Sven Elverfeld is a chef with a conscience. His restaurant Aqua in Wolfsburg may be one of the best in the world (it has three Michelin stars since 2009) and is currently 33rd in the World's 50 Best Restaurant list) but he is thinking not only about the current refugee crisis but also how to raise awareness about proper eating among children. When I sat to talk to him at Chef Sache in Cologne a few days ago he started talking about the current refugee crisis and how he recently organised a charity dinner at Aqua with the Wolfsburg football team to raise money for refugees. So even though I am interested in his creative process (which we discuss later) my first question is about the current crisis. I asked him why he felt the need to do something and he said: "At the moment, I have the possibility to do it. If you are known in your community then it is easier to do something like this. It is not all about glamour. This is a problem and it does not scare me but makes me sad. When you … [Read more...]
Archives for October 2015
Details of Alinea Madrid pop-up restaurant announced
Booking for Alinea Madrid, the pop-up restaurant of the Chicago-based Grant Achatz, considered as one of the most inventive chefs in the world is now open as details of the restaurant have been announced. Alinea Madrid will launch on January 12 and will stay open till February 6. This American restaurant is considered to be one of the best in the world and is a collaboration between chef Grant Achatz and restauranteur Nick Kokonas. Alinea Madrid said that the history of Alinea is inextricably linked with the modernist cuisine of Spain. It is no secret that Achatz, like many contemporary chefs, has been inspired by pioneering Spanish chefs like Arzak and Adria to embrace culinary innovations and risk-taking. "On both sides of the Atlantic, dining as an experience, both cultural and artistic, has allowed chefs a new freedom to rethink what a restaurant can be...and in turn to give patrons exciting and delicious ways to enjoy dining out," says Grant Achatz. Alinea Madrid fulfills a … [Read more...]
A perfect day in Parma
Parma is an elegant city and a must for any foodie traveller who happens to be in this area of Italy. It is maybe best known for Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese but it should not be discarded as a destination in its own right. Sometimes, the city is overlooked because visitors prefer to head to the neighbouring towns of Bologna, Mantova or Modena. But you should not underestimate this city and what it has to offer. It is a perfect city to visit on a day trip whether you are in Liguria or visiting the Tuscan/Emilian Apennines and is maybe less touristy than other more popular Italian cities. There is no question about the importance Prosciutto has in this region. With its distinct Prosciutto di Parma mark, the city and its inhabitants are incredibly proud of this ham. When we visited, there was a festival of prosciutto and many shop windows, including a shop selling watches, made space for a poster to promote the festival. On the main square in front of the … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #52
This was the week in which Massimo Bottura, Italy's most famous chef, received a perfect score in the Italian influential guide L'Espresso. If you've missed the article, you can read about it here. It is also the week in which the World's top 50 bars have been named. Here is the list. Which ones have you been to? Artesian in London tops the list. If there is one restaurant critic I really follow it is Nick Lander. So if you are heading near Oxford, UK anytime soon, then this is the article you should consult or save for a future visit. In our recent trips to Emilia in Italia we have discovered the 'real' Lambrusco which is completely different to industrial Lambrusco that is exported and which has such a bad reputation. Here is an interesting article about how to pair it with five of the most traditional dishes from the region. In this article, you can read about 4 outrageously expensive dinners from the past. We have often heard about soft-drinks and the link to obesity, and … [Read more...]
Lola in Brussels celebrates its 20th anniversary with book publication
Lola, one of the chic restaurants in Place Sablon, Brussels, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. For the occasion, it launched a book that tells the story of the restaurant and also presents recipes of some of the most classic dishes served at the restaurant. The brasserie Lola is the story of five people passionate about cuisine who launched the restaurant 20 years ago. The five friends, Caroline, Larbi, Henri, François and Laurent came together to create the restaurant which has become one of the highlights of this historic Brussels squares. They started off with Les Faste Fou, a place specialising in salads just off Avenue Louise in 1987. Lola, their second project, six years later, was more ambitious not only because of the location but also for its cuisine. A contemporary brasserie, it focuses mainly on seasonal ingredients. Its menu changes according to the seasons but it still retains many Belgian classics on its menu such as the 'croquettes des crevettes', the americain (or … [Read more...]
Massimo Bottura reaches new heights
Massimo Bottura, chef of three Michelin Star restaurant Osteria Francescana has reached new heights with the announcement that he has been awarded a maximum 20 points out of 20 in one of the most influential and prestigious Italian publications. L'Espresso Restaurant Guide has awarded the Italian chef from Modena a perfect score in its 2016 guide to Italian restaurants. You might ask what the fuss is all about given Massimo Bottura has 3 Michelin stars and earlier this year made it to the second place in the World's Best 50 restaurants list. But this is the first time ever, in the history of this guide, that a chef and restaurant has been awarded maximum points. Commenting on the announcement on Twitter, Bottura said he just wanted to thank everyone. Meanwhile, Enrico Crippa of restaurant Piazza Duomo in Alba has also seen its score go up to 19.75, just a quarter of a point away from Osteria Francescana. The other restaurants that had 19.5 points have retained their score. These … [Read more...]
A race to deliver: Deliveroo launches in the home of Take Eat Easy
The days when the only thing you could order for home delivery was a pizza or a meal from a fast-food outlet have been over since the launch of restaurant delivery services opening in different cities around the world. The service is hotting up worldwide with a number of platforms entering the market with the aim of offering a service to both customers and also restaurants who would otherwise not offer deliveries. The same could be said for Belgium. Deliveroo, a UK restaurant delivery start-up launched in Brussels on 6 October setting it in direct competition with a similar start-up Take Eat Easy, which is Brussels based and which had launched in 2013. Deliveroo, with its motto 'Proper Food, Proper Delivery' is offering a delivery service from 'quality restaurants' to homes and offices. The company was founded in February 2013 in London by William Shu and Greg Orlowski. With proprietary software and a logistics platform, it offers deliveries from high quality restaurants or … [Read more...]
Virtual reality for Tim Raue’s restaurant in Berlin
When Tim Raue went up on stage in Cologne to present a new concept, we knew he was onto something. Despite admitting that the technology is still in its early stages, Raue is experimenting with offering diners at his restaurant a unique experience by immersing them into his kitchen and explaining what they are about to eat in a personalised audiovisual manner. He is using virtual reality goggles to take diners at his restaurant on a 'tour of Berlin' and see the chef explain the story behind the dish he is serving as well as how it is prepared. Raue said at Chef Sache that many of the guests at the restaurant might not have time to visit Berlin. "We could have told the story in a different way but we felt that it would be more appropriate to use visuals to tell the story," Raue said. Two Michelin star chef Tim Raue can be considered as one of the most prominent German chefs in Berlin if not the whole of Germany. Apart from his flagship restaurant Tim Raue, the German chef has a … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #51
Corey Lee is considered to be one of the best chefs in the world. The three Michelin star chef of Benu is opening a new restaurant at the San Francisco Museum of Modern art, but none of his dishes will be his own. "I want to do something that represents what a museum does." He says he is thinking of it as a food exhibition. So what's different? He will have dishes that he sourced from chefs he admires and copied their dishes precisely. By asking 80 chefs to submit recipes from their own repertoires, Lee aims to assemble far-flung culinary treasures in one place. Read about his new restaurant here. Here is a very interesting article about cheeses like the Roquefort blue cheese and Camembert or Brie, and how mold has helped the cheese from spoiling by defending it from contaminating stains of fungi and bacteria. What does it mean to be a waiter for a day? And particularly when you offer to be a waiter at the World's number 2 restaurant Osteria Francescana. Journalist Gabriele Zanatta … [Read more...]
Chef Sache panel discussion: We are in the middle of a culinary revolution
We are currently in the middle of a culinary revolution. Guests at top end restaurants want to feel relaxed, dress casually and enjoy their lunch or dinner without fuss like in the old days. They are also more willing to experiment, to try new things and eat more. This was the main theme of a panel discussion at Chef Sache on the changes that are currently taking place in the restaurant world. Two Michelin star chef Tim Raue from the Berlin restaurant with the same name, explained how attitudes in restaurants have changed completely over the years. "In the 1990s, people used to go to a Michelin star restaurant to show who they were and they used to wear clothes to depict this. Things have changed completely, just look at what we are wearing today on stage. This would not have been the case a few years ago. He said that people have done away with suit and tie. Dining has become a lifestyle product and they don't need to show off when they go out. Dining out means pleasure and … [Read more...]