Enrico Crippa, chef of Piazza Duomo in Alba, one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world has decided that he will stop serving an a la carte menu when the restaurant reopens after the summer holidays on 22 August. The Italian chef said in a letter that he wanted to communicate a very important step in his career and also that of the restaurant Piazza Duomo. “After a long period of reflection and careful considerations, I have decided that the time are ripe to offer three set menus eliminating from 22 August the a la carte menu that has always been available at the restaurant which has three stars and constantly features in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. “This choice comes from a long time observing how clients tastes have shifted over the years. Most of the times, people come to the restaurant to choose a tasting menu that is proposed to them. Only a tiny percentage of clients chose from the a la carte menu,” Enrico said. “My aim is to maximise my focus on the … [Read more...]
‘Vespertine is like my creative dungeon’ Jordan Kahn
Like most people living in cities, Jordan Kahn, chef of Vespertine was driving around trying to avoid traffic when he spotted an empty building under construction. “That's what you do when you are in Los Angeles." He decided to stop the car and looked at ‘this thing and it was very emotional’. He had no idea what triggered his desire to stop. That evening, he finished work at his previous restaurant Red Medicine and after service, at around 3am, he went back to Culver City where today the restaurant is located. “Service had finished at 2am so it must have been around 3am. I jumped over the construction fence, broke open the hinge of the plywood door and trespassed in this empty building. I did not fully know why I was there, I did not think this was the place for a restaurant but there was this gravity pulling me. I could not shake it away,” Jordan told Food and Wine Gazette. He returned (and trespassed) to that spot every day for the next five months. “Slowly all these … [Read more...]
Under the circus tent at Al Meni in Rimini
The heavens opened at around 3pm on Saturday a few hours after the official opening of the Al Meni, an annual event organised in Rimini under a giant coloured circus tent sent between the sea and the Grand Hotel that evokes a great master of world cinema, Federico Fellini. Heavy rain, thunderstorms welcomed the opening day of the seventh edition of Al Meni, a festival that is organised annually in the Emilia Romagna city of Rimini in June. “In a world where walls are being built, and in a place where we were surrounded with walls 1,000 years ago, we want to break the walls and say to everyone tat you are welcome here. We love to have you here, we love to host you here, come and enjoy yourself. This is what Al Meni is about,” Massimo Bottura said at the opening of the event before flying to Singapore for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony. The Italian chef was not there for the evening session where a thunderstorm and torrential rain forced the street market to close … [Read more...]
A taste of the sea at new pop-up Bar Bulot in Bruges
The sea is very much the focus of the new pop-up restaurant opened by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens in the original Hertog Jan and recently Bistro L.E.S.S. The pop-up is Bruges' new hotspot for summer. The pop-up restaurant opened a few days ago in time for the summer season. Following the successful opening of the new L.E.S.S eatery in the centre of Bruges, Gert and Joachim are offering a taste of the sea this summer in the Flemish city of Bruges. Under the guidance of chef Pieter Lefevere and host Maxime Depreitere (both former Hertog Jan), the restaurant will remain open till the end of September before the place undergoes refurbishment before the opening of a new concept to create a typical Flemish bistro before the end of the year. This is another concept that they have worked on since closing their flagship three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan in December last year. The concept again focuses on sharing and simplicity. On the menu, guests can choose from a … [Read more...]
Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore: What we have learned from the opening of Casa Maria Luigia
Having opened Casa Maria Luigia a few weeks ago, Massimo Bottura is already looking towards future projects. That’s him, constantly thinking about the future, about next projects. He is already in discussions to open more soup kitchens in Mexico, and with the help of Goldman Sachs, Amazon and Salesforce, New York, Seattle and San Francisco. He is even considering one in Bethlehem. But before the start of the Al Meni festival in Rimini last weekend, he took the time to share what his wife Lara Gilmore and he have learned from the opening of their inn on the outskirts of Modena. The inn, named after Massimo’s mother opened a few weeks ago. Massimo and Lara of the acclaimed Osteria Francescana in Modena have taken what they have learnt from their flagship 3 Michelin star restaurant and their Food for Soul project (which aims to feed the poor through the opening of soup kitchens in different cities around the world) to their new project. Casa Maria Luigia brings the world of … [Read more...]
Veyrat speaks about the pain of losing a third star as he hits out at Michelin
Marc Veyrat, the 69 year old French chef of La Maison des Bois in Manigod, that lost the third Michelin star after just one year in January has said he is convinced that no Michelin inspector went to eat at the restaurant during the year in a damning interview he gave to Le Point. The French chef spoke for the first time about his pain, his depression and thinking the worse since he was given the news abruptly on 20 January. He admitted thinking about committing suicide on several occasions. "I've asked Michelin to show me the proof that they visited the restaurant last year by providing me with the receipts but they told me it would not be ethical. If Michelin had nothing to hide, why don't they show the receipts. Let them do it and then we can talk," he said 'they treated me with arrogance'. The French chef said he had not dared speak before but believes it is vital today. "I am uncomfortable with the turn of events at Michelin. Before they used to reward excellence, today they … [Read more...]
Mauro Colagreco’s Mirazur is first ever French restaurant to top World’s 50 Best list
It is turning out to be a magical year for Mauro Colagreco. Mirazur, his restaurant in Menton was named the number 1 restaurant at the World Restaurants Awards in Singapore. The top spot may not have come as a big surprise. The Italo-Argentinian chef of restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France has been a rising star for the past years and the only question everyone was asking was whether Noma would make it straight to number 1 or not given El Celler de Can Roca, Eleven Madison and the previous number 1 Osteria Francescana where no longer eligible for the award (see my comments here). Finally, the decision landed on Mauro Colagreco's restaurant which crowns a spectacular period for the always smiling chef who also received a third Michelin star a few months ago. By giving the award to Mauro Colagreco, the World's 50 Best Restaurants has also made a statement as Mirazur becomes the first ever French restaurant to top the list. In the top 10 there is also Alain Passard's L'Arpege in … [Read more...]
No space for legends: The hall of fame of the World’s 50 Best
Roger Federer has won 20 grand slams, Rafael Nadal 18. On the other hand Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray have only managed three each. But they've all been told to go into a hall of fame never to compete in a Grand Slam title again. Of course that’s not the case. Liverpool, the winners of the Champions League this year are also eliminated from next year's champions league and so are the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus. Their only problem is they've won the cup before. It is also imaginary. But this is the conundrum that the World's 50 Best restaurants finds itself in. As from this evening, the winner of the World's 50 Best, a newcomer unless it is René Redzepi's Noma who is eligible because he opened noma 2.0 in a new location after having closed down in the first will no longer be eligible to compete in the following year. Instead they will enter a hall of fame or a 'best of the best'. There have been seven in total who have won the top accolade … [Read more...]
Q&A with Antonia Klugmann: ‘The way I eat has impacted the way I cook’
Antonia Klugmann is chef of L’Argine a Venco, an acclaimed restaurant with a highly personal and unique cuisine in Venco, Fruili Venezia Giulia on the border with Slovenia. This is the second part of our interview with the Italian chef in the usual Q&A format. What is the best dish you’ve ever made? I hope that I still have to make it. The best dish you’ve ever eaten? I don’t know. I like so many things. Even a fruit that is perfectly matured and is eaten at its best can change your palate for ever. Do you cook at home? No. What do you like to eat when you don’t cook at home? I have been on a diet for around two years. So I like to eat soups, salad and meat but I don’t eat pasta and haven’t ate pasta for many months. This is a tragedy for me. But the way you think about your body also has an impact on how you feel. The way I eat has also impacted the way I cook in the restaurant. In my restaurant, I want to cook in a way that is healthy. For example, I … [Read more...]
New Alchemist in Copenhagen to open on 4 July with 50 servings menu
UPDATED: Two years after closing the former Alchemist, head chef and co-owner Rasmus Munk has revealed the features of the new 24,000 sq ft dream restaurant in Copenhagen. The new Alchemist is set to open its 100 sq ft bronze door on 4 July. Bookings open on 22 June. The 27 year old chef opened the former Alchemist in 2015 with a vision of challenging the meal and serve more than just great food. When he designed the new Alchemist in 2016, his initial visions were accompanied by the dream of building a restaurant able to stimulate all the human senses to create complete sensory dining experiences. This was always the vision for Alchemist, but now, he feels, the surroundings are ideal. “We were very happy in Århusgade. But the relatively few square feet have also had their limitations. I’m looking forward to showing new and old guests Alchemist’s full potential,” Rasmus Munk said. The new restaurant is more than 20 times bigger than the old one. The dimensions of the … [Read more...]