Christophe Hardiquest, chef of two Michelin star restaurant Bon Bon is fulfilling his dream of opening a bistro this summer albeit for just two months. He is opening Mon Bistro d'été by Christophe Hardiquest in the old Chez Marie restaurant in the Flagey area of Brussels. The restaurant had been closed for over two years. "A bistro is something fun. It is a great opportunity to work with new suppliers and produce new recipes away from the constraints and expectations of a fine dining restaurant. We don't want to raise expectations though we will use high quality products but differently. My aim is to work with new products which I am not accustomed to use at Bon Bon," the Belgian chef told Food and Wine Gazette in an interview. The chef has decided to open this pop-up restaurant instead of going for a two-month vacation while the restaurant kitchen of Bon Bon is completely refurbished in July and August. The new Bon Bon kitchen, which welcomed 19 chefs from across the whole of … [Read more...]
Redzepi partners with Schmidt to open restaurant Barr on old Noma site
René Redzepi, chef of Noma, is partnering with Thorsten Schmidt, dubbed the Nordic Alchemist to open a new restaurant Barr on 5th July inside the old home of noma on the city's iconic waterfront. "For years, I have been talking with René about creating a new kind of restaurant in Copenhagen. We have been holding out for the perfect space – and we finally found it," Thorsten said. Barr will not be another Nordic restaurant. Rather, it will draw from the eating and drinking traditions of the North Sea; an area that spans Scandinavia, Benelux and the British Isles. The name Barr is an old Irish word for “crops” and an old Nordic word for “barley,” a staple throughout this stretch of Europe, and, of course, one of the foundations of beer. Barr will celebrate this diverse region’s cold-country cooking, its breweries, and its shared devotion to conviviality. Schmidt said that the cooking of this region has always fascinated him – from classic dishes like the humble frikadeller … [Read more...]
Bon Bon’s Christophe Hardiquest to open summer bistro in Brussels
Christophe Hardiquest, two Michelin star chef of the highly regarded Brussels restaurant Bon Bon is realising his dream of opening a bistro even if this will only be for two months. Having decided to close his two Michelin star restaurant in July and August to modernise and refurbish the kitchen completely, Christophe together with his wife Stephanie have decided to take over Chez Marie, a restaurant that has been closed for over two years in the area of Flagey in Brussels. The bistro, called Mon Bistro d'été by Christophe Hardiquest will be serving classics away from the constraints of fine dining restaurants though you can expect a very high quality given that he will be moving together with his team and will be at the helm of the bistro for the two months. This is part of his Brussels project which started last year with a reflection on how to interpret Brussels and Belgian classics. In an interview with Food and Wine Gazette last year, Christophe had said that "it is also … [Read more...]
New Frantzén to open on 30 August
During summer 2016, chef and restaurateur Björn Frantzén closed his two-star restaurant Frantzén in Gamla Stan in Stockholm to move to new premises. On August 30, a year later, the new restaurant will be opening its doors at Klara Norra Kyrkogata 26, in downtown Stockholm. The new restaurant, with three floors plus a terrace, has undergone complete reconstruction since the takeover. Despite the surface area now being five times as large as the previous restaurant, the number of guests it can seat is still the same – 23. “I don’t know of any other restaurant in the world that looks anything like what we’re creating here”, said Björn Frantzén. “A visit to Frantzén will be a culinary experience as well as a journey through a completely renovated 19th century building, with the addition of a lift just for the restaurant. The restaurant takes up a full three floors, with an entrance area, restaurant and a former attic on the top floor which is now a lounge area.” While the … [Read more...]
Cooking up a friendship – Sven Elverfeld and Quique Dacosta cook together for first time
Sven Elverfeld, chef of Wolfsburg restaurant Aqua welcomed Quique Dacosta, chef of the eponymous restaurant in Denia, Spain, for the first 'cooking up friendship' in his restaurant. "Quique and I have not had the opportunity to cook together and therefore I was very happy about his idea to visit me at restaurant Aqua," said Sven. "This dinner gives Sven and me the opportunity to share our knowledge and passion for our profession and to surprise guests with a unique menu," said Quique. Currently the Spanish chef is travelling across Europe and stopped yesterday at the 3 Michelin star restaurant in Wolfsburg. Together, Sven and Quique prepared a menu solely for one evening. The two 3-Michelin star chefs have a long-term German-Spanish friendship despite the fact that they had never cooked together. With excellent craftsmenship Sven, together with his team is known for a defined style and apart from trends Elverfeld creates a symbiosis of tradition and modernism. The Michelin … [Read more...]
15 year anniversary event for World’s 50 Best Restaurants to take place in Barcelona
To mark its 15th anniversary, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is hosting a unique day of gastronomic discussion and celebration, in Barcelona, Spain, on June 27th, 2017 which will bring together five chefs whose restaurants have been named No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Ferran Adrià, René Redzepi, Joan Roca, Massimo Bottura and Daniel Humm will outline their personal vision for the future of gastronomy at a special edition of #50BestTalks in front of an invited audience, and the event will be streamed on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Facebook page. This live forum will be followed a celebratory gastronomic feast, co-hosted by Ferran Adrià at the Bravo24 restaurant in the W Barcelona hotel. These five ‘superchefs’ have helped shape the global culinary landscape over the last decade and a half, and will no doubt play a highly influential role in the future of food, restaurants and gastronomy. Joan Roca will be joined at the event by brothers Josep and Jordi, while … [Read more...]
Start of Zeeland mussels season
The first line-grown mussels from the North Sea region of Zeeland were picked up today 23 May. These mussels, grown on immersed ropes normally are ready to be picked up between four to six weeks earlier than the bottom mussels season. According to current estimates the mussel season should start on 28 June this year. The Zeeland line-grown mussels are a niche product that has become extremely successful in Belgian and Dutch restaurants and production accounts for around 5 per cent of the total supply of Dutch mussels. Radio presenter and culinary blogger Sven Ornelis is a great lover of mussels. He was the guest of honour for the launch of the new mussel season. "Every year, I look forward to the opening of the mussel season. I am pleasantly surprised by these early Zeeland mussels. They are tender and iodized, you really feel the difference compared to the other mussels," he said. The line technique is relatively new in Zeeland where 'bottom' mussels have been grown for 150 … [Read more...]
Brussels restaurant L’Idiot du Village serves last meal
Brussels restaurant L'Idiot du Village, a Brussels institution has served its last customers this evening. Chef Alain Gascoin announced on the restaurant's Facebook page that he had sad news to announce. "A beautiful story ends here. I would like to thank our customers, young and not so young, those who have a story with the idiot. I am sorry but because of an illness and five operations, my body cannot take it any more. But don't hestitate to stop me and say good morning if you see me in the streets (it is not contagious), he said" The restaurant named the Village Idiot was anything but idiotic. It might not have had any stars but it was loved by many. The service in the restaurant was matched by a respect for quality ingredients and excellent combinations, sometimes which you would think would not work but which balanced everything out and always ended up working. I discovered the restaurant soon after our arrival in Brussels over 11 years ago and I have great memories of … [Read more...]
Competition for best unpasteurised cheese in Wallonia
Wallonia, the French speaking part of Belgium is on a quest to find the best unpasteurised cheese in the region. La Bergerie D'Acremont, A Table - Maison Fromagère, FUGEA and Generation W have joined forces to organise this competition to find the best cow, goat, sheep and buffalo unpasteurised cheeses that are being made in this region. The aim behind the initiative is to showcase the region, the know-how of the artisans making these cheeses and also the patrimony of the region. They also want to safeguard the different tastes that are possible from unpasteurised cheeses when compared to the standard tastes of pasteurised cheese. The organisers want to help add value and also improve the production of these cheeses in Wallonia. The organisers do not only want to award the best cheeses but they also want to help the artisanal cheese makers to be recognised for their quality and to also improve their work. The cheeses will be divided into six different categories. The jury is … [Read more...]
Star-studded lineup for sixth edition of Brussels Dinner in the Sky
The sixth edition of the Brussels edition of Dinner in the Sky will be held from 8 to 18 June this year and has an incredible line-up of chefs from star-studded restaurants across Belgium. This is the first time that so many chefs will gather in Belgium's capital to celebrate conviviality and Belgian gastronomy. The chefs behind the stoves of Dinner in the Sky for this edition are: Yves Mattagne of Sea Grill Lionel Rigolet of Comme chez Soi Pascal Devalkeneer of Chalet de la Forêt Bart De Pooter of De Pastorale Pierre Résimont of l’Eau Vive Viki Geunes of ‘t Zilte Filip Claeys of De Jonkman Alexandre Dionisio of Villa in the Sky David Martin of La Paix Giovanni Bruno of Senzanome Karen Torosyan of Bozar Brasserie Luigi Ciciriello of La Truffe Noire Isabelle Arpin Franco Spinelli of San Daniele Bart De Poote said "Up high, the taste and flavours are enhanced. It is about living a beautiful moment of conviviality between friends, lovers. … [Read more...]