Go back some years and no one would have bet a dime on Eric Vildgaard. Maybe neither Eric believed that if it got dark enough he would be able to see the stars. Except Tina Kragh Vildgaard. She saw potential and she believed they could not just create a family together but also a restaurant. She had fallen in love with Eric despite his troubled past. "The most attractive part about Eric is that he is so passionate," she said as she looked him in the eyes. "He does everything at 100 per cent. That is what I fell in love with and I am still in love with. It is his passion and never being one to compromise." The minute Tina took Eric to the room which would end up being the highly acclaimed Jordanaer restaurant on the outskirts of Copenhagen, he thought it was a joke. He had other ideas and it certainly was not a restaurant outside the centre of the Danish city. She had walked home from a business meeting and told him that they were going for a drive. "We arrived in this place and she … [Read more...]
In search of identity: Malta’s culinary scene has never looked brighter
VALLETTA: Malta’s culinary scene has never looked brighter. A six week stay on the island in summer only served to confirm what I have been observing over the past few years. The introduction of Michelin, despite some criticism, has really pushed the bar as ambitious chefs and restaurateurs step up their game amid the hardships and difficulties that the pandemic has created. There were two dinners over the summer that taken separately both could easily fit the bill as among the best I've enjoyed on this Mediterranean island. They say comparisons are odious and indeed it is unfair to compare the two experiences because one involved Alex Dilling, the chef of former 2 Michelin star restaurant The Greenhouse with an impressive pedigree of working under French giants Alain Ducasse and Helene Darroze before going solo. The British chef was spending 100 days at Ion - The Harbour (later extended), one of the latest restaurants to clinch a Michelin star under talented Maltese chef Andrew … [Read more...]
Geranium eliminates meat from menu
COPENHAGEN: Rasmus Kofoed, chef of Danish restaurant Geranium has announced that he will no longer be serving meat at the acclaimed restaurant in Copenhagen. "I have not been eating meat at home for the last five years so to no longer use meat on the new menu was a logical decision and a natural progression for Geranium." The Danish restaurant, which placed second in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in Antwerp last month has long focused on vegetables, fish and shellfist as the star of the plate with only small quantities of meat being used. "The menu is a reflection of me and how I am evolving as a chef and human being," Rasmus Kofoed said. The restuarant is firm favourite to top the World's 50 Best Restaurants list next year given their placing this year and their constant progression. "I see this as a challenge to create new dishes which celebrate seafood from pristine waters and vegetables from local, organic and biodynamic farms which thrive in Denmark and … [Read more...]
Daniel Humm to leave successful Davies and Brook restaurant as Claridge’s hotel don’t embrace his plant-based vision
Daniel Humm and Claridge’s will be parting ways at the end of the year. The London hotel has not accepted Daniel Humm’s decision to go plant-based at the restaurant Davies and Brook which has won accolades in the months it was open. David Humm said it was with sadness that he and the hotel management were announcing they would go separate ways at the end of the year. Over the last 18 months Daniel Humm as been taking the time to consider what his next chapter was. And that chapter is plant-based. He has turned his flagship restaurant Eleven Madison Park in New York into a plant-based restaurant and he wanted to do the same in London at Davies and Brook. “The future for me is plant based. This is our mission and what we stand by as a company and at this time this is not the direction that Clardige’s Hotel feels is right for them,” said Daniel Humm in an Instagram post. He said that standing behind this mission and what he believes in is more important and is unfortunately … [Read more...]
Da Gorini: A highly personal interpretation of the terroir
SAN PIERO IN BAGNO: In an unspoilt part of Emilia Romagna there a small village called San Piero in Bagno. The whole commune has just around 6,000 inhabitants. It's just over 100 kilometres away from Bologna and Modena where we've spent a few days and the contrast is astonishing. There are no Ferrari's or Maserati's driving past in this sleepy village despite the fact that this is Italy's region that is known for its fast cars and its slow food. What there is instead, is this sense of peace, of time standing still, of authenticity, stunning landscape and exceptional produce. Just outside the village, as you exit the motorway there is a small bar and trattoria were truckers normally stop called Alto e Savio. It is mentioned in many Italian guides including Osterie d'Italia. There are absolutely no frills here but the service is not only fast, it is also welcoming and for very little you eat excellent regional cuisine. It's as if this is a prelude to what one can expect in the centre … [Read more...]
Bar Bulot Antwerp: Perfecting the classics
ANTWERP: Joachim Boudens and Gert de Mangeleer, the duo behind the success of three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan and now entrepreneurs in their own right have been keeping busy despite the pandemic. After the successful return of Hertog Jan in a new intimate format, they have opened a second branch of their highly successful classic French-Belgian brasserie Bar Bulot in Antwerp. The first one opened in Bruges and immediately was rewarded with a Michelin star and also voted as Brasserie of the Year by Gault Millau. That makes it two restaurant openings in the span of two weeks. And both have started with a bang. This is the first time the duo have ventured outside of Bruges where they have made a name for themselves with three restaurants. And in doing so, they have clearly added to the allure of Antwerp, which is fast becoming the gastronomic capital of Belgium. Bar Bulot is their latest opening. They opened their first Bar Bulot in summer of 2019 as a temporary … [Read more...]
Green Revolution: A morning with Michael Vrijmoed and Stephanie Le Quellec
It is a crisp autumn morning. The fourth session of the Saint Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is taking place in a new spot created by chef and entrepreneur David Martin. It is in an idyllic spot, perfect to transmit knowledge. For this session, six chefs have been invited to work with mentor chefs Stephanie Le Quellec of La Scene in Paris, France and Michael Vrijmoed of restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent, Belgium. The focus is on the green revolution. Michael Vrijmoed has been serving a vegetable based menu since he opened his acclaimed restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent. And it is well known because he leaves no stone unturned in making sure that what he serves is just as delicious. “What’s important for me is that a dish tastes excellent. My main focus has always been that of getting the best taste out of ingredients. Making a dish look nice only comes second in importance,” he said. Stephanie Le Quellec explained that while it is still hard in Paris to offer a fine-dining vegetarian menu … [Read more...]
Martini and Sergio Herman develop new limited edition cocktail
Martini and Sergio Herman have created a ready to serve cocktail called Martini Spritzante. This cocktail was born from a collaboration with the Dutch chef, lover of Italian cuisine and the Italian brand. For this collaboration, Sergio Herman has developed a completely new flavour palette together with Martini master blender Beppe Musso. He worked on it during a trip to Pessione, Italy, the heart of Martini in Italy. The result is a balanced, fresh cocktail with a subtle bitter touch that comes into its own in combination with snacks normally served in an aperitif. "Italy has been deeply rooted in my heart since I started preparing my latest business Le Pristine three years ago," said Sergio Herman. "The combination of my Zeeland roots together with the Italian flair was immediately embraced by our guests. When the opportunity came to collaborate with one of Italy's most iconic brands, I didn't think twice," Herman said. "Together with the master blender, I have been able to … [Read more...]
The return of Hertog Jan: The devil is in the details
ANTWERP: They say the devil is in the details. And in this regard, it is difficult to find any detail missing at the newly opened Hertog Jan at Botanic in Antwerp. This has been a much awaited reopening. After Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens shocked the Belgian culinary scene with their decision to close their flagship 3 Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan in Zedelgem four years ago, they have not rested on their laurels. They’ve moved L.E.S.S. Eatery from the previous location to the centre of Bruges making it a destination restaurant in its own right, one every city would be proud to have. It also clinched a Michelin star in the process. It was soon followed by another Michelin star at Bar Bulot, a typical Flemish brasserie of exceptional quality. They will open a second outlet in Antwerp later this month. Even their latest venture before the opening of the new Hertog Jan was a success. Babu is their interpretation of what a ‘burger or bunner’ should be. First it popped up … [Read more...]
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is back: a look back at the events in Antwerp
ANTWERP: When the number two restaurant was announced in the Flanders Meeting and Convention Centre in Antwerp last week René Redzepi, chef and face of restaurant Noma knew that this would be a special moment, one that had to be savoured because it would be the last time he would step on the podium of the World’s 50 Best as number one restaurant in the world. Rasmus Kofoed, chef of restaurant Geranium, also in Copenhagen had just been called as the second restaurant in the world meaning the top spot would end up going to the 79-strong team at Noma. Redzepi admitted to being anxious because of COVID-19 when he entered the auditorium and saw all those present. He came prepared with a speech. “I promise I didn’t have a clue we would come first. But finishing second last time, there was always going to be the possibility that we would be number one,” he said. The title has a special meaning because Noma will become the only restaurant in the world to equal el Bulli’s feat of … [Read more...]