Awarded Rakas Restaurant & Bar is a charming venue with a unique ambiance and menu crafted from local ingredients prepared with a modern twist. Housed next to the reception in a main building shaped like a five-pointed snowflake, it features an impressive centrepiece fireplace, huge panoramic wondows, large summer terrace and pine cone lamps.
Situated within the bustling Mall of Asia Complex, Conrad Manila is the premier haven for smart luxury amid panoramic views of Manila Bay and its famed sunsets while being just minutes away from the domestic and international airports, business and leisure districts.
The menu of Rakas Restaurant plays harmoniously with local ingredients combined with inspirations from the international cuisines. The flavours, mouthfeel and beautiful presentation of each dish are taken carefully into account, creating holistic experiences.
The word Rakas is Finnish and can be translated as my beloved, it reflects their passion for great culinary experiences, local food made with love and most of all how they treat their beloved guests.
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Whether you’re after a leisurely brunch, a light snack, an alfresco lunch, a casual dinner or cocktails on the terrace, The Spot restaurant is the place to be.
Provided By Makumu Private Game LodgeThe Spot Restaurant at Chedi Luštica Bay is a relaxed dining option featuring hearty cuisine, signature cocktails and sweeping marina views. By day, drift in from the beach, soak up the relaxed ambience of the marina promenade, and enjoy endless sea vistas. When evening falls, head in for dinner and cocktails, served into the night with a menu built around locally foraged herbs and blended by the master mixologists. You’re also invited to opt for a sampling of regional wines, or a special selection of international whiskies and cognacs.
The Spot is an all-day brasserie serving fresh, healthy, and satisfying fare in a rustic atmosphere. A warm and stylish space, the restaurant plays with outdoor elements combining textured stone walls, rustic wood-beamed ceilings, and soft pendant lighting, which provides a luminous ambience at night. Indoor tables are treated to the culinary theatre of the showpiece open kitchen.
Executive chef Željko Knezović, who trained at Noma in Copenhagen, delivers sophisticated Mediterranean dishes on the waterfront, with emphasis on Adriatic food, although meat lovers won’t be disappointed with the likes of slow-cooked melt-in-the-mouth meat.
Rakas Restaurant and Bar is situated in Lapland, one of the most magical places on earth could you tell us a bit more about how the concept for Rakas came about?
What or who is the most important thing in the world? Where is your heart? Where do you put all your cares and passion? The right answer is Rakas, which is the Finnish word for beloved. That is our concept.
Where did your love for food originate from?
When I was a kid, I loved to cook and bake with my mother, but then I forgot about cooking for few years. Somehow when I entered into military service, I chose a maintenance platoon. We had a wild food course. We hunted, fished, picked up roots and berries and cooked everything on an open fire. So, we actually were way ahead of trends before all this became trendy. A couple of NATO-peacekeeping trips taught me that food, especially tasty food, is the mightiest force in the world. You can see smiling faces everywhere when you donate food to kindergartens or have a great BBQ-night with a few hundred peacekeepers. Finland is the 6th times running world’s happiest country, so I salute all my colleagues.
How long have you been at Rakas and what was your journey leading up to Head Chef?
I have been working at Rakas for over two years and it has been a wonderful experience. I have been working in Lapland since 1999 and I have always been passionate to show the best of Lappish cuisine and ingredients. In the early 2000’s I already had my own kitchen and that was my starting point of my journey to share the pleasure of original flavours that you can only find in Lapland.
What do you believe makes Rakas a go-to destination for diners?
I think by adding dining at Rakas to your activities list and vacation itinerary you will experience Lappish culture in the best possible way, and of course have a lovely night with great service, a magical atmosphere and an award-winning locally sourced menu.
Rakas - local food with love. It tells it all, you can experience Lappish culture in a beautiful atmosphere combined with heartfelt service and indulge yourself with the taste of Lapland.
What goes into creating a successful menu? P ided By Rakas Restaurant & Bar
Always having the guest in mind and what they want to experience in Lapland. Restaurant Rakas draws inspiration from Arctic design and lifestyle and Lapland nature. My passion is to deliver all these incredible flavours from the wild nature directly to our guest’s plate. Always aiming for the wow-factor.
How big a role do the seasons have on your menu?
Rakas has a seasonally changing menu. Life here in the Arctic Circle can be tough and extreme, but Mother Nature rewards us with multiple seasons of fishing, hunting and the bounty of nature, that we are proud to present to our guests.
Who do you look up to in the industry?
I have met and worked together with several great chefs, but I think Noma opened the doors to whole world to present Scandinavian kitchen as it is and has been.
During your journey, what have you found to be the most important recipe for success?
Work hard to achieve your goals and always be hungry for more, but not forgetting to take care of your loved ones. And of course, interaction with your colleagues and the farmers producing the ingredients used in the kitchen. It is important to just sit down, eat and share thoughts together with them.
What does the future hold for Rakas?
We are always looking for new ways and tastes to fully emerge the Lapland experience and create some fascinating culinary surprises. We welcome all our guests with opens arms to experience them first hand.
GERMANY
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The cuisine of the Restaurant Empire embarks on culinary journeys around the world, inspired by the travel routes of the HMS Victory.
Immerse yourself in the variety of flavours of the Caribbean, North America, the Mediterranean countries or the North Sea. Here regional and seasonal products merge with culinary delights from all over the world.
Both the service and the kitchen crew work like clockwork in order to make sure the guests will enjoy a wonderful dinner.
The restaurant interior and ambience combines a unique combination with clean, white colours, high ceilings and a beach-exotic feeling, by having plenty of real palm trees.
Provided By Restaurant "EMPIRE" at Hotel Victory Therme Erding
Viajante87 is an intimate, high-energy experiential hideaway located in the heart of Notting Hill, threading a pan-pacific influence that is reflected in its design, food, and cocktails.
The bar food menu uses the finest seasonal and sustainable ingredients, featuring dishes like crispy rice topped with the likes of spicy salmon, guacamole & fresh truffle, and habanero teriyaki duck; a range of delectable taco maki’s, carnitas in lettuce wraps and kushiyaki’s that perfectly complement Viajante87’s iconic cocktails.
The seductive yet elegant late-night destination, where Tokyo meets Tulum, offers an array of classic and innovative agave-based creations. Encompassing a zero waste drinks philosophy, Viajante87 has its own dedicated mixology lab creating cutting-edge cocktails using avant-garde crafting techniques.
The cocktail development is spearheaded by Bar Director Panos Kanatsoulis and his team of highly experienced bartenders. Part of the allure is the personalised table service provided by the team who explain the cocktails ingredients, origins and intricate processes to every guest, as well as the bar’s zero waste and sustainability ethos.
When hunger calls before, during or after your urban explorations around Lisbon, MATIZ Lisboa takes you on a culinary journey that requires no walking.
Lunch and dinner feature a delicious array of contemporary Portuguese dishes, orchestrated by Executive Chef Daniel Schlaipfer. Turn any evening into a night to remember by ordering a tabletop barbecue featuring succulent lavender-smoked meat. Sample seafood and shellfish that was fished that morning, and cooked to order and perfection.
The outdoor terrace that spills out onto Avenue Liberdade is a charming setting at all times of day to see and be seen.
THE PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN
How did you become a digital creator and get to where you are today?
I actually didn’t plan on becoming a creator – I studied law, so I was planning on a totally different career path. I started sharing my travels and lifestyle online just for fun, but somehow my number of followers grew pretty quickly (back then it was so much easier to grow on IG). At some point hotels and brands started reaching out to me and I quickly decided this is what I want to do as my main source of income. A decision I never regretted!
Focusing on gourmet dining this month, can you tell us about some of your best experiences you have had and where they were?
In my experience, some of the best places to dine at are wellness hotels in the Austrian and Italian Alps. They usually have half-board offers, where a fine dining menu is included. Some of my recent favourites were Hotel Bergfried and Hotel Post Lermoos. In my hometown Munich, my top recommendation for gourmet dining would be the Schwarzreiter Gourmet Restaurant (1 Michelin star), which is located inside the Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten Hotel.
What is your favourite and least favourite part of your job?
My favourite thing about my job is that I get to discover so many exciting new places and cultures and at the same time I am completely flexible regarding my time and place of work. Plus, I get to be super creative!
My least favourite part is that travelling in my case is not only about relaxing and enjoying the moment, but actually involves a lot of stress and work. As a creator, you have to plan everything in detail (from shooting locations to matching outfits), get up at 6am to shoot when places are empty and will always stress about getting the perfect shot. That can be exhausting sometimes ;-(
List the top 3 countries on your bucket list and why?
My bucket list changes pretty often, but I would say at the moment my top three countries are Oman (because I am absolutely fascinated by the Arabic culture and the desert), French Polynesia and the Bahamas (do I really need to give a reason here?!
What does your daily work routine look like?
This depends a lot on whether I am at home or travelling. When I’m home my daily work mainly consists in responding to emails, reviewing contracts & collaborations, writing invoices, editing pictures from previous trips, posting and being active on Instagram and, of course, planning upcoming travels.
When I’m travelling my day usually starts pretty early with 1-2 photoshoots, then I have breakfast and start sorting through the pictures and edit them. In the afternoon I will try to relax a bit, explore the country and maybe do some more content production. The evenings are usually spent with editing work and catching up on emails/administrative work.
Tell us why you love what you do.
Because I get to travel to amazing places and hotels, discover new cultures and meet great people in the process. Plus, I just love to do creative work! This job makes me feel so happy and fulfilled :)
Do
In the next 3-4 months I have planned trips to Kitzbühel & Berchtesgaden (with Kempinski), to Venice (with Hyatt Centric), to South-Tyrol and to London. I will soon start choosing some more exciting destinations for fall and winter. I am currently considering Rome, Sicily, Madrid, Morocco, Tunisia, Oman and maybe the Seychelles or Maldives again!
Your top gourmet restaurant recommendations and why
My number one top gourmet restaurant recommendation is Taiko. They have two outlets (one in Amsterdam and one in Dubai) and I can guarantee you: their creations will completely blow your mind! Hands down the best culinary experience I’ve had in my life. The Shisha Sushi and Wagyu are just out of this world. The two restaurants alone are a reason to travel to either of these places asap!
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Enjoy the welcoming surroundings of what will surely become one of the best places to eat and enjoy drinks in Burnley. The atmosphere at Wilfred’s Restaurant & Bar is set by its elegant décor of dark Iroko, sumptuous fabrics and polished brass accents which lend a strong and sophisticated feel to the ambience in the evenings.
Wilfred’s is open for dinner every evening and although they have an enviable reputation for creating food that wows, you would be making a mistake by visiting them purely just for dinner alone. In fact, you simply can’t visit without a pre (and post) dinner drink in Wilfred’s Bar.
During vibrant family Saturdays and lazy Sunday lunches, the light streams through the floor to ceiling windows which casts light throughout the restaurant producing an altogether brighter and airier feel. Children love the menu which has something for every little VIP! Bring warm coats for the children –they’ll love the outdoor adventure play centre. You might enjoy the peace and quiet that affords you too we suspect!
Provided By Wilfred’s Restaurant
FOOD T WITH A SIDE OF
Next month we explore the beauty of Asia from Chennai India to Ubud in Bali, Indonesia.
