François Lurton, from the eponymous winegrowing dynasty in Bordeaux, not only vinifies excellent wines in South America and Europe, but also has a great passion for distinctive distillates. After the rousing success of his Sorgin, a gin distilled from Sauvignon Blanc, he and his partner Sabine Jaren have now created a vermouth – from this same grape variety. Hardly anyone in the world knows the Sauvignon Blanc as well as Lurton, and even fewer have the opportunity to vinify this grape variety on as many diverse and exciting terroirs as he does, in Spain, France, Argentina & Chile. This has led him in recent years to go one step further and see – in addition to the wine – what outstanding specialty items he could create from it. For a long time, he had played with the notion of making a vermouth. After the great success of Sorgin, he did not hesitate for long and began to develop the new idea. A tribute to his great-grandfather The vermouth is called … [Read more...]
Junghyan Park to cook at Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong
On the evenings of 28 and 29 May, Vicky Lau, chef of one-Michelin- starred Relais & Châteaux member Tate Dining Room will host a highly anticipated culinary collaboration with guest chef Junghyun ‘JP’Park of Atomix. This is the first visit of the guest chef Junghyun Park to Hong Kong. Praised by critics as one of New York City’s hottest new restaurants, Atomix is the innovative one-Michelin-starred Korean fine dining concept by husband-and-wife team Junghyun and Ellia Park. Successfully fusing traditions from their native Korean roots with a progressive vision, the couple launched Atomix in the heart of NoMad as a follow-up project to their first-born restaurant, Atoboy. Not even a full year into its opening, Atomix was awarded one Michelin star amid glowing reviews from the nation’s top publications. Among its many accolades include New York Times’ Top 10 New Restaurants 2018, Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, OAD’s Top 100 North American Restaurants 2019 … [Read more...]
Sauce by The Langham to launch soon
Sauce by The Langham is an expert-led cookery school located within The Langham, London that is set to launch in mid-May 2019. It will offer a range of classes that have been enthusiastically designed to put the joy into cooking. Tucked away in the heart of the five star hotel, Sauce’s top of the range kitchen is the place in which trade secrets will be shared and the best ingredients will be available for preparations. Experiences inspired by all of The Langham’s renowned outlets including Palm Court, Artesian, Roux at The Landau, and The Wigmore will be offered, alongside classes led by executive chef, Chris King and Michel Roux Jr who will share and explore the delights of cooking (and eating!). Classes at Sauce will be interactive, inspiring, and, most importantly, fun. The school is a space to create great memories and gain priceless knowledge from leading experts within their field. Whether it’s a desire to master the basics or pick the brains of a favourite chef, Sauce will … [Read more...]
Summa 2019: a family reunion in Northern Italy organised by Alois Lageder
The historic buildings of Hirschprunn and Löwengang set the scene for the Summa. Photo courtesy of Weingut Lageder For over twenty years, Weingut Alois Lageder has been inviting winegrowers from all over the world to an annual collaborative event in Magrè at the Alto Adige Wine Road. While a few dozen kilometres down the A22 at VinItaly in Verona, everything is about business, the Summa is more like a friendly family gathering of winegrowers, individuals who not only care deeply about the authentic expression of their wines, but also about the preservation of natural resources in their vineyards. It is no coincidence that numerous participating estates at this year’s Summa are certified organic or biodynamic – and the organiser himself, Alois Lageder, is the president of Demeter Italy. In total, there are 111 wine producers from ten countries (Italy, Germany, Austria, France, China, Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Portugal & New Zealand), who will be presenting … [Read more...]
Odette in Singapore takes top spot in Asia’s 50 Best restaurants 2019 awards
Odette in Singapore has taken top honours at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 awards ceremony, succeeding four-time winner Gaggan in the No.1 spot. Chef Julien Royer’s Odette claims the coveted titles of the best restaurant in Asia and the best restaurant in Singapore. Housed in the iconic National Gallery Singapore, Odette serves Asian-inspired modern French cuisine, each dish presented with impeccable style and characteristic perfection. Taking its name from Royer’s maternal grandmother, Odette earned Asia’s Highest New Entry Award in 2017 before debuting on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list last year at No.28. The 2019 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants was announced at an awards ceremony at Wynn Palace, Macao. The 2019 list reflects the diversity and vitality of the ever-evolving Asian gastronomic scene, featuring 10 new restaurants, including a first-time entry from Malaysia (Dewakan, No.46) and a new restaurant in the Philippines (Toyo Eatery, No.43), a country … [Read more...]
Henry Harris reunites with Dennis Gustafsson for one-off supperclub at Bouchon
On Sunday 7th April, chef Henry Harris will be taking to the kitchen at Bouchon, Malmö in Sweden, joining owner and executive chef Dennis Gustafsson, for one night only. The dinner is particularly significant, as the pair have a longstanding relationship, with Dennis having worked under Henry at his critically acclaimed restaurant, Racine in Knightsbridge between 2002 and 2015. The friendship Dennis and Henry formed, is a testament to the importance that Henry places on mentorship and young talent. Bouchon shares many similarities to Racine in its approach to offering a bourgeois style of cooking. Dennis embraces the philosophy and tradition of Lyon in his cooking, championing local ingredients combined with French delicacies, whilst also allowing his instinctive knowledge of the shifting seasons to inform the daily changing menu. The exclusive menu will pay tribute to Racine and to the dishes the pair were cooking together nearly a decade ago. Highlights will include … [Read more...]
Jimmy Lim’s restaurant in Taiwan chosen by Asia’s 50 Best restaurants as rising star
Jimmy Lim, photo by Shinichiro Fujii Jimmy Lim's JL Studio in Taichung, Taiwan has been announced as the One to Watch in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. The One to Watch title is presented to a restaurant that is outside the Asia's 50 Best list but is identified as a rising star in the region. Opened in 2017, JL Studio reflects the upbringing and cultural influences of chef-owner Jimmy Lim. Born in Singapore, Lim presents modern interpretations of classic dishes from his home city. Combining traditional Singapore flavours and refined cooking techniques, Lim’s “Mod-Sin” menu translates and elevates much-loved Singaporean dishes with creative flair and a progressive approach. Chef Jimmy Lim said: “Having JL Studio named this year’s One To Watch is a huge validation for myself and the team. Although we are a very young restaurant, this honour encourages us to continue challenging ourselves, striving for excellence and discovering new ways to reinterpret Singapore cuisine.” … [Read more...]
Nobody injured following fire at The Jane: restaurant to be closed for four weeks
UPDATED: The Jane in Antwerp will be closed for at least 4 weeks, chef Nick Bril has announced following a fire that interrupted lunch service today 9 March and led to the cancellation fo the dinner service. "In view of the damage from the fire, we will unfortunately be closed for at least two weeks. We will have our vacation period and we will continue to work during those two weeks to repair the damage. We hope to open again in four weeks." The Dutch chef in charge of The Jane said luckily there were no injuries and the fire brigade quickly controlled the fire. Colleagues from restaurants Spiga d'Oro in Mechelen and L'Epicerie du Cirque in Antwerp immediately offered to take guests that had a reservation at the restaurant this evening. Nick Bril said "we greatly appreciate the solidarity of our colleagues and will keep you updated as soon as we have more information." "We want to apologise to all guests who were at The Jane for lunch for the abrupt end. We will get … [Read more...]
Garima Arora of Gaa is Asia’s Best Female Chef 2019
Garima Arora, executive chef and founder of Gaa in Bangkok, has won Asia’s Best Female Chef 2019. Arora will be presented with her award at the ceremony for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, on Tuesday 26th March 2019 in Macao. Arora worked briefly as a journalist before pursuing her interest in the culinary arts. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Paris in 2010, she worked at Noma in Copenhagen, learning alongside chef René Redzepi. Recalling her two-plus years of experience at Noma, she said the experience changed her approach to cooking forever. “I learnt how to think about food more intelligently. I started looking at cooking more as a cerebral exercise, thinking about what you do, why you do it and understanding your place in a community.” Returning to Asia in 2016, Arora was appointed sous chef at Gaggan, the award-winning Bangkok restaurant that has held the No.1 position on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for four consecutive years. In April 2017, the chef opened Gaa, a … [Read more...]
Stuart Pigott appointed Riesling ambassador for Gut Hermannsberg
When Stuart Pigott visited Gut Hermannsberg 35 years ago, then Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Niederhausen-Schloßböckelheim or Nahe State Domaine, for the first time he recorded that moment in his diary. On Thursday 26th April 1984 he noted “I’ll never forget my very first sip of Kupfergrube, I was totally amazed and fascinated." Since then he has devoted himself to studying Rieslings, but those from the Nahe have always had a special place in his heart. After many adventures in the world of wine, the last of which was as Contributing Editor for James Suckling, one of the world’s most influential wine critics, Pigott is returning to Germany to live out at least a part of his fascination for Riesling in the beautiful and dramatic Nahe Valley. This decision has a great deal to do with the fact that this year Gut Hermannsberg celebrates an important anniversary. 10 years ago the estate, founded in 1902 by the Prussian State, was purchased by Jens Reidel and Christine Dinse. As a result … [Read more...]