It is a crisp autumn morning. The fourth session of the Saint Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is taking place in a new spot created by chef and entrepreneur David Martin. It is in an idyllic spot, perfect to transmit knowledge. For this session, six chefs have been invited to work with mentor chefs Stephanie Le Quellec of La Scene in Paris, France and Michael Vrijmoed of restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent, Belgium. The focus is on the green revolution. Michael Vrijmoed has been serving a vegetable based menu since he opened his acclaimed restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent. And it is well known because he leaves no stone unturned in making sure that what he serves is just as delicious. “What’s important for me is that a dish tastes excellent. My main focus has always been that of getting the best taste out of ingredients. Making a dish look nice only comes second in importance,” he said. Stephanie Le Quellec explained that while it is still hard in Paris to offer a fine-dining vegetarian menu … [Read more...]
Digging up dirt on truffles
Author Tom Benjamin talks about what inspired his critically-acclaimed Bologna-set novel The Hunting Season. Today, authenticity is everything – we may not be able to travel to Italy but at least we can savour the flavours of the country, painstakingly following recipes proclaiming they’ve been handed down from one nonna to another using ingredients from Tuscan farms and Pugliese olive groves. Italians have an appreciation for food unlike any other culture I’ve experienced – they make small talk about it the way the British discuss weather, and have as many regional varieties as Inuits have words for snow. Italians take authenticity seriously. But ‘counterfeit’ food is a serious global problem, so much so that the FDA has stated the "sheer magnitude of the potential crime" makes prevention difficult. In short, where there’s money to be made, crime will inevitably follow, sniffing out a potential scam as efficiently as a Romagnan truffle dog. Speaking of dogs, … [Read more...]
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is back: a look back at the events in Antwerp
ANTWERP: When the number two restaurant was announced in the Flanders Meeting and Convention Centre in Antwerp last week René Redzepi, chef and face of restaurant Noma knew that this would be a special moment, one that had to be savoured because it would be the last time he would step on the podium of the World’s 50 Best as number one restaurant in the world. Rasmus Kofoed, chef of restaurant Geranium, also in Copenhagen had just been called as the second restaurant in the world meaning the top spot would end up going to the 79-strong team at Noma. Redzepi admitted to being anxious because of COVID-19 when he entered the auditorium and saw all those present. He came prepared with a speech. “I promise I didn’t have a clue we would come first. But finishing second last time, there was always going to be the possibility that we would be number one,” he said. The title has a special meaning because Noma will become the only restaurant in the world to equal el Bulli’s feat of … [Read more...]
New book to celebrate 10 years of Septime
There is a reason why Septime in Paris has become a global destination for food lovers ranking 24th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list unveiled in Antwerp last week. At the age of 30 Bertrand Grébaut and his high-school friend Théophile Pourriat decided to open Septime in the 11th arrondissement of Paris in 2011. Their ambition: to build a space they had not experienced anywhere else in Paris, liberated and unpretentious, “a place with first-class cuisine, a beautiful setting, friendly service and a list of natural wines that we love.” Ten years later (and boasting a Michelin star), Septime and the rest of the venues have become a destination in their own right. Septime was soon followed by the opening of three other venues, each with its own identity: La Cave, an intimate wine bar specializing in natural wines; Clamato, where families and groups of friends feast on fish and seafood; and finally, the charming guesthouse D’une île, a magnificent farm set deep in the Perche … [Read more...]
Bringing a bit of Champagne to Slovenia
One of the highlights of travelling is anticipation. Today, we’re travelling within the country of Slovenia, an hour’s drive east of Ljubljana, to the steep hills of the upper Dolenjska region. Slovenia boasts many culinary hotspots that are scattered all around the country, making it an ideal destination for food travellers. You can travel over the next hill or plain, and find yourself in a new gastronomic region marked by its own specialities. We’re heading to Domaine Slapšak—the house of Slovenian sparkling wine made using the Champagne method—where Gostilna Repovž, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, is hosting a culinary pop-up. I’ve known about this pop-up dinner for a while now, so I’ve had plenty of time to look forward to it. Enough time for anticipation to build! The Pop-Up It’s a Thursday evening. We arrive at the Slapšak estate in a tiny village called Telče, just a 20-minute drive away from Sevnica. Does Sevnica ring a bell? Yes, that’s right, it … [Read more...]
Ikoyi is restaurant to watch 2021
The World's 50 Best Restaurants announced that the winner of the American Express One to Watch Award 2021 is London's Ikoyi, co-founded by childhood friends Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale. The award recognises a restaurant that is considered to be a rising star on the global dining scene and aims to recognise and celebrate gastronomic excellence and innovation. The restaurant was developed after an initial conversation Chan and Hassan-Odukale had that ignited a spark around the possibilities of African-inspired food. A period of intensive research ensued and what ultimately emerged was a series of dishes with unique international flavour profiles and a desire to forge a new culinary narrative. Chef Jeremy Chan says: “We are extremely humbled by the recognition on the global stage and proud of our small, hard-working team. We are also grateful to our producers, without whom this success would not be possible.” Since opening in 2017, Ikoyi has distinguished itself for its … [Read more...]
‘Belgium for Foodies’ gourmet guide launched by Luster
Next month, Belgium will be in the spotlight as it hosts The World 50 Best Restaurants awards in the city of Antwerp. There has never been a better time to launch a guide for foodies. In Belgium for Foodies, culinary journalist and food writer Femke Vandevelde has gathered some of the best places to eat and drink in Belgium. This guide is different from many others. It encourages you to discover places that you might even think about from fantastic food shops to top restaurants and cafes as well as extraordinary locations to dine in. It features not just fine dining restaurants but also where to eat local specialities. Tony De Luc accompanies the book with his photo for the original lists. The book will be available in bookshops as from 4 October. Belgium for Foodies invites the reader to discover Belgium's extraordinary culinary scene by taking you on a trip through the country from the North Sea to the countryside and vibrant cities with rich cultural and culinary … [Read more...]
Michelin Stars II – Nordic By Nature to feature at the San Sebastian film festival
Michelin Stars II - Nordic by Nature will feature at the Culinary Zinema: Film and Gastronomy section at the 69th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Nordic By Nature is a culinary documentary filmed over an 18 month period that follows the endearing and brutal destiny and everyday life of the Faroe Islands and its culinary pearl KOKS, helmed by chef Poul Andrias Ziska. While the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to focus on core values and what was important, for Ziska and the restaurant this was nothing new. The two Michelin starred restaurant is situated in a low ceiling farmhouse with grass on the roof. It is surrounded by luscious green fields surrounded by rolling hills inside the isolated Faroe-archipelagos in the middle of the Nordic seas. It is almost mythological restaurant in hobbit settings that has received international acclaim for embracing the mindset the world now finds itself with. Everything sourced, cooked and enjoyed … [Read more...]
All good things take time: GELINAZ Silent Voices returns with a bang
The sun was setting at Tenuta di Valgiano on the rolling hills above Lucca. GELINAZ! Stay in Tour Silent Voices was about to come to life. Months of hard work, stress all came together to create what turned out to be a magical evening. All good things take time. The first Silent Voices Chapter 1 took place in November 2020 with restaurants mainly in Asia since restaurants there were not facing any lockdown restructions. In other places, however, the event had to be postponed not once but twice because of the pandemic. Originally pencilled for the end of January, it was later pencilled in for spring before it finally took place in a number of locations around the globe on Sunday 29 August. We were at Tenuta di Valgiano where the event organised by the 3 chefs of Ristorante Giglio, Stefano Terigi, Lorenzo Stefanini and Benedetto Rullo, was taking place. In total, 13 chefs and their teams had been busy for over a day preparing a dinner for 140 people. They were given matrixes (or … [Read more...]
Michelin UK changes way it reveals new restaurants in the guide
The Michelin Guide in the UK has announced a new approach to revealing its restaurant recommendations making it more modern and more agile. Away from the constraints of a physical publication, the Michelin guide will be releasing some of its newest additions to the guide ahead of the annual launch event. This will be done on a monthly basis, on the last Wednesday of every month. The first restaurants to make it to the new guide were released on Wednesday 25 August. They feature both on the website and the app. Restaurant entries are being highlighted with a ‘New’ symbol for easy identification and the restaurants will also be presented in more depth in monthly articles. The Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland was published in digital format only for the first time in 2021 in order to be more agile in reflecting the ever-evolving restaurant scene. Other countries such as Belgium will follow in a digital only format next year. It is not yet known whether other countries … [Read more...]