Brussels, Belgium's capital city will welcome 25 international chefs to cook together in a unique event in aid of a South African project that was created by chef Margot Janse. Three top Brussels restaurants, Bon Bon, Bozar and Le Chalet de La Foret will welcome chefs from across the globe for a 10-course menu on Saturday 16 February at 8pm. All proceeds from the night will go to Isabelo, Feeding Hungry Minds which has been serving nutritious meals to South African kids every school day since 2009. Margot Janse, the top chef who quit cooking at the highest levels to focus on this charity two years ago believes that 'nobody can learn on an empty stomach'. The chefs that will be taking part include among others Pascal Barbot of L'Astrance, Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur, Rodolfo Guzman of Borago, Virgilio Martinez of Central Lima and Alain Passard of L'Arpege. Tickets for the event will be on sale as from tomorrow 9 February at 9am on the following link. This is the first … [Read more...]
First long list of World Restaurant Awards announced: full list here
The first ever long list of the World Restaurant Awards which will be held for the first time in Paris on 18 Feburary has been announced. The long list has been compiled with the input of 100 judges which include some of the top names in the restaurant world as well as food writers from around the world. In all, 37 nationalities are represented in the judging panel. The long list includes restaurants from 43 different countries in the world. The World Restaurant Awards which will be held for the first time in Paris on 18 February will have 12 big plate awards and 6 small plate awards that will change on a yearly basis in consultation with the judging panel. The short-lists from which the winners will be determined will be announced in January. Judges are currently visiting the restaurants that have been short-listed in the categories and if you are social media savvy you might already guess some of the restaurants that have made it to the short-list. The awards, the … [Read more...]
Skiing, fine dining and wine in Austria this winter
For the first time ever, gourmet-skiing routes have been developed in five regions in Austria. Based on regional culinary traditions, they are designed to highlight the specialities of each region. The suggested routes combine leisurely skiing with getting to know both the ski resorts and the local cuisine. The regions are Salzburg Sportwelt, Schladming-Dachstein, Gastein, Grossarital and Hochkonig. From 16 to 23 March 2019, more than 20 hotels will be offering packages geared towards the theme of skiing and wine. For the whole week, wine tastings will be offered in the hotels and at the ski and wine huts. A special highlight will be the Highest Farmers' Market in the Alps where farmers and producers will service their products directly at market stalls found in the ski huts. Just like a true farmers' market in the valley, skiers will be able to purchase cheese, ham, sausages and schnapps directly from the producers as well as jams, honey and tea. Numerous gourmet programmes … [Read more...]
British chef Simon Rogan to open 2 restaurants in Hong Kong
Renowned British chef Simon Rogan is set to open two new restaurants in Hong Kong at the beginning of next year. This is the first time that Rogan is venturing outside the UK. The first will be Aulis Hong Kong.which is his first ever overseas chef's table and development kitchen concept in the heart of Hong Kong in early January 2019. It will be followed by the opening of sister venue Roganic Hong Kong in early February 2019. Simon already has five restaurants to his name including the 2 Michelin starred L'Enclume in the Lake District, 1-Michelin starred Roganic in London and the 1 Michelin starred Rogan and Co. in Cartmel. His inaugural international dining destination Aulis Hong Kong will offer an up-close and personal experience with the season’s freshest produce in a multifunctional high-tech space. The 12-seater Aulis Hong Kong comes to Asia after the successful launch of Aulis Cartmel within L’Enclume in 2016. This followed with the opening of Aulis London in 2017 as a … [Read more...]
Arnaud Donckele from Le Vague d’Or places top in Le Chef’s 100 best chefs 2019 compilation
The awards season keeps on giving. Arnaud Donckele from the La Vague d'Or restaurant in Saint Tropez has been named the best chef in the world according to the Le Chef compilation of the 100 best chefs in the world for 2019. The second on the list Michel Troisgros also came from France while Jonnie Boer from the Netherlands placed third. The Le Chef list is compiled by asking two and three-starred chefs of Michelin restaurants to provide a list of five names they think best represent the cooking profession and the one name they would like to see at the top of the list. Five of the top 10 on the worlds best chefs list were from France with Yannick Alleno, Alexandre Couillon and Emmanuel Renaut all placing in the first 10 positions. The other chefs in the top 10 as can be seen from the list below are Seiji Yamamoto from Japan who has always been in the top 10 since the first edition of the list. The others are Paul Pairet, David Kinch and René Redzepi. The list was … [Read more...]
Four new grape varieties permitted for Austrian quality wine
Four new white wine varieties are now permitted for Qualitätswein (quality wine) in Austria, via a collective amendment to Austrian wine law. Three of these are fungus-resistant new crossings known as PIWIs. Blütenmuskateller, Goldmuskateller, Muscaris and Souvignier Gris, all white grape varieties, were elevated to the status of Qualitätswein varieties during the summer through a collective amendment to Austrian wine law. This increases the total of Qualitätswein varieties in Austria to forty. The inclusion of the Goldmuskateller (Moscato Giallo) takes into account that, along with Muskat Ottonel and Gelber or Roter Muskateller, the Goldmuskateller, which is less susceptible to rot, also shows promise. Blütenmuskateller, Muscaris, and Souvignier Gris are three of the fungus-resistant grape varieties known as PIWIs. In addition to the two red PIWI varieties Rathay and Roesler, this is the first time that white PIWI wine varieties have been approved for the production of … [Read more...]
How to make the perfect Prosecco based cocktails for Christmas
From Snowballs to Mulled Wine, no Christmas party would be complete without a festive cocktail or two. This year, Prosecco DOC has chosen their favourite Christmas cocktails to suit any kind of occasion and every kind of guest. With such a variety of styles and flavours available, the versatility of Prosecco DOC wines will take you through the entire festive period. At this time of year, in the lead up to Christmas, the month of December officially transforms into party season. Whether it’s a casual family get-together or a glamorous office party, there’s a Prosecco cocktail to suit every mood. The Office Christmas Party The office party is all about having fun, but not too much fun. You want a cocktail that’s delicious and festive, but perhaps with a little less alcohol than your New Year’s Eve tipple of choice. Why not try the Uva D’Oro, made with fresh tomato juice, peach puree, fresh rosemary and basil, perfect with Millage Prosecco DOC Extra Dry or Prosecco DOC Santero … [Read more...]