Four new chefs have joined Generation W, the collective of chefs from the Wallonia region of Belgium (the W representing Wallonia). The new chefs are Philippe Meyers, chef of Restaurant Philippe Meyers in Braine-l'Alleud, Stephane Diffels chef of L'Air de Rien in Esneux, Jean-Philippe Watteyne, chef of Icook in Mons and Benoît Van den Brandem chef of Cuisinémoi in Namur. The number of chefs in the collective has now reached 24 and they cover the whole region of Wallonia. The collective also includes over 20 artisanal producers from the region. "Joining Generation W is part of my growth as a chef, and of the importance of sharing and exchanging information with chefs and artisanal producers that have the same passion as I have," said Van den Brandem, chef of Michelin starred Cuisinémoi. Having worked in the business for around 10 years, he loves to focus on terroir, local produce while just cooking them to the bare minimum or even serving them raw to let the taste be as … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2016
Saison is top US restaurant in Opinionated about Dining list
Saison, Joshua Skenes' restaurant has been named the number one restaurant in the United States by the Opinionated about Dining list. The list created by Steve Plotnicki is based on surveys filled by diners. The US list follows the publication of the European list a few days ago and is released just five days before the World's 50 Best restaurant list which will this year be announced in New York for the first time. In awarding Skenes' restaurant, OAD said that the chef serves aged fish, and offers a service of ducks that have been dry-aged for 32 and 70 days. Skenes also pushes the envelope in the way he uses the wood-burning grill on the restaurant’s patio. Rather than cook on a grate, Skenes might place ingredients directly in the ash or set them right next to a pile of flaming logs. Skenes has moved Saison into shiny new quarters in San Francisco’s SoMa district; he also serves a more casual menu in the restaurant’s lounge. Skenes also recently added an eight-person … [Read more...]
Nigella’s top 10 cookbooks and the paths of culinary influence
Nigella Lawson is one of the best-loved figures in the world of food. The sheer quality of writing in her books conveys an enthusiasm for good food that is both inspirational and inimitable. How to Eat, which launched her career, is a milestone of culinary writing, ranking at #20 on the 1000 Cookbooks all-time list. The book changed our approach to food and went on to influence a generation of food writers. But what of those who came before? We are not ashamed to admit that we were thrilled when Nigella agreed to share her own top 10 cookbook list with us, offering a glimpse of her influences. Nigella was keen to emphasize that the books she selected had proved their worth over time: “There are many more recent books I value, but these are the ones I have been cooking from over decades” Below we analyse her selections, and the strands of our collective culinary heritage which each represents. Nigella’s favourite cookbooks “A beautiful beast of a book, … [Read more...]
Changes to 51-100 positions of World’s 50 Best list: The Jane in Antwerp is newcomer to the list in 54th place
The Jane, the restaurant that has been in the news for the past two years because of its stunning design has made it to the 54th place of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. The restaurant, based in Antwerp is the result of a partnership between world renowned chef Sergio Herman (above in the picture) and Nick Bril. The two worked together at three Michelin star restaurant Oud Sluis before they opened the restaurant in a former church in what is considered to be one of the most stunning restaurants of the world. Just a week before the World's Best 50 restaurants announces its top 50 restaurants, the list that has become an annual fixture for foodies around the world announced the restaurants in 51st to 100th place. There were a few surprises in the list including 15 new restaurants. Seven restaurants in the top 50 list have dropped positions. These are Chateaubriand from 21st to 74th place, Aqua from 33rd to 63rd place, Astrance from 36th place to 57th place, Mani from … [Read more...]
SummerFest celebrates the start of summer in Cadzand
For many days, there has been no respite to the rain in Northern Europe and the rainy weather was threatening to cause havoc with the Summer Fest, the festival to launch summer organised by Inspired Events and Syrco Bakker (chef of Pure C). The dark clouds and rain of the previous days made way for the sun and the event was organised on a glorious spring day which created the perfect setting for a celebration to welcome summer around dance, art, music, food and drink. A very good crowd turned up for the second edition of the Summerfest organised by Syrco Bakker, chef of Michelin star Pure C. Among the guests at the Summer Fest were Sergio Herman (The Jane and Pure C), Gert de Mangeleer from Hertog Jan, Andreas Caminada from Schauenstein and Sven Elverfeld from Aqua. Belgian butcher Hendrik Dierendonck was also present showcasing his renowned butchery and cookery skills as he showcased his dry-aged beef. The event had started the day earlier with a lunch at Pure C which … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #79
Peek Inside Bordeaux’s New Cité Du Vin, The Disneyland For Wine Lovers: Earlier this week, the French city of Bordeaux solidified its reputation as the Mecca of the wine world, with the opening of its long-awaited, 10-story, $9 million monument to viticulture, La Cité du Vin, or City of Wine. How to Rank the Restaurant Rankings: In a crowded field, choosing a best-of list on which to base your reservation can be a maddening exercise. Here’s a handy breakdown of the restaurant rankings currently carrying weight. Festa a Vico: Three days of food immersion in the bays of Naples: Vico Equense, a small town in the greater bay of the Naples metropolitan area, beautifully located on a tuff cliff, from 29th till 31st of May transformed itself into a big restaurant with hundreds of chefs cooking on the streets and thousands of food lovers enjoying their creations. This will happen in the occasion of the twelfth edition of Festa a Vico. What is Festa a Vico? The whole … [Read more...]
Matthieu Chaumont (Hortense): The man who introduced a cocktail culture in Brussels
The cocktail bar scene in Brussels was pretty non-existant before Matthieu Chaumont, the owner and cocktail master of Hortense opened his bar in Place Sablon in 2012. Although the cocktail bar scene in Belgium is pretty vibrant particularly in the Flemish cities of Antwerp and Gent, Brussels did not have a proper cocktail bar like the one created by Matthieu four years ago. He attributes this to the fact that there was no cocktail culture in Brussels despite the presence of a large expat community for a very long time. "For example, I don't remember my parents ever drinking a cocktail. When they would go out, they have a tendency to order a glass of wine or beer but I have never seen them drinking a cocktail," he tells me. Matthieu has over the past four years worked to change this trend and he seems to be managing thanks to a receptive audience which is now becoming more and more interested in exploring new things. "In our first year, our crowd was mainly composed of expats but … [Read more...]
Unique 16 hands dinner at the Ferme d’Achêne in the Namur province
A unique 16 hands dinner is being organised by Roland Swinnen in the Province of Namur on 18 and 19 June. Eight chefs will be cooking together in what is a first for the Namur region. Called Enjoy the Pleasure, the event is an opportunity to taste dishes of eight chefs in a seven course meal. The chefs taking part in this event are Gregorio Clavello (Au Gré des Saisons, Achet), Ludovic Vanackere (L'Atelier de Bossimé, Loyers), Régis Alexandre (Le Comptoir du Goût, Ciney), Olivier Brucknet (L'Olivier 4, Dave), Simon Denis (Le Comptoir de l'Eau Vive, Erpent), Grégory Gillain (L'Agathopède, Namur) and Frédéric Rolland (Rolland-Warnon, Hamois). There is one thing that these chefs have in common. For them, gastronomy is pleasure. They love to surprise their guests with new creations but also to return back to the basics and focus on simplicity. Their mantra is to cook with integrity and to use good quality produce. This event takes place at the Ferme d'Achêne, a farm built in 1641 … [Read more...]
San Degeimbre creates menu for new temporary rooftop restaurant in Brussels
After the successful opening of San Degeimbre's restaurant San in Rue de Flandres in central Brussels, the two starred Michelin chef of L'Air du Temps has created a menu for Orangery, a new rooftop restaurant that opened on 1 June and which will remain open until 30 September. In the heart of Brussels, the new restaurant can be found at the top floor of Parking 58 at 1 Rue de l’Evêque. The location has been known among Brussels insiders as the car park from which you can get a stunning view of Brussels from its top floors. The menu, created by Degeimbre, will change every 15 days. The owners of the parking have created this temporary restaurant with a breathtaking view. The restaurant is open for lunch from Monday to Friday. A temporary bar, Skybar 58 will be open on the weekends. The rooftop also houses a stunning garden from which to savour either the four-course lunch menu, the cocktails served in the evening at the bar, or to soak in the 360 views of Brussels. … [Read more...]