The man who became famous for his egg-and-bacon ice cream and snail porridge many years ago has been awarded the 2017 Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award. Celebrated chef Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal received the prestigious honour which is part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, which will take place on April 5th at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, Australia. “I am honoured, thrilled and really quite excited to be given The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award. For me, this award is particularly special because it’s voted by my peers. After 20 years of The Fat Duck, I now feel like I’m just starting – and those 20 years were my apprenticeship. The future is very, very exciting.” One of the culinary world’s most influential figures, Blumenthal, 50, is largely self-taught. Aside from a two-week stint at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in the UK, the London-born Blumenthal has no formal training. He … [Read more...]
Paul Cunningham clinches second Michelin star: “I did not see it coming”
Paul Cunningham, chef of Henne Kirkeby Kro in Henne on the rugged coast of Denmark got the surprise of his life as he clinched the second Michelin star after receiving the first last year. "I did not see it coming," he said. "It was a wonderful surprising experience. I am humbled, grateful and proud. My Hennefolk, I love you," he said. Known for his bold and dramatic cooking, Paul said that this was the absolute highlight of his career in the kitchen and thanked everyone for the beautiful messages which made 'an old man very happy.' Many took to Twitter to congratulate the English chef. Among them was Gelinaz!, the collective of chefs of which he is a member. They called him a 'GELINAZ Masterkiddo'. Among the chefs who congratulated him on Twitter were Michel Roux Jr, Tom Kitchin, Nathan Outlaw, Tim Allen and Jp McMahon. Paul Cunningham of Paul Food cooks everyday and calls himself a chef and wanderer. He is also author and photographer. Born in Essex, England in 1969 he … [Read more...]
A fine dining experience seen through the eyes of an 8-year-old
It had been long in coming and the day was finally here even though there was not much time to prepare for the event. The booking at the two Michelin star restaurant L'Air du Temps, in Liernu, Belgium had been secured only a day before and so there was not much time to prepare our 8-year-old son on what to expect. As many like to say, the journey is as important as the destination and it did require some hard work on our part to get to this point and it was at times difficult. Like all parents who take their kids to restaurants, we have had some embarrassing experiences. He had been to many restaurants before but nothing had ever approached this level. So although we were confident that it would work out, it was with a sense of trepidation that we arrived at the restaurant, fingers crossed that our judgement was not blinded by parental love. He had only one request before we left home. He wanted a notebook and a pen. We of course did not object. With notebook and pen in hand, … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #106
Which simple recipes should your children be able to cook? Recently, I came home to find the remnants of a hollandaise sauce smeared across the inside of a kitchen bowl. I ran my finger through what was left. It was perfect: foamy and rich with that necessary acidity. Apparently my 17-year-old son had knocked it up from watching YouTube videos. Not long before, I had introduced him to the glories of eggs benedict. (Look, he’s a restaurant critic’s child. What do you expect?) He wanted to eat one so Googled the instructions for the sauce. He had no idea that it’s tricky to get the temperature of the bain-marie right, so the eggs don’t curdle as you whisk them. He just did it. Sometimes ignorance can be a wonderful thing. Michelin men: Claude Bosi, Terence Conran and the return of Bibendum: In the gutted upstairs room of Bibendum on London’s Fulham Road, I’m suddenly feeling my age. The flagship Conran restaurant is in the process of a makeover. Floors and walls have been stripped and … [Read more...]
Rasmus Kofoed: You need to look for what is not obvious
Michelin inspectors have arrived at a restaurant in the Danish capital Copenhagen. Usually they would get away with anonymity but this time, Rasmus Kofoed and his team know that the persons dining at table are from the Michelin guide. How they realised is a story that has yet to be told but on that day, somehow, the staff at Geranium, the three Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen knew they were serving Michelin inspectors. The tension must have been palpable. Not knowing that you are being inspected may keep you on tenterhooks every day but there is probably no feeling more intense for a chef to know that he is being tested on the spot particularly when so much is at stake. They serve razor clams and when the plate returns back to the kitchen, the chef and cooks realise that the edible clam shell has been left intact. So they ask the service team to send another set of razor clams to tell them that the shells are edible. Rasmus Kofoed tells Food and Wine Gazette in an … [Read more...]
Einsunternull: Forget everything you have previously tasted, seen, smelt, felt and appreciated
You know that you are in for a ride when the restaurant website tells you to forget everything that you have previously tasted, seen, smelt, felt and appreciated. Einsunternull does just that. The Berlin dining scene may be dominated by Tim Raue, the German chef who features in the third Netflix season of Chef's Table but that should not deter you from exploring what is on offer in this vibrant city with a increasingly interesting dining scene. There are many restaurants worth trying and not necessarily easy to make a choice. I decided to try the intriguing restaurant which was recently awarded a Michelin star despite the fact that the owner and chef ran away from a two Michelin star because they wanted to have the freedom not to use luxury ingredients. The restaurant named Einsunternull (or one floor below in English) is called like this because its dining room (for the evenings) is housed in the cellar. Lunch is however served upstairs in a space next to the open kitchen … [Read more...]
Chocolate fashion show inaugurates this year’s edition of Salon du Chocolat in Brussels
The 2017 edition of the Salon du Chocolat kicked off on Thursday evening at Tour et Taxis with the traditional chocolate fashion show. Chocolatiers joined forces with Belgian designers to create a number of spectacular outfits which were paraded by Belgian television and radio personalities. Among the chocolatiers taking part this year were bean to bar chocolatier Benoit Nihant, Didier Smeets, Jean-Philippe Darcis, Joost Arijs, Laurent Gerbaud, Sigoji and Valentino (full list of designers and chocolatiers below) Benoit Nihant used the 'bean' to dress concept to design the dress with Fabrice Bertrang. Nadia Flecha Guazo of Chokolate designed a splendid Mayan inspired chocolate outfit with chocolate lace and Mayan earrings, necklace and a sculpted in bas-relief with dark chocolate painted in green and gold edible dusts (see photos below). The Salon du Chocolat is open this weekend and brings some of the best chocolatiers from Belgium. Among the chocolatiers, visitors to the … [Read more...]
Frites Atelier Amsterdam by Sergio Herman to open in Antwerp this week
The much awaited Frites Atelier Amsterdam, a french fries chain created by one of the world's most talented chefs Sergio Herman, will be opening in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Friday. Launched last year in the Netherlands, this will be the first Frites Atelier Amsterdam in Belgium (and the fourth shop selling french fries). The shop which opens from 11am on Friday and is located in Gasthuisstraat. This is the second venture of Sergio Herman in Antwerp following the very successful opening of The Jane (Antwerp, Belgium), a two Michelin star restaurant set up together with chef Nick Bril. There seems to be no stopping Sergio Herman. After deciding to stop cooking full time at the end of 2013 when he closed his three Michelin star restaurant Oud Sluis in the Netherlands he has successfully launched new projects like The Jane, further developed Pure C, created Frites Atelier and later this year will open Air Republic in Cadzand. Belgium may be known for its french fries but … [Read more...]
Food for Soul and David Jesus join forces for a number of charity dinners in Courmayeur
On the base of the Mont Blanc, the village of Courmayeur will welcome Portuguese chef David Jesus for a series of charity dinners being organised in collaboration and in aid of Food for Soul. The eight charity dinners take place between 25 February and 4 March. Food for Soul is a non-profit organisation set up by world renowned chef Massimo Bottura whose aim is to promote social awareness around the issue of food waste and hunger through a range of projects in collaboration with chefs, artisans, food suppliers, artists, designers and institutions. The aim behind this newly set organisation is to encourage public and private organisations to create community kitchens around the world to promote the importance of taking back the abandon: food, spaces, people. The rejuvenation of food, spaces and people is a cultural project not only for those in need but for the good of the larger community. This is the first event called "Chef in Commune" which will welcome 14 people every … [Read more...]
Honorary degree for Massimo Bottura in Bologna
Massimo Bottura, the chef at the helm of Osteria Francescana, the world's best restaurant, was this evening honoured with an honorary degree in Management from the University of Bologna. Bottura got the degree for setting an example by merging entrepreneurship, culture and technique and that helps to spread Italian culture worldwide. The Modena based chef, who has three Michelin stars and is number one in the World's 50 Best Restaurant list has also set up the Refettorio Ambrosiano during the Milan Expo. Since then he has opened refectories to feed the world's poor in various cities including Rio. In summer, a soup kitchen will open in London in the Chelsea area and he also has plans to open one in Berlin. Bottura belives that chefs can make a difference today because they have a voice unlike in the past. An honorary degree to a chef is not common but Bottura says that even Harvard have studied the way they work in the restaurant. The restaurant today receives 2,000 … [Read more...]