of restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm, Sweden. The second place was for Joan Roca (Spain), who won the award in 2017 and 2018, the third place went to David Muñoz (Spain). Last year, Björn Frantzén took the fourth place after David Muñoz (third place), René Redzepi (second place) and Joan Roca (first place).The Best Chef City Gourmet Award winner: Disfrutar with Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch (Barcelona, Spain). This category of award recognized the … [Read more...]