AMSTERDAM: The new 100 candidates from around the world for the 5th The Best Chef Awards have been announced. The event takes place on September 13, 14 and 15 in Amsterdam. Together with the currently ranked chefs, this year's Top 100 will be selected through voting by all 200 chefs as well as a group of anonymous professionals as from this week. The system was changed this year. As from February 25, and for 100 days, the Best Chef announced one candidate per day in no specific order via their social media channels. "This year, we have a very diverse and interesting group of chefs from around the world. It is a group that brings together some seasoned heavyweights together with a younger generation of talent that is likely to bring change to the fine dining world in the years to come,": said Christian Gadau one of the founders of The Best Chef. He said they were looking for a group of chefs that can represent not just the present but also the future of gastronomy worldwide. … [Read more...]
Two Sicilian chefs make it to top tier, Jessica Rosval is female chef of the year
Two Sicilian chefs have made it to the top echelons of Italian cuisine according to Italian food guide Guida del' Espresso. The Italian guide, whose editor is Enzo Vissari, is highly influential and many times has spotted 'talent' before other more international guides recognises chefs and restaurants. Ciccio Sultano and Pino Cuttaia, chefs of Duomo di Ragusa and La Madia in Licata join the top chefs tier together with David Oldani of D'O di Cornaredo in Milan. There are now 13 restaurants in total with the '5 hats'. These are Casadonna Reale in Castel di Sangro, Seta at the Mandarin Oriental in Milan, St Hubertus at the Hotel Rosa Alpuna in San Cassiano di Badia, Le Calandre in Sarmeola di Rubano, Lido 84 in Gardone Riviera, Madonnina del Pescatore in Senigallia, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Piazza Duomo in Alba, Uliassi in Senigallia and Villa Feltrinelli in Gargnano. Ciccio Sultano, chef of Duomo said he had thought of closing the restaurant in 2020 only to change his mind. … [Read more...]
Nick Bril and Sergio Herman part ways: Bril takes full ownership of The Jane Antwerp
ANTWERP: After partnering up for seven years at The Jane Antwerp, Sergio Herman and Nick Bril have decided to part ways. Nick Bril will take over 100 per cent of the restaurant's operational rights after the Dutch duo successfully creating one of the most stunning restaurants in the world. In 2013, the two chefs decided to start work on designing the restaurant concept for their project, their first venture outside the Netherlands set in the stunning military chapel of the so-called Groen Kwartier in Antwerp. The two met when Nick Bril started working in the former three Michelin star restaurant Oud Sluis at the age of 19. "The early days of The Jane have challenged and pushed me tremendously as a chef but also as a person. It has been a great ride. That's why I am even more driven to develop all aspects of The Jane Antwerp even further. Next to our rooftop gardens, the collaboration with August and our new project in the Maldives, that will be the main challenge I'll be focusing … [Read more...]
Two new restaurants for Carlo Cracco in Milan and Portofino
MILAN: Italian chef Carlo Cracco has opened a second Milan restaurant last month inside the Hotel Excel Naviglio Milano and will open his third in Portofino in Liguria in June. “I had to close two restaurants, I have opened one new one and a second will be in Porto Fino so I hope to be at a par again. The pandemic has all hit us hard. We could complain and discuss on many things but I am from Veneto and we have always been taught that instead of complaining you should be working on the future,” Carlo said. He was answering a question by Food and Wine Gazette at a masterclass organised by the Italian Belgian chamber of commerce as part of a True Italian Taste initiative. Carlo Cracco is an Italian chef famous for his flagship restaurant Ristorante Cracco in Milan in an iconic space inside the Galleria just off the Piazza Duomo. “The new space allowed us to be able to open immediately because it has a very big garden. This was not only essential for me but it also gives a … [Read more...]
Alex Dilling to cook in Malta for 100 days
VALLETTA: ION The Harbour has announced that Alex Dilling, the executive chef of the former highly acclaimed two Michelin star restaurant The Greenhouse, in Mayfair, London will begin a 100 day residency at the restaurant in Malta. From 18 June, Alex Dilling will bring a new level of culinary skills to both Malta and ION - The Harbour. Bookings will open on 4 June. "After a challenging year, I am very excited to step back into the kitchen in a completely new environment, and more importantly in a new terroir," Dilling said. "Meeting the fishermen and seeing their excitement with what they have to offer is a huge inspiration to me," he added. During his residency at ION - The Harbour, Alex will make the most of local seasonal and artisanal ingreidents that are bursting with Mediterranean flavours at this time of year. Apart from that he will present a few of his famous signature dishes including the hunter chicken with fois gras and black truffle. But he will spruce some … [Read more...]
‘Casse-Croute’ by Karen Torosyan to slowly come to an end with final service on 29 May
BRUSSELS: Casse Croute, the 'takeaway' service of Bozar chef Karen Torosyan which regaled Brussels and Belgians with his renowned 'pies' throughout the pandemic will slowly come to an end. The chef who decided not to open the Bozar Restaurant's terrace and wait until he is allowed to serve guests indoors in June said that the last Casse-Croute service will end on Saturday 28 May. After that, he and his team will be taking a week off before focusing on the opening of the restaurant. Karen Torosyan told Food and Wine Gazette he did not want to open the terrace because of the uncertainties linked to the Belgian weather. "Guests come to the restaurant to enjoy themselves. We cannot guarantee a good service with the incertitude and for this reason I prefer to continue to deliver the Bozar experience home during May." The chef said he could not complain and thanked his customers for their custom during these months when restaurants were closed in Belgium. "It was not easy. I enjoy … [Read more...]
A six-star food truck as Mauro Colagreco visits Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille
On Sunday 9 May, in Marseille, Alexandre Mazzia, chef of restaurant AM in Marseille, the latest three Michelin star restaurant in France welcomes Mauro Colagreco for a one-off four hands dinner on the food-truck he has created during the pandemic to sell his ‘jewels’ at lunch. It is a special brunch that will start at the food truck with a glass of champagne and a few finger foods prepared by the two chefs before guests will be able to ‘take away’ their food and eat elsewhere. “This will be a special four hands where you will be able to eat all the food with your fingers,” Alexandre Mazzia said. Alexandre Mazzia set up his food truck as a way to keep his team busy throughout the pandemic but is a project he would like to keep even when the pandemic is over. For this event, he is welcoming Mauro Colagreco of restaurant Mirazur, currently the number 1 restaurant in the world according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Mirazur is set to launch an exclusive … [Read more...]
The Jane launches new concept Terrazza J’Enoteca
ANTWERP: Restaurant The Jane in Antwerp is one of the most stunning restaurants in the world. Housed inside a former church, it has been one of the hardest tables to get before the pandemic struck. But with restaurants still closed for guests inside and only terraces being allowed to reopen on 8 May in Belgium, chef Nick Bril and his team have created a new concept called Terrazza J’Enoteca. “We are striving for an accessible yet refined concept with some great dishes, exquisite drinks, good vibes, some music (Nick Bril is also an acclaimed DJ) and finally a possibility to welcome guests again,” Nick Bril said. The terrace will be open between Thursday and Sunday from 12 noon to 10pm depending on the weather conditions. Availabilities will be shared each Monday at noon on the social platforms of The Jane Antwerp and reservations can be made up to 24 hours before. “Our team has been making an incredible effort to help our restaurant quickly reinvent itself each time to … [Read more...]
Eleven Madison Park goes plant-based
NEW YORK: Fifteen months after closing their dining room, Daniel Humm, chef of Eleven Madison Park, the highly acclaimed New York restaurant will turn plant-based or vegan. The chef said that when the restaurant reopens on 10 June, every dish will be made from vegetables, both from the earth and the sea, as well as fruits, legumes, fungi, grains and more. “In the midst of last year, when we began to imagine what Eleven Madison Park would look like after the pandemic we realised not only that the world had changed but also that we had changed. We have always operated with sensitivity to the impact we have on our surroundings but it was becoming even clearer that the current food system is simply not sustainable in many ways.” Daniel wrote in a newsletter. He said he and his team have been working tirelessly to immerse themselves in this cuisine. “It’s been an incredible journey and a time of much learning. “I find myself most moved and inspired by dishes that center … [Read more...]
World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards to be held in Antwerp in October
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021 awards will be hosted in Antwerp, Belgium on 5 October. Returning after a year’s stop in 2020 due to the global pandemic, an extensive event programme hosted in Flanders will culminate in the awards ceremony in Antwerp.. The organisers have said that the new 2021 ranking, which will be unveiled as part of the gala ceremony will take into account recent and ongoing travel limitations and dining restrictions by combining the votes cast in both early 2020 and 2021. The annual restaurants list is created from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a group of more than 1,000 people made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and international culinary experts, with a 50/50 gender balance. Each Academy member usually votes for 10 restaurants, with at least four of these from outside their home region. To counter the restrictions on international travel and limited dining opportunities of the last year, the … [Read more...]