BRUSSELS: Le Chalet de la Forêt, one of Brussels top restaurants run by chef owner Pascal Devalkeneer is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a series of dinners including one with Belgian legendary chef Roger Souvereyns. The first dinner will be held on 16 November with René Meilleur, the chef of restaurant La Bouitte in Savoie. The second will be with Pascal Devalkeneer’s mentor Roger Souvereyns who has had a huge influence on a number of contemporary chefs and who was extremely famous during his time having three stars for his restaurant between 1985 and 1993. This will be held on 1 December. The third dinner will be more of a party with friends Pierre Marcolini, Julien Burlat, The Folmer brothers of Couvert Couvert in Heverlee and Pau Barba of Can Domo in Ibiza. The third dinner will be held on 8 December. The three dinners are selling at the price of EUR 345 including of aperitif, the menu and wine. Kasper Kurdhal, who was the executive chef at Le Chalet de … [Read more...]
Ricardo Chaneton to open his first restaurant MONO in Hong Kong in December
Ricardo Chaneton. Photo by Pieter D'Hoop HONG KONG: Chef Ricardo Chaneton, formerly Head Chef of the 3 Michelin Star and World’s no 1 restaurant (2019) Mirazur is set to open his first restaurant MONO in Hong Kong together with JIA Group, the Hong Kong- based hospitality firm that operates 14 restaurants in Hong Kong founded by Yenn Wong. MONO will open its doors on On Lan Street, Central, introducing a new take on contemporary French cuisine by South American-born Ricardo, who has worked and trained extensively in French cuisine throughout this career. Most recently, he was the Executive Chef of Petrus at Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, where he spent 4 years leading an award-winning team. The Definition of MONO MONO will take inspiration from the same essentialist approach but towards cuisine, focusing on a single, ingredients-driven seasonal tasting menu within an intimate 30-seater space. The restaurant features counter seating and a surrounding dining area that can also be … [Read more...]
Mudec in Milan is 11th 3 Michelin star restaurant in Italy
PIACENZA: Mudec in Milan, a restaurant of chef Enrico Bartolini is the 11th Italian 3 Michelin star restaurant when the results for Italy were unveiled in Piacenza today. Enrico Bartolini, who was already the holder of most stars in Italy for his restaurant was the star of the show as another of his restaurants, Glam in Venice clinched a second star. He also has one star at four other restaurants; Casual, La Trattoria, Locanda del Sant'Uffizio and Poggiorosso. The chef said on his Instagram account: "A unique emotion. Thank you. I feel like crying." Bartolini was born in 1979 as is originally from Castelmartini in Tuscany. He is the only chef in the history of the Michelin Guide to have been awarded four stars at the same time. Karime Lopez, chef of Massimo Bottura's Gucci Osteria in Florence was the only female chef to clinch a Michelin star in this edition. Gianluca Gorini of Da Gorini restaurant, considered to be one of Italy's rising young stars also clinched a star … [Read more...]
Beirut Nights marks Ghina Bazzi’s return back to professional cooking
After years of experience cooking with top chefs including David Scabin and Kasper Kurdahl, Lebanese born Ghina Bazzi, with a heavy heart, took one of her toughest decisions in life. She decided to leave Combal.Zero so that she could focus on starting a family. “It was one of the hardest choice I ever made even though for years I have enjoyed every moment with my children and husband. But I felt there was still a story to be told so I am back but this time on my terms and in my own way,” Ghina told Food and Wine Gazette. She was speaking after the first event she organised in Antwerp last month called ‘Beirut Nights’ which sold out very quickly. “The event came about because I wanted to bring people together in a beautiful setting around table filled with generous servings of non pretentious food and of course music! I wanted to create a concept around sharing, after all the culinary world is all around sharing.” The Beirut Nights event featured long tables, food … [Read more...]
Bert Meewis is Gault & Millau chef of the year 2020 in Belgium
Bert Meewis, chef of Restaurant Slagmolen in Oudsbergen in the province of Limbourg is the Belgian chef of the year for Gault & Millau. Top performers in the guide this year are Boury, Le Coq aux Champs and La Paix who all scored 17.5, Bozar and Vrijmoed with 17 points and Kano, t’Korennaer, Schatteman, Sir Kwinten and Willem Hiele, all with 16 points. The two restaurants Hof Van Cleve and Bon Bon kept their top score of 19.5 out of a maximum 20. Hof Van Cleve clinched the 5 golden chef hats this year. Among the young chefs of the year are Glenn Verhasselt (Sir Kwinten - Lennik) for Flanders, Jean Vrijdaghs and Sébastien Hankard (Le Gastronome - Paliseul) for Wallonia and Grégoire Gillard (Barge - Brussels) for the Brussels region. The thematic results for 2020 were as follows Front of house of the Year: Anca Petrescu (Alexandre - Brussels) Italian Chef of the Year: Eros Tomassetti (Diverso - Westerlo) Asian restaurant of the Year: Dim Dining (Antwerp) Best … [Read more...]
Sicilian Ciccio Sultano hits back at Carlo Cracco’s north/south jibe: ‘Nothing new has been invented since Ferran Adrià’
Sicilian chef Ciccio Sultano has hit back at a north/south jibe by Italian celebrity chef Carlo Cracco. In a recent interview that the Milanese chef Carlo Cracco gave to Cucina Corriere he said that in the North change is normal. This is maybe due to the fact that in the south, a chef has a more solid tradition and a better selection of local produce. But the Sicilian chef of Ristorante Duomo, one of two Michelin star restaurants in Sicily said he did not understand this comment despite the respect he had for Carlo. "I cannot understand why a chef should make a distinction between the north and south insisting that those with traditions and more produce are less creative than those without who are therefore more inventive." Are we sure of this he asked. In a post on Facebook, Ciccio said which is the modern cuisine that is lacking in the south. "I translate and betray traditions on a daily basis like many other colleagues that work south of the River Po. And most of all, after … [Read more...]
‘Rebel’ chef to deliver a taste of Belgium in Beijing
Rebelle chef Martijn Defauw and sous-chef Tim Soens Rebelle chef Martijn Defauw and his sous-chef Tim Soens are travelling to Beijing, China as guests of TRB Forbidden City. There they will be preparing a number of signature dishes for the occasion. The restaurant has a Belgian connection because it is one of the restaurants of Belgian Ignace Leclair. The two will be cooking at the TRB Forbidden City three lunches and four dinners with the help of the chefs at the Beijing restaurant between 3 November and 10 November. They will be preparing a classic steak tartare with fries but giving it a 'rebelle' twist. They will also prepare a classic dish of endives and cheese, a play on the 'chicon au gratin'. As a main course, the two young chefs, that are being supported by the Jong Keukengeweld in this adventure will be playing around the classic 'vol au vent'. For dessert, they are preparing their award winning dessert which was awarded the Gault & Millau 2019 dessert … [Read more...]
The Grand GELINAZ Shuffle 2.0 goes political and CO2-free
GELINAZ! has gone all political for its next gig. In an age where many chefs spend a lot of their time travelling for collaboration dinners, congresses, events and awards here and there collecting air miles like there was no tomorrow, Tuesday December 3 could mark a turning point. 148 chefs from around the world including many of the top names from Massimo Bottura to Rene Redzepi have decided to stay at home. For one evening only, on Tuesday December 3, they will stay put. For one evening only, guests visiting their restaurants are guaranteed to find them there. It is the latest in a series of events that GELINAZ! has organised over the years. The collective of chefs, that was established in November 2005 has always been thought provoking. This time, GELINAZ! is being provocative. Extremely provocative. The event has been called Domosophism in social media or the art of being at home. And over the past weeks there have been hints that this would be about staying … [Read more...]
Brussels institution Sea Grill to close in existing location and move to Villa Lorraine next year
BRUSSELS: The Brussels food scene is in for some big changes next year. A Brussels restaurant that had become a Brussels institution over the years will close its doors on 31 December 2019. The two Michelin star restaurant of chef Yves Mattagne, Sea Grill, which was housed at the Radisson Blu Hotel in central Brussels and which forms part of the Villa Lorraine Group will close doors at the Radisson in view of a refurbishment that is currently underway at at the hotel. Since the past years, owner Serge Litvine has invested heavily in the Brussels restaurant scene after taking over Villa Lorraine. The Group includes Villa Lorraine, La Villa In the Sky, La Villa Emily and Le Petit Monde among others announced that the restaurant Sea Grill, which also forms part of the group will reopen as a new concept in May 2020 in the location of the existing Villa Lorraine (one star). The restaurant, which has held 2 stars for a very long time and which opened in 1986 will reopen as a … [Read more...]
Pauly convinces Dionisio to cook his first ever four hands at Le Coq aux Champs
SOHEIT TINLOT: It is a Tuesday evening and for the first time ever, Alexandre Dionisio, chef of La Villa in the Sky, a two Michelin star restaurant with a breathtaking view of Brussels, is cooking outside his kitchen at a four hands dinner. Christophe Pauly, chef of Le Coq aux Champs, managed to convince him to leave the Brussels tower where the restaurant is housed to cook together. "We had travelled together, got to know each other and we promised each other we cook together. I really enjoyed it and I don't think it is going to be the last four hands dinner," Alexandre Dionisio told Food and Wine Gazette. This is the second season of what chef Pauly calls a round trip in which he invites Belgian chefs to cook with him at his restaurant and then visits them at their restaurants a few months later. "Apart from inviting chefs who I admire, I try to invite people who I get on well with and who have a similar vision. It does not have to be the same vision but it has to be … [Read more...]