René Redzepi's new urban farm which is set to open soon after the closure of the award-winning Noma will be a complete re-invention of the concept of a restaurant using three distinct seasons to showcase a true reflection of the landscape of that moment and the unique flavour of that point in time. The Danish chef has launched a video to explain the decision behind the closure of the restaurant (which we would urge you to watch). But if you don't have nine minutes, then read on to find out why Redzepi has decided to close Noma and build something from scratch. "It has taken us a long time to figure it out. We had been planning for the change for years. We are moving into an incredible new space as we continue to build our community and figure out what it means to be a cook in this region. To keep exploring food and flavor, in a new place where we can dream. A place where we can build a farm right in the city. Where we can grow our own food, a place where we can keep … [Read more...]
Hedone to close down and then reopen with no menu
This has been a week of big announcements in the restaurant world. René Redzepi, chef of Noma, announced he would be closing his award-winning restaurant Noma in December 2016 to reopen it as an urban farm. It might not have come as a surprise to those who follow this chef, but it still hit world headlines. A lot has been written but for those who want to know more you can read about it here. But there was also another surprise announcement about one of the most sought after restaurants in London, Hedone. Chef Mikael Jonsson announced he would be closing his restaurant for 10 days and will reopen it in a completely different format in October. The new Hedone will have no menu, will have just 22 covers instead of the current 40 and will be open for just six sittings every week. Jonsson, a lawyer by profession, is a self-trained chef who has risen to be one of the top stars of the international culinary scene over the past years. Some might consider this to be a PR gimmick … [Read more...]
Q&A with Peter Goossens: “We need to find a system to eliminate food waste also in supermarkets”
Peter Goossens, chef of Hof Van Cleve is the most internationally recognised Belgian chef having been in the 50 World's Best restaurants for many years. He has held three Michelin stars since 2005 and has received 19.5 out of 20 in the Gault Millau guide since 2004. After our long interview with him, here is the second part in a question and answer format. Who are the rising stars of Belgium? There are many great chefs in Belgium. Just at Hof Van Cleve we have trained so many chefs. We recently tried to compile a list and counted over 200 chefs that have worked at the restaurant. My sous chef Marteen Bouckaert will be opening a restaurant at the beginning of next year. Then there is Michael Vrijmoed and Tim Boury just to mention a few names. Over 70 chefs who worked at Hof Van Cleve are cooking in their own kitchens (at different levels). What's your view of guides and lists of best restaurants? Lists are very important because they help you to become internationally known. … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #48
A 16-year-old boy Flynn McGarry has been in the news internationally when he revealed that he would be opening his first restaurant in New York. Having launched his own supper club at the age of 11 the has already spent time in the kitchens of Alinea, Eleven Madison Park and Alma. He has been on the receiving end of strong criticisms. He is taking it in his stride as he tells Grub street in this interview. British chef Jamie Oliver has launched a petition calling the British government to introduce a tax on sugary drinks in the UK to improve children's health. He believes a tax of 7p per regular sized can of soft drink with added sugar could generate £1 billion in revenues per year. It could be used to support much needed preventative strategies in the NHS and schools around childhood obesity and diet related disease. The petition has already attracted over 120,000 signatures. And to complement this petition, here are 10 reasons why you should never let children drink … [Read more...]
A year of Food and Wine Gazette
A year ago today, we launched Food and Wine Gazette without knowing exactly which direction the website would take. Time flies and in many ways it seems like yesterday. That might be the case because it has been a crazy year. On top of a full-time job, we've been trying to build Food and Wine Gazette into what it is today and that path has gone way beyond our expectations. When I started this website, it was a way to introduce a bit of creativity into my life which was completely missing and combine two things I am extremely passionate about, writing and food and wine. Today, a year later, I am extremely pleased with the results achieved and have more experience and a better understanding of what Food and Wine Gazette has become and how best to enhance it and make it more useful. The latest interview with Belgian chef Peter Goossens is just the culmination of a year in which I have interviewed and profiled the likes of Rene Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, Mauro Colagreco, Eneko … [Read more...]
Interview with Peter Goossens: ‘Belgium has one of the best cuisines in the world but no one has said it yet’
"Belgium has some of the best chefs in the world and its cuisine is among the best in the world. But there is no one who has said it before. In France, gastronomy is part of their culture, they say it is part of their patrimony. When the French go abroad they say that they are ambassadors of gastronomy," says Peter Goossens in an interview with Food and Wine Gazette. Goossens, chef of top Belgian restaurant Hof van Cleve, is probably Belgium's most internationally known chef. And rightly so given the list of awards he holds. He's been awarded the highest achievements in all the top guides, has got near perfect scores for his cooking and has been representing Belgium in the World's 50 Best Restaurants since 2006 (this year he slipped out of the top 50 places for the first time) but still holds three Michelin stars and a near perfect score in the Gault Millau guide (19.5 out of 20). So when Goossens speaks, you need to take note of what he is saying because on top of the talent, … [Read more...]
Noma’s Redzepi launches VILD MAD, a resource for learning, tasting and exploring wild food
Rene Redzepi has billed it as one of his proudest moments he can think of. And it is called VILD MAD (in Danish) or Wild Food. It is a resource for learning about, tasting and exploring wild food and is being launched in Denmark, the home of Redzepi, one of the world's best chefs. VILD MAD is split into three parts. The first is a curriculum for school kids in Denmark. The project wants to encourage children of all ages to explore their local landscape and taste the abundance of flavours around them. "We aspire to see knowledge of natural food being taught in schools as commonly as reading, writing and mathematics. We believe that providing young children with a basic understanding of edibility and of the landscape will broaden their perception of flavour, connect them to their surroundings in a more profound way and enable them to understand nature's resources and flow." The second part of VILD MAD is a foraging and wild food school for all Danes. The aim behind the project … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #47
We may be biased because of our love for food and wine but Eve Turow has a point when she says that in a digital-first era, many people latch onto food as something that engages all of the senses and brings people together in a physical space. Read her views about millennials and why they are obsessed with food here. It might give us an indication on the future of food. Waiters can make or break your experience in a restaurant. Few would imagine that some waiters are forced to pay to work on some shifts because of a tipping policy that means they have to hand over cash to their bosses at the end of the night. Some end up paying more than the tips they receive that evening. Read about it here. Foodiva has a great interview with British chef Jason Atherton who will be opening his first restaurant in Dubai a decade after leaving Dubai. The new restaurant marks his 17th restaurant spanning from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, London and New York. Jay Rayner can be one hell of a … [Read more...]
A visit to the new Rotterdam food market
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 market that could become a destination for foodies around the world. We will feature the city in our Perfect day series so do stay tuned but in the meantime here are our observations about the food market. For lovers of architecture, Rotterdam has a lot going for it. The recently opened food market, designed by architects MVRDV is the latest architectural gem to emerge in this city. Located in the city centre of Rotterdam the food market is designed in the shape of a horse shoe and has a steel cable facade which is the largest of its kind in Europe. A colourful mural depicts a composition of produce on the … [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 important role in building our identity. What we eat ends up shaping who we are and who we really want to be with. Food is about sharing moments and experiences. It is also about our past memories. If there is one thing I crave for whenever I am away from Malta, it is the glorious and ripe Maltese tomato. Grown in abundance under the Mediterranean sun, its taste is unbelievably good. And if there was one thing that I could not get used to when I arrived in Belgium, nearly 10 years ago, it was the fact that I could not really find tomatoes that could compare to what I had experienced in the past. Things … [Read more...]