ISTANBUL: Chef Fatih Tutak, of Istanbul’s acclaimed restaurant Turk Fatih Tutak, the first Turkish restaurant to be awarded two Michelin stars will take the helm as chef director at Gallada Restaurant and Topside Bar from early June 2023. This will be a collaboration with The Peninsula Istanbul which opened in Istanbul on 14 February 2023. The Turkish born chef has created menus that celebrate a contemporary Turk-Asian cuisine, inspired by Fatih's professional journey from Turkey through China to SouthEast Asia, and back. His dishes are refined, and intuitively perceptive with a focus on the myriad culinary skills and techniques shared along the way. Located on the hotel’s stunning rooftop, boasting some of the most coveted views over the Bosphorus, Gallada will consist of a main dining room, outdoor terrace, and private dining rooms. On the floor above, the Topside Bar will reflect the kitchen's philosophy. Offering premium spirits, drinks and cocktails, these will be inspired … [Read more...]

One of the most important figures in Mexican gastronomy and chef owner of Rosetta in Mexico City, Elena Reygadas has been awarded the World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s 2023 Female chef of the year. She was Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2014 and since then Reygadas has become one of the most important figures within Mexican gastronomy. A passionate advocate for Mexican biodiversity and sustainable production, she has recently launched a female-focused scholarship programme in Mexico with the aim to promote greater gender parity in kitchens. With the goal of championing equal opportunities and strengthening the leadership of Mexican women in the gastronomic world, the ‘Beca Elena Reygadas’ scholarship is open to Mexican students who have been accepted into a culinary school. Reygadas said: “I’m very grateful and honoured to have been awarded by people I admire so much. Cooking is a communal practice. And so, for me, this award belongs to my entire team, as well as to all the women … [Read more...]

SLUIS/UBUD: Syrco Bakker, chef of two Michelin star restaurant Pure C will open a new restaurant in Ubud, Bali this autumn. While on the Indonesian island, he will simultaneously continue work on the renovation of a listed building in Sluis. Once completed, in around 18 months to 2 years, he plans to open a small-scale gourmet restaurant and atelier with his own bakery and farm shop where people can also enjoy breakfast and lunch. On 29 April, Syrco Bakker will cook for the last time at Pure C in Cadzand. Having announced his departure from the two-star restaurant in December, he decided to continue the journey as an entrepreneur and chef. In June, Syrco will move to Bali together with his family. Choosing Indonensia was not a coicidwnxw. Syrco's grandfather is from Java and his grandmother is from Sumatra. As a child, little Syrco grew up with the flavours of Indonesian cuisine. The new restaurant in Ubud will be called Syrco BASE and is currently under construction. Base is … [Read more...]

NORWAY: Restaurant Iris, with Danish Chef Anika Madsen at the helm will open its doors later this spring inside the glittering floating orb Salmon Eye in the Hardanger fjord. It will take guests on an exclusive expedition dining-journey which is impossible to replicate anywhere else. The experience center Salmon Eye, themed on sustainable marine life, was inaugurated in 2022. The stunning double-curved ellipsoid design is inspired by the shape of a fisheye, and the silvery orb-structure seems to be floating in the Hardanger fiord, exposed to the wild elements of nature, surrounded by the spectacular Norwegian nature with fjords, mountains and glaciers.  In late spring, the full potential of the beautiful structure will be unveiled, when the fine dining restaurant Iris with Head Chef Anika Madsen at the helm opens its doors.  Anika Madsen is well known for her passion for discovering new ingredients from the ocean, and her commitment to sustainability. Until recently she held … [Read more...]

COPENHAGEN: A bright, theatre-like sign marks the way to enter Suculent, located in the exotic, bohemian Raval-area of the Catalan capital. An area that’s fast, colourful, passionate, artistic and full of flavour. There, Antonio 'Toni' Romero has combined all those ingredients and reduced them to create dishes that after a decade of success, still keep wowing local and international guests. Now, the soul of Barcelona will move into The Japanese Tower of magical Tivoli Gardens in the heart of Copenhagen as Antonio Romero brings his beloved restaurant, Suculent, for a 5-week pop-up from April 24 to May 27. During these weeks, he will showcase the deep flavours that have made his restaurant a favourite amongst international foodies and star chefs in Spain. “It’s an honour for me and my team to take Suculent to Copenhagen and to Tivoli Gardens. Yes, Barcelona is one of the food capitals of the world, but Copenhagen is an equal great, so for us … [Read more...]

COPENHAGEN: After two successful pop-ups, Kristian Baumann, is opening restaurant “Koan” on Tuesday, April 4, at Copenhagen's waterfront. His menu will feature a Korean-inspired tasting menu, part of a kitchen philosophy that reflects a culinary point of view where traditional Korean cooking techniques and flavours meet with Nordic ingredients.  "For the past seven years, my curiosity about my birth place South Korea has grown stronger and I have tried to go on a discovery in the country to learn more about its culture, history, people and traditions," says Baumann. "It has manifested itself in the fact that my vocation as a chef has grown to a higher level in the form of a sincere calmness. I again have an apprentice's view of all the impressions I have gained through dinners, ingredients as well as traditional and complex layers that are in the different Korean cuisines. Our kitchen at Koan is a reflection of traditional Korean cooking techniques and flavours, combined with … [Read more...]

HONG KONG: On Thursday 23 March at Écriture, Maxime Gilbert will host a special chef collaboration dinner, pre-cocktail event and an auction to raise funds for the Antoine Alléno Association. Seven chefs, including Yannick Alleno, the father of Antoine who died tragically at age 24, will cook together in a unique dinner josted by Maxime Gilbert. He is uniting chefs who first worked together in the kitchen of Le Meurice 18 years ago. During this time, the restaurant achieved three Michelin stars under the direction of Yannick Alleno. For this night only, Yannick Alleno, Maxime Gilbert, Yoric Tieche, Cyril Bonnard, Julien Tongourian, Marie Wucher and Nicholas Beaumann (who together have a total of 24 Michelin stars) will cook together for a good cause. Chef Yannick Alléno launched the Antoine Alléno charity in 2022 as tribute to his son, Antoine, whose tragic passing at 24 years old sparked his desire to help prevent acts of violence against young people, and to provide support … [Read more...]

BARCELONA: Some of the world’s best grillers will convene in Barcelona between 2, 3 and 4 June for the first Meat & Fire festival to be held in Barcelona. Held at the Moll de la Fusta in the Port Vell, it will occupy an area of 6,000 square metres where for three days a 45 of the best grillers in the world will be on 30 grills and attendees will be able to taste dishes made with different cuts of meat. At Meat & Fire there will be different spaces within the festival itself: shared spaces set up for attendees, outdoor bars, stages for musical events and a marketplace where you will find different artisans with products related to meat and grill. "Fire is an ancestral element and a vehicle for enhancing flavour. It is a technique, a tradition, an ally. It is primary, it is ember, it is smoke, and it is primordial. Meat, in its many forms and interpretations, is flavour, texture, gastronomy, identity and quality. And thanks to our passion for fire and meat, this festival is … [Read more...]