A few years ago my wife was celebrating her birthday on a Sunday. Armed with a list of 10 restaurants I wanted to take her to, I discovered to my dismay that they were all closed on Sunday. This was Brussels but Paris, just one hour and 20 minutes away by train is no different. The reason for Sunday closure is understandable though frustrating for visitors who do not have a choice. Many restaurants want to give their staff a well deserved weekend break. Beggars cannot be choosers so finding yourself in certain cities on a Sunday or Monday (depending on where you are) requires careful planning. Luckily in Paris, there are places that are open if you know where to look or who to ask. Clamato was one of the options for seven like-minded people from all corners of the world who happened to meet for the workshop of the World Restaurant Awards that was officially launched earlier this week. This fish restaurant/wine bar does not take any bookings and the wait promised to be long … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2018
World Restaurant Awards to be launched on 18 February 2019
Some of the world’s top chefs and food writers convened in Paris for a workshop that officially launched the World Restaurant Awards which will be held for the first time on 18 February 2019. The workshop was aimed to discuss the categories for the awards, the judging panel composition and the methodology and code of practice. Among the chefs that were present in Paris on Monday 14 May for the launch of the Awards (originally the first awards were planned to be announced on the day) and who will form part of the judging panel where industry heavyweights Massimo Bottura, Dominique Crenn, Yannick Alleno, Elena Arzak, Daniel Humm, Clare Smyth, Alex Atala, Margot Janse, Virgilio Martinez, Rosio Sanchez, Corey Lee, Gert de Mangeleer and Manu Buffara to mention just a few names. Mauro Colagreco (who was in Argentina to celebrate his father’s 80th birthday), René Redzepi, David Chang and Esben Holmboe were not present for the workshop but be on the judging panel which is split between … [Read more...]
Applications open for Niko Romito year long cooking course
Niko Romito’s cooking school has opened the registrations for the next course which starts on 1 October 2018. The Professional Italian cuisine course of the Niko Romito academy is aimed to train future professionals in the restaurant world. It is aimed at those that have a diploma from a hotel school or those who are passionate and want to learn the principles and techniques of the Italian kitchen. The course lasts one year and is held at the Niko Romito academy, a cookery school that is annexed to Ristorante Reale and Casadonna, the three Michelin star restaurant and hotel of Cristiana and Niko Romito. The one year course, which ends in October 2019 allows students to study, practice and work throughout the year. Those taking part in the course will also be able to gain experience at one of Niko Romito’s Spazio restaurants which was created by the Italian chef to give his students real-life experience in a restaurant while enabling clients to learn about the chef’s cooking … [Read more...]
Young Maxime Maziers takes over Brussels institution Bruneau
Maxime Maziers, the 29-year-old chef of the one Michelin star Brussels restaurant L'Ecailler du Palais Royal has announced today that he will be taking over the legendary Brussels restaurant Bruneau. The young Belgian chef had been sous-chef at Restaurant Bruneau and worked under Jean-Pierre Bruneau for five years before moving on to clinch a star for L'Ecailler du Palais Royal. Maziers announced that he will become the chef-patron of Bruneau and will retain the name of the restaurant of previous chef who retired and closed the restaurant earlier this year on 22 January. Bruneau had said when he closed the restaurant due to retirement that he hoped that the person who took over the would be a 'chef-patron' and not just an investor looking to place a chef in the restaurant. "Today's trend, if you look at the top restaurants is that they are owned by investors who put a chef to work there. What I wanted was not an investor but someone who was passionate to start with. I am extremely … [Read more...]
Mélanie Englebin teams up with Philippe Limbourg to take Cécila on tour
Mélanie Englebin, chef of former Brussels restaurant Cécila which closed its doors in summer last year will be touring Belgium in what she is calling 'Cécila' on tour. The Brussels Gault & Millau young chef of the year 2017 has teamed up with Philippe Limbourg, former director of Gault & Millau to organise a series of events around Belgium. The first event will take place at Brussels gourmet supermarket ROB on Friday 1 June and Saturday 2 June at 8pm. Melanie Englebin will also be cooking in the Belgian province of Namur and Luxembourg as well as in Flanders during the summer months. The young chef became famous in Brussels for sending out a Brussels politician from her restaurant when the pedestrian zone threatened to kill many businesses in central Brussels. Last year she closed her restaurant not only because of the pedestrianisation of the Brussels centre but also because the kitchen was small and placed constraints on her. She told Food and Wine Gazette that … [Read more...]
Alexandre Couillon is third guest of Christophe Hardiquest for Bon Bon Origins dinner
Alexandre Couillon, the French chef of two Michelin star restaurant La Marine in Noirmoutier will be the third chef to cook at the Bon Bon Origins collaborative dinner series. The dinner takes place on Tuesday 29 May at the restaurant in Brussels. Christophe Hardiquest, chef of the two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Bon Bon launched Bon Bon Origins out of the desire to rediscover traditional Belgian recipes that have stood the test of time but deconstructing them and bringing them to life again in a contemporary way, he will be organising collaborative dinners with different chefs that are focused on their own terroirs. Tickets for the dinner will be on sale from Monday 7th May at 6pm on the restaurant website. Alexandre Couillon needs no introduction. He was Gault & Millau French chef of the year in 2017 and also featured in Chef's Table's season on French chefs. He is at the moment of of the most important ambassadors of French cuisine today. The chef's philosophy, … [Read more...]
Moeder Lambic to open Pasta Madre in Brussels with top Bologna pizzaiolo Francesco Oppido
Francesco Oppido in Bologna, known for his contemporary pizza and his quality beers is set to open a new pizzeria in Bologna but Italian food magazine Gambero Rosso has announced that he is currently working on his first ever project outside Italy. The team at Moeder Lambic have recently signed a deal with the new owners of a hotel, A la Grande Cloche, that was built in 1840. The owner of the hotel will be completely restoring the hotel while the restaurant will be in the hands of Francesco Oppido, in partnership with Moeder Lambic. Pasta Madre will be a pizzeria which will open in the beginning of 2019, Jean Hummler of Moeder Lambic told Food and Wine Gazette. It will also have a small kitchen which will accompany the pizza oven. Oppido is known for his doughs (he comes from a family of pizzaioli though he started his career as a pastry chef).Originally from Crotone, he has become famous in Bologna for his restaurants that are focused on his two passions, pizza and artisanal … [Read more...]