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...]
(37) Brussels restaurant takes to surrealism as reopening measures are announced
BRUSSELS: Le Pigeon Noir, a Brussels institution and one of the favourite bistros in the commune of Uccle has taken to surrealism as reopening measures for restaurants were announced. The bistro, taken over by Henri de Mol in 2006, earned a Michelin star for its cuisine in November 2014 but remained pure to its core despite Michelin’s recognition. Customers of this excellent bistro were afraid that the Michelin star would change the focus of this bistro which is housed in a former café. What may end up changing everything for this restaurant, however, is the COVID-19 crisis and the new social distancing measures. On its Facebook page, Le Pigeon Noir took to irony to comment on the social distancing measures. In a post that looked like a recruitment advert, the restaurant said it was employing: A professional basketball player to fill the bread basketsTwo experienced frisbee players to send the plates (one from the kitchen and one in the restaurant)1 diver (complete … [Read more...]
(36) Noma sells out of burgers and wine on reopening
COPENHAGEN: René Redzepi's bet to reopen as a burger and wine bar was rewarded on the first day of reopening. At 7pm, Noma announced at around 7pm that they had sold out their burgers and wines on the first day of reopening. Criticised by some for reopening in the most humble of manners, long 'social-distanced' queues formed to get a taste of the Noma Viking Burger and the vegetarian burger and enjoy a sip of wine from the wine bar in the gardens of the restaurant. Local formed queues to be served at one of the world's best restaurants. When announcing the decision, Redzepi had said that ‘these are crazy and uncertain times. Before we reopen Noma as we know it, we will transform it into a no reservation, drop in only, wine and burger bar.” “We feel that we want to be open for all. We need to heal. So let’s have a glass and a burger. You are all invited,” the chef said. Redzepi said that eventually the wine bar will start serving oysters, crudités and other small bites … [Read more...]
(35) Rijks, Zoku join forces to convert 25 lofts into private restaurants in Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM: Joris Bijdendijk continues to come up with creative ideas to fight the COVID-19 crisis. This time, in collaboration with Zoku, they will transform 25 of their lofts into private restaurants where couples can enjoy a dinner prepared by he and his team from RIJKS. On May 29, for less than 200 euros per person all inclusive, 25 couples will be able to enjoy a four course dinner with a selection of wines handpicked by Max Van Bockel, the sommelier at Rijks. During dinner, chef Bijdendijk will zoom in for a personal touch. Guests will end the evening on the private rooftop terrace and the package includes an overnight stay. The Dutch chef has worked since the start of the pandemic to find ways to continue his operation. Earlier this week, he decided not to reopen the restaurant till 1 July despite the possibility to do so on 1 June. “This crisis has given us a lot of creativity and energy. It is fantastic to see what has emerged in these times and that our guests still want … [Read more...]
(34) Peter Goossens: “We need to know when we can reopen”
BELGIUM: Peter Goossens, the chef of the only remaining three Michelin Star restaurant in Belgium, Hof Van Cleve, is angry. "Last week, the security council announced that markets, hair salons and museums could reopen. But there was no word on when restaurants could reopen. Not even a slight indication," Mr Goossens told Belgian newspaper De Standaard. Until today, there has been no news as to when restaurants in Belgium could reopen and how the reopening would take place. The indications for the time being are that this will not happen before 8 June at the earliest. "We were asked to close from one day to the next. Now that things are clearer, I can understand the reason for the lockdown. The virus had been circulating and we had to do something about it. But now is the time to move forward, we need to restart again. But I see that the restaurant sector is left to the side. Politicians and virologists need to take a decision. They are not providing us with any … [Read more...]
(33) Noma to reopen as a burger and wine bar. “We need to heal”
COPENHAGEN: Noma, one of the most influential restaurant in the world led by René Redzepi will reopen its doors as an outdoor wine bar serving burgers. Redzepi said ‘these are crazy and uncertain times. Copenhagen is about to open it’s restaurants. And so will Noma. However, before we reopen Noma as we know it we will transform it into a no reservation, drop in only, wine and burger bar.” “We feel in the first phase of the reopening that we want to be open for all. We need to heal. So let’s have a glass and a burger. You are all invited,” the chef said. The restaurant will be open as from Thursday 21 May at 1pm. The reopening will happen in two steps. The outdoor wine bar will be open in the gardens at Noma which overlook the lake in Christiania. The restaurant will not take any reservations and will be open for everyone. You can stop by for a glass of wine or you can stay for more and if you are hungry there will be two burgers on the menu, a noma cheeseburger and a … [Read more...]
(32) Rijks restaurant to reopen on 1 July: will continue to serve takeaways till then
AMSTERDAM: Despite a government decision to allow restaurants to reopen on 1 June, Joris Bijdendijk, chef of Rijks restaurant has decided to continue to offer takeaway meals until 1 July. Joris said that when the Dutch government announced reopening measures as from 1 June they allowed only a maximum of 30 people including the staff to be in a restaurant. "We've tried every possible option. We concluded that it was impossible for us,” Joris told Food and Wine Gazette. The Dutch chef said their main focus was to survive the crisis with a creative and positive approach. The aim is to retain the whole team. “The best option for the time being is to keep on cooking the best possible Rijks 'at home meals' that you can possibly dream of until July 1. More than ever, we need your support to overcome these last takeout weeks,” he said. Since the lockdown that forced the closure of the restaurant, Joris has been serving not just takeout meals in the Dutch capital but also breakfasts … [Read more...]
(31) Two restaurants team up for four-hands take-away menu in Gent
GENT: Two chefs and two restaurants in the Flemish city of Gent, Belgium, have teamed up to offer a four hands takeaway menu this weekend. Sebastian Sandor of Heritage Restaurant and Ignace Wattenberge of Lys d’Or are getting together (not literally) to serve guests in Gent as more and more restaurants try to find innovative ways to reach customers during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Their restaurants are currently closed because of the lockdown in Belgium with no date yet set for the restaurant reopening. The two chefs will prepare a four course menu which includes shrimp with white asparagus and elderflower, monkfish with chicory and a green sauce, a shoulder of lamb with aubergine, morels and shallots and a dessert of strawberries, basil, white chocolate and yoghurt. The four-course menu costs EUR 45. Both chefs have experience in top restaurants in Belgium and focus on fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. … [Read more...]
(30) Ana Ros calls for transparency, information
KOBARID: Ana Ros, chef of Hisa Franko in Kobarid was one of the first to take the risk of opening the booking system for her restaurant in Slovenia as from 1 June despite not knowing whether this would be possible or not. And customers responded. She has an almost fully booked restaurant despite the fact that they don’t know whether the restaurant can reopen or not or whether customer can fly in to Slovenia or not. But like many others around the world, she is now calling for some clarity as to the future. “We are not being given any information, we do not know anything regarding opening dates or plans. There is no transparency with regard to decisions,” she said on Instagram. After saying that “it was time to start singing ‘Bella ciao’ and fight for our rights and our businesses,” she had to take to Instagram again to clarify that it was sad that people misunderstood her post. “My post was not political. The post from yesterday is a wake-up call to all people who work in … [Read more...]
What Next: What if the future of a restaurant is more than just a restaurant?
BRUSSELS: A few days ago, I received an email from a reader of the newsletter which we send out every Sunday morning. A long email with personal reflections on how the restaurant and wine world has changed in just a few weeks. Go back to February and few if any could possibly imagine what we have been through over the past weeks. There were many questions without any answers. They were all pertinent questions as to what the future of the food and wine world would look like. As a former news journalist, my reaction every time there is a crisis is to read as much as I can. You could call me a news addict or junkie. And over the first few days I had what could be described as writers block though in reality it was not writers block but rather a feeling of pointlessness. But as time went by, I tried to delve into depicting best practices from around the world. It is a small way of raising awareness, of giving ideas to restauranteurs and people in the restaurant business and also … [Read more...]