This week marked the launch of Massimo Bottura's Refettorio Ambrosiano, a once-derelict theatre in Milan. It has been re-purposed to educate and feed refugees and working poor who reside across town, far from the multinational pavilions welcoming culinary tourists to this summer's Expo Milano 2015. Here, some of the world's best chefs, including Bottura, will be cooking for students and the poor using food waste transported from Milan Expo. It is an incredibly beautiful project and one which deserves all the support it can get. You can read about it either in English or Italian. The English link from the New York Times also has the recipe of Massimo Bottura's Bread is Gold, a dish he served at the Milan Expo a few weeks ago and one which will be served at the refectory in the coming weeks. One of the world's best restaurants Alinea, based in Chicago, will be going through a renovation. Grant Achatz, the chef of this restaurant, said the reason for this renovation is that they don't … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2015
Occupy 50 Best calls for more transparency in selection of World’s best restaurants
Occupy 50 Best is the name of a movement that was launched a few days ago calling for more transparency in the selection of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. A few days before the announcement of this year's top 50 list (it will take place in London on 1 June), the petition has been signed by a number of well known chefs including three Michelin starred Georges Blanc, Thierry Marx two Michelin starred chef of Sur Mesure, Giancarlo Perbellini chef of Casa Perbellini in Italy and Joel Robuchon holder of 25 Michelin stars and chef of the century. Other chefs who have signed the petition include, among others, Pascal Aussignac, Jean-Andre Charial, William Frachot, Nicolas Gautier, Rocco Iannone, Eric Jambon and Patrick Jeffroy. It has also been signed by Will Jansen, editor-in-chief of Boillon Magazine, Guy Job, director of Gourmet TV. The list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants has grown in importance over the past years and can make or break a restaurant. Restaurants are known to … [Read more...]
In De Wulf out of top 100 list: “Let’s continue to make guests happy because in the end that’s what we are here for” – Kobe Desramaults
Kobe Desramaults. chef of In de Wulf, a Michelin starred restaurant in Dranauter, Belgium, has announced that he has not made it to the list of 100 best restaurants in the world. "I have found out that In de Wulf was not voted into the 100 best restaurants list of 2015. After the release of 51 to 100 yesterday, a lot of people believed we would actually climb up to 50 best this year. (Sorry to ruin the surprise)" he said on Instagram and Facebook. Voted 61st in the 2014 list, the restaurant is a culinary destination in its own right and was awarded the best European restaurant award from the OAD (Opinionated about Dining in 2014) and 4th this year. His Michelin starred restaurant In De Wulf is in Dranouter, a village in West Flanders on the border with France, in the middle of nowhere. The restaurant has become a major culinary destination because of the unique style of cuisine without classic dishes or traditional sauces. Kobe said that although he always thought of these … [Read more...]
World’s 50 Best restaurants announce 51-100 restaurants one week in advance
A week before the announcement of the much awaited World's 50 Best Restaurants list, the list of restaurants that have made it to the 51 to 100 list has been released. It gives a snapshot of the restaurants that have either fallen from the top 50 list or else have broken into the top 100 list for the first time. The list, published today, shows a number of restaurants that have lost their place from the 2014 top 50 list. These include De Librije (in number 29 last year), Martin Berasategui (35), Daniel (40), Geranium (42), Hof Van Cleve (45), The Fat Duck (47), Coi (49) and Wagu Ghin (50). The announcement of this list is one of the highly anticipated moments of the culinary calendar, despite the controversy it generates (like any other list). The list starts with number 51 which is Restaurant Geranium in Denmark which was 42 in 2014. Daniel Boulud who was 40 on last year's list drops to 80th place, though the chef will receive The Lifetime Achievement award at the … [Read more...]
Impressive lineup for second Flemish Food Bash
Flemish Food Bash is the name of a unique event taking place at the Belgian coast on 5 July. This event will bring together 40 chefs (20 Belgian and 20 international), 2 cheese aficionados, 8 pastry chefs, 20 bartenders, 2 baristas, 4 bakers, 4 butchers, 30 beers among others. A non-profit event, the Flemish Food Bash is in its second edition. It is aimed to go beyond the ways of social media by enabling people to socialise, mingle around and network. It is aimed for foodies who want to meet people with a similar passion, talking about the things they love most, sharing ideas and styles. The first edition took place in November at the Cafe D'Anvers. Billed as the world's best restaurant for a day, the lineup of chefs is one which should not be missed. Among others there will be Heinz Beck of the three Michelin star Rome restaurant La Pergola, Soenil Bahadoer of De Lindehof (2 Michelin stars The Netherlands), Sang-Hoon Degeimbre of L' Air du Temps (2 Michelin stars Belgium) and … [Read more...]
Weekly round-up of great reads on food and wine #34
It is scandalous for supermarkets to throw bleach in their dustbins along with edible foods, said a former food minister in France Guillaume Garot, who proposed a law which forces big supermarkets to give unsold food to charities. The French national assembly has voted unanimously to approve this legislation which aims to tackle the huge epidemic of food waste, which highlights the divide between giant food firms and people who are struggling to eat. We have written on the issue of food waste and feel this is an initiative that should be applauded and followed. The world produces enough food to feed all the planet but billions of tonnes of food get thrown away every year. Each and every one of us need to do our part. We would also like to highlight an article we came across called the war on big food. The article looks into the problem of certain ingredients in food, like artificial colours and flavours, pesticides, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, growth hormones, … [Read more...]
Updated: Sang-Hoon Degeimbre of L’ Air du Temps to open restaurant in Brussels on 5 October
Updated: Brussels foodies have something to look forward to after the summer holidays as chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre of the 2 Michelin starred restaurant L'Air du Temps in Liernu announced he will be opening his second restaurant SAN in the Belgian capital. The date for the opening of the restaurant has been set for 5 October. On the website of the new restaurant there is a photo of Sang-Hoon with a countdown and a small note saying San is coming to Brussels. San Bruxelles have announced that the bookings for the Brussels based restaurant will open on 15 September. Sang-Hoon, considered to be one of the best Belgian chefs and famous for his molecular cuisine as well as his love for exceptional produce, will offer a completely different experience to L'Air du Temps. His restaurant in Liernu is in the middle of the Belgian countryside. He loves the feeling that the countryside gives and when I had interviewed him he had told me: "Sometimes when I come here early in the morning I … [Read more...]
A perfect day in Gent, Belgium
Gent is one of our favourite Belgian cities. This Flemish city, 45 minutes away from Brussels is a must visit for any visitor to Belgium. Sometimes overshadowed by Bruges, also called the Venice of the North, it is one of the largest cities in Belgium but has kept its charm with an amazing medieval architecture that remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. It also has a huge pedestrian area with a lot of interesting highlights such as the Saint Bavo Cathedral, the Belfry, the Gravensteen castle and the splendid architecture along the old Graslei harbour. We return time and time again and never get bored of this buzzing city full of surprises and hidden gems. Foodies are in for a treat in Gent with a splendid array of restaurants, cafes and concept stores. The city is also known as the a paradise for vegetarian restaurants. The city has more vegetarian restaurants than Paris or London and is sometimes called the vegetarian capital of Europe. If you are not … [Read more...]
Prepaid meals arrive in restaurants in Europe and could revolutionise the way we eat – but will it work?
Are you ready to pay in advance for a restaurant meal just like you would do when going to a theatre performance, music concert or sports event? In September, when we wrote about Next, the Chicago based restaurant we asked a question whether such a system would work in Europe, given that this restaurant sold tickets in advance. Now, a few months later, the system called Tock, created by the co-owner of Alinea and Next, Nick Kokonas, has arrived in Europe. This new concept has faced some criticism as Clove Club in Shoreditch east London announced that it would be the first restaurant in the UK to adopt it for its tasting menus. Faviken, the Swedish restaurant also announced when they opened this season's bookings that they would ask for a prepayment for the food at the point of reservation, with accommodation and drinks to be paid for on site, after the stay. Many were quick to question the system and protest that theywould be paying in advance for the few who do not show up in … [Read more...]
From journalism to winemaking – the story of Clos de L’Obac
The wines of Clos De L'Obac don't need any introduction among lovers of Spanish wines. These wines are known for their balance and elegance and have great ageing potential. I recently caught up with Guillem Pastrana at a tasting organised by Belgian importer of Spanish wines La Buena Vida. He is the son of former journalist Carles Pastrana and his wife, a Barcelona enologist Mariona Jarque who embarked on their life adventure devoting their professional and family future on a project to recover the wines of El Priorat and to make these wines internationally recognised. 30 years later, you can easily say that they have succeeded in their mission to make their wines internationally known. The wines are exported to over 40 countries to the extent that Guillem says they are no longer looking to expand. Guillem explained the philosophy of the winery. "At the age of 34, my father, who was a journalist in Spain, wanted a change in his life. He decided, together with my mother, to … [Read more...]