COPENHAGEN: Kristian Baumann, chef of Restaurant 108, has announced the closure of the restaurant 108 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant is co-owned with René Redzepi among others. "It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Restaurant 108. Due to the negative consequences of the global pandemic and in particular the drastic reduction in the number of international tourists visiting Copenhagen, we have concluded that it is no longer economically sustainable to operate 108 in the current location." "I wish to thank every member – past and present – of our incredible team, for helping make 108 a truly special place. I would not have come so far or achieved so much without you. I also wish to thank our guests and our friends within local and international food media, as well as those at The White Guide, Michelin and World’s 50 Best Restaurants, for their many years of support - I am forever grateful to you all," said Kristian Baumann, Headchef and … [Read more...]
Tartarun and fish charcuterie: Can the Maltese fish restaurant be reinvented?
MARSAXLOKK: When chef James Schiavone stumbled upon the way Josh Niland was working with fish he knew he had to try to do something similar. The author of the book The Whole Fish Cookbook has changed the way many think about fish. But he needed to convince his family, his parents and his brother who together run the Maltese fish restaurant Tartarun in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. His father in particular, who wakes up early each morning to source the fish from the fish market was not convinced that aging fish was something that could work. But he still approved of the purchase of a small fridge that would enable his son to dry-age fish and make fish charcuterie. Decisions at Tartarun, in particular relating to investments at this family-run restaurant that has been open for more than 10 years in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, Malta are taken by the whole family. The motto at the restaurant, but also pretty much everywhere else on the island is that the fresher the … [Read more...]
Summer 2020: Odds and ends
Henry David Thoreau once wrote that one must maintain a little bit of summer even in the middle of winter. You cannot really fault him with that. But there is also the other side to summer, the one where all good intentions go to waste. Finding a writing routine is always a priority for me but summer has a way of disrupting that routine. Not that I am complaining. Writing therefore ended up on the back burner for various reasons. Loss of routine was one of them but also because without realising the previous months had taken their toll when it came to fatigue. Every summer starts with the intention of finding a routine during holidays. But despite all the good intentions, every summer that routine makes way for a certain amount of spontaneity that makes writing close to impossible. Working from home, the lockdown, stress, homeschooling and no break since pretty much Christmas meant there was a level of fatigue that had accumulated which I was not even aware of. How did I … [Read more...]
TATE introduces private home dining experience
HONG KONG: Vicky Lau, chef of TATE Dining Room in Hong Kong is introducing Date by TATE, a new private home dining experience and online gourmet shopping platform that brings a Michelin-starred restaurant experience directly to the home. The service is designed to be enjoyed for any occasion from birthdays to date nights or simply celebrating the end of a busy week. Date by TATE enhances the at-home dining experience with a fully-catered multi-course menu, beverage pairing and a specially curated music playlist. “Date by TATE isn’t your average restaurant takeaway and delivery service. Our team has worked tirelessly to design a French Chinese home gastronomic experience that reflects the quality of any dine-in journey at TATE Dining Room, down to the last details. In today’s stressful COVID-19 era, we hope to give our guests all the tools they need to celebrate meaningful occasions over exquisite cuisine, even despite the current lockdown restrictions,” said Vicky Lau, chef … [Read more...]
Iceconic, the new ice cream concept by Gert de Mangeleer
BRUGES: Visitors to Bruges this summer will be able to get a taste to Iceconic, a brand new ice-cream brand created by star chef Gert de Mangeleer. The first location of Iceconic is the 't Zand in Bruges where a pop-up store is open until the end of August. It may well be the 'Willy Wonka' of ice-cream as the chef and co-owner of the former 3 Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan has created five ice-cream creations. Gert has given is personal take on the ultimate ice cream experience focusing on purity of taste as well as high quality of produce to create a combination of silky and light texture of the freshly churned ice-cream. Iceconic is a collaboration with Friesland Campina, known for its high quality dairy products and also a strong partner for professional end users with their brand Debic. Gert was asked to think of surprising flavour combinations and went into his food lab to create this new story. He has created three basic flavours, vanilla, yogurt and … [Read more...]
‘Never renounce to books and to quality ingredients’ – Massimo Bottura
MODENA: Massimo Bottura needs no introduction. Known mostly for as the chef-patron together with his wife Lara Gilmore of Osteria Francescana in Modena, today he is the best known Italian face in the world of gastronomy. At a recent e-Class he explained his mantra to never renounce to books and to great quality ingredients. The e-Class was organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of the Benelux country as part of the True Italian taste initiative, which aims to showcase the exceptional produce that comes out of Italy. And it was fitting for Massimo Bottura to represent and showcase these ingredients. I’m given the opportunity to ask Massimo a question and I wanted to understand his take on Italian cuisine outside Italy. Over the past few years, the Italian offer outside Italy has improved considerably in all corners of the world. While pizza and pasta remain Italy’s most ‘exported food’ there is another, more sophisticated approach to cooking Italian food outside Italy. At … [Read more...]
Nature Chic, a dining room under the trees in Brabant Wallon this summer
Nature Chic is the name of a new concept created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four people have joined forces to create a culinary experience in the middle of nature. John Paquot, the proprietor of the Ferme d’Odenge, Alain Bianchin, chef of Michelin star restaurant Alain Blainchin and Andre Poes, a sommelier and owner of Nectars du Sommelier and Mickael Williquet have joined forces to create this experience where nature takes centre stage and forms the dining room. During the summer months in Orbais, in the Brabant Wallon region of Belgium, Nature Chic will welcome guests next to a river in the heart of the Belgian countryside. The 'dining room' is open from Thursday to Sunday Under the trees, guests are welcome from 7pm for an aperitif in the middle of the vegetable garden. Champagne and seasonal cocktails are served together with the latest creations prepared from the vegetable garden by the team at Brigitin. At around 8pm, guests will be taken to their table for dinner … [Read more...]
Norbert Niederkofler launches Cook the Mountain – The nature around you book
BRUNICO: At the ALPINN restaurant, over 2,300 metres above sea level, chef Norbert Niederkofler has finalised a project that started in 2008. "Cook the Mountain" - The nature around you is the book he has been working on over the past 10 years. The chef, who became famous for his Cook the Mountain philosophy at St Hubertus said he is telling all the stories of the mountain culture, the mountain food, the producers, their way of working, sustainability, how they used to work in the old days and what they have been doing to recover and bring back these traditions for the next generation. Printed entirely on apple paper (made from apple waste) and in a fully recyclable box, the book will be on sale as from October. The chef has announced that the 400 page book is being sold from his website. The first 500 copies will be signed by the chef himself and will be numbered. "With this book, I want to motivate people to become part of this harmony that exists between nature, culture … [Read more...]
Al Meni to return in September
RIMINI: Al Meni, a food festival celebrated under a circus tent in the Italy city that gave the world Federico Fellini, will return in September. Usually held in June, the food festival created by Italian chef Massimo Botttura will be held from 25 to 27 September this year. Disrupted by a storm last year, which forced the closure of the street market on the first day of the festival, this year's edition had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 crisis. Massimo Bottura came up with the idea to create a food festival which has as its centre, the world famous 8 1/2 circus tent that inspired Fellini. The festival had grown to bring young chefs from Italy and around the world for a feast of gastronomy that celebrates the cuisine and produce from Emilia Romagna with the spontaneous atmosphere of a street party. It was developed into an event by the Municipality of Rimini, together with the passion and knowledge of the Chef to Chef Emilia Romagna Cuochi Association on the … [Read more...]
Who is going to take the mantle?
As cities came to a standstill, as airports closed, as streets become deserted and as people hibernated for the longest spring in our living history, many thought we were going to experience a revolution that would change the world we live in. There would be the pre COVID-19 world and the post COVID-19 world. The restaurants emptied, the kitchens became colder, the hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen came to an immediate halt. Now, as more and more countries start to reopen for business, the more things change, they more they have stayed the same. In the darkest moments of the COVID-19 crisis many thought that there would be considerable and even radical changes to the world of food and restaurants in particular. A few days ago while speaking with Andrea Petrini, one of the most influential food writers in the world, founder of GELINAZ!, an avant-garde chef’s collective he asked me “Where are the new ideas?” How are you is how the conversation started and he told me that he … [Read more...]