Is there such a thing as a World's Best Restaurant? Of course there isn't. That is the response that René Redzepi, chef of Noma says in the soon to be released documentary Noma, a Perfect storm. And we cannot agree more with him. The World's 50 Best Restaurants list is extremely controversial but also extremely powerful. It has been criticised by many especially in France because of its opaque voting. France has now come up with what they now call an answer to the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. A new list of 1000 exceptional restaurants (tables d'exception) is set to be launched on 17 December. AFP announced earlier this week that Japan, France and the United States are the countries with the most restaurants in the list which is set to be a response to the UK list of 50 best restaurants. Some details of the new list have emerged already. In total, restaurants from 40 countries are in The List which compiles the results of international guides. Out of the first 100 … [Read more...]
A visit to the San Lorenzo mercato centrale in Florence
Food markets are the heart of any city. You tend to miss out a lot when you miss visiting the food market in any city. A food market is the centre of the city and it tells you a lot about the food culture and produce of that city or region. The San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale in Florence is no exception. Although the food market in Florence is a tourist attraction in its own right and attracts a large amount of tourists, the quality of the produce on offer also gives you a direct insight into Florentine and in particular Tuscan cuisine. If you are not into food, it is still worth visiting for its architecture. This old market is an architecturally interesting building that was built by Giuseppe Mengoni, the same architect who created the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. The market inaugurated in 1874 was inspired by the Les Halles de Paris. Its glass and iron combination ensures that light comes in naturally and allows the amazing colours of the splendid produce from fruits … [Read more...]
A review of Francis Mallmann’s book: Seven Fires – Grilling the Argentinian Way
"Fire has its own language, spoken in the realm of heat, hunger and desire. It speaks of alchemy, mystery and, above all, possibility. It is a slumbering voice inside me, the ever present beast within my soul, it is beyond words, beyond memory. It comes from a time long before I can recall." This is how the book Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentinian Way by Francis Mallmann and Peter Kaminsky starts. The Argentinian chef is an inspiring character who uses cooking to send a message of a certain way of living. He is known for telling people to cook by 'getting out of your chair, sofa or office and go outdoors.' The most influential chef in Argentina has been portrayed in a splendid documentary Chef's Table on Netflix which we have reviewed here. Mallmann has mastered fire like few others. He has been trained in French classics so he is a master of the art of intensifying, deepening and developing all the flavours and textures of his ingredients. But rather than rely on … [Read more...]
Eneko Atxa to open Basque restaurant in London
Eneko Atxa, chef of 3 Michelin star restaurant Azurmendi, ranked 19th in the World's 50 Best restaurants and voted first by Opinionated about Dining in 2015 has announced plans to open a Basque restaurant in London. He will open his first restaurant in the UK next year at the One Aldwych Hotel. The hotel is situated in centre of London's Covent Garden. Atxa said the aim of the new restaurant was that of presenting a modern take on rustic Basque cuisine focusing on simplicity and quality ingredients. The Basque chef who is known for his inventive cuisine is considered to be one of the rising stars of Spanish cuisine. In an interview with Food and Wine Gazette last year, Atxa spoke about the importance he give to sustainability (he won the sustainable restaurant of the year award in 2014). “We are a very young team. I don’t think about the future. I am dreaming about the future. And in my dream, the future will be more sustainable and the environment will be more important … [Read more...]
Old artisanal Belgian biscuit maker Maison Dandoy expanding
Maison Dandoy, the Belgian artisanal biscuit maker famous for its Speculoos has been slowly expanding its offer not only in Brussels, where it was created in 1829, but also outside the Belgian capital. After the successful opening of a shop in Tokyo in 2012, Maison Dandoy is opening a shop in the Belgian city of Antwerp on the Graanmarkt as well as a temporary pop-up store at the Stadsfeestzaal. The shops have been open since 23 November in time for the Christmas and New Year festivities. For the festivities, the Brussels based biscuit maker is offering two collections, Saint-Nicholas' sweets are for kids of all ages. There is also a Christmas pack called Holy days ask for devilishly good cookies. This biscuit maker has a very interesting history which started in 1829 with Jean-Baptiste Dandoy, a young baker. He was the brother of the mayor of Uccle at the time and set to create the biscuit firm which still carries his name today. It was originally opened in rue … [Read more...]
‘Nocturnes du Sablon’ in Brussels to take place as planned
It has not been an easy week for Brussels. From Saturday morning, the capital city has been in lockdown because of a heightened risk of terrorist attacks. It has meant closed shops, schools and metro amid the highest threat level for the Belgian capital city. But from today, the situation has slowly started to return back to normal with the reopening of schools and the metro despite this heightened threat level. Large scale events have been cancelled. But last night, the organisers announced that the Nocturnes du Sablon, which has been organised for more than 20 years, will take place as planned between Thursday 26 November and Sunday 29th November with increased security. Since four years, this event is organised with the participation of the Culinaria Agency which is famous for the annual Brussels Culinaria event. Some of the top names in Brussels and beyond have confirmed participation for this weekend's event. The chefs taking part are Alex Joseph (Rouge Tomate), Axel … [Read more...]
Ferran and Albert Adrià to open restaurant in Turin – Italian press reports
Ferran and Albert Adrià, the two brothers of el Bulli fame, are set to open their first restaurant outside Spain in the Italian city of Turin according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica and specialised media like Gambero Rosso and Dissapore. According to the Italian media, the headquarters of Italian coffee giant Lavazza in Turin (above) will house the new restaurant. The Italian company is building new headquarters that have been designed by Cino Zucchi. The new project will house all the offices of the multinational company which at the moment are spread in different parts of the city. The headquarters are being built in the east end of the city in a quarter known as Aurora at an investment of 36 million euros. According to the Italian press, the restaurant will open in the early months of 2017 in a former power station that used to be owed by Enel and not in the new building. The old power station needs to be restored externally given its architectural value. It is … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #57
The Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is probably the most famous fish market in the world. The wholesale market is best known for its pre-dawn tuna auction but Tsukiji's future (also as a retail market) could be at risk. It opened in 1935 but is set to move next year to Toyosu a few miles away. Read the story here. What is healthy eating? And who can we trust when it comes to finding out what should really be on our plates? Alex Benton has a splendid article about the subject and he argues that we have turned all that worry to the wrong things. He calls gluten free a top dietary fad which keeps health magazines and food manufacturers busy. It is a must read. French culinary master Joel Robuchon, the chef with the most Michelin stars worldwide, has unveiled plans for an international culinary school. It will be located on the site of a monastery hospital in Montmorillon in the Vienne region of Western France. The school will welcome its first students in 2018. Danny Meyer, one of … [Read more...]
10 things we learnt from Sven Elverfeld
German chef Sven Elverfeld is a chef with a conscience. He is also a top performer. His restaurant Aqua in Wolfsburg may be one of the best in the world (it has three Michelin stars since 2009) and is currently 33rd in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list). We have published our interview with him earlier. Here are the ten lessons we learnt from our conversation with him. 1. Give more than you receive: Sven made his voice heard during the refugee crisis. He did not do it for publicity but rather because he believes that when you are in a position to give back to society, you need to take your responsibility and just do it. He tells me being a successful chef is not all about the glamour. When you are striving to be successful, do not just think about yourself but also about how you can give back to your community. Giving more than receiving does not distract you from success. 2. Work ethic is of utmost importance: Success does not come by chance. Sven has rarely if ever missed a … [Read more...]
A visit to Antica Macelleria Falorni in Greve in Chianti, one of the best butchers in Tuscany
A visit to the Chianti Classico region would not be complete without a stop-over in Greve in Chianti. It is small and picturesque but it is the main town or village of the Chianti Classico wine region and is home to Chianti's largest wine fair that is held every September. Situated between Florence and Siena, a visit to Greve in Chianti would not be complete without heading to the butcher shop Antica Macelleria Falorni which is a tourist attraction in its own right. Part butcher shop, part bistro, it houses a cheese and wine cellar and has an incredible selection of the salamis and hams for which the butcher shop is famous. It was founded in 1806 and has been making salumi of the highest quality for the past nine generations following traditional methods and old recipes that are passed from father to son. They have a range of salamis from the traditional ones with fennel to one with white truffle and another with chianti classico. They also make a wild boar salami among … [Read more...]