A corner of contemporary Japan has opened in the heart of Milan. Named Kanpai, the new restaurant, designed by Milanese design studio Vudafieri-Saverino Partners proposes Izakaya rites and atmosphere accompanied by dishes from popular Japanese cuisine. Kanpai brings to Milan a mix of food, sake and Japanese culture but no sushi. It also has an oriental style cocktail list and is set to be a place to eat and drink late into the night. The aim of Kanpai is to recreate the post-work Tokyo evenings and the restaurant and bar could easily inhabit one of the Japanese metropolitcal city with installed screens which transmit pop images typical of today's technological and urban Japan. The restaurant and bar is only open in the evening from 7pm till late and the kitchen does not close before midnight. The project is the result of the passion for Japan of the three 28-, 32- and 33-year old Italian business partners who have brought together food, culture and sake with the idea of … [Read more...]
Good 2017 for Austrian wine despite problematic weather
2017 was not easy for Austria's wine growers who had to do their utmost to cope with capricious weather during the year. And while the end result for the wine has been positive, it was not a sure thing.The coldest January in the last thirty years was followed by the warmest March since meteorological records have been kept, resulting in a very early bud-break. With the devastating frosts of 2016 still fresh in memory, a spate of winter weather caused substantial anxiety in April and parts of May. Fortunately, this cold snap did not persist for long. In addition, Austria’s growers were able to employ all imaginable means at the right time, so that there was hardly any frost damage reported. The precipitation in September and the relatively dramatic temperature swings between day and night in the autumn had an appreciably positive influence on the development of aromas. Even from the initial tastings, it could be established with satisfaction that the heat-stress of the summer had … [Read more...]
Chefs Alain Ducasse and Yannick Alleno cook on opening of Massimo Bottura’s Refettorio Paris
French top chefs Alain Ducasse and Yannick Alleno joined Massimo Bottura for the opening of Refettorio Paris yesterday at the historic Madeleine church where celebrity chefs and culinary students will transform surplus food from supermarkets into meals for the homeless. The Italian chef, famous for his world renowned restaurant Osteria Francescana has set up a foundation Food for Soul after the Milan Expo with the intention of opening soup kitchens across the world with the aim of feeding the world's poor with food that would otherwise be thrown away. In the process, he has sought the support of some of the world's best chefs who go to these soup kitchens to cook and share their knowledge. Refettorio Paris is located in the crypt of the church of La Madeleine, in the heart of Paris. The Refettorio or soup kitchen will offer a welcoming dinnertime service to vulnerable members of the community including homeless, rough sleepers and refugees. Professional chefs are invited to … [Read more...]
Toya Eatery in Manila is Restaurant to watch in Asia
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has announced Toyo Eatery in Manila as the 2018 recipient of the Miele One To Watch Award. Selected by the organisers of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, in collaboration with its regional experts, the award is presented to a restaurant that is outside the Asia’s 50 Best list but is identified as the rising star of the region. Toyo Eatery’s owner-chef Jordy Navarra will formally accept the award at the sixth annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, on 27 March, in Macao. The name Toyo derives from the Filipino word for ‘soy sauce’ and reflects Navarra’s philosophy: Toyo Eatery’s menu draws inspiration from everyday local ingredients and incorporates refined techniques and intricate layers. Navarra and his wife, May, who oversees the restaurant floor, are committed to celebrating local culture and interpreting Filipino culinary traditions in a modern context. Each dish is designed to convey a unique Philippine flavour or represent a traditional cooking … [Read more...]
Thomas Bühner returns to Villa Louise
Thomas Bühner, chef of 3 Michelin star resturant La Vie, in Osnabrück, North West Germany was recently a guest at Villa Louise for a dinner which forms part of the 'seventh' season. Villa Louise, an offshoot of asset manager Creutz and Partners has been inviting some of the world's best chefs to cook at their premises to collaborate, cook and share their creativity with their clients. This was not the first time that the German chef was guest of Villa Louise which today has accumulated 78 stars. Bühner is chef of one of the best restaurants in Germany and you can see why. At the dinner he focused on exceptional ingredients and worked perfectly with produce to ensure that the flavours are not only clean but also intensified. In 2001, he was awarded the Gault Millau “Rising Star of the Year” award and was voted “Chef of the Year” just five years later. Together with his wife Thayarni Kanagaratnam, he has been running Restaurant La Vie in Osnabrück since April 2006. For the … [Read more...]
Everything needs to change – René Redzepi’s aim to reinvent the restaurant goes way beyond the kitchen
'For things to remain the same, things will have to change'. That is probably one of the most famous quotes from The Leopard, a novel written by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. This is not what René Redzepi, chef of the world famous Noma has in mind. When he took the stage at Parabere Forum in Malmo last week he said that the problem is that everything needs to change. "My vision for Noma is not to be the best restaurant in the world but that it will be the best place to work in the world." The change he is looking for is not one that keeps everything the same but rather one that brings a fundamental shift in the restaurant industry. He is taking some of the most talked about issues in the world of work today such as equality, work life balance, the need to work in a comfortable and welcoming environment and improved working hours and in the process he is going through a reinvention not just from a culinary point of view but also from a restaurant management point of view. A lot … [Read more...]
All roads lead to Lyon next weekend for attable festival
All roads lead to Lyon next weekend as the city welcomes European chefs from for attable festival, a prototype edition that starts on Wednesday but culminates in a series of events and dinners on Saturday and Sunday. The young Austrian collective for a progressive society will take over the Le Bistrot du Potager Gerland for what promises to be a unique dinner at Florian Remont's restaurant. The Austrian chefs need no introduction, they have all featured in GELINAZ! Does Upper Austria last summer. They are Konstantin Filippou, Felix Schellehorn, Lukas Nagl, Milena Broger and Lukas Mraz. The other Austria rising star Philip Rachinger, the one who was master of operations with his father at GELINAZ will feature in a dinner at Café Sillon on Friday evening together with Nicolai Norregaard (of Kadeau fame in Copenhagen), Mathieu Rostaing-Tayard and Joanna Figuet, both of Café Sillon. Lyon, the world's gastronomic city par excellence is organising what is being called a 'prototype' … [Read more...]
Gorka Izagirre wines: Making the impossible possible
Visitors to the Basque country will have definitely tasted the Txakoli, a local white wine that is drunk everywhere you go. But outside the region, the wine is extremely difficult to find despite the fact that it washes down well with food. When you visit the Azurmendi galaxy, a three Michelin star restaurant a few kilometres outside Bilbao in the idyllic Larrabetzu, you will not only find the sister restaurant Eneko, recently awarded with a Michelin star but also the headquarters of Bodega Gorka Izagirre, a newish and enthusiastically patriotic Biscayan wine producer. And as you would expect from a wine that is served in Eneko Atxa's restaurants, the wines produced are of the highest quality white wines while remaining true to their unique identity and origins. The wines are made from the Hondarrabi Zuri and the Hondarrabi Zerratia varieties. These are Atlantic grapes that are cultivated locally in small and concerntrated clusters located on the hillsides of Biscay giving … [Read more...]
Anchoas Royo: Making anchovies that are fit for three Michelin star Azurmendi
In a few weeks time, it will start to get busy for the small Basque anchovy producer Anchoas Royo located in the small fishing village of Bermeo in Spain. As the weather starts to get better, in the month of April, the boats will embark to catch the anchovies in the bay of Biscay. These are best between the months of April and June because the fish are bigger in these months. From here begins a long process of maturing the fish before they are ready to be sold on the market. After the fish reach the factory, they are salted and they will be allowed to mature for a long period before they are ready to be handled with care, one fish at a time and placed in the cans. The anchovies from Cantabria are known for their exceptional quality and you need to taste them to understand why these are sought after by food lovers around the world. “We are a very small company that gives a lot of importance to sustainability,” says Juan Carlos Royo Gabancho. “We only catch the fish we need … [Read more...]
Roscioli: When in Rome do as the Romans (and the chefs) do
There is the World's 50 Best Restaurants list and then there is Roscioli. If some 'rebel' voters would have their way, then Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina in Rome would be a permanent fixture on the list. And when you visit you can sort of understand why. If there was a price for the best curated salumeria in the world this would win hands down. At Roscioli it is not necessarily about the preparation that goes into the dishes but rather about the curation of the best ingredients that the Rosciolis can procure from the cheeses to the cold cuts that are served at the restaurant or sold by weight. Curating such a list of exceptional produce from cold cuts, to cheese, olive oils, wines deserves all the accolades one can afford. For foodies, this is definitely what Ali Baba's cave would look like.This is the type of place which you dream of having in the city you live in. A passionate family that have been baking bread since the 1800s and have turned their deli into one of the most … [Read more...]