HONG KONG: Following a successful series An Ode to Eggs and an Ode to Rice, Asia's best female chef Vicky Lau of Tate Dining Room in Hong Kong will present a refined single-ingredient lunch menu with a French Chinese twist. This time, she will be putting the versatile tofu in the spotlight, Asia's most popular soy-based protein. “Tofu is an often-misunderstood ingredient with a bad reputation. However, I hope to prove that tofu is in fact one of the most enjoyable and nutritious dishes to be had during the summer season,” said Vicky Lau. “Never have I worked with an ingredient that is as versatile and with such a variety of textures as tofu – much more than any meat or seafood.” Guests may rest assured that at Tate Dining Room, everything that enters the kitchen is sustainably and locally sourced where possible as a basic standard. From the seeds of farmers, heritage and heirloom crops, production methods and fishing techniques, to the conditions under which … [Read more...]

BRUSSELS: Hendrik Dierendonck, the renowned nose to tail Belgian butcher will open his second shop in Brussels. The Belgian butcher announced he has taken over Le Charolais, a family run butcher shop in Rue Vanderkindere in the heart of the ‘Quartier des Artisans’. Rue Vanderkindere is probably the foodie street par excellence in Brussels with many speciality shops including among others cheesemonger Julien Hazard and pâtissier and baker Le Saint Aulaye. This is the second shop that Dierendonck will open in Brussels after opening a shop in Rue St. Catherine in central Brussels in 2017. When he was young, the Belgian butcher used to work with his father Raymond Dierendonck in St Idesbald on the Belgian coast in summer while in winter he spent his time in Brussels. No date has yet been announced for the opening of the butcher shop. The original intention had been to open Dierendonck on Rue Vanderkindere this month but plans have been delayed because of COVID-19. In … [Read more...]

The organisation behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is replacing its annual list, awards and related events with a three-pronged campaign, entitled 50 Best for Recovery – supporting restaurants worldwide in partnership with S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The aim is to provide tangible financial relief where possible, as well as create and collate helpful resources for restaurant businesses as they emerge from the pandemic and seek actionable advice and support. The launch of 50 Best for Recovery follows the announcement in March that the proposed event programme for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2020 – which was due to take place in Antwerp, Flanders in June – has been postponed until 2021. Furthermore, the annual list of the world’s finest dining destinations will not be released this year in any format. Instead, those restaurants voted onto the 2020 ranking-designate will be fully recognised in 2021, circumstances permitting. It announced the 50 Best Recovery Fund which … [Read more...]

ANTWERP: The World's 50 Best restaurants event that was set to be organised in Antwerp, Belgium on 2 June 2020 will not take place. 50 Best announced today that they have cancelled the 2020 event and this will take place in 2021, circumstances permitting. The organisation announced that it will not release its annual list in ranked format this year. "50 Best have taken the decision to postpone the event programme in Antwerp until 2021 if the situation allows. Its destination hosts, Visit Flanders and the City of Antwerp look forward to welcoming the gastronomic community next summer, when we sincerely hope that restaurants will be underway in a process of rebuilding and recovery." Willam Drew, the director of content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants said: "Given the circumstances globally, in 2020, we will put all our efforts into helping the restaurant sector to fight for its future, as well as assisting in the work that chefs and restauranteurs are doing to help … [Read more...]

ROTTERDAM: The Best Chef has announced the Top 100 new candidates for the 2020 Awards as well as their plans for this year’s event which takes place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The event, will take place on 21, 22 and 23 September. The culinary platform will also host the Food Meets Science conference, the Area Talks live debate and the Award Gala in Rotterdam. Cristian Gadau, Creative Director and Founder of The Best Chef said “We are delighted to organize a prestigious event like The Best Chef Awards in Rotterdam, as the Netherlands plays an important role in contemporary gastronomy. This inspiring event is a unique gathering of top chefs from all over the world so it’s the perfect opportunity for the community, international visitors and industry professionals to stay up-to-date with what’s hot and happening in the global world of haute cuisine, as well as to connect them with their peers.” The Top 100 new candidates and voting process Each year, 100 new chefs … [Read more...]

HONG KONG: Ultra-Violet by Paul Pairet topped the Top 100+ Asia Restaurants of 2020 Opinionated About Dining list for the second year running. The restaurant is a single-table experimental space in Shanghai, China, that unites creative cuisine with multi-sensory technology. The immersive dining experience is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, and since opening in 2012, French chef Pairet has continually challenged diners’ preconceived notions of taste and cuisine.  Marking its historic debut on the list in 2nd place is Sorn by Supaksorn “Ice” Jongsiri from Bangkok, Thailand. Set within an old, reconstructed house, the sophisticated cuisine at Sorn is inspired by the chef’s southern Thai upbringing, fusing vibrant native ingredients with the revival of long-lost recipes and techniques. Set at the pinnacle of Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macau, French gastronomic institution, Robuchon Au Dôme by Julien Tongourian claims the 3rd ranking on this year’s OAD Asia Top … [Read more...]

HONG KONG: Global restaurant ranking system Opinionated About Dining (OAD) has announced that the Top 100+ Asian Restaurants list will be unveiled on Monday, 2 March 2020. The list features the highest-ranked restaurants across the region, as voted and reviewed by an expert membership of some of the world’s most discerning palates and connoisseurs.  Last year, OAD Top 100+ Asia Restaurants 2019 highlighted the top culinary contenders across the region. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai topping the list in first place. Robuchon au Dome (Macau) by Julien Tongourian placed second while Sühring (Bangkok) by Thomas and Mathias Suhring followed in third place. How the OAD Survey Works OAD is a restaurant ranking system that determines the experience level of the people contributing reviews to the site. Each member is assigned a “weight” that reflects the number of restaurants he or she has visited, as well as those restaurants’ official rank on the OAD list. With the … [Read more...]