Alain Passard’s restaurant L’Arpege has been voted the number one restaurant in the newly released top 100 plus European restaurants 2016 list released by Opinionated about Dining on 23 May 2016. The chef who mentored some of the top chefs in the world including Pascal Barbot, Magnus Nilsson and Mauro Colagreco, is known for fostering the vegetable-oriented minimalist cuisine movement. Eneko Atxa, chef of Azurmendi, who was number 1 on the list last year placed second followed by Belgian chef Kobe Desramaults (the latest chef to be interviewed by Food and Wine Gazette here) who placed third. Fourth was Magnus Nilsson with his restaurant Faviken and fifth came Noma’s Rene Redzepi. Four Belgians are in the top 50 positions of the list. San Degeimbre of L'Air du Temps is in 29th position, Gert De Mangeleer of Hertog Jan is in 34th place while Peter Goossens of Hof Van Cleve was in 44th place. There are 10 French restaurants and 1o Spanish restaurants in the top 50. The … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #77
Heston Blumenthal: from brink of bankruptcy to giant of gastronomy: "When I was 15, I went to a restaurant in Provence with my folks. I could hear the legs of lamb being carved and the clink of glasses, I could smell the lavender. The waiters’ feet crunched on the gravel and the crickets sang. I went into a multi-sensory wonderland, and I was hooked.” It was this moment, 35 years ago, that convinced Heston Blumenthal to become a restaurateur. Alinea 2.0: Reinventing One of the World's Best Restaurants: "Did that work?" Nick Kokonas asks from the atrium of the recently renovated Alinea. It's Tuesday afternoon. The restaurant reopens on Friday night, after undergoing a five-month, seven-figure facelift. And its owner can't find the light switch. "I'm still learning where everything is," he says as the lights turn on over the service station in one of the four dining rooms — each of which has totally different decor and an entirely new menu. Meanwhile, Grant Achatz is fixed to … [Read more...]
Jock Zonfrillo: A 16 year old journey to discover the taste and origins of Australian cuisine
A trip by Scottish chef Jock Zonfrillo to Australia changed his life and the fate of Australia's indigenous cuisine. He was on a sabbatical from Restaurant Marco Pierre White that won a third Michelin star but that trip to Sydney was the turning point to an amazing journey of discovery. "I went back to Europe after this trip and kept thinking and thinking and asking myself why Australia was the only country I had visited where I could not taste anything about the culture of the country. There was no taste of original flavours of the country. There were good restaurants but they were French or European, not Australian." Zonfrillo moved to Australia in 2000 and has been there since then going on a journey that has led him to open world renowned restaurant Orana in 2013 which means 'welcome' in some aboriginal languages. While working at Restaurant 41 and Magill Estate Restaurant in Adelaide he set off to try and discover the history and taste of Australian food. And to do that … [Read more...]
A blind wine tasting: France vs the rest of the world
There is nothing like a blind wine-tasting to get you out of your comfort zone. And if you do not know what wines are being served, it makes it all the more difficult particularly since you have no indication whether the organisers are pulling out any tricks to make it even more difficult. On a recent visit to Malta, we participated in a blind wine tasting with the theme being France vs the rest of the world. The event was organsed by R,W&R, Amateur Wine Appreciation Group at the Commando restaurant in the idyllic village of Mellieha in the Northern part of this Mediterranean island. At the end of the evening the outcome was a 2-2 draw between France vs Rest of the World. But as they say comparisons are odious and it was more about the fun of testing our palates and finding the wines we loved without any influence whatsoever. The only hints we received before the tasting - there would be four flights of three wines served. These would be Alsace wines, Oaked Chardonnay, … [Read more...]
Q&A with Kobe Desramaults (In De Wulf): Technology is not always better
Belgian chef Kobe Desramaults does not need much introduction. Chef of top foodie destination In De Wulf and owner in Gent of De Vitrine and De Superette, here he reveals his more personal side in a quick question and answer session when we interviewed him recently. See the fully story here. What are the trends today which weren’t around when you started? For many years, there has been a strive to use technology in the kitchen. I followed sous vide very closely. I did it all myself and I am not going to judge it but I believe in a certain different type of cooking. for example, recently we had a one year old lamb which was aged for three weeks. We cooked the shoulder on a very slow fire. The end result when you carve it cannot be achieved with a normal oven. Technology does not always mean better. But what worked in the past is also not necessarily better. It is important that we have the knowledge so we can be selective. That is technology. You should choose what you want to … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #76
Empty tables after Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks: — Les Bouquinistes has long been a favorite luxury restaurant of Paris visitors. Set on a quay along the Left Bank, founded by Guy Savoy, a three-Michelin-star chef, it offers a warm welcome, a contemporary setting, a creative menu, prices that are not stratospheric and drop-dead views of the Seine and Notre-Dame. But on a recent Thursday evening, this 50-seat food emporium was empty except for one couple at a table in front and a small group celebrating a birthday in a back room. 16 incredible dishes from the world's best female chef: Chef Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn was recently named the world’s best female chef by The World's 50 Best Restaurants. The San Francisco restaurateur and chef is the only female chef in the United States to earn two Michelin stars. She is internationally renowned for her "poetic culinaria," which means that she likes to tell a poetic story through food. Overfishing … [Read more...]
Syrco Bakker launches unique liqueur Hierbas de las Dunas in Belgium and the Netherlands
Hierbas de las Dunas, a new unique flavourful liqueur made from fresh organic dune herbs was officially launched this week in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is the creation of top chef Syrco Bakker (restaurant Pure C, Cadzand). The liqueur is made from 18 different types of herbs, flowers and plants from Cadzand's dunes. Usually liqueurs are made using only fresh ingredients. This technique gives Hierbas de las Dunas a pure, salty-sweet flavour that makes it a perfect apéritif, after-dinner drink or cocktail ingredient. The liqueur was launched in Amsterdam and Antwerp on 2 May. It is the perfect way to start the sunny season and it is already available in dozens of stores and shops and soon on their own online store. The price of the 50cl bottle is € 27.50. Bakker, is the chef of Pure-C in Cadzand which forms part of Sergio Herman's group of restaurants and is also founder of Inspired Events which promotes the food region of Zeeland. The Dutch chef told Food and Wine … [Read more...]
10 top chefs to cook at Mauro Colagreco’s Mirazur to celebrate 10 year anniversary
Mauro Colagreco, chef of world renowned French restaurant Mirazur has announced a series of 10 dinners featuring some of the best chefs in the world to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his restaurant in Menton. The lineup of chefs, all friends of the Argentinian-born chef, is impressive and fitting for the 10 year anniversary of the restaurant that is considered to be one of the best in the world. The first such dinner takes place on 27 May when David Kinch, the American chef of Manresa who was recently awarded a third Michelin star. Kinch has a unique contemporary style which mixes Japanese and Catalan influences with a very high level of creativity. On 30 May René Redzepi, chef of Noma, will be taking over the kitchen of Mirazur to cook with Mauro Colagreco. The third friend of Mauro to cook at Mirazur will be Brazilian chef Alex Atala of restaurant D.O.M. He will cook in Menton on 28 June. July 7 will be the turn of Japanese chef Narisawa Yoshihiro of Tokyo based … [Read more...]
First craft beer masterclass organised in Malta by Lord Chambray
Lord Chambray organised the first ever Craft Beer masterclass in Malta in collaboration with Lorenzo Dabove, one of the world's renowned craft beer experts who is considered as one of the most important expert on Belgian beers and who is known worldwide for promoting lambic beers and craft beers. We attended this masterclass in Malta a few weeks ago. Dabove said that the craft beer revolution, that had swept through the United States to Italy and many other countries has now reached Malta. "Lord Chambray is the southernmost craft brewery in Europe. We can now say that there are craft breweries from the Lapland to Malta". There are now over 1,000 micro breweries in Italy, 3,000 in the United Kingdom and 5,000 in the United States. The tasting started with a wheat beer or White Beer, the Blue Lagoon. Wheat beer originated from the Belgian village of Hoegaarden and has been made since the Middle Ages. In the 19th century, the village had 13 breweries and 9 distilleries. In 1957, … [Read more...]
Culinaria to change format. Named Autumn it will be held in October
Culinaria, the culinary event that is normally held in Brussels in May is changing format. The event will not be held in spring. Called Autumn, instead of Culinaria, it will be held between 18 October and 30 October. Cedric Allard of Culinaria Agency, the organisers of the event, has announced that this year the event will not be held in spring but rather in "Autumn" and the event will be completely new though they hope that it will still whet the appetite of foodies as previous events. Culinaria was an event that brought together some of Belgium's best chefs and used to take place at Tour et Taxis in Brussels for five days in May. It provided foodies with a unique opportunity to savour dishes prepared by many of Belgium's best chefs in one menu. Culinaria also featured workshops by international chefs. The organisers said that the event will still bring together chefs, bartenders, artisans, producers and creators. The event that takes place over 10 days will allow people … [Read more...]