Gone are the days when chefs barely peeked their heads out from behind the kitchen pass. The evolution of chefs from behind-the-scenes artists to international culinary celebrities is transforming the way we experience food. Whether they are serving food personally to your table or donning microphones to share their ethos with the masses, we are eating it up. Their world has become ours, and we are hungry for it, and now it has become an intrinsic part of their profession. With the notoriety comes the travel—a requirement to present their food on the international stage. Recently, over 100 chefs from over 40 countries descended on Udine, in Northern Italy, for a phenomenal amalgamation—the XXIV edition of Ein Prosit. Amidst the gaiety of clinking glasses and rekindling acquaintances, I spoke with some of these recognized chefs to find out about their experiences and what it means for them to travel and cook in other parts of the world. When asked to cook at Quintonil restaurant … [Read more...]

Ah, November—a month that brought me to the enchanting Alba White Truffle Festival 2023. The crisp air, the vibrant colours of fall, and the promise of culinary delights awaited me in the picturesque town of Alba. It was to be an experience filled with the symphony of flavours, insights, and the revelation of the delicate world of truffles. The Alba White Truffle World Market is the perfect place to appreciate and buy the best truffles from the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato woods. Cooking Show Extravaganza My journey began with a front-row seat at a cooking show featuring the talented Chef Michelangelo Mammoliti of La Rey Natura, Il Boscareto Resort & Spa. We were first presented with delicious Prosciutto Crudo di Cuneo, which was granted Protected Denomination of Origin status in 2009. About to enjoy green pasta with matcha tea ravioli prepared by Chef Michelangelo Mammoliti and his team Chef Michelangelo Mammoliti (pictured left) was awarded Best Chef of the … [Read more...]

BRUSSELS: Gault&Millau announced today Maxime Collard of restaurant La Table de Maxime in Paliseul as the chef of the year for 2024. In front of an audience of around 1,800 restauranteurs, journalists and partners, Gault&Millau launched the 21st edition of the BeLux guide which sold 30,000 copies in pre-sale. CEO Marc Declerck said that Maxime brings out the best the region has to offer and while his cuisine is classic it is also creative. “In all his dishes we find excellent techniques, respect for the seasons, aesthetics and respect for original flavours. We have been following this chef for 15 years and for his consistency and exemplary couse we are happy to nominate Maxime Collard as chef of the year 2024,” he said. The young chefs of the year are Marius Bosmans (Restaurant Arden - Rochefort) for Wallonia, Niels Brants (Restaurant EssenCiel - Leuven) for Flanders and Georges Athanassopoulos (Restaurant Màloma Comptoir Culinaire – Brussels) for the Brussels … [Read more...]

Dabiz Munoz has been named The Best Chef for 2023 for the third consecutive year. The announcement was made at the Yucatan International Congress during an award ceremony where the identities of the top 100 names were revealed. The reign of Dabiz Muñoz (DiverXO, Spain) continued. The free-spirited chef who is used to breaking the rules and exploring the limits of creativity in every project he undertakes placed in front of this edition's number two who also hails from Spain. He is none other than Albert Adrià (Enigma, Spain), who also wins one of the special prizes, The Best Chef New Entry Award as he enters directly into that position in his successful return to the list. Ana Roš, body and soul of Hiša Franko (Slovenia), completes the podium by rising from ninth to third place. Eight of the top 10 names come from Europe, five from Spain, one from Slovenia and two from Denmark with the remaining two names hailing from the US and Chile respectively. The top 10 are the … [Read more...]

COPENHAGEN: After establishing acclaimed restaurant Alchemist and putting it at the forefront of gastronomical innovation, Rasmus Munch has unveiled Spora. The investment in this research lab together with bioscience pioneers Claus Christiansen and Bente Christiansen will focus on changing the world through gastronomy. With a seed investment of EUR 1.5 million, Spora is the natural evolution of Alchemist. "By allowing the search for deliciousness to lead technology, instead of the other way around, we can play a pivotal role in developing nutritious, and sustainable products that people want to eat again and again – and that will drive global change. I firmly believe that we can harness the vibrancy and inventiveness of the restaurant and bring it out to the public," said Rasmus Munk. The chef is known for creating dishes that are otherwise considered inedible or waste from farmed butterflies, jellyfish, lamb’s brains, and pig’s windpipes. The restaurant is currently ranked … [Read more...]

Dennis Huwaë from Amsterdam restaurant Daalder will be changing location from October 13 to 5 November as he moves from the 'Venice of the North' to the Japanese Tower of the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen for a pop-up. Huwaë will take his cuisine which won him accolades to Copenhagen where he will be showcasing two tasting menus. Daalder is an unusual establishment that embodies the essence of modern Dutch cuisine with a twist. Chef Dennis Huwaë has created his own personal style, one that reflects his city, his Moluccan roots and his limitless and colourful imagination, reasons why he won as the Most Promising Chef by Gault & Millau in 2018, a Michelin star and ranked #64 of The Best Chef Awards Top 100 in 2021. “I never want to set boundaries for myself when it comes to cooking and I find it hard to limit what we do in Daalder to a specific type of cuisine or product. I think that my curiosity wouldn’t allow me to do that, doing only French … [Read more...]

Noma Projects will launch a dashi syrup reduction next week. This is yet another product to come out of the Noma Projects kitchen. The dashi syrup will be released for sale on May 11. The savoury syrup packs layers of flavour from the sea and is used to drizzle on roast vegetables, steamed fish, eggs or steamed rice. As part of the launch, Noma Projects is also selling a tool that works with the Dashi RDX. It is a brush that is one of the favourite utensils of Noma in the kitchen to finish seasoning any dish. "We have a huge appreciation for the attention and craftsmanship of kitchen utensils in Japan. So, for this launch we have sourced a small number of handcrafted Japanese brushes made from bamboo and horsehair to use with your Dashi RDX at home." Reductions are an essential part of the noma story. They are referred in the noma kithcen as RDX and start with miso. During the formative years of noma, when the fermentation lab was on a houseboat, the team had experimented with … [Read more...]