Rotterdam had not been on our radar screen despite the fact that we had heard great things about the city. But when we read and wrote about the new Rotterdam food market opened in October last year we knew that a visit was a must. This Dutch city is often overlooked as visitors head to Amsterdam, the Hague and Delft instead. That may be set to change in future with the food … [Read more...]
Food memories and nostalgia – what has happened to that juicy Maltese tomato?
Nostalgia has a way of playing tricks with us. Many times we crave for the things we really enjoyed in our past only to be disappointed when we experience the real thing. It could be a city we visited and loved, a restaurant that is revisited or even a product we used to crave many years ago but which if you are objective is really disappointing. Food memories play a very … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #46
We are slowly approaching September and with it come many new things. One of the most-awaited restaurant reopenings is Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck which is set to open again next month. If there is one thing that you should read this week, then it should be this brilliant interview by Jay Rayner in The Guardian. The experience is set to be different. It will be all about story … [Read more...]
Drinking wine at the right temperature – not always as easy as it sounds
Drinking wine at the right temperature is a necessity but many get it wrong even in the restaurant trade let alone at home. There is a myth that red wine should be served at room temperature, only that the room temperature is way too warm for your favourite glass of red wine. And even white wines are often over chilled when coming out of the refrigerator. Steve Parker, the … [Read more...]
Atsushi Tanaka: A Japanese chef conquering Paris
It is not easy to describe the cuisine of Japanese chef Atsushi Tanaka even if he has been described as the Picasso of the kitchen by his master Pierre Gagnaire. Even when asked he hesitates before he answers that his cuisine is French at its basic but with influence from his home country Japan and his travels to Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. "I wouldn't … [Read more...]
