COPENHAGEN: Kristian Baumann, chef of Restaurant 108, has announced the closure of the restaurant 108 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant is co-owned with René Redzepi among others. "It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Restaurant 108. Due to the negative consequences of the global pandemic and in particular the drastic reduction in the number of international tourists visiting Copenhagen, we have concluded that it is no longer economically sustainable to operate 108 in the current location." "I wish to thank every member – past and present – of our incredible team, for helping make 108 a truly special place. I would not have come so far or achieved so much without you. I also wish to thank our guests and our friends within local and international food media, as well as those at The White Guide, Michelin and World’s 50 Best Restaurants, for their many years of support - I am forever grateful to you all," said Kristian Baumann, Headchef and … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2020
First authentic American smokehouse to open in Hong Kong
HONG KONG: SMOKE & BARREL, which opens its doors on 32 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong in early October promises to be the first authentic American smokehouse barbecue joint. The brainchild of chef-restaurateur duo Chris Grare and Arron Rhodes, Smoke & Barrel follows hot on the trails of their first successful restaurant co-venture, Kinship, that opened in May 2019. Leading the Smoke & Barrel kitchen will be Southern native Head Chef Christopher Tuthill, who has roots in Albuquerque, New Mexico, together with American Chef Chris Grare. Prior to joining Smoke & Barrel, Chef Tuthill helmed the kitchen at prestigious private member’s club The American Club Hong Kong, in addition to spending 9 years working in Texas – the state hailed as the birthplace of barbecue. Smoke & Barrel captures the heart of old-school American barbecue, using all-American meats, slow-and-low traditional cooking techniques, and the one and only authentic … [Read more...]
Tartarun and fish charcuterie: Can the Maltese fish restaurant be reinvented?
MARSAXLOKK: When chef James Schiavone stumbled upon the way Josh Niland was working with fish he knew he had to try to do something similar. The author of the book The Whole Fish Cookbook has changed the way many think about fish. But he needed to convince his family, his parents and his brother who together run the Maltese fish restaurant Tartarun in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. His father in particular, who wakes up early each morning to source the fish from the fish market was not convinced that aging fish was something that could work. But he still approved of the purchase of a small fridge that would enable his son to dry-age fish and make fish charcuterie. Decisions at Tartarun, in particular relating to investments at this family-run restaurant that has been open for more than 10 years in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, Malta are taken by the whole family. The motto at the restaurant, but also pretty much everywhere else on the island is that the fresher the … [Read more...]
Summer 2020: Odds and ends
Henry David Thoreau once wrote that one must maintain a little bit of summer even in the middle of winter. You cannot really fault him with that. But there is also the other side to summer, the one where all good intentions go to waste. Finding a writing routine is always a priority for me but summer has a way of disrupting that routine. Not that I am complaining. Writing therefore ended up on the back burner for various reasons. Loss of routine was one of them but also because without realising the previous months had taken their toll when it came to fatigue. Every summer starts with the intention of finding a routine during holidays. But despite all the good intentions, every summer that routine makes way for a certain amount of spontaneity that makes writing close to impossible. Working from home, the lockdown, stress, homeschooling and no break since pretty much Christmas meant there was a level of fatigue that had accumulated which I was not even aware of. How did I … [Read more...]
TATE introduces private home dining experience
HONG KONG: Vicky Lau, chef of TATE Dining Room in Hong Kong is introducing Date by TATE, a new private home dining experience and online gourmet shopping platform that brings a Michelin-starred restaurant experience directly to the home. The service is designed to be enjoyed for any occasion from birthdays to date nights or simply celebrating the end of a busy week. Date by TATE enhances the at-home dining experience with a fully-catered multi-course menu, beverage pairing and a specially curated music playlist. “Date by TATE isn’t your average restaurant takeaway and delivery service. Our team has worked tirelessly to design a French Chinese home gastronomic experience that reflects the quality of any dine-in journey at TATE Dining Room, down to the last details. In today’s stressful COVID-19 era, we hope to give our guests all the tools they need to celebrate meaningful occasions over exquisite cuisine, even despite the current lockdown restrictions,” said Vicky Lau, chef … [Read more...]