Mirazur is set to launch an exclusive 3-month residency in Singapore at Mandala Club. From the 14th May until the 11th August 2021 and for the first time in South East Asia, the Mirazur team will take over KIN and Clan Cafe at Mandala Club and offer guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the exceptional cuisine of Mirazur. This is the first time that Mauro Colagreco returns to Singapore after clinching the top spot in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Located in Menton, France on the stunning Côte d'Azur, Mirazur is the brainchild of chef-patron Mauro Colagreco. It holds the highest international accolades, including the ultimate three Michelin stars and the No.1 slot on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Mauro's culinary style is celebrated for seamlessly blending sea, garden, and mountain flavours. The residency will provide the perfect platform to share in Mirazur's signature Lunar Menus - driven by nature and aligning with the moon's … [Read more...]
Pass the baton: Relae has a new future
COPENHAGEN: Christian Puglisi, chef and owner of restaurants Relae, Manfreds, Baest, Mirabelle Bakery and Mirabelle Restaurant is one of the industry's top innovators. And he has proven it yet again with a new idea that will enable young chefs to prove their worth as he leaves them in the steering wheel. After deciding to close the restaurant last year, the chef of Relae and Manfreds has decided to give young talented chefs the opportunity to step onto a big stage. "I will leave my restaurant Relae in your hands if that is so. For 3 months, you will get the framework that has been a success for 10 years straight with your hands on the steering wheel. You set your team, your menu and your ambition." The chef said that after months of reflection he believes the future of Relae must be to pass the relay - and to leave it in the hands and ideas of the next generation. "Relae came to life after the financial crisis of 2008 where a small and humble basement was the only option … [Read more...]
El Barri, Albert Adria’s dream closes because of COVID-19
BARCELONA: El Barri, Albert Adria's dream, which he built together with the Iglesias brothers is being dissolved. The restaurant group of the Iglesias brothers which also comprises a partnership with Albert Adria that includes the el Barri group of restaurants (Tickets, Hoja Santa, Pakta and Bodega 1900) has declared bankruptcy according to Spanish press. El Barri was Albert Adria's dream to keep Barcelona in the international culinary limelight after the closure of the legendary el Bulli. The future of the restaurants is not yet known. The only restaurant that is sure to remain open for the time being is Enigma, a restaurant that was created by Albert Adria and which does not form part of the partnership with the Iglesias group. He told Efe on Thursday that he did not know whether it would open this year or next year. However, the acclaimed Spanish chef, who together with his brother Ferran Adria made many people dream with their gastronomic creations that revolutionised … [Read more...]
UnBOXed: Four chefs, one dinner
BRUSSELS: Cédric Allard, a story teller and foodie has created unBOXed, a way to reinvent gastronomy at home. He has brought together four chefs from two Michelin star restaurants in Belgium and Luxembourg to create a unique menu that will be served on three separate days May. The four chefs are Tim Boury of Boury Restaurant, Nick Bril of The Jane, David Martin of La Paix and Cyril Molard of Ma Langue Sourit have worked together to create different dishes for the 'box'. Artist Denis Meyes is also part of the project. The unBOXed concept aims to not be just a dinner but rather an experience that combines gastronomy, art, pleasure and excellence at home. It is bringing a restaurant at home in your comfort for a unique experience. Everything has been thought to create a restaurant experience down to the smallest details. All it takes for the dishes is just some time in the oven and the dishes are ready to be served. The dishes are dressed in the same way they would be at the … [Read more...]
Time to change at Jordnær: two families, one mission – well-being
Tina and Eric Kragh Vildgaard of restaurant Jordnær, a two Michelin star restaurant created inside a humble three-starred hotel in the suburbs of Copenhagen have been reflecting a lot over the past months during the time that restaurants have been closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Danish government announced the date of the reopening of restaurants on May 6th, the restaurant will open only four days a week and in particular not on the weekend making it one of the only restaurants in Scandinavia, if not the only one to take this road. This is not being done out of necessity but a deliberate choice to seek a better and healthier balance between work and personal/family life that results in a happier, more motivated, well-rested and creative team. “We have 6 kids and they are getting older and older. They always participate in all kinds of activities during the weekends and we never get to be there because we chose to be in this industry. So why not try it?." … [Read more...]
Viewing Italy through a new culinary lens – Laura Lazzaroni on the New Cucina Italiana
Laura Lazzaroni may not win a lot of friends when she says that it is time to metaphorically kill the ‘nonna’ or grandmother philosophy. But she has a point. She writes about it in the introduction to her new book The New Cucina Italiana: What to Eat, What to Cook and Who to Know in Italian Cuisine published by Rizzoli New York. “I meant it to be shocking to get the point across. Of course we all love our nonne (grandmothers) and they are extremely important. Our younger generation of chefs are respectful of tradition but they’re also emancipating and moving away from the stereotype. What grandmothers have done was fantastic particularly when it came to the craftsmanship of their hands, for example making fresh pasta. But, if we have to be honest, some things were not that great because they either did not have the technology or they did not understand the chemical reactions happening within ingredients. We also need to remember that for many young chefs in Italy today, the … [Read more...]
The New Cucina Italiana: a book that takes us to Italy at a time when we cannot travel
What do you think of when you think about Italian food? Some might think about pizza, spaghetti al pomodoro, cacio e pepe or carbonara. Or even of dishes that have been created outside Italy but which have little to do with what Italians really eat. But that is far from what a new movement of Italian chefs are working on. For those like me who follow the Italian scene rather closely some of the names of this movement may sound familiar. For others, these are chefs that are still under the radar but who are slowly but surely establishing themselves as the new frontier of Italian cuisine. Niko Romito, for example needs no introduction internationally. Paolo Lopriore, on the other hand, has worked under the international radar for a very long time even if for many young chefs in Italy today, he is a guiding light. I’d heard about him in passing but rarely delved into depth about what he has meant for Italy. At Spessore a few years ago, all the young chefs were raving about this … [Read more...]
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura to open in Tokyo later this year
TOKYO: There is still no date set for the opening of Gucci Osteria Tokyo, a contemporary Italian restaurant created by one of the world's leading luxury fashion brand Gucci and world renowned chef Massimo Bottura. This will be the third outpost for Gucci Osteria. The first one was opened in January 2018 in Florence, Italy at the Gucci Garden. The second in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles opened in February last year. The third restaurant will open in Ginza later this year. It will be located on the top floor of Gucci Namiki - Gucci’s latest flagship store which will open on the 29th April - Gucci Osteria Tokyo will be curated by three-Michelin star chef Massimo Bottura in collaboration with Karime Lòpez, Head Chef of the original Gucci Osteria in Florence that was awarded its first Michelin star in the 2020. The restaurant will have its own dedicated entrance from street level. This will be the third global outpost for Gucci Osteria, the first of which opened in January 2018 at the … [Read more...]
Side by Sight: Three restaurants in collaboration with The Hotel Brussels
Three chefs from the L’Air du Temps group of restaurants which have restaurants in Brussels have teamed up with The Hotel Brussels to offer safe dinners at the hotel given that the restaurants in Belgium remain closed. From March 25 to April 24, chefs Valerie Borriero of San Sablon, Toshiro Fujii of restaurant Toshiro and Kevin Perlot of restaurant VerTige will take turns taking over the kitchens of The Hotel Brussels to share the values and vision of their Brussels restaurants. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, they will each offer a 4-course menu with wine pairing that can be enjoyed in the comfort of a room that has been transformed especially for the occasion into a private restaurant. Guests will upon arrival receive two keys. While one opens the door to their room, the other gives them access to one of the Deluxe Panorama Room which offers breathing views over the Belgian capital. The event called Side by Sight will start of March 25. The first chef will be Kevin … [Read more...]
Ta’ Betta Winery: ‘The ride of a lifetime’
What makes two professionals, highly respected in their fields put all their life savings into a project to create a boutique winery in Malta making top quality wines? How do they find the time to manage a wine business despite their professional commitments? That’s the story of Dr Astrid Camilleri, a gynaecologist and Prof. Juanito Camilleri a former University rector and former CEO of a mobile operator who have set up the Ta’ Betta Winery in Malta with the aim of making fine wines with personality that have ageing potential. “It’s a long story,” Astrid tells me. It is not a problem for me. It is a beautiful albeit windy summer evening at Ta’ Betta winery, a gem of a place the two have created over many years of hard work. You could call it their life or passion project but it has turned out to be much more than that. “We met in Cambridge while we were studying. I had started working there and Juanito was reading for his PhD. We got to know each other and we got married within 2 … [Read more...]