BRUSSELS: The Brussels food scene is in for some big changes next year. A Brussels restaurant that had become a Brussels institution over the years will close its doors on 31 December 2019. The two Michelin star restaurant of chef Yves Mattagne, Sea Grill, which was housed at the Radisson Blu Hotel in central Brussels and which forms part of the Villa Lorraine Group will close doors at the Radisson in view of a refurbishment that is currently underway at at the hotel. Since the past years, owner Serge Litvine has invested heavily in the Brussels restaurant scene after taking over Villa Lorraine. The Group includes Villa Lorraine, La Villa In the Sky, La Villa Emily and Le Petit Monde among others announced that the restaurant Sea Grill, which also forms part of the group will reopen as a new concept in May 2020 in the location of the existing Villa Lorraine (one star). The restaurant, which has held 2 stars for a very long time and which opened in 1986 will reopen as a … [Read more...]
Joachim Boudens and Gert de Mangeleer open Bar Bulot by Hertog Jan ***
BRUGES: Bar Bulot by Hertog Jan *** is the brand new a la carte brasserie by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens. Originally created as a pop-up seafood restaurant in summer this year, Bar Bulot has become a fully-fledged restaurant that will tempt both fish and meat lovers. Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens launched their new project Bar Bulot this summer at the very first location of Hertog Jan which earned them three Michelin stars and the former home base of their bistro L.E.S.S. which opened in central Bruges earlier this year. The temporary restaurant is now reopening its doors after a complete refurbishment of the interior and a new menu. At the helm of Bar Bulot by Hertog Jan *** are host Maxime Depreitere and chef Pieter Lefevere who give French-Belgian signature dishes such as tomato with shrimps (tomate crevettes) and shrimp and tournedos with pepper sauce a contemporary twist. There is a selection of French and European wines as well as some exclusive … [Read more...]
Karen Torosyan pays tribute to Alain Troubat at launch of his first book
BRUSSELS: An emotional Karen Torosyan, chef of Bozar Restaurant in Brussels took the floor for a few minutes at the launch of his first book published by Flammarion and written by Chihiro Masui with photography by Richard Haugthon. "He left us too early," the Brussels based chef said referring to Alain Troubat of Brussels restaurant Stirwein who was a reference point for classic cuisine. "There was so much I still wanted to learn from him. I want to remember him on this occasion," the talented chef of the Brussels restaurant said. Troubat passed away suddenly last week. In the published book, there is a recipe for 'quenelles de sandre' which pays tribute to the Brussels chef Troubat. Journalists, chefs and friends convened at the Brussels restaurant for the book Karen Torosyan: Secret et techniques d'un cuisinier orfèvre (Secrets and techniques of an artisan chef). Among the chefs present for the launch of the book which is set to become a reference point for his modern … [Read more...]
Hiša Franko moving to Madrid for pop-up in November
Hiša Franko, the restaurant of chef Ana Ros and Valter Kramer is moving to Madrid for three weeks. The Slovenian restaurant made famous for Ana's cooking and Valter's wine selections will be opening from 19 November to 7 December at the NH Eurobuilding Hotel in Madrid. It is common for members of the team to accompany Ana when she cooks abroad but for this pop up which is organised on an annual basis by Mateo&Co for the In Residence Project, she will move together with her team. Last year, Mauro Colagreco was the resident chef during the same period. The first edition of the residence project was held in 2016. US chef Grant Achatz of Alinea restaurant in Chicago moved the restaurant to Madrid for four weeks. In 2017, it was the turn of four Colombian chefs that are included in the Latin America 50 Best Restaurants list. The chefs were Juan Manuel Barrientos, Harry Sasson, Leonor Espinosa and Jorge and Marh Rausch. The following year, Nacho Manzano, of restaurant … [Read more...]
A Belgian journey: new menu launched at Bon Bon
Christophe Hardiquest, chef of Brussels restaurant Bon Bon will unveil his new menu A Belgian Journey on Tuesday 22 October. After having revisited the origins on Belgian cuisine with ‘Bon Bon Origins’ the Belgian chef of two Michelin star restaurant Bon Bon has gone to discover the three regions of the country to look for producers with whom he could build a long term relationship. This has given birth to the new menu which promises to be not just authentic but also extremely modern. “A few years ago, I undertook a journey to rediscover the territory and the history. This search for origins was like going back to the roots. That journey became a Belgian Odyssey. I thought it was important to go back to the basics, to look for our roots, our history, our terroir and to continue to work on them to preserve this legacy for future generations,” Christophe said. Now he wants to take a new step forward. “During this journey, I wanted to take the next step, to create … [Read more...]
Passerini in Paris named best Italian restaurant outside Italy by 50 Top Italy
Passerini, an Italian restaurant owned by Roman chef Giovanni Passerini, is the top Italian restaurant outside of Italy according to 50 Top Italy, a list created from a project of LSDM (a gourmet cooking congress that has been held in Paestum since 2008) which is curated by the creators Barbara Guerra and Albert Sapere in collaboration with the journalist Luciano Pignataro. The second spot went to Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto with the third spot going to Heinz Beck in Tokyo. These restaurants are managed by two of the most important names in the Italian restaurant sector, the Iaccarino family who revolutionised the concept of Mediterranean cooking from Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi and Heinz Beck, a German who set his roots in Rome and created La Pergola, a temple of gastronomy. The fourth and fifth positions go to Acquarello in Munich, and 8 ½ Bombana, in Hong Kong, restaurants led by two Italian chefs living abroad for some time now, Mario Gamba and Umberto Bombana. The top 50 is … [Read more...]
2019: a great vintage for Champagne
Despite the impact of global warming on the Champagne region with the average temperature increasing by 1.1 °C in 30 years the quality of the wines is very good for the year. Wine makers faced spring frost which destroyed some of the buds and the heat waves of June and July burned more than 10 per cent of the potential harvest. Nevertheless, the warm and sunny climate in August and September combined with cool nights approaching harvest led the vines to an exceptional ripening with musts with a balance between acidity and sugar content as well as aromatic concentration that augurs well for future cuvees. Picking started in the early days of September and is in the process of finishing now. Champagne shipments in the world were down by 1.8% to 301.9 million bottles. France and the UK, which account for 60 per cent of total sales saw the sharpest decrease with volumes going down by 4% though their turnover was more resilient (-2%) in view of increase in price. Overall … [Read more...]
Spazio Niko Romito in Rome reopens as a ‘bar and kitchen’
ROME: Spazio Niko Romito has reopened its doors in downtown piazza Verdi after a brief hiatus. Awarded top scores during the interim incluidng the Illy Trophy for Coffee Bar of the Year by Gambero Rosso, it has changed its name to Spazio Niko Romito Bar e Cucina (bar and kitchen). Spazio Niko Romito Bar e Cucina is the natural, contemporary incarnation of an Italian style cafe, Italy's most popular business model in the restaurant sector thanks to its original concept as a meeting place for social interaction. Chef Niko Romito, of restaurant Reale in Castel di Sangro said, "Daily life is my most powerful source of inspiration. The driving force behind Spazio Niko Romito Bar e Cucina was my incessant wish to explore and evolve - our work is constant evolution, as I like to say. What sparked the change was an intuition that we could combine Spazio's restaurant format and the more informal one of Pane & Caffe, so that clients could have greater freedom and a wider choice of … [Read more...]
Sketch in London gets 3 stars, but Jordan Bailey in Ireland surprises everyone with 2 stars in less than six months
There was one new three Michelin star restaurant in London (Sketch - the Lecture Room and Library) when the guide announced the results for Great Britain and Ireland. But, the biggest surprise, at least for those who did not know the background to Jordan Bailey’s success in Ireland was the promotion of his restaurant Aimsir in Celbridge directly to two Michelin stars (it had been open for only a few months). The restaurant which is focused on produce from Ireland is led by Jordan Bailey, originally from Cornwall is the former head chef of Maaemo in Oslo, Norway which has three Michelin stars, and his Danish front of house manager and wife Majken Bech Bailey. They moved to Ireland early last year to explore the food procurers and ingredients of their newly adopted home and got married during their first six months there. “Despite the obvious challenges being faced by the industry here in the UK, we are thrilled that this has been such a stellar year, and we have seen many … [Read more...]
Three Michelin star De Leest in the Netherlands to close its doors
Kim Veldman and Jacob Jan Boerma, the owners of three Michelin star restaurant De Leest in the Netherlands will close its doors before the end of the year. The couple said that they will close the doors to the restaurant at the end of the year to star a new culinary adventure which will include a new restaurant opening in Amsterdam next year. One of the key reasons for the closure is the desire to spend more time with their four-year-old son Senne. Chef Boerma told the Dutch public broadcaster RTL that he had never been to a zoo or an amusement park with his son. Previously in the Netherlands, chef Sergio Herman had closed restaurant Oud Sluis at the pinnacle of his success. And in Belgium, Hertog Jan, the restaurant of Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens also closed its doors. The Dutch chef that it took a huge effort to make the restaurant successful but it was more than worth it. "We have worked incredibly hard for more than 17 years and it was mega intensive but the … [Read more...]