WG Magazine - a feast for the palate... August 2016 Issue

AUGUST 2016

a feast for the palate...

ANNIE FÉOLDE

Florence To Dubai

ENRICO CEREA ROBERTO CEREA The Culinary Brothers

JONNIE BOER De Librije

YOSHIHIRO NARISAWA

REIF OTHMAN

Dining in Dubai

THOMAS BÜHNER

Innovative Satoyama Cuisine

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Editor Lifestyle Editor

Fabian deCastro Doug Singer

Culinary Editor

Corey Siegel, CEC®

Culinary Editor

Claudia Ferreres

Feature Editor Contributing Editor

Oilda Barreto Michael Hepworth

FJMdesign Photography Consultant Creative Design Studio Publisher

IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

‘ WOGOA FOUNDATION

Identifying underprivileged children with culinary ambitions...

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WG™ New York Doug Singer - Head of Operations, North America 404 East 66 Street, Suite 2E New York, NY 10065 E-mail: doug@wgmagazines.com WG™ Middle East Representative Cinzia Garau P.O.Box 118138, Dubai, U.A.E. E-mail: cinzia@wgmagazines.com Marketing & Advertising Joel Savio Nazareth Call: +91 832 246 3234 E-mail: joel@wgmagazines.com Web Administrator Joel Savio Nazareth

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Cover Image Credit: Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa - Narisawa Restaurant, Tokyo Satoyama Scenery Photo © Sergio Coimbra

G MAGAZINES

The August issue of WG will deliver a palate satisfying journey and a theme that seems to be all about family. Some of our fondest memories stem from our time with loved ones around the dining table and we will explore how these times inspired an array of chefs across the globe. A warm welcome to the newest member of our editorial team - Culinary Editor, Claudia Ferreres from Barcelona.

We will start with a visit to Florence with Annie Féolde and her family of hoteliers before visiting with two talented chefs who also happen to be brothers in Brusaporto, Italy. Next we’re off in search of epicurean enlightenment at Tokyo’s Narisawa with Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa before stopping in on Jonnie Boer with his iconic restaurant De Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands. A stopover in Oslo at the three Michelin star restaurant of Esben Holmboe Bang, a short stop in Copenhagen with the new head chef of Relæ, Jonathan Tam. Cristina Bowerman, one of the few female Italian chefs awarded a Michelin star will walk us through her storied background. Continuing with the family theme, Dubai’s Reif Othman recounts his early experiences in the kitchen helping his mom and while in the City of Gold we will stop in at Brasserie 2.0, Bits to Bites with Jorge Rivero of Pachanga, luxury fine dining at the world’s highest restaurant - At.mosphere, Toro Toro, COYA Dubai, La Petit Maison…

Our journey will next take us to Osnabruck, Germany to stop in on one of the great German Chef’s, Thomas Bühner and then it’s off to Peru where Mitsuharu Tsumura’s passion for Japanese and Peruvian cuisine led him to create Maido and Rafael Piqueras who enlightens us with his broad experiences and mastery. Goa’s Desbue will inspire us with European cuisine while New York’s Cosme will bring the Flat Iron district to life.

The next leg of our journey will be into the world of North-Western Indian cuisine at The Ritz Carlton’s Riwaz prior to wrapping up at Hilton Bangalore’s Embassy Golf Links restaurant, The Salt Grill.

This issue displays a wide array of talent that is both new and exciting and seems to be laying the groundwork for the next generation of culinary entrepreneurs and tastemakers. The team at WG crafted this with their continued passion and commitment to shining a light on the best from around the world.

Doug Singer Lifestyle Editor

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AUGUST 2016

MAGAZINES

CONTENTS 42

Florence to Dubai

56

Culinary Brothers

70

Innovative Satoyama Cuisine

84

De Librije

94

Cristina Bowerman

102 Maaemo 112 PLAY 124 Brasserie 2.0 134 From Bits To Bites 142 COYA Dubai 150 Luxury Fine Dining Is Sky High

Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa Narisawa Restaurant, Tokyo Photo © Sergio Coimbra - WG August 2016

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160 Urban French Dining In Dubai 164 Toro Toro 170 La Petite Maison 174 La Vie 188 Peru In His Heart 198 A Tribute To Peruvian Flavors 202 Jonathan Tam 214 Desbue 220 Cosme 222 Black Lion 224 Riwaz 230 The Salt Grill

SATOYAMA SCENERY At my restaurant, the first dish we present to guests is the “Satoyama Scenery.� We make a forest essence using oak and cedar trees, and produce a forest floor with soybean yogurt, made using vital Japanese fermentation techniques.

Please give the dish a stroll, and try some of the fallen branches and seeds at your feet. These flowers and leaves provide a fragrant aroma, changing with the seasons.

Yoshihiro Narisawa

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E X C E P T I O N A L A L W A Y S B U T

W E ’ L L

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H O O S I N G

S T E P

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M O R E

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I M P O R T A N T L Y

A N D

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A B O U T

P A Y I N G

M O M E N T

I S

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D I S C O V E R I N G

PA S S I O N AT E

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M E E T I N G

T H E Y

M E N

B E S T

T H E

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‘ WOGOA FOUNDATION

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WG MAGAZINES

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ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

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WG MAGAZINES

Annie Féolde Born in Nice, France to a family of hoteliers, Annie Féolde’s grandparents and parents spent their entire lives working at the Négresco in Nice taught Annie all about the two main sides to a life spent serving the public “the huge pleasure you gain from contact with people and the equally huge sacrifice you make in terms of your private life.” That is precisely why she did everything to avoid becoming a chef after seeing for herself how many sacrifices you have to make.

Following her passion for languages, she travelled to London for a year studying English, worked in a post office in Paris and then Italy.

A love story began in the early 70’s when this young French woman studying Italian in Florence where she met Giorgio Pinchiorri a keen wine collector and Italian sommelier – it was love at first sight, they both became inseparables and continue to this day.

As an aficionado of French and Italian wines, Giorgio needed some food to accompany his fine cellar… And it is that modest role which led Annie on the path to becoming the first woman in Italy to win three Michelin stars which she still retains.

This self-taught chef was presumptuous enough to consider herself capable of opening her own business and in 1979 Annie opened her first restaurant - Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, she had to figure out how to do it, how to present herself, how to imagine something new and different. With wines from France which Italians had only heard or dreamed of, Giorgio’s idea of selling wine by the glass in a restaurant was a novelty to savor fine wines by the glass paired with delectable gastronomic Italian cuisine.

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ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

The cuisine at Enoteca Pinchiorri is based on traditional foods of the Tuscan country side where Annie adds her original ideas to recipes to create culinary masterpieces. Annie Féolde’s amazing creativity and technique are applied to the best-quality ingredients, a striking a balance between Tuscany cuisine with a modern twist.

From Florence to Dubai… The Artisan by Enoteca Pinchiorri is a unique taste of Italy and a celebration of Italian excellence in Dubai.

With many artisans behind The Artisan, it is a story of daring souls who have been trained and enamored with the mythical Florentine institution.

The Artisan by Enoteca Pinchiorri’s underlying philosophy boasts of a strong focus on craftsmanship, with its unique contemporary expression of traditional Murano glass chandelier, the interiors speaks of grand dining rooms, a narrow entrance framing the space on arrival and stretching into the banquette seating areas, noble in finish yet casual in feel.

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WG MAGAZINES

With three Michelin stars to her name and a Florentine restaurant that's hailed as one of the best in Italy, Annie FĂŠolde has come a long way from being a postwoman in France.

GRILLED SCALLOPS

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ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

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THE ARTISAN’S SIGNATURE MARINATED PRAWNS

WG MAGAZINES

CRISPY TOAST TOPPED WITH FRESHLY HOME MARINATED SALMON

WG Magazine had the opportunity to catch up with Annie Féolde…

It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking.

Italy’s renowned three Michelin chef tells us how she found her way into the culinary field to become one of the most sought-after Chef in the world…

I was born in a family of hotel owners and i was used to a nice atmosphere at home from my childhood. We were very careful about nice meals, nice wines, and elegant table. A part from this, I was sad not to see my parents often because of their business and I decided never do such a job, for that reason.

Destiny pushed me to understand that Giorgio’s talent in the winetasting needed some help, because wine and food are complementary and that’s how I started to for cook: for his wines!

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ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

To be a great chef, you have to be a real person. It takes humanity and regard for others...

Chef Annie Féolde’s cuisine is a tribute to her superior gourmet flavors, innovative cuisine created from top quality Italian ingredients, a delicious twist on old Tuscany recipes that she revisited in a contemporary way – creating a composition of flavors, complex and modest yet impeccably balanced that results in an avant-garde dining experience…

When you start something with passion, you improve all the time because you keep looking for more quality and this means: ingredients, style, identity, comfort, respect, need to understand where you are and what people are looking for.

It’s such a big cocktail of sensations and research that you can never stop! The Italian food calls wine and wine needs nice food. It’s obvious that your palate improve itself and your mind gives you new ideas.

At that point, you cannot avoid to express yourself through your way of cooking!

Chef Féolde’s signature style cannot be found in a single dish but in your creative approach which is unique, she shares the process she goes to creating a new dish…

First of all, nobody is like the other, we all have a different style (good for the customers!) and often you don’t even realize that this detail will change the whole dish, or your latest surprise.

But otherwise you can have an idea in looking at ingredients at the market or in the fridge and all at once you want to try this with that.....

Anyway, it is necessary to taste the new dish a few times and talk about it with the first Chef.

There are always some details that can be improved and sometimes we also change our mind and forget about that dish, because we have to be really convinced before putting it on the menu.

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WG MAGAZINES

ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

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ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

Chef Féolde’s opinion on the best recipe that she has created and her inspiration…

The dish that I prefer is the seabass fillet topped with chopped black olives and thyme, served with a potato purée mixed with shallots and extra virgin olive oil.

I did this in honour of Tuscany, where we work, because the area not only produces very good wines but also the best olive oil of Italy!

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WG MAGAZINES

Chef Féolde’s tells us which ingredient inspires her…

For the moment I am crazy about porcini mushrooms, even if they are not all from Italy this year, because the weather was not normal. Most of the time we get mushrooms – and white truffles – directly from the man who looks for them, it’s more expensive but much better as taste and quality.

Chef Féolde says her favourite ingredients are vegetables, pasta and rice which she likes working with and there is not one ingredient that she hasn’t been able to master however Chef Féolde adds “I like everything and I used to be a very good pastry chef. Funny, because at first when I started my passion, I was not happy to touch butter; I am still surprised about this!”

STEAK TARTAR

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ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

LINGUINI SERVED WITH CLAMS AND CURED SARDINIAN GREY MULLET ROE

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FLORENTINE STYLE T-BONE STEAK

WG MAGAZINES

Special cooking techniques… “Nothing special, nice technique of course, but not too much, because the most important point is quality of ingredients, respect of the final taste which has to be clear in your mouth and then mixture between roots of the Tuscan traditions and evolution of our pleasure and needs.”

Produce, Creativity or Technique... “Everything together; these are the elements that are necessary for a good result.”

THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

In 1981 Annie Féolde won her first Michelin star, then in 1982 she won her second Michelin star, followed by the third Michelin star in 1993 to be the first women chef to earn three Michelin stars in Italy… “I was so surprised that you cannot imagine! I couldn’t believe it; it was a great honour for me, and especially for our restaurant. The Michelin stars are very important in France – where I was born – perhaps because the Guide started there and then extended itself in Italy etc, in Europe, and now even in America and in Japan.” Chef Féolde adds “I was as surprised about this as now, recently, when i was told that i will receive the medal of “La Légion d’Honneur” from the French Government!!!!!”

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ANNIE FÉOLDE - THE ARTISAN BY ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, DUBAI

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THE ARTISAN MILLEFEUILLE

WG MAGAZINES

Two experts in wine and fine cuisine met in Florence and started a food revolution which is known today as Enoteca Pinchiorri. A three Michelin star restaurant in Florence, a restaurant in Nagoya and in the Ginza district in Tokyo and The Artisan by Enoteca Pinchiorri in Dubai - Chef Féolde tells us what motivates her…

“I am very happy of course but I don’t feel superior to anybody because I know well that I should learn much more! The main point that convinced me to go to Japan 24 years ago was the possibility to introduce the Italian enogastronomy and I am still very keen on this. It’s a nice way to teach and learn!”

Since being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, Chef Féolde gives his take on chefs who are first entering the field today…

It is true, by now my job seems very special, important, “glamorous” as you said, ( and I am glad about this new impression, because before the chefs were completely forgotten, in their difficult conditions of work!) but when I have to talk to a young person who wants to start this job, I always underline that he has to get sure that he will like his work and first of all: “ be happy to please people” this is the secret of this job; you must be sure you do your best for relaxing people!

Remember that everything happens around a table!!!

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ENRICO AND ROBERTO CEREA - RISTORANTE DA VITTORIO, BRUSAPORTO, ITALY

Enrico Roberto Cerea and

The two celebrated culinary brothers of the “Ristorante Da Vittorio” It was clear that they were destined to follow in the family footsteps.

The history of the restaurant and the two talented brother chefs began 50 years ago with a love story…

In 1966 Vittorio Cerea was young and in love with a woman and a dream: to open a restaurant in Bergamo, a small town just outside of Milan, with his wife, Bruna. They had a deep passion for each other and food when they decided to open “Da Vittorio” restaurant.

It is located in an impressive villa, in the heart of an extensive country estate.

At that time and place in Italy it was rare to find fish on a menu, as meat was the predominantly popular restaurant fare. Yet, seafood dishes facilitated the restaurant’s growth, even though they were taking a huge risk at the time. It was a wise and esteemed choice which made them very successful thanks to their daily fresh deliveries and the creation of specialty dishes. So much so, that the small town of Bergamo soon became a vital stop for courtesans of haute cuisine.

Its accomplishments also brought them their first Michelin star in 1978.

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WG MAGAZINES

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ENRICO AND ROBERTO CEREA - RISTORANTE DA VITTORIO, BRUSAPORTO, ITALY

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LINGUINE MANTECATE CON VONGOLE, CREMA ACIDA E CAVIALE Photo © Paolo Chiodini

WG MAGAZINES

Their popularity, several accolades and recognition from prominent food critics in Italy and abroad, rewarded them with their second Michelin star in 1996. In a few years they joined the ranks of the “Best Restaurants in the World”. They were named “Relais Gourmand” and then became a part of the “Relais & Chateaux” and “Les Grandes Tables du Monde” circuits. The accolade occurred a few months after moving to an elegant villa at Brusaporto, in the lush Cantalupa hills.

In 2010 they received their exceedingly sought-after third Michelin star, making it one of the most exclusive gourmet restaurants in the world.

“Three Michelin Stars” guidebooks recognize and promote them, plus with the loyalty of a meteorically increasing clientele for over 50 years; they’ve maintained their three-star status. Acknowledgments to the insight of its founders: mother and father – Bruna and Vittorio – and improvements by their children, who have integrated the traditional with the latest techniques. This celebrated amalgamation brings the best out of the finest raw materials, sourced wherever they grow best and the newest approaches to haute cookery.

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ENRICO AND ROBERTO CEREA - RISTORANTE DA VITTORIO, BRUSAPORTO, ITALY

Enrico and Roberto Cerea grew up in the restaurant business and both brothers were brought in to help in the kitchen at an early age. All five children of Bruna and Vittorio Cerea who grew up in the restaurant’s kitchen still work in the family business, along with members of their families, being jointly responsible for continuing successes.

Executive chef Enrico Cerea, or Chicco, is the eldest son of Bruna and Vittorio. He was the first of the offspring to inherit the love of gastronomy.

Being the eldest, his parents instilled in him a love for gastronomy, how to be serious and proficient and to truly love the profession. It was hard work with a strict father but, he says it is thanks to him that he was able to develop a passion for food and discipline in the kitchen. Enrico chose to study foreign languages, which allowed him to work in some of the finest restaurants in the world. Like a true Junior Master Chef he was always tracking down cookery secrets, and where better to find these than in the world’s top restaurants? The language degree he completed helped him to quickly fit in everywhere. He trained for two years at “Tantris Restaurant” in Munich, Germany, with Heinz Winkler – then the youngest and also the first Italian chef to receive three Michelin stars. He honors Winkler as a significant mentor who considerably contributed to the expansion of his culinary technique. He went on to work with Sirio Maccioni in New York, at George Blanc’s restaurant in Vonnas, France, and with Ferran Adria at “elBulli” in Catalonia, Spain. Since he was a child, Enrico Cerea’s true, private food passion has been sweet. He enjoys experimented with his confectionary, creating rousing recipes and has always found motivation in crafting his delightful patisserie works of art.

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CASONCELLI DI TALEGGIO CON VREMA DI MAIS E TARTUFO NERO Photo © Fabrizio Donati

MAIALINO ORVIETANO, PUREA DI DATTERI, INSALATA DI PERE Photo © Paolo Chiodini

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ENRICO AND ROBERTO CEREA - RISTORANTE DA VITTORIO, BRUSAPORTO, ITALY

RISOTTO CON RAGOUT CROCCANTE DI SCAMPI E FOIE GRAS Photo © Paolo Chiodini

MERLUZZO TRA CONSISTENZE E COLORI DI CAROTE Photo © Paolo Chiodini

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Executive chef Roberto (Bobo) works alongside Enrico. The younger brother also has the same passion for good food as his big brother. He also started young, working in the kitchen at age eleven. He apprenticed by cleaning the fish and vegetables. He slowly began making some common dishes, but he too gained a passion from his parents with a desire to do it well and to keep up certain standards. Roberto trained with Michel Troisgros at his family’s restaurant, “La Maison Troisgros”, in Roanne, France, and with Roger Vergé, also in France. He added to this professional experience with training at a number of top culinary schools, including “Richemont School of Bakery and Confectionery” in Lucerne, Switzerland and “Lenôtre” in Paris. And like his high aptitude brother, he too

Roberto and Enrico

wandered for years through the world’s best restaurants, including with the unforgettable Troisgros brothers in Roanne and Roger Verger on the Côte d’Azur, before returning to the family restaurant in Bergamo.

Both brothers kept a keen eye on the family business. After completing their training, they returned to their home to work together, as a team. Their parents eventually stepped aside, leaving the siblings – their sister Rossella and other family members also working with them – to run the restaurant. As the business grew, they moved the restaurant to a luxury complex just outside of Bergamo. That’s where the restaurant’s third Michelin star was awarded in 2010 and has been retained ever since.

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ENRICO AND ROBERTO CEREA - RISTORANTE DA VITTORIO, BRUSAPORTO, ITALY

MOSCARDINI Photo © Fabrizio Donati

The wine cellar of Da Vittorio contains thousands of bottles protected by an exquisite cellar. It was built, brick-by-brick using materials over four hundred years old. Their “Rosso Faber” is a wine produced under the Da Vittorio brand that the family fought to create with the intention of rooting the ideology of the Cerea family. It is made using grapes from the family’s historic vineyard, which is lovingly cared for by Francesco Cerea.

The brothers head the most prosperous restaurant in the area, it is a true hub for seafood lovers, taking traditional dishes and recreating them with a modern twist. Their cuisine is based on fresh, choice produce prepared in the traditional manner and then utilizing the newest ways of working with the products. They search for the best, both in Italy and abroad with quality producers from Italy of cheeses and cured meats and the soil to grow authentically local, raw materials. Plus, they have the Mediterranean Sea that provides bountifully fresh fish. While their cuisine is Mediterranean, they constantly create and explore new kinds of cuisine from other countries, cultivating new passions. Even though the Da Vittorio is just half an hour away from the fashion capital of Milan, the Cereas’ cuisine is not influenced by current trends; they pursue their own style.

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FINTA CAPRESE Photo © Paolo Chiodini

GRANCHIO REALE AL VAPORE CON PRALINATO DI NOCCIOLA E BOTTARGA Photo © Paolo Chiodini

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TRIS DI SCAMPI IN COTTURE CREATIVE Photo © Paolo Chiodini

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Enrico’s greatest and most unbridled passion is desserts, where he has focused his culinary research. The results can be discovered in his book, “Peccati di Gola”, showcasing 36 exceedingly inventive dessert recipes.

The Da Vittorio has its own, traditional patisserie, which offers up to 30 different cakes, desserts and chocolates daily. Also the “Caffè - Pasticceria Cavour 1880” in Bergamo Alta is where the Da Vittorio style continues to shine. The building is on the ‘Locali Storici d’Italia’ or, ‘Historical Places of Italy’. It was a meeting place for Bergamo’s poets who gathered around the “Teatro Sociale”, another historical landmark for artists.

And it’s no wonder….It is a Viennese-style café with ancient frescoes and late 19th century friezes. On its counter are displayed delicacies in the magnificent tradition of the Master Patissiers of Da Vittorio. Every day one will find superb patisserie, lots of different cakes and desserts, croissants, cookies, handmade ice-cream and other Da Vittorio’s sweets.

At lunchtime, the café serves savory buffet specialties. The famous Sunday brunch is also renowned.

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ENRICO AND ROBERTO CEREA - RISTORANTE DA VITTORIO, BRUSAPORTO, ITALY

Because of their celebrated presence in Europe, the Cerea family is able to cater to the world. From Italy to Los Angeles the Cerea family takes its delectably gastronomic prêt-àporter around the globe. Thanks to a specially conceived transferable menu, dishes can be cooked directly on site.

Along with their superb style and excellent service, the Cerea name has gained prominence in world-wide catering.

The family also organizes elegantly fun evenings focused on mouth-watering events which are focused on one specific food, especially when seasonal products are at their peak. They likewise take special requests from groups of epicureans looking for gourmand evenings. This is when Enrico and Roberto give free rein to their talent, as they value food, for food conveys the soul of its maker; everything is prepared to their unique, delightful recipes. Even the “Da Vittorio Cookery School” teaches these values by involving participants on both an educational and emotional level.

Food aficionados can take beginners and advanced courses, do single-theme events, go on excursions to markets and production sites, and attend tastings and discussions, all with the kitchen staff, all coordinated by the Cerea brothers and their brothers-in-laws.

The brothers have two books; “Peccati di gola” is collaboration between chef and photographer, where the desserts put forward reminiscent landscapes and “Damare” is about learning more about raw fish and the tasty dishes made with it. Its title refers to the fact that its recipes are “of the sea”, mare, and are meant to be loved, “da amare”.

Let’s keep a close eye for where or what Enrico and Roberto will be embarking on next….

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Photo © FRANCESCA PISONI

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YODHIHIRO NARISAWA - TOKYO, JAPAN

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Yoshihiro Narisawa Born in the Chita peninsula in Aichi prefecture, south of Tokyo.

Yoshihiro Narisawa’s grandfather ran a Japanese sweet shop and father ran a western sweet shop. Naturally the kitchen was my playground. He grew up with a family who cooks with the freshest milk and eggs directly delivered from farms every morning. It was so natural for him to buy ingredients from producers but not the markets and he learnt the importance of knowing the face of the producers when he was a child.

Narisawa left Japan to train in Europe at the age of 19, eight years later he returned to Japan to open his first restaurant La Napoule in Odawara Cityto. The restaurant was renamed which reopened in Tokyo in 2003 and in 2011 it became Narisawa. Bringing best from his training in France, Yoshihiro Narisawa’s classical French cooking techniques with finest Japanese ingredients.

Chef Narisawa’s “Sustainability and Gastronomy” - This is the theme of Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa. He is a pioneer of cuisine connected to the preservation of the natural environment. Having travelled to his producers fields, having stepped into the earth, and having built a relationship with the natural world, he has created dishes such as ‘Soil Soup”, “Water Salad”, “Essence of the Forest”.

Through these signature NARISAWA dishes, natural ingredients such as wood and soil can be eaten, through this experience, the consumer gains a new relationship with the natural world, and with environmental concerns.

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YODHIHIRO NARISAWA - TOKYO, JAPAN

Taking this idea a step further is the theme, “Evolve with the Forest”, a calling towards the forests that make up the Japanese land. This theme captured the attention of chefs around the world, directing attention to their own countries natural lands, leading to chef Narisawa being named “Most Influential Chef” at Madrid Fusion 2010.

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FIVE TASTE

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AMADAI & SAKURA

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“Innovative Satoyama Cuisine” a food culture built on the richness of the natural Japanese environment- the satoyama and the respect of the one’s ancestors. A unique genre, not traditional Japanese cuisine, nor French: an original, NARISAWA cuisine, spreading its call to the world.

Traditional Japanese, Satoyama culture, where man and nature live together. This spirit of natural life using the same characters for the word nature (shizen) but a different pronunciation,”ji’nen” is beyond mere nature, but the whole natural, spiritual world, of which humans are but one part in its flow. From this, two ideas the chef continuously supports, “Sustainable,” towards the environment, and “Beneficial Gastronomy,” to eat healthy, fine food.

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Innovative Satoyama Cuisine WG Magazine catches up with Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa...

It’s interesting to learn how chef’s find their passion for cooking… tell us how you found your way into the culinary field to become one of the most sought-after Chef in the world!

For generations my family have been cooks. People share their happiness around the table and enjoy a meaningful time. I grew up watching this scene since I was a child. “Food/Eating” is a way to live, so people have a relation with it from the birth until the death. It’s life itself. My passion comes from my satisfaction to be able to deal with this.

Chef Narisawa tells us about his experiences training with iconic chefs in Europe with Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon and Chef Ezio Santin in Italy, especially Frédy Girardet who was most influential in his career…

All these chefs are great and they will leave their mark in culinary history. I was in the kitchen with them when they were active working very intensively with chef’s jackets. This was worth everything to me in my job with these great chefs. None of them compromised on anything and I learnt from them the spirit of the perfection of ingredients choice and accomplishment of the dishes.

Especially the time when I was with Girardet, it was shockingly hard and it was a time of my life. All of my acts were not accepted so I felt that I was denied, however I’m now pursing the strictness beyond the limit.

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SOIL SOUPE

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HIDA BEEFS

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Satoyama Scenery The landscape of Japan is defined by mountains and seas. Within this limited space, people have cultivated the earth, and grown rice.

People make use of the blessings from the mountains and the richness of the seas to make a living; this kind of place is called the Satoyama.

Taking from your environment only the most necessary resources, and living as a part of the flow of the natural world: this lifestyle is called “Satoyama Culture.�

In the Satoyama, man and nature walk together in close comfort.

As people regularly entering the Satoyama gradually diminish, however, so does any concern for wild greens and trees. The Satoyama is now taken for granted, and ignored by many.

I believe that, since long ago, a kind of wisdom has been passed from prior generations: an idea where one takes from the environment only what is necessary to live, only what the body needs to exist. And for as long as this knowledge has been known, it has been known as common sense.

But even now, many Japanese have forgotten that these wild mountain greens are edible.

Year-round, my restaurant receives wild greens directly from the Satoyama. Whether summer or winter, regional villagers enter the mountains, collect the greens, and mail them here. The kinds of plants growing in the mountains number over 2000, of which at least 500 are edible. Passing down this knowledge, separating the edible plants from the bad, discovering the treasures from nature: these people from the past made great use of this nature to maintain health.

The Satoyama is full of hidden allure, still unknown to anyone.

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NARISAWA’s Philosophy The gift of the seasons...

In Japan, our hearts naturally open up when it is time for us to enjoy the beauty of the nature, when blossoming spring flowers call anew for the sky, when birds begin to sing cheerfully, when the light autumn breezes caresses, when the round moon wanes gently to a slender crescent, and when each season dies and the next announces a promise of happiness and renewed fulfillment of one’s heart.

Being in the midst of nature, one will find “the signs”, “the prime” and “the remnants” of every changing thing. Beauty is present in each season, bringing nostalgia to Japanese hearts year-around. Treasuring the spirit of Japanese who traditionally believe that the spirit of the Gods lie in even the smallest elements of nature, we must cherish with our true heart the environment that produces ingredients. For my fellow men, I dream of reviving and resuscitating natural landscapes desecrated by men.

Bringing nature to a plate...

In order to bring our natural landscape and the particular strength of that season to a dish, one must carefully consider the main ingredients that forms the core of the dish. The smell, aspect and inner texture which were inspired by landscape will be added on the plate but the dish structure is built with only necessary ingredients.

Guests should fall under the spell of the season. They should not only be eating a meal, they should absorb life itself. And there is no feeling that can exist beyond that experience, for one cannot perfect that which nature has created.

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APRICOT

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Chef Narisawa brings nature to a plate, the natural landscape of the season where you carefully consider the main ingredient as the core of the dish, a composition of smell, textures which is full of flavours and perfectly balanced….

First of all, looking for the perfect ingredients, I always visit many places to find out the real ingredients produced by real producers.

Living in Japan and restaurant NARISAWA is in Japan, therefore I offer the ingredients that are only tasted here on that day. I express that real Japanese season on the dishes.

“Innovative Satoyama Cuisine” – Chef Narisawa shares the process…

I think/create all my dishes in the nature. Strict saying Japanese season is divided into twelve. Each season, spring, summer, autumn, winter, has its change like “beginning”, “peak” and “ending”. I create the dishes by receiving the inspiration from the scenery of each day.

I’d like to offer faithfully as possible as I can to the guests the aroma of wind, light and shadow of sun and moon, modest “charm” that we have now.

Chef Narisawa’s different techniques while creating his dishes…

I think that the material from nature is 100%. No matter what kind of genre dish, I use all techniques and plus add something. This means it is essential to finish the dishes to make people feel “deliciousness”.

Chef Narisawa has received about every honor imaginable – 2013 The Sustainable Restaurant Award number 1 in the World, 2015 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant number 1 in Japan, 2015 The World’s 50 best Restaurants number 8, Best in Asia and now in 2016 The World’s 50 best Restaurants number 8 – he tells us what motivates him…

Our profession doesn’t have neither goal nor end. Culinary approach is changing depending on the time. At the moment I’m thinking how to deal with the change of natural environment as a chef. We have to think how our children and people continue eating after 10 years, 50 years.

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JONNIE BOER - DE LIBRIJE, ZWOLLE, NETHERLANDS

Jonnie Boer

Text Oilda Barreto Photo © De Librije

At first set in a former 15th century Dominican abbey’s library in the center of Zwolle, Netherlands was a celebrated restaurant with a pioneering menu “De Librije”: the library. Jonnie Boer became De Librije’s head chef at the tender age of twenty-three. In 1993 he bought the iconic restaurant with his wife Thérèse, a well-respected Sommelier and hostess.

Chef Boer got his culinary start where he was born in Giethoorn where his parents owned a popular café, “De Harmonie”. After he graduated from the distinguished private chef course in Groningen he went to Amsterdam to work at “Lido”. He developed restaurant experience there, and then he went on to work at a Michelin star restaurant, “Boerderij” in Leidseplein, where he got his palate for genuine cooking. When he learned that there was a restaurant in Zwolle using regional products, he went for it. After a year as chef trainee he became head chef. Then in 1993 he and his wife procured it and became an overnight sensation. So much so, he was quickly awarded his first of three Michelin stars.

In 1997 Chef Boer became SVH-Master Chef by the Dutch Association of Restaurant Professional Skills (He is now a member of the judging committee). In 1999 the second star followed and Jonnie became the youngest two star chef in the Netherlands.

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In 1999 he received his second Michelin star, which made Chef Boer the youngest two-star chef in The Netherlands. In 2003 they joined the reputable association of ‘Tradition & Qualité Les Grandes Tables du Monde’ or, tradition & quality of the great tables of the world. To top these credits, in 2004 De Librije became the second restaurant in the Netherlands to be awarded the coveted three Michelin stars.

Fast-forward to April of 2010, De Librije was added to the ‘Worlds 50 Best Restaurants’ list, and remained there in 2011 and 2012. Then in 2014 De Librije achieved their highest listing of 29th place.

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TARTAAR VAN ROODBONT IJSSELRUND -FIST FOOD

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Restaurant De Librije is all about taking pleasure in creating amazing dishes with perfectly matched wines in distinctive surroundings. Pure ingredients from the region are at the heart of the kitchen’s flair. Chef Boer and his kitchen crew deliver culinary precision and Thérèse and her team guarantee an exceptional wine and dine amalgamation.

In between all of the accolades, in 2000 Jonnie and Thérèse published their second book ‘Puurst’ or, Purest (sequel to their book ‘Puuer’), which is known as, ‘the cooking, wine and spirits bible’. It won ‘Best chef cookbook in the world’ by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2013. Later they published two more books, ‘Puur Natuurlijk’ or, Naturally Pure and ‘Natuurlijk Genieten’ or, Enjoy Naturally. Both highly acclaimed books for gourmands of the world.

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JONNIE BOER - DE LIBRIJE, ZWOLLE, NETHERLANDS

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DISH DE LIBRIJE AMUSE COD TONGUE OF THE BBQ

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Chef Boer’s food was/is naturally delightful and his chef crafted condiments were very popular. He was regularly asked by guests if they could buy the jellies and other dressings served in De Librije. Thus, in September of 2005, Jonnie and Thérèse decided to open ‘Librije’s Shop’ where these items, specialty olive oils, spices, a wide range of the purest, culinary products are sold. All of the products have been prepared or selected with care, knowledge and expertise. In that same year Chef Boer also got the prestigious title of “Ridder in the Orde van Oranje Nassau” or, Knight of the Orange Nassau Order. The

Jonnie en Therese Boer

ever-evolving couple continued growing in 2006 when they went on the go with “Food on Tour”, De Librije’s catering business.

In 2006 the culinary couple purchased “Spinhuis”, a 1739 building which was a prison until 2004. They made it De Librije’s little sister restaurant or, “Librije’s Zusje” So they could begin the extensive restoration to ‘Librije’s Hotel’. In November of 2008, six months after their grand opening, Jonnie and Thérèse, along with their young kitchen staff, received a Michelin Star for the Librije’s Zusje -Little Sister- restaurant! In the same year Chef Boer won the ‘Eckhart Witzigmann’ prize from the “Deutschen Akademie für Kulinaristik” or, German Culinary Academy.

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JONNIE BOER - DE LIBRIJE, ZWOLLE, NETHERLANDS

SIGNATURE DISH DE LIBRIJE LANGOUSTINE, KOMBUCHA, BUMBU

But In May of 2008, their passionate long-time aspiration came true. Librije’s Hotel officially opened its historically epic doors.

Passion is Jonnie and Thérèse Boer’s motto at the Librije companies.

Passion for cooking, wines, gastronomy all with a contemporary approach and an aversion to fixed conventions. Librije’s Hotel offers its guests what Jonnie and Thérèse describe as the “ultimate hotel experience…” Butler service, a new Mercedes Benz S 400 HYBRID as hotel taxi, several guests’ boating sloops available, and the highest standards of hospitality. The lavish rooms and suites are individually furnished, each with their own color scheme to express their separate personalities.

Not surprisingly, shortly afterward in November of 2011, Librije’s Zusje was awarded its second Michelin Star. Since the relocation of De Librije, little sister Librije’s Zusje has also relocated. It is now located since May of 2014 in Amsterdam at the Waldorf Astoria.

The non-stop couple finally saw, in January of 2015 their restaurant De Librije move from the former Dominican monastery to the courtyard of Librije’s Hotel. The renovations installed a glass roof and climate control. The restaurant also has an open kitchen and a chef’s table.

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BASS, VENNEL CHLOROFYL, APPLE

CAPERS CABBAGE, SPICY NORTH SEA CRAB, GOOSE LIVER, YOUNG SUNFLOWERS, JUICE OF CARROTS AND MAGNOLIA

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One advantage of the new layout is that guests are able to enjoy a complete Librije experience, with everything under one roof: the hotel rooms, the delicacy shop, “Librije’s Winkel”, the Librije’s Hotel, and the cooking and wine studio, “Librije’s Atelier”. Jonnie and Thérèse were constantly approached with questions regarding the recipes and wines served at De Librije. This inspired them to launch Librije’s Atelier cooking and wine school.

Providing professional Miele equipment, several cooking and wine workshops teach the guests the ins and outs of Librije’s methods and philosophy.

SIGNATURE DISH DE LIBRIJE LANGOUSTINE, KOMBUCHA, BUMBU

In this exclusive setting, guests are able to cook in the same space that once housed the prison kitchen at the historic house of detention. The cooking courses focus on cooking with seasonal regional produce, in the same way Chef Boer works with them. They are taught basic principles of selecting and tasting wine, or how to make different types of appetizers at a cooking island or perhaps they are able to enjoy the pure flavors of their self-prepared 4-6 course dinner.

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CRISTINA BOWERMAN - ROME, ITALY

CRISTINA BOWERMAN Cristina Bowerman, one of the few Italian women chef awarded a Michelin star and other prestigious awards, was born in Italy in Cerignola, in the province of Foggia (Apulia).

After graduating in Law in 1992 she left Puglia for the United States, to San Francisco. In California she alternated forensic studies and graphic design to working at Higher Grounds, a coffee house in San Francisco where she developed her passion for cooking, that she had always cultivated largely due to her mother’s and grandmother’s teachings.

In 1998 she moved to Austin, where she earned a degree in Culinary Arts. There - in particular thanks to the experience at the Driskill Grill she developed discipline and technique, working a lot on sharpness, definition and concentration of flavors.

In 2004 she decided to come back to Italy. She gained an important first experience at the Convivio Troiani in Rome, before moving to Glass Hostaria, a restaurant that had been opened for one year at that time, in the heart of Trastevere, one of the most famous and touristic areas of Rome.

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Photo © Brambilla-Serrani

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LINGUINI PASTA WITH ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER WATER, ANCHOVIES FROM CANTABR Photo © Nunzio Gaeta

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Glass has always been far from the fake imaginary of Trastevere and from its culinary offer. It is a space contemporary in the environment and innovative in its philosophy and gastronomic proposal.

Cristina Bowerman started to propose her highly original cuisine, resulting from the different experiences - personal and professional – she made abroad, from the many internships at leading restaurants around the world that she attended to acquire new knowledge, to learn and refine the techniques she took back to Rome and reworked with her own twist. She managed to conquer a wide audience of locals and internationals with her kitchen, sometimes provocative and unsettling, but always recognizable and tasty, able to communicate - in an interesting mix - global and local, modernity and tradition.

In November 2012, after a radical renovation of a former Alfa Romeo factory in the Prati district of Rome, it was born Romeo Chef & Baker. Chef Bowerman curated the gastronomic proposal of this unique project: cooking and baking, a counter with a rich selection of excellent products, gourmet sandwiches and coffee... a radical versatility which tells of a creativity that is restless and free of preconceptions.

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In 2013, the idea of two Ape Romeo was born to let the proposal of Romeo travel. It was among the first Italian examples of what it would soon become one of the top trends in the underground restaurant: the food truck.

The project was extended in 2015 to Frigo, the van for the high quality ice cream by Cristina Bowerman, declined in a contemporary way, through the creation of original products such as the new cookie and the ice cream aperitivo.

The newest member is Romeo at Testaccio Market in Rome, a pop concept inspired by other international examples experienced by Cristina Bowerman. It is a simple stall in the most popular and busiest market, a place to buy freshly baked bread, meat, cheese, sandwiches but also the CUPS containing creams and soups, salads and fast gourmet meals to take away. Next to it there is also FRIGO to buy ice cream.

Cristina told her exciting story in a book published in 2014 by Mondadori: “From Cerignola to San Francisco and back - My countercurrent life as a chef.�

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60 MONTH AGED PARMESAN STUFFED RAVIOLI, ISIGNY BUTTER AND MUSHROOMS AND TRUFFLE Photo © Nunzio Gaeta

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CRISTINA BOWERMAN - ROME, ITALY

HAMACHI, RADISH, ALGAE AND LATTUCE Photo © Nunzio Gaeta

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GLASS HOSTARIA Photo © Aromi Creativi

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Photo © Brambilla-Serrani

Beyond creativity and quality of her culinary inventions, Cristina Bowerman has an emblematic career as she managed to emerge in an environment - such as haute cuisine - extremely biased towards males. This value has been recognized at TEDxMilano Women, the Italian event organized - in the spirit of the Californian TED Prize - to tell and promote “ideas that deserve to be lived.”

In 2015 Cristina Bowerman is the only woman selected as Chef Ambassador at Expo Milano 2015, the initiative aimed at creating an international network of opinion leaders, ready to convey the principles linked to the World Expo Theme: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. In November 2015 the Chef received the Prize ‘Aila Progetto Donna’ from Associazione Aila Italian Foundation for the Fight against Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis. Among her most beloved commitments, in 2015 she was the star of the biggest ACTION AID campaign ever. She is also very committed in the organization of Fiorano For Kids, annual event to raise funds to research on the therapeutic role of specific diets in the treatment of epilepsy in children.

From March 2016, Cristina Bowerman is in the Food Act Committee, the act between Italian cuisine and the institutions, at Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry Policies. In March 2016 it was awarded the prize “Identità nuove sfide” at Identità Golose 2016.

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ESBEN HOLMBOE BANG - MAAEMO, OSLO, NORWAY

Esben Holmboe Bang Norway’s and Chef Esben Holmboe Bang’s Mother Earth: “Maaemo” Text Oilda Barreto

The Oslo restaurant that Esben Holmboe Bang is both co-owner and head chef is “Maaemo”- a trailblazing three Michelin-starred Restaurant.

Translated in old Finnish, it means “Mother Earth” and the Danish chef couldn’t have picked a better name. You see, it’s his ideal. Chef Esben grew up in a family where sustainability and agriculture was of great importance, thus, much of the chef’s inspiration comes from the Earth, Mother Nature. His culinary focus is on accentuating the natural flavor and quality of the fresh, raw ingredients. He not only develops inspiration from nature for his creations but he also makes the unaffectedness of the ingredients the main factor in his dishes. He feels it is the right way to let Norwegian nature shine through on the plate.

Born in Copenhagen, the 33-year-old spent most of his young career in Oslo. He has always been influenced by his roots: being in a selfsustaining via farming/agriculture family, he has always been inspired by nature. So in 2009, he began working on his plan of opening a progressive Norwegian restaurant founded on the principals of the raw, natural produce of Norway. Along with his partner, sommelier Pontus Dahlstrøm, the now legendary “Maaemo” was born a year later.

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Photo © Tuukka Koski

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ESBEN HOLMBOE BANG - MAAEMO, OSLO, NORWAY

SCALLOP, WINTER APPLES, CELERIAC Photo © Esben Holmboe Bang

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SCALLOP WITH CALUFLOWER AND SALTED BUTTER Photo © Tuukka Koski

And a year was how long it took for Holmboe Bang and his partner to get to know the regional farmers and their produce and advance on the concept of purely organic ingredients for their menu. Since opening Maaemo, their ideology has been to create an impeccable image of Norway’s natural products on their patrons’ plates. Behind each of Esben Holmboe Bang’s creations lies the idea of keeping true to the flavors and the quality of the raw ingredients. It is also how he emulates the natural cycle of Norway’s environment; the ingredients and menus frequently change along with the changing weather and seasons.

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ESBEN HOLMBOE BANG - MAAEMO, OSLO, NORWAY

In essence, 100 percent of the produce used in Maaemo’s cuisine is locally native and organic, or raw. Some of the meat comes from tiny farms with just ten animals and some of the herbs are directly from the forest, picked either by Chef Holmboe Bang himself or, other members of his kitchen team. As a result, only the best and most exclusive ingredients that are treated with the greatest respect are used to treat the restaurant’s guests with pure and natural savors.

Holmboe Bang is already planning on taking the next natural step – growing his own ingredients.

MAHOGANY AND SEAWEED DASHI Photo © Tuukka Koski

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SCALLOP COOKED IN ITS SHELL WITH CELERIAC Photo © Tuukka Koski

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Photo © Bandar Abdul-Jauwad

Photo © Bandar Abdul-Jauwad

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The development of Maaemo’s Scandinavian cuisine has completely transformed the gastronomic scene in Oslo. Today, guests and young chefs flock to the country’s best restaurant in droves to sample Esben Holmboe Bang’s Norwegian cuisine - a

Photo © Tuukka Koski

cuisine that is based on traditional recipes that reintroduce many overlooked organic ingredients.

Chef Holmboe Bang has put Norwegian cuisine on the map. His creation of completely new masterpieces on plates has taken the local fare to its roots, literally and globally.

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ESBEN HOLMBOE BANG - MAAEMO, OSLO, NORWAY

MACKEREL AND ELM Photo © Tuukka Koski

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LANGOUSTINE Photo © Tuukka Koski

It’s a daring style of cooking which has won the young chef a throng of fans. Through his continuous exploration of nature and natural ingredients, this young chef has a made a name for himself on the international gourmet scene. In fact in 2012, just 14 months after opening, Maaemo was awarded two Michelin stars in in the prestigious guide, making it the first and only restaurant in Norway to have them.

Then again in 2016, Maaemo was awarded a third Michelin star.

That made Chef Esben the youngest chef to hold Michelin’s highest accolade three times, as being well as the first in Norway to do so. By winning a citation as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential Chefs in the World” and Elite Traveler Magazine’s “2016 Young Chef of the Year” the young chef has rapidly launched his culinary career to a world renowned chef status.

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REIF OTHMAN - PLAY RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

Reif Othman Reif Othman recounts his early experiences in the kitchen, “I first started cooking at the age of 14, helping my mom in the kitchen.

I would cut and wash vegetables, make pastry and bake for lunch and dinner. My first kitchen experience was with my mom, in her food stall, preparing our traditional Javanese cuisine food (a mix of Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine).”

Reif began gaining international recognition for his culinary talents in 2007 when working with One Rochester Group in Singapore as Group Executive Chef for some of the city’s top restaurants and hotels.

Later he was recruited to join the Zuma Dubai team as Executive Chef in 2009 and quickly moved up the ladder as he displayed extensive talent being both creative and disciplined in the kitchen, finding inspiration in all types of cuisines. Being awarded Chef of the Year by BBC Good Food, What’s On Awards and Pro Chef Awards, warranted his quick move from Executive Chef of both Dubai and Abu Dhabi Zuma locations to the prestigious position of Zuma Regional Executive Chef in 2014, where his culinary excellence helped establish Zuma as one of the most renowned restaurants in Dubai, winning the DIFC location multiple awards and honors throughout his time there. Important to note, Zuma Dubai was awarded a place on the prestigious San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants list for 3 consecutive years under Othman’s culinary direction and leadership.

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Reif garnered international experience when he spent a month in Zuma Miami, overseeing operations and again in 2014 for two months. In 2013, Reif lent his expertise to Zuma Istanbul where he assisted with overseeing Operations, menu engineering, staff training and improving supply chains. Also, that year, he spent the summer ensuring smooth operations of the summer pop-up restaurant at D’Hotel in Marmaris, Turkey.

In 2015 Reif moved on from this role as Regional Executive Chef at Zuma for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, for the opportunity to propel his culinary career to new heights as the Director of Culinary at R.A.W. Galadari Holdings & Absolute F&B Facilities Management with Play Restaurant & Lounge. His unparalleled culinary excellence continues to shine with his impressive Food & Beverage landscape.

PLAY Restaurant & Lounge is Dubai’s hottest homegrown culinary concept, a truly unique and carefully cultivated culinary concept that transports guests on a gastronomic journey like no other. Spoiled with a concoction of exquisite flavours that fuse East and West, diners are introduced to a Mediterrasian Cuisine. Home to elaborate décor and a warm and inviting ambiance, PLAY proves that it really has the right mix of everything. Located on the 36th floor of the H Hotel, PLAY presents a bespoke and evolving menu that is quickly becoming the dining desitination of Dubai.

This homegrown concept is designed to take it diners on a sensory expedition through a perfectly balanced one-of-a-kind cuisine, inspiring surroundings, great music and impeccable service. Combining expertise from all facets, the combined efforts of the PLAY team provides a revolutionary experience. Reif has really let his enthusiastic creativity and talent be the driving force behind this dynamic culinary concept, which sees the interesting fusion of flavors and ingredients.

RISOTTO BARREL

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The immaculate dĂŠcor envisioned by renowned design firm, Gregory Gatserelia, features Art Deco interiors, mixed with hints of eclectic pieces and sleek, contemporary design with large scale floor to ceiling windows, showcasing the beautiful skyline of downtown Dubai. The space comprises a gourmet restaurant with an elevated private dining area, an elegant lounge, and a one-of-a-kind specialized cocktail bar.

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SUSHI SPREAD

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PITA SURPRISE

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with a dedicated research & development kitchen added to the mix, guests of PLAY will constantly be treated to new and innovative dishes prepared by the ever-so-talented Chef Reif Othman and his team of 40 chefs.

SNAILS IN THE GARDEN

The Mediterrasian menu features signature dishes - Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, Truffle Ravioli Explosion, Rock Shrimp Risotto, Pita Surprise, Snails in The Garden, Caviar Cornets, and Wasabi Cod. These are just a few of the exquisite items featured on the innovative menu. Chef Reif has been able to perfectly balance Mediterranean and Japanese flavors, using handpicked, organic ingredients designed to leave taste buds full of contentment. Mediterrasian cuisine brings together the rich flavor from European cuisine and the lightness of Japanese ingredients to create a perfect balance. The culinary concept promotes a sharing menu to create an exuberating experience for family and friends dining together.

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REIF OTHMAN - PLAY RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

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a journey of creativity venturing into the world of gastronomy…

Elie Nicolas Khoury is behind this one of a kind concept, bringing together the best of everything, a truly novel concept that combines all the necessary pillars of a good restaurant and lounge, Elie is ready to offer customer yet another unparalleled experience.

Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Elie displayed a strong entrepreneurial spirit from an early age. With a young life full of diverse experiences, he practiced mastered his competition skills by maintaining his position as Jet Ski champion for consecutive years.

This coupled with a souring education in Advertising & Marketing led him to embark on a journey in an industry that requires creativity, leadership and willingness to take risks. He soon established himself as an esteemed restauranteur and a significant player on the regional nightlife circuit.

From 1994 through to 2008, Elie successfully created, opened, and managed multiple concepts in both Beirut and Dubai. Each concept was unique and further cemented Elie’s pioneering ways in the F&B scene.

One of the most prestigious and lucrative endeavors that Khoury spearheaded was the world renowned ‘Cavalli Club’ in Fairmont Dubai. He worked closely with Roberto Cavalli from the onset of the project and took a leadership role starting with conceptual design all the way through to the final execution. The launch proved to be extremely successful and ‘The Cavalli Club’ to this day, remains a top hotspot in in the Dubai scene. In 2011 Elie decided to sell his shares in ‘White Label’ and felt ready to take his talents to new heights by venturing deeper into the gastronomic world with PLAY…

ELIE KHOURY AND CHEF REIF

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A fresh Mediterasian experience this summer… a delicious selection of fresh and light dishes perfect for the hot summer months.

MINCED O’TORO IN A LIGHT AND CRISPY RICE CRACKER TOPPING WITH CAVIAR

Some of the artistically curated culinary visions at PLAY are the Tuna Tartar, Seafood Ceviche, Minced O’Toro with Cripsy Rice Cracker and Caviar and The Whole Lobster. For a taste of true ingenuity try the Sea Bass ‘Fish in a Bag’ with a fragrant Mediteranian Olive and Tomato sauce, or try a simple yet sophisticated PLAY signature dish with Elie’s Avocado Pizza, full of fresh and organic ingredients.

Leave room for a luscious dessert spread with PLAY’s new delectable dessert tray packed with guiltless fresh fruits, bursts of chocolate indulgence, delicate ice cream flavors, and creamy sweet treats scattered across the tray – perfect for sharing!

Treat your palette to an exceptional culinary experience full of tantalizing tastes at PLAY...

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SEA BASS - FISH IN A BAG

PLAY Sharing Dessert Tray

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BRASSERIE 2.0 - LE ROYAL MÉRIDIEN BEACH RESORT & SPA DUBAI

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Brunch at the Next Level & BBQ Grill Night...

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BRASSERIE 2.0 - LE ROYAL MÉRIDIEN BEACH RESORT & SPA DUBAI

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Forget what you think you know about brunch, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve brunched at the stylish Brasserie 2.0 Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa Dubai!

The dining concept boasts of an open plan, fresh and spacious design with striking features - floor to ceiling windows and grand high ceilings, decked out with simple, natural materials throughout the light and airy space.

The grey and green hues, raw fabric and earthy textures have been carefully selected to bring the outdoors in, an ultra-chic look echoes the philosophy of cool, modern and contemporary, reinforcing Le Meridien signature brand experience. Brasserie 2.0’s magnificent outdoor terrace is filled with low plush lounge seating and showcases a stunning glass feature wall that takes centre stage in the impressive space, offering spectacular views over the landscaped gardens and Arabian Gulf.

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BRASSERIE 2.0 - LE ROYAL MÉRIDIEN BEACH RESORT & SPA DUBAI

Brunch at the Next Level Brasserie 2.0 features an outstanding open plan kitchen where one is unbelievably spoilt for choice, with an exquisite range of dishes bursting with flavour from the far corners of the world. Kick start the day by delving into an array of seafood delicacies fresh from the ocean, including deliciously fresh mussels, Alaskan King Crab Legs and Fine De Claire oysters, as well as an innovative selection of sushi and sashimi. With more than 10 live cooking stations packed to the rafters with dishes that will blow your mind, diners can enjoy an impressive variety of dishes from pasta to pizza to a succulent selection of meats, as well as a la minute cuisine, using seasonal produce fresh from the market. Also on offer for meat lovers is a traditional roast dinner with an endless choice of turkey, beef wellington, lamb, chicken and of course all your favourite trimmings and sides!

Talented chefs are on hand to fire up the incredible outdoor BBQ for a succulent flame grilled selection from the land and ocean. Sing along with the live trio band playing all-time favourite tunes throughout the day and don’t forget to grab a refreshment at the stunning nutritious juice and shake bar! After brunch, the party continues - head down to Vibe at Le Deck with happy hour from 5pm – 8pm for a lively post brunch party. Brasserie 2.0 is taking brunch to the next level!

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Picture this - The Wild West Meats Dubai, Complete with Cowboys, Bucking Broncos, a Smoking Grill and a Live Texas Band – You Got It! “The Hottest Grill in Town”, making it the only place to start your weekend! Happening every Thursday at Brasserie 2.0, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa. Diners will be unbelievably spoilt for choice with an exquisite range of dishes bursting with flavour. Experience mouth-watering beef from the outdoor smoker, which has been slowly cooking for 12 hours to melt in your mouth.

Revel in the choice from the outdoor live cooking islands where you can handpick your BBQ cuts and watch them being cooked in front of your very own eyes. The Al Fresco BBQ lets you savour in the slow cooked smoky beef short ribs, beef brisket, pulled chicken and beef chorizo - all from the smoker.

Also on offer are a selection of prime steak, minted lamb chops, classic cowboy hotdogs and home- made burgers, roasted up to perfection at the BBQ Charcoal Grill station!

The handmade burgers promise to be an explosion of flavour teamed with your choice of caramelised onion, chutneys and salad to make the ultimate personalised BBQ classic!

The freshest Tennessee chicken wings that are coated in a secret sizzling sauce served alongside crudités with a blue cheese dressing, leaves ones taste buds tingling. If that’s not enough to whet your appetite, enjoy the prepared to order assorted kebabs, succulent meats, juicy poultry and flavoursome lamb, which are all available from the outdoor BBQ grill.

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Thursday BBQ Grill Night... succulent steaks, ocean fresh seafood, bourbon cocktails and barrels of entertainment, it’s the only place to start your weekend!

The Texas nacho counter presents fresh onion rings, fluffy yet crunchy French fries or nachos served with assorted toppings, your choice of fresh salsa or slow cooked chilli con carne.

Fish lovers, don’t panic, there’s every seafood delicacy imaginable fresh from the ocean, including delicious Mussels, Alaskin King Crab Legs and Fine De Claire oysters, as well as an innovative selection of Sushi and Sashimi. Fresh produce from the market boasts a crunchy salad station and a nutritious juice and shake bar for all your favourite fresh juice creations.

If you still have room, there are plenty of options even for the sweetest tooth! Everything from fresh delectable cakes and pastries, an ice cream bar and a popping, popcorn machine!

For guests who prefer savoury, there’s a whole host of various cheeses served with juicy grapes and crackers.

Sing along to the sounds of the Texas duo band, while you relax, eat and be merry as you end the week with moonshine, smoked meats and a real Texan party! Why not really get in the mood and hop on the bucking bronco, showcasing your real cowboy skills! Brasserie 2.0 also features an outstanding open plan kitchen with over 10 live cooking islands, where diners and cowboys alike will be unbelievably spoilt for choice with an exquisite range of dishes bursting with flavour. Taking place on the stunning terrace with views of the beautiful hotel resort and the Arabian Sea, this really is Dubai’s hottest new location!

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Jorge Rivero from bits to bites...

Born in Argentina in the city of Clorinda, Jorge Rivero found his culinary passion…

He owes it to.. “My family is very culinary oriented, my Grandfather was a cook and my Aunt was pastry chef. The weekends were very traditional for my family, the entire family - uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, sons, daughters would sit together to eat. Normally we would eat Asado (Argentinean BBQ - asado is the most popular social gathering in Argentina and no weekend is truly complete without it. It’s a celebration of seared meat and flame, filled with good times) that is cooked by the men and the salads and side dishes cooked by the women, or sometimes it is pasta which is cooked all by the women, this is how I grew up.

When Jorge was studying computer engineering, on the way to the university he use pass a culinary school which got his attention, one day when his mum was visiting him, he told her about the culinary school. Jorge and his mum went to check the school, it was appealing to both and Jorge’s mum told him that she would pay for his culinary school but on one condition, Jorge had to convince his father. Speaking with his father and promising him that after finishing two years of culinary school he would go back to engineering, and his father agreed. During the first year of culinary school, Jorge started his internships in a restaurant and this is when he decided that he wanted to be a chef, his father respected Jorge’s decision and happy that Jorge made the right choice.

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JORGE RIVERO - PACHANGA, HILTON JUMEIRAH BEACH, DUBAI

PACHANGA

WG Magazine catches up with Jorge Rivero, head chef, Pachanga, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Beach‌ Chef Jorge tells us about your previous experiences which helped him to form as a chef‌ I started in Cordoba, Argentina doing my internships in a few restaurants while studying during my culinary school days, after I completed my studies, I worked in a Spanish restaurant for two years after which I went to USA for a year and a half to do my training at the Hyatt Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Back to Argentina for two years where I worked for a brewpub in Buenos Aires. I then received an offer to move to Dubai as a Sous Chef at the Polo Club in 2009. In 2012, I decide to go back to Argentina for a personal reasons and worked again for the same brewpub but in a different branch in Cordoba. In 2013, I received an offer to comeback to Dubai at Pachanga, Hilton Jumeirah Beach and today I am the head chef.

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CRAB CAKE CHIPOTLE RICE

Jorge’s cuisine is based on technique, fine ingredients composed of the freshest, locally sourced and seasonal which are full of flavors, and brings this balance on a plate…

Experience is the most important factor, for me, I research products, taste them and start experimenting with them until I feel comfortable to find the right flavors and the best way to prepare the dish and recipe, after I am satisfied I add it to add on my menu.

Chef Jorge’s culinary philosophy…

I think I am from the old school of chefs, of course I’m interested in the new trends and new techniques but using it with balance. So my cuisine is traditional, not in the way that I do traditional recipes, but in the flavors. I use good products from Latin America with my own recipes and add my style to a traditional products.

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SALMON

Chef Jorge’s opinion on the best recipe that she has created and her inspiration…

Every time we create a recipe we believe is the best, we are chefs! I really cannot choose one as the best, but I can say that one of the most fun and inspired moment when I was Chef in the brewpub was that I needed to pair the food with a type of beer, normally you pair food with wine. It was something new for me and I tried many things including desserts with eleven different kind of beers.

Chef Jorge tells us which ingredient inspires him, his favorite ingredients and ingredients which are most challenging to work with…Beef! For me it is very important to know as much as possible to find the best way to cook the different cuts…

I’m from Argentina and the favorite ingredient has got to be Meat. Now I have started to work with different kinds of chilies from Mexico and Peru, this is something new and I like it.

Fish is most challenging because it should be fresh and good quality, if you don’t cook it properly you can make the best fish taste the worst.

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T-BONE STEAK

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BERRY CRUMBLE

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Chef Jorge tell us how he stays on top of the new cooking trends… “I research, read books, learn about new techniques and equipment, as well speak with friends who are chef, share ideas and never feel shy to learn from another chef – I believe cooking together brings out the best in chefs…”

Since being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, Chef Jorge gives his take on chefs who are first entering the field today…

I think is just glamorous on TV, in the real world you need to work hard work around 10 to 12 hours a day, standing, burning and sweating. So is not glamorous at all. My advice would be if you want to be a chef, you have to have passion and to be ready for all the things that come with the profession, long hours, opposite time and days with your friends that not work in hospitality, work on holidays, and it would be hard to find a partner who can handle all this, so if you can do all this, indeed you will became a chef.

CUBAN BAR

Special cooking techniques and equipment… “It all depend on the seasons, I use different equipment’s but my favourite is the charcoal grill, it is so basic yet so tricky at the same time, you can have many different techniques if you know how to use it well.”

Chef Jorge greatest influences in the kitchen…

Chef Franco Salusso, the first chef I learnt with, I learn not only about the entire kitchen but the passion to cook and to interact with guest. Chef Salusso is one of my very good friends.

Produce, Creativity or Technique… “For me creativity comes first then technique and produce, without creativity you will do always same thing or other chefs recipes.”

Guilty food pleasure… “I love food in general, but pasta is my weakness, I can eat pasta almost every day and would not get bored with it. The diversity of pastas and the different sauces is endless.”

CUBAN BAR

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COYA DUBAI - FOUR SEASONS RESORT, DUBAI

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Livin’ la Vida Coya the spirit of South America in Dubai…

COYA Dubai leads a trace of Incan heritage and Latin American Lifestyle with its traditional elements of Peruvian cooking. This impressive, contemporary Peruvian restaurant is a feast on a variety of palate teasing dishes as they are transported to the essence of Peru. COYA acts as a cultural gateway to the Andes, creating an experience that is multidimensional, multisensory and truly unique to the culinary scene of the UAE. The Peruvian journey begins from the moment guests step foot into the unassuming yet delightfully welcoming lobby of COYA Dubai.

From here, it only gets better. Leaving the lobby, which is softly lit by a chandelier accented with antique Incan gilding, guests are greeted by the colorful destination bar filled with trinkets and traditional mud‘botija’-lined walls with a truly authentic, rustic flair. The bar then leads into an impressive corridor where the walls are adorned with an extensive collection of bottles and colonial embellishments. The end of the passageway opens into the impressive, two- part, restaurant with the option to venture out to a terrace; while the interior is decorated with painted murals and rich Incan palettes against modern, metallic finishes.

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PAPASECA

QUINOA SALAD

The 8,500 square foot restaurant, spanning a collective 189 seats was designed by the London-based Sagrada, who were part of the design team at COYA London. With truly bespoke furnishings, each and every piece of furniture has been hand-selected; from the crushed, velvet-textured chairs; the valuable, historic art (specially released by the Peruvian government for the restaurant); earthenware objects d’art in the cozy alcoves and a few additional pieces coming directly from Peru, the outlet is personalized down to the finest detail. Bringing a touch of colonial South America to life with its artistic décor, COYA Dubai exudes edgy elegance at each turn.

For the highlight of the experience, the varied menu at COYA Dubai keeps traditional elements of Peruvian cooking alive while creating a contemporary cuisine for a modern Dubai clientele, owing its dynamic flavor to a rich, culinary heritage that is deliciously diverse. Japan, Africa, Spain and China are just a few of the countries that have helped to season Peruvian cuisine as it stands today. With COYA Dubai’s selection of simple, quality dishes to include a range of classic ceviche’s (popular diced seafood dish), tiraditos (sliced raw fish), to more hearty anticuchos (grilled skewers of fish, meat and vegetables), the healthy dishes introduce diners to a novel, spectrum of flavors as diners leave the restaurants with a clean and light feel.

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SEABASS CAZUELA

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CORVINA CEVICHE

BEETROOT SALAD

CAUSA TRADICIONAL

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BABY CHICKEN

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QUINOA SALAD

OCTOPUS

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CORVINA CEVICHE

Enhancing the gastronomic experience is the COYA Collective – a schedule of diverse genres of artistic and cultural expressions, setting the rhythm for an unmistakably South American ambience. The restaurant will honor both traditional and contemporary cultural offerings, ensuring that the heart of South American culture will thrum throughout this authentic, upmarket venue. In addition to the vivacious music scene, COYA Dubai also showcases a variety of established photographers, artists, illustrators, sculptors, poets and underexposed talent alike with year round hosted events.

“Diners at COYA Dubai experience an unparalleled journey for the senses as they unlock the vibrant world of COYA Dubai; where the sights and sounds of Latin America transport visitors to a unique world. Promising a culinary culmination of flavors, uplifting beverages and personalized service in a cozy and exotic home-away-from-home feel, COYA Dubai is the perfect venue for a celebratory dinner, a business lunch or afternoon brunch among family and friends.

Whether you are looking to dine in 45 minutes for a swift business lunch or spend a leisurely afternoon among friends, COYA Dubai’s new lunch menu caters to a diverse range of clientele for every day of the week. COYA Dubai’s specially tailored lunch menu starts with light bites full of flavor like ‘Atún Chifa’ to more robust mains like ‘Pollo al Josper’ where the tender bites of corn-fed baby chicken melt in your mouth. If you are looking to indulge that sweet tooth, ending the meal with a ‘tarta de limon’ is the perfect solution to your cravings.

BABY SQUID

TUNA CEVICHE

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TACOS

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GAMBAS, CHICKEN, OX HEART ANTICUCHOS

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COYA Dubai’s buzzing Pisco Lounge is a ‘must-visit’ destination…

The Pisco Lounge leaves visiting guests with little to be desired. At first glance, COYA Dubai showcases a uniquely stunning venue - famed for its colourful décor filled with trinkets and a piscoinfusion lined wall, visiting guests feel right at home basking in COYA Dubai’s signature ambiance of cosy, dilapidated elegance.

As guests enter the vibrant atmosphere of COYA Dubai, the sassy, toe-tapping sounds of Latin America transport them to another world as the outlet’s resident and guest DJs warm up from their newest station at the lounge, playing seven days a week. While basking in the energy of the buzzing venue, guests can delight in trying one of its numerous offerings from exploring the largest selection of homemade pisco infusions with a variety of over 25 flavours including as mango, pineapple, pear, strawberry, passion fruit and raspberry; prepared in traditional glass, pisco jars. Alternatively, there is something for everyone at this lounge; from a sundry of international beverages to a selection of energizing or detoxing mocktails served up with a flair by the talented bar team.

Extending its raved-about menu to smaller, bite-sized portions, avid guests can now delight in the Pisco Lounge’s newest menu while catching up with friends. Serving everything from Peruvianstyle Patatas bravas (Crispy potatoes) with spicy tomatoes and its famous huancaina sauce or lighter bites of flavorful ceviche with delightful truffle, COYA Dubai’s lounge menu is the perfect way to sample some of the venue’s finest offerings.

A destination bar for even the most discerning aficionado, it is the perfect venue to unwind after a long day at work, to introduce to visiting out of towners or celebrate with friends.

TACOS

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AT.MOSPHERE BURJ KHALIFA - DUBAI

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AT.MOSPHERE BURJ KHALIFA

luxury fine dining is sky high at the world’s highest restaurant...

It all begins when you step into the world’s fastest elevator. At a speed of 10 m/s, you ascend to a height of 442 metres in less than 44 seconds, and even before you have a moment to bask in the marvel of the journey up, the doors open, and you are greeted by the awe-inspiring view of Downtown Dubai and beyond. That is the grand welcome we give all our guests, at At.mosphere, the world’s highest restaurant.

Located on Level 122 of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, At.mosphere is not just a culinary journey; it is an experience of a lifetime. Whether you choose to savour freshly prepared scones and pastries during High Tea at At.mosphere Lounge or prefer to indulge in the finest meat prepared on the renowned Josper oven at At.mosphere Restaurant, your time at At.mosphere is envisaged to offer the best in dining.

Integrating two of the most popular choices of dining – a lounge and a restaurant boasting contemporary European cuisine – At.mosphere can host over 210 guests, and features a spacious arrival lobby, a main dining floor, private dining rooms, and display cooking stations.

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Tasked with taking the award-winning restaurant and lounge’s culinary standards to the next level, At.mosphere’s culinary team is tasked with spearheading the menu development as well as exploring seasonal trends, adding their unique creative perspective to the restaurant offering along the way.

At.mosphere’s culinary team philosophy is centered around sourcing unique, high quality produce from around the world and using interesting and intriguing preparations to showcase a variety of complex cooking techniques for a unique dining experience.

KALIFORNIA ROLL

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GLACIER 51

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AT.MOSPHERE LOUNGE

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AT.MOSPHERE PRIVATE DINING ROOM

The Restaurant sports sleek and stylish interiors where guests can enjoy contemporary European cuisine. The venue can accommodate 80 guests including a private dining room that can seat 14 people. It is open through the week offering a full à la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Some of the specialties include prime cuts of beef, organic poultry and seafood – all freshly sourced and prepared.

The restaurant promotes an aura of relaxation, brought on by soft-tempo background music. The interior is comprised of hand-polished mahogany wood walls with furniture in shades of amethyst and cocoa. It contains a beverage display wall, decanting tables and overhead glass displays. A sleek exhibition restaurant, divided by a marble and glass wall, separates the private and main dining area.

At.mosphere Lounge is a chic venue, open throughout the week and can seat 130. It serves light lunches and high tea, before turning into a vibrant spot in the evening. Guests can enjoy a premium range of beverages, and unwind to lounge music, spun by the in-house DJ. The interiors of the lounge are in deep shades of amethyst with a rich combination of patterned velvets, natural woven textiles and leathers with a distinct design and a colour palette of chocolate and caramel with a touch of cream. The lounge opens to panoramic views of Dubai serving as the ideal venue to watch the sunset.

BISCUIT CHAUD ‘’WEISS 1882’’

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HIGH TEA

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Savour high tea between 2:30pm to 5pm with panoramic views of the city from At.mosphere lounge. In addition to an Ă la carte menu enjoy a glass of bubbly to round off the experience.

Guests can choose from high-quality coffees, a wonderful range of teas, mocktails, drinks, fresh juices, sodas and bubbly. The lounge offers light dining options that work perfectly with the beverage selection.

An acclaimed venue for events that are out of the world, At.mosphere Lounge or At.mosphere Restaurant can be booked for private events, ensuring that any occasion is nothing short of perfection.

At.mosphere Restaurant caters to formal and trendy dinners offering innovative set menus for groups and can acccommodate up to 80 guests. The private dining area is ideal for private and intimate celebrations.

The lounge proves to be an excellent choice for evening events and group bookings. Guests can socialise with canapĂŠs and selected beverages with spectacular views of the Arabian Gulf. Exclusive booking of the entire venue is also available upon request.

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MACA DE CASTRO JEAN-GEORGES DUBAI - EL -JARDIN, FOUR SEASONS MALLORCA RESORT, DUBAI

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Jean-Georges Dubai brunch in Dubai just got better...

Since its launch in May, the Jean-Georges brunch has provided a selection of the restaurant’s most in-demand menu items for an unrivaled brunch experience in Dubai.

Jean-Georges offers a unique brunch with three guarantees – the finest cuisine, drink and ambiance. The air-conditioned terrace provides outdoor seating all year round, while the openconcept interior boasts an exhibition-style kitchen that offers an experience for all the senses. The brunch consists of a three-course meal, with a selection of a main course from the most popular signature dishes.

Jean-Georges Dubai is a casually chic restaurant with a wide collection of internationally-influenced dishes, presented by world-renowned chef JeanGeorges. The Friday Brunch is from 12:30pm to 4pm and is located in the Four Seasons Hotel Restaurant Village.

Three Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the world’s most famous culinary artists, with skills that extend far beyond the kitchen. A savvy businessman and restaurateur, Jean-Georges is responsible for the operation and success of a constellation of three and four star restaurants worldwide. In an ongoing effort to create restaurants that are both timely and enduring, Jean-Georges is involved in every aspect including concept, menu, architectural design, staff selection and trainings. He is inspired by his travels, constantly developing fresh concepts and evolving to impact the global culinary landscape. JeanGeorges has made culinary history and developed a reputation as remarkable as his food by tapping his deep understanding of the restaurant world and pairing it with his forward-thinking vision.

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LA CANTINE DU FAUBOURG - DUBAI

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LA CANTINE DU FAUBOURG URBAN FRENCH DINING IN DUBAI

La Cantine du Faubourg - the celebrated Parisian institution, originally located at N°105 rue du Faubourg Saint-HonorÊ in Paris - brings its chic, daring and sensorial experience to Dubai. The venue opened its doors, in between the skyscrapers at Emirates Towers, with vibrant views of Dubai International Financial Centre.

Diners will enjoy an out-of-the-ordinary dining concept, stretching beyond the limits of F&B, as it relies on five key principles: sound, music, image, art and food.

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redefined modern dining experience with contemporary art installations...

The hybrid gateway will act as a “gallery” showcasing some of today’s most audacious photographers, painters, sculptors and multi-media artists. “La Cantine du Faubourg is more than a restaurant: it’s a rendezvous, an artistic, lifestyle statement,” says Pierre Pirajean, co-owner and creator, La Cantine du Faubourg, Paris.

La Cantine du Faubourg is both contemporary and elegant, within a dynamic urban context: a garden-terrace, a natural, minimalistic bar, a pergola and salon-restaurant. Wood, stone and marble - very simple, honest materials that does not distract one from the ever changing art within the space.

A unique destination to Dubai’s fast evolving artistic and gastronomic scene.

There is a place for everyone at La Cantine du Faubourg: those who prefer a “behind-the-curtain” dinner at the ‘table d’hôtes’; those who would rather relax in a private booth; those who stay perched on tall bar stools. Everything is always moving, changing on the spur of the moment, for a clientele of decision makers and trend-setters.

La Cantine du Faubourg adapts its Parisian DNA and avantgarde culture to lights of Dubai. Taking exceptional service to another level, the distinguished restaurant also offers a complimentary limousine service to its elite clientele.

Instilling Parisian flair to Dubai!

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TORO TORO

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the finest Pan Latin Food & Culture in Dubai

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SMOKED SALMON COCA

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Situated on the marina’s edge and on the ground floor of Tower Two, Grosvenor House Dubai, Toro Toro is the first Pan Latin restaurant and lounge of its kind in the UAE, offering a multitude of tastes from across the South American region including; Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Colombia by renowned celebrity chef Richard Sandoval.

At Toro Toro, everything from the interior design and layout of the restaurant to the unique menu concept has been created to leave your senses pulsating.

Decorated in rich textures and rich regal tones, the impressive two-floored restaurant and lounge offers a beautiful vista over the waters of Dubai Marina. Guests are welcomed by a roaring floor- to- ceiling fire wall and two majestic steel bulls. The dark and moody interior pays homage to the fires of the traditional Churrasco grill with accents of burnt orange on dark charcoal walls and animal motifs, textured natural sculptures and leather furniture running throughout.

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CHURRASCO PLATTER

The ground floor of Toro Toro is dedicated to dining with a central open kitchen framed by a striking orange Onyx wall and a bar at the far end offering an extensive range of Cachaรงa with the assistance of in-house South American Cachaรงa expert. Grand tables are lined with high backed, animal motifs clad furnishings and walls are adorned with dark wrought iron bars which form intimate areas, perfect for larger groups and private parties.

The focal point of the upper floor is a lively bar complete with a centrally positioned DJ, playing modern South American inspired beats. A second, more intimate bar offers an impressive collection of Rum. This area is ideal for groups who wish to sit back and enjoy cigars and learn about the various beverage specialties on offer.

An elaborate open wine cellar featuring a large variety of South American labels spans the two floors and is encased by floor to ceiling wrought iron bars. You can find wines that are exclusive to Toro Toro and not to be found in any other UAE outlet and a private

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Picanha ACHIOTE CHICKEN

dining area is perfectly situated in the heart of the open cellar, ideal for wine lovers to peruse the vast collection.

Toro Toro offers diners a stylish yet relaxed dining experience. With the menu consisting of small plates, bursting with traditional and earthy specialties, the emphasis is on sharing and spending time with family and friends.

Central to the Toro Toro menu is a refined take of the traditional Churrasco grill. Premium cuts of meat, prepared by highly skilled passadors are presented to diners at the table before the meat is perfectly sliced onto a sizzling hot plate, ready to enjoy. The remainder of the menu has been designed with flexibility in mind and encourages diners to sample the range of new and exotic dishes on offer, each bursting with unique flavours.

Those looking for light bites at the bar area are also catered for. A menu of mini appetizers offers favorites such as salt cod croquettes and ceviche, a Latin American inspired sashimi dish.

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LA PETITE MAISON - DUBAI

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La Petite Maison Dubai Authentic French Cuisine

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SALT BAKED SEA BASS

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WARM PRAWNS

GRILLED LAMB CUTLETS

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La Petite Maison in Dubai is the beating heart of Dubai International Financial Centre’s restaurant scene. The restaurant is considered as one of the UAE’s most acclaimed restaurants. This foodie’s heaven won several awards for Dubai’s Best Restaurant and recently listed as one of the ‘World’s Best Restaurants’ by S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.

La Petite Maison’s authentic French Mediterranean cuisine perfectly blends with the ambience of its location in the town’s business district and is situated amidst lavish art galleries and savvy boutique stores.

La Petite Maison first opened in the heart of old Nice on the southern coast of France in 1988. It was founded by a French woman of Italian ancestry, Nicole Rubi and brought to the world by Waney family. Waney signed a global franchise agreement with the Niçoise establishment in the early Noughties, an exclusive right to La Petite Maison everywhere in the world except for France.

Home of Cuisine Nicoise, where its origins lie in old Genoese cooking, where French Mediterranean cuisine has blended and evolved with the influence of Ligurian Italy across the border. Inspired by a city renowned for culinary traditions, La Petite Maison is an ancient example of fusion food.

The DNA of La Petite Maison is in the fresh Mediterranean produce, with dishes using artichokes, courgettes, lemons, and olives, tomatoes, with sea food, meat, and fresh pasta.

The home-grown recipes taste as if they have been handed down through generations, with signature menu items including a whole roast leg of milk-fed lamb, smoked with special herbs and spices, green beans with fois gras, as well as pain perdu with spiced ice cream. The menu, designed for family sharing, is complemented by well-matched beverages from the Provence region.

La Petite Maison’s authentic French cuisine perfectly blends with the ambience of each of its locations, which are renowned for a paired-back environment reminiscent of the Cote d’Azur, and use a light color palette with accents such as fine cotton linens and marble.

BURATTA

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THOMAS BÜHNER - RESTAURANT LA VIE, OSNABRÜCK, GERMANY

THOMAS BÜHNER LA VIE Thomas Bühner has been one of Germany’s top chefs for more than twenty years. Born in Riesenbeck (North Rhine-Westphalia) in 1962 to a housewife and a commercial clerk, his first experiences of the restaurant trade came in his grandparents’ pub where there was always a slice of freshly baked mixedgrain bread spread with butter and topped with Westphalian ham waiting for him as he came through the door and where he would fall asleep in the evening to the chatter of customers and the sound of people clattering around in the kitchen. Nevertheless, it was a long time before the young Bühner knew what he wanted to do when he left school. While his twin brother decided to become a joiner, the results of an aptitude test at the local job center suggested that Thomas was best suited to being either a cook, a baker or a farmer. He settled on becoming a cook, and even at that early stage he informed his parents that “if I’m going to be a cook then I’m going to be a good one”, a principle to which he remains true to this day. He trained as a chef at the Schweizer Haus in Paderborn, and this was followed by stints at the Düsseldorf Hilton under Günter Scherrer, the Landhaus Scherrer in Hamburg, the Grand Cru Restaurant in Lippstadt and the Restaurant Jörg Müller in Westerland on the island of Sylt.

Then, in 1989, Bühner moved to Baiersbronn to take up a post as Chef de Partie at Harald Wohlfahrt’s Schwarzwaldstube. He saw this as a key moment in his career, since in addition to the discipline and consistency that are essential for any successful chef, Bühner was particularly intrigued by the down-toearth attitude and humaneness that Wohlfahrt showed towards the people who worked for him on a daily basis. He couldn’t have been better prepared to take up the position of Chef at the La Table Restaurant in Dortmund in 1991 where he gained his first Michelin star five years later, followed by a second one in 1998. In 2001, Bühner scooped the Gault Millau “Rising Star of the Year” award and was voted “Chef of the Year” just five years later.

Together with Thayarni Kanagaratnam he has been running Restaurant la vie in Osnabrück since April 2006. In 2009, Thomas Bühner received the accolade of becoming a Relais & Chateaux “Grand Chef”, while the la vie was granted membership of “Les Grandes Tables du Monde” at the beginning of 2010. In 2012, Thomas Buehner was awarded with his 3rd Michelin Star and his now one of only ten German chefs who has three stars.

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AAL MANDEL CREME

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WG Magazine catches up with Chef Thomas Bühner...

WG Magazine: Taking you back when you joined Harald Wohlfahrt at Schwarzwaldstube – how did this help to form who you are as a chef today?

Thomas Bühner: What I admired at Harald Wohlfahrt was how he treated his employees, with respect, loyalty and his own discipline at work and his high demand of quality of every product he used in the kitchen.

WG Magazine: You serve up an avantgardistic aromatic cuisine, featuring each individual product’s natural flavor which is the basis for all your dishes, placing natural flavours in the foreground...

Thomas Bühner: I think the natural taste of very ingredient is really important and to achieve that it is necessary to use different cooking technics to bring out the best of every flavour in each item on the plate.

WG Magazine: How would you describe your cuisine?

Thomas Bühner: I would describe my cuisine as a modern, avant-garde cuisine that focuses on the individual product’s natural flavor. I`m convinced there is no more authentic and intense taste than the original, pure taste of a product. This is why I`m always placing the natural flavor in the foreground. I am also a big fan of low-temperature cooking. I always say: take your foot off the gas, and by this I`m not only referring to the time taken to prepare a dish but, in particular, to the temperature at which it is cooked.

Last but not least, I enjoy an extensive range of the cuisine. I liken the collection of disparate courses to a symphony. Sometimes the violin can be heard, at other times it is the oboe – but strong emotions are only ever aroused when the whole orchestra comes together.

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WG Magazine: In your opinion, what is the best recipe you have ever created? What inspired this recipe and why?

Thomas Bühner: Venison in an exotic fond. This is my favourite recipe because it is one of the dishes where we can show how to treat a product really carefully and how to bring the different influences from Asia into this dish without changing its own taste.

WG Magazine: Could you share the process you go through to create a new dish?

Thomas Bühner: In the beginning there is always the ingredient, than we decide which position the course should have in the menu, then the creative work with Hawan Jung (Research and Development). There will be a lot of tastings until the finished plate is going to the table.

WG Magazine: What are your greatest influences in the kitchen?

Thomas Bühner: There are French, Spanish and Asian influences

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TOM RAVIOLI

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LANGU RAVIOLI

WG Magazine: What new ingredient or ingredients are inspiring you right now and how do you select your ingredients?

Thomas Bühner: We are going with the seasons, so right now we are working with asparagus. But we are also working with buttermilk and looking for new ways of fermentation.

WG Magazine: What are your favourite ingredients you like to work with?

Thomas Bühner: LOVE WG Magazine: Is there an ingredient that you weren’t able to master and have given up on and why?

Thomas Bühner: German beer, it is something I have never been enjoying, so I would never use it in my kitchen. As well I would never serve a hamburger.

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PETERSILIENWURZEL

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WG Magazine: Do you have any special cooking techniques or equipment you particular enjoy using?

Thomas Bühner: No, not really, I think our biggest secret is to reduce the temperature while cooking.

WG Magazine: Produce, Creativity or Technique, what is more important to you and why?

Thomas Bühner: The most important part of work is the team behind you!

Without them you can´t achieve anything.

WG Magazine: What is your guilty pleasure food?

Thomas Bühner: Bread and cheese WG Magazine: With Three Michelin Stars, was the Gault Millau „Rising star of the Year”, voted the Chef of the Year and the Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef - What keeps you motivated at this point in your career?

Thomas Bühner: High accolades also cause high expectations and so it will always remain challenging to meet the high requirements of our guests.

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THOMAS BÜHNER - RESTAURANT LA VIE, OSNABRÜCK, GERMANY

Restaurant la vie lies in the heart of Osnabrück’s historic old town, immediately opposite the town hall where the Peace of Westphalia was proclaimed, bringing an end to the Thirty Years’ War. The restaurant boasts three Michelin stars as well as 19 Gault Millau points. It is housed in a neo-classical 18th century listed building known as Haus Tenge.

Thomas Bühner and Thayarni Kanagaratnam have created a restaurant with loving attention to detail, which provides every conceivable service. On the ground floor, warm earthy tones and attractive woods combine to create a stylish ambience.

A walk-in wine cabinet and humidor separates a small lounge from the dining area, giving a tantalizing hint of the delicacies that await guests on the other side. Meanwhile, a large statue of the Buddha radiates peace and tranquility. Set against this, contemporary artworks provide the contrast that is also a recurring theme in Thomas Bühner’s cuisine. The upper floor creates an altogether different mood. Divided into three sections, it is an authentic example of classical Osnabrück architecture that has been carefully converted for its current purpose. Diners’ attention cannot fail to be drawn to the century-old tiled stove, while the original stonework of the vaulted ceiling, which at over 600 years is the oldest part of the building, houses the restaurant’s extensive collection of wines, protected by meterthick stone walls.

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GRUENE TOMATEN MASCARPONE

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THOMAS BÜHNER - RESTAURANT LA VIE, OSNABRÜCK, GERMANY

This is the gourmet’s Mecca where host and Chef Thomas Bühner serves up his avantgardistic aromatic cuisine, featuring each individual product’s natural flavor as the basis for all his dishes. Bühner is convinced there is no more authentic and intense taste than the original, pure taste of a product. Which is why he always places the natural flavor in the foreground, often experimenting for weeks with various techniques to create purist “taste bombs”. A striking example of this approach is his “pure venison”, which he refines from year to year. Instead of going down the classic route of lightly roasting the meat and vegetables together to create a gravy, he has chosen to develop a jus using the unadulterated juices of the venison meat. To create this jus, he first roughly minces the meat and then heats it, vacuum-packed, in a bain-marie. Bühner then boils down the pure juice released from the meat in a vacuum evaporator. The resulting essence is served as a sauce with the venison – without needing to add any spices, roasted aromas or tannins.

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IBERICO

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Another characteristic of his cuisine is the way he prepares his dishes: Bühner’s cuisine is dominated by his penchant for low-temperature cooking. The superbly gifted Chef’s motto is “take your foot off the gas”, and by this he is not only referring to the time taken to prepare a dish but, in particular, to the temperature at which it is cooked. Rather than pan-searing a fillet of fish, for instance, Bühner prefers to braise it for a few minutes in homemade infused oil at no more than 55°C. Meat and vegetables are also cooked “sous vide”, i.e. in a bain-marie. This allows plenty of time to fully bring out the different aromas and also makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen.

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PATE DE FRUITS

However, just as important as the technique is the extensive range of Bühner’s cuisine: rather than viewing his set menus as a collection of disparate courses, Thomas Bühner likens them to a symphony. Sometimes the violin can be heard, at other times it is the oboe – but strong emotions are only ever aroused when the whole orchestra comes together. Bühner loves these supposed opposites, and knows how to skillfully compose them when assembling his set menus: purist dishes are juxtaposed with playfully arranged plates, creating a sensuous dramaturgy.

Over the course of the last 15 years, the culinary skills of Thomas Bühner have impressed not only Gault Millau’s and Michelin’s inspectors but also a number of renowned German restaurant guides such as Feinschmecker (5 out of 5 F’s), Gusto (10 out of 10 pans), Varta (5 out of 5 stars) and Bertelsmann (5 out of 5 chef’s hats). However, these high ratings owe just as much to the warm and personal service provided by restaurant manager Thayarni Kanagaratnam as they do to the food itself. She and her team are sensitive to the individual requirements and wishes of every single guest, striking just the right balance between attentiveness and discretion to create a relaxed sense of wellbeing that invites people to have a good time. Restaurant la vie aims to be true to its name and give diners a taste of the good life, providing them with an uncomplicated, relaxing and agreeable experience of the highest order.

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WG

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GERÄUCHERTE PECANUSS

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MITSUHARU TSUMURA - MAIDO, LIMA, PERU

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MITSUHARU TSUMURA PERU IN HIS HEART Photos ŠJose Caceres

Micha, as everybody calls him, is a Peruvian Nikkei, from Lima, and as from his first memories, he always remembers cuisine as a part of his life.

His grandmother Angelica was an excellent cook.

Even though he did not have the chance to know her, he apparently inherited her passion for a good table, the creation of tasty dishes and the pleasure of cooking for many people.

When he graduated, he did not have a clear idea of which way to take, but it was his father who made him realize that his fondness for cuisine could be more than just that, it could become his profession. Finally, he made his choice, passed all his exams, was admitted and travelled to attend Johnson & Wales University at Providence, Rhode Island, where he learnt culinary arts together with the expertise needed to run a business.

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A nikkei in Japan... Back in Lima, ingenuous and without experience, he was determined to open his own steak and sushi restaurant, but his father with a simple question put his feet on the ground: -“How are you going to prepare sushi if you have never been to Japan?”. So, he got everything ready once again to travel to a completely different world.

Japan, more than a cultural shock, was a working shock. Even though he spoke the language and his grandparents were living there, his diplomas and mentions were not enough. Work was simply too strict.

At 21, thanks to a friend of his grandfather, he met Mr. Hirai, owner of a very well-known restaurant who was not interested in his studies, but just watched him fillet fish and make an tamagoyaki, and he said “I already saw what I wanted to see, I am not going to pay you anything, you can have lunch and dinner here. Just come and learn”. And every evening at Seto Sushi was an amazing experience!!

Knife sharpening, talent sharpening...

Remember this; in Japan everything has a reason. For four months he washed pots without touching a knife, only observing the work of others. It looked hard, but that is the only labor philosophy and you take one step at a time. Besides, supplies were so taken care of that he was not allowed to touch anything. To learn to make sushi he started by practicing with rice and gherkins one and thousand times until he succeed.

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After learning to wash the pots properly, he learned the art of sharpening knives to cut and fillet fish, and when he succeeded it was a complete honor to sharpen the knife of every cook at the restaurant.

After that, he was in charge of the reception and cleaning of seafood, verifying that everything was fresh, filleting fish, preparing the tables, the stations, he learned to cook rice, cook for the personnel and finally worked at the bar, first preparing hot dishes and finally… sushi.

Two years had passed by since arriving in Japan, if he had returned before he would not have learnt anything and this intense learning experience would have been lost.

Even today he keeps several notebooks replenished with notes, as well as pictures that captured the details of every technique, because with so much to learn, one does not want to forget anything.

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NIGIRIS DE TIERRA

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Peru in his heart... He stayed in the island working for eight more months until he received a call from the Sheraton Lima, where he had his professional internship, inviting him to be part of their team of chefs in Peru.

Thanks to his experience, he prepared Japanese dinners, organized events; he was station chef and also sous chef until he assumed the Food and Beverage Management. He was 25 by then, and he was in charge of 160 people to whom he had to prove he was qualified to perform the job.

Sheraton Lima was his first job, he learned two things there: cuisine organization and production and creole taste since Sheraton has an excellent Peruvian cuisine.

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FREJOLES ANDINOS

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At the age of 28, the corporation invited him to be a part of an intensive training, turning him into the youngest General Manager in the world, it was a unique opportunity, but it would have meant to forget his dream forever.

His father, realizing his big dilemma, said to him “Son, you have proved to be a good worker and I am going to invest in you. Open your restaurant, I will support you.�

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“Maido” is the result of Micha’s passion for Nikkei food - a Japanese and Peruvian concept. It is a fervent and unique love, Peru always being his source of inspiration. The landscapes, the products and the creativity of the Peruvian people are the ingredients that play in his mind and inspire his work.

Here the cook is not the protagonist, but it is the top quality ingredients that promise the artist the creation of the unique work of art. It looks for customers to live a genuine Nikkei experience. This wonderful cuisine is the reflection of the Japanese influence on the Peruvian gastronomy. The ingredients of both cultures complement each other as if they had been born to be one. It is an honest cuisine with unique textures and flavors.

The country has so much to offer that, knowing the origin of every product, contributing to its sustainability, meeting who cultivated or fished it, is more than a source of inspiration, it means to tell a story, and when one can tell the history of a country serving it on a plate, it is capable of expressing what Peru is.

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GINDARA

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LAPAS CEVICHE

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CHUROS-RIVERS SNAILS, CHALACA, DALE DALE FOAM

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Nikkei Experience - 15 courses

ROCOTO RELLENO-RIBEYE, ROCOTO TEMPURA

CRISPY CHICKEN SKIN

Life is movement. Nothing is static or absolute. No one is. We are in a state of constant flux, just like the Earth, the tides, bacteria, light, the blood in our bodies, colors, seeds. Like family trees, cuisines are constantly being redefined, their identities enriched by an intense intercultural exchange which has formed the basis of all civilization ever since humans shared their first sounds, products, ideas, and customs. Fusion cuisine is just that: cooking, an inclusive word that perfectly encompasses it all.

The fireplace is where bloodlines merge, where people come to sing, individual and group histories are forged, life gestates. The fireplace is where dialogue is fostered, the elements meet, opposites attract. Thus was born Peruvian Nikkei cuisine: from a complex history called Peru; and another, equally complex, faroff and foreign history called Japan that merged to live in harmony and create the third reality: Nikkei Cuisine.

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RAFAEL PIQUERAS - MARAS, LIMA, PERU

RAFAEL PIQUERAS A tribute to Peruvian flavors Photos ŠThe Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center

Graduate from Le Cordon Bleu Institute Peru, Rafael Piqueras has a Master degree from the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. Having completed his studies, he carried out various internships abroad, among which were El Bulli, under the direction of renowned chef Ferran AdriĂĄ, in Italy at Guido, and in the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Girona at The Esguard a one Michelin star restaurant and El Celler de Can Roca the three Michelin start restaurant.

Upon his return to Peru, Rafael worked as a culinary consultant for Sumaq Hotel in Cusco, and as the corporate chef at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton, also in charge of his own restaurant, Fusion between 2006 and 2008.

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RAFAEL PIQUERAS - MARAS, LIMA, PERU

GRILLED OCTOPUS

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GRILLED SCALLOPS AND SWEETBREADS

PICARONES MARAS STYLE

MANGO & AMADOR CHOCOLATE

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BONITO FISH WITH POTATO CAUSA

Since June 2011 Rafael Piqueras directs Maras, the fine-dining restaurant located at the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center. offering a menu that could be defined as “contemporary Peruvian cuisine” and characterized by giving much importance to the product used in every dish, without neglecting the most modern international culinary techniques.

Maras offers a varied menu that includes seafood dishes. You’ll also find some Peruvian dishes reinvented by the chef. They retain the same spirit that inspires the other dishes on the menu: the desire to surprise and the wonderful taste of Peruvian ingredients.

In 2012, Maras was voted “Best New Restaurant” by the readers of the gastronomic guide Summum, and during 2013 and 2014 won in the category of “Best Hotel Restaurant”.

Maras is among the top 15 restaurants in Peru.

Maras recently opened a bar that complements its culinary offer with homemade dishes for lunch, and a tapas menu and premium cocktails for the evening. El Salar promises to become a new standard of cuisine Rafael Piqueras, who argues that this will be his place to experiment recipes and new ingredients. “El Salar is like my laboratory. Here I feel free to try and play. My wish is to continue offering new proposals that satisfy demanding customers who visit us”, adds Rafael.

Rafael was the first Peruvian chef to be invited to the Madrid Fusion Festival, in Spain, and today is one of the five top chefs in Peru.

MINI WAFFLES LOCHE

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JONATHAN TAM - RELÆ, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

JONATHAN TAM Photos ©Per-Anders Jörgensen

Born and raised in Edmonton, Canada, Jonathan Tam comes from a Chinese background. His parents were raised in Vietnam and all his meals at home was always a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. “I’ve always loved food, nothing got me more excited than getting to go out for an elaborate Chinese meal with my family.” Adds Jonathan. It was when he started to get to taste different cuisines, it made him realize how little he knew about food. He was constantly searching for new experiences, which gradually grew into an interest in cooking.

It was his way to learn more about different types of food and cultures.

Jonathan has been part of the Relæ DNA since day one with Christian Puglisi. With Christian’s focus at Manfreds and the new organic farm that will supply his restaurants he hands over control of his restaurant Relæ to Jonathan.

Relæ was established in 2010 by Christian F. Puglisi and Kim Rossen. The idea of creating a place of gourmet simplicity in a rustic setting at the heart of Nørrebro was the driving force from the beginning. Cooking food of high ambitions in a humble setting was combined with a lively atmosphere and an approachable price point.

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JONATHAN TAM - RELÆ, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

ONION, BIRCH AND PINE

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The food at Relæ is ‘plant-centric’ and locavorist, creatively driven with a focus on vegetables and local produce. Undogmatically using also ingredients like Sicilian lemons or white truffles from Piedmont, Relæ’s wholehearted use of organics makes the menu reflect the local, seasonal raw materials available at any given day. Expect salsify fried in tempura as a finger snack and courses like romaine lettuce poached in butter with salted, grated egg yolk and nettle puree, or lamb from the salty marshlands of Southern Denmark with samphire from the same area and turnip slices.

TROUT AND RAMSON

If the focus on tasty, creative food in a no-frills atmosphere is what you experience as a guest at Relæ, the logistics behind the scenes include intense and ethically grounded practices like recirculation and reusing food trash and garbage and searching for sustainability in every matter.

This is done in close synergy with the sister restaurant, Manfreds, across the street. The restaurant has since 2013 held the highest Danish organic certification making it the only Michelin starred restaurant with such a certification in the world. Relæ ranks #40 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and has been honoured by the Sustainable Restaurant Award two times in a row, 2015 and 2016.

MUSHROOM, ALMONDS AND TOASTED BREAD

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JONATHAN TAM - RELÆ, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

WG Magazine catches up with Jonathan Tam, Relæ’s new Head Chef…

Jonathan Tam tells us about his experience at Noma with René Redzepi…

Noma is a really special restaurant. I knew it the moment I stepped into the kitchen back in 2007. It completely change my perspective on food and cooking. Rene taught me what it really means to respect the produce, to be in tune with seasons and have a sense of place.

I was taught many different techniques but it was the values and principles from Rene that I still hold on to till this day.

Jonathan has been part of the Relæ DNA since day one with Christian Puglisi…

To get to be at Relae, since the very beginning has made a huge impact on me as a chef and even as a person. Young cooks are constantly on the move, finding ways into the next restaurant. Once you are in the kitchen it is all about learning the system. To have a chance to start something new, having to create everything from the start has been the most valuable learning experience. Even now, we are constantly thinking of how we can evolve to provide the best experience for our guests. This process will prepare me for many different situations that might come up in the future.

As a cook, it has been amazing to work alongside Christian. His energy and charisma is infectious. We managed to create a unique cuisine in a very short period of time, which I am very proud of but is still only the beginning.

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LETTUCE SMOKED ALMOND AND OLIVE OIL

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JONATHAN TAM - RELÆ, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

BEET CRABAPPLE AND SÖL

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Your cuisine is a compositions of simple dishes, maximum of three unique flavours with a focus in the core ingredient, colors and shapes, the use of local produce, flavor combinations and several techniques - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

The key to balance is by not over complicating the dish. We have very few components because often with too many things on the plate in will distract our senses. If every bite is something different then the palate will never get to understand the composition.

SQUID MUSSELS AND SEAWEED

Jonathan describes his culinary philosophy and cuisine…

To be honest I still don’t know how to describe the food we are cooking at Relæ. There are so many aspects to how we cook that it’s hard to explain it in a few words but our inspiration starts with the produce. To highlight the ingredient as best as we can.

Jonathan’s greatest influences in the kitchen…

The people I work with. Their passion and drive.

Produce, Creativity, or Technique…

“Produce. If the ingredient is not the best from the start you can never make it taste good.”

PORK FROM HINDSHOLM AND RYE

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JONATHAN TAM - RELÆ, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Jonathan’s opinion on the best recipe he has created and what inspired him…

It’s pretty hard to pick out one but if I had to I would say “Smoked beetroot and Elderflower”.

It’s a dish that really shows a really common and simple ingredient like a beetroot can become very exciting and unfamiliar. I was just trying out a lot of different ways of cooking a beetroot. It end up being-to char beets very heavily on the outside then let it cook at a low temperature overnight. I noticed a very interesting texture that was not like how cooked beets are. This slowly evolved into a dish. It often about being observant and noticing small details.

Jonathan shares shares the process he goes through to create a new dish…

It always starts with finding the ingredients that are in season. Just this year we started our own farm so we are using that as our main source of inspiration. It’s a new way of working for us, to start the creative process in the field and let nature decide what we should cook. I like to look back at our repertoire and try to push it a little further. I don’t have a specific formula it’s all about getting the produce in my hands and just start playing with it.

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JONATHAN TAM - RELÆ, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

SMOKED BEET FISH AND ELDERFLOWER

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Ingredients that inspire Jonathan, his favorite ingredients and ingredients which he has not been able to master…

Celtuce - I only manage to get it on the menu a couple of times but now we grow a lot of it on our farm so I’m trying a lot of different things with it now.

The favorite ingredients… mostly vegetables it takes a lot more creativity and technique to make a memorable dish with a vegetable.

Stem Celery is an ingredient that Jonathan has had a hard time making sense on what to do to it that can make it better. It’s really nice just the way it is.

WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE AND PARSLEY

Jonathan tells us about the equipment he particular enjoy working with…

“The steamer. We are using that a lot for our vegetable dishes. You can use it to cook things very fast but also to cook things very delicately.“ Number 40 on San Pellegrino 2016 The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, 2015 and 2016 The Sustainable Restaurant Award and now you take over as head chef of Relæ - What keeps you motivated at this point in your career?

I guess I’m just a product of my environment. Since the very beginning we’ve never set goals of wanting to get a Michelin star or make it on to the 50 Best list. We just wanted to do what we believe would be the best experience for our guests. That is still my goal. To create a memorable dining experience for people that come to Relæ.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE QUINOA AND COFFEE

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DESBUE - GOA, INDIA

EGGPLANT PARMAGIANA

RED BEET

The New Spark in Old Fontainhas Text Gigi Martin Photos ©Arnold Noronha

Fontainhas (or Bairro das Fontainhas, in Portuguese) is the old Latin Quarter of Panaji. This area maintains to this day its Portuguese influence, namely at the architectonic level; such as the narrow and pretty winding streets as found in many European cities, old villas and buildings with projecting balconies painted in the traditional tones of pale yellow, green, or blue, and roofs made of red coloured tiles. The Fontainhas’s heritage ambiance represents the traditional Portuguese influence in the area and it is in one of these buildings you find this quaint little hotel, where traditional charm and modern luxury blend seamlessly in historic surroundings. “La Maison”, translates from French to mean house or home and this boutique hotel which has eight private heritage rooms and a personal concierge really makes the perfect place to base oneself in Panjim, to have a home away from home.

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HERBED CALAMARI FRITTI

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DESBUE - GOA, INDIA

SEAFOOD BISQUE

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CREAMY GRUYERE RISOTTO

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GRILLED CHICKEN STEAK

Situated within these picturesque walls of La Maison, is their small but delightful European cuisine restaurant. The interiors lend themselves to a modern twist of Baroque architecture inspired by European influences. The colour pallet has various hues of greens and blues, with a touch gold for the affluent effect. The high back chairs remind one of Frank Lloyd Write’s concept of a room with in a room. Woodend elaborately carved chandeliers, which have been especially been designed for Desbue and vintage mirrors, give it a French feel within this Portuguese building of an era gone by. Although Baroque interior are known for their highly detailed, intricately carved wood detailing paired with luxurious textiles, Desbue maintains a very simple dinning setting to ensure all the focus is directed to the food.

Desbue is a derivation from the French language however it doesn’t exist in the French Lexicon.

Luis Filipe Menezes, the owner of La Maison says “We wanted to create a word that was derived from the French language but not associated with palace or person in order to let our guest have the opportunity of assigning a fresh emotional connect with our brand by the sheer virtue of association or first-hand dining experience.” The uniqueness of the word allows for this which adds a much needed modern but tasteful spark to the historic neighborhood in Panjim, which seem to be still getting noticed outside of Goa.

Desbue’s delectable menu is every bit as innovative as most European based restaurants. The food is inspired by the European connect intertwined with accents of Traditional Goan Flavours. This eclectic “Desbue” unlike most brand names is not laden fusion of cultures in the kitchen allows for an with pre-establish meaning. It doesn’t have a rich experimental menu and a chance to deliver unique and personal history associated with it. The word food blends from farm to table.

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DESBUE - GOA, INDIA

CHOCOLATE BON BONS

From their entrées of Arugula Bacon with poached egg, red onion, croutons, red radish dressed with olive oil & balsamic, to unusual Fish Carpaccio, with capers, orange, cherry tomatoes a lime vinaigrette. Or one can always just opt for the traditional Beef Carpaccio as well. The Seafood Bisque is just perfect for the monsoons, a huge bowl of comfort to warm your cockle’s. The warm Beef Salad is ever bit succulent, with hint of the east with Pineapple, Bok Choy, green Onions, sweet chillie, lime leaf with Soya and Sesame dressing.

The Terrine de Foies de Volaille (Chicken Liver Pate), Moules Gratinees (Mussels, with panko, Parmesan, Calamata Tomato Salsa) or Rouleaux de Printemps (served in rice paper, with avocado, green onion, carrot, iceberg, cucumber, tamarind Prawns) are but a few of the signature dishes served here. Moving onto the mains you can find such delights as Filet of Boeuf with Blue Cheese, Spanish Pork Ribs with gratin potatoes, Braised Duck, Filet de Poisson and one can’t miss the stuffed Chicken either.

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Vegetarian don’t need to despair here wither with the melt-in-the-mouth offers like the Feta Filo Pie made with Ricotta, Spinach and a tangy lemon caper sauce to the refreshing Water Melon Feta Salad. The creamy Gruyere Risotto is definitely worth a try, made with green pea puree, saffron, pearl onion and grilled leaks. They also do sharing platters for people who like to try a bit of everything.

Moving onto the sinful side, the deserts, the Chocolate Bon Bon’s are a perfect mouthful of nuts and the goodness of chocolate in every bite. The green tea infused panna cotta is light and bright, matching the green hues of the interiors. However, the most sinful and exquisite desert has the to be the filo pastry filled with molten chocolate, which just oozes happiness. What’s more is their commitment too healthy, locally sourced ingredients in keeping with the preference of their discerning patrons.

WG MAGAZINES

GREEN TEA PANNACOTTA

FILO PASTRY WITH CHOCOLATE

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COSME - NEW YORK, USA

COSME Cosme is a restaurant in New York City’s Flatiron District serving contemporary cuisine. World-renowned Chef Enrique Olvera and his team create dishes rooted in Mexican flavors and traditions, while also celebrating local and seasonal ingredients from the Hudson Valley and surrounding region. Adjacent to the main dining room, there is a bar and lounge area where guests can enjoy the full menu in a lively atmosphere. Cosme’s beverage program focuses on artisanal spirits and mirrors its cuisine, letting the high quality ingredients shine. Cosme offers a varied selection of tequilas and mezcals.

Cosme´s dining room offers creative Mexican cuisine in a relaxed environment. Cosme’s menu offers a range of plates meant to be shared. The cooking is modern in approach with an anchor in Olvera’s culinary heritage and Mexican tradition. Dishes emphasize simplicity and allow fresh local ingredients, sourced from the Hudson Valley and immediately surrounding regions, to take centre stage. Mexican specialties like dried chiles and beans are imported, as well as heirloom corn for house-made tortillas, which is brought from Mexico.

DUCK CARNITAS

Cosme offers a full bar focused on high quality and sustainably-produced spirits, beers, and wines—including a carefully chosen selection of mezcals and tequilas. The accessible wine list includes more than 100 varieties from an array of regions, including our in-house label produced in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico. Two agua frescas, a Mexican specialty, are made in house daily.

Named after a market in Mexico City where Olvera’s grandfather took him as a child, Cosme evokes a strong sense of place. The space was completely gutted and remodeled for a modern, distinctive design. The Cosme team enlisted architect and partner Alonso de Garay and interior designer Micaela De Bernardi to execute their design vision for the restaurant. The 3,500- square-foot space seats approximately 140 guests, with approximately 90 seats in the main dining room and 50 in the bar area.

The private dining room accommodates up to 14 people and offers audio and internet capabilities.

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HUSK MERINGUE

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BLACK LION - H HOTEL, DUBAI

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Black Lion As the first East End London inspired venue in Dubai, The Black Lion is at the cutting edge of casual dining hotspots in the region with its street food feast. Home to colorful characters, such as Charlie Chaplin, The Kray Twins and Mary Quant the venue is taking the East End’s multicultural heritage and bringing something truly distinctive to Dubai - through their food, style, music and DJ’s. A British melting pot with their selection of ‘small bites’, which includes short rib Korean buns, sesame prawn toast and Cornish pasties, The Black Lion is taking inspiration from the Big Smoke’s foodie scene.

Their extensive menu options play on the cultural melting pot of the capital city with offerings from late breakfast through to the early hours of the AM. Influenced by the diversity of London’s street cuisine, the menu also boasts ‘Street Eats’, offering favourites such as the ‘Diner’ jumbo hot dog, the Brick Lane salt beef sandwich – accompanied with caraway & rye loaf - and butter milk chicken drums. Revellers are also welcomed to curb their midnight munchies with favourites from the ‘lock in’ menu, served from 11.30pm daily, choosing from a diverse selection of tacos, melts and pizzas.

The signature design feature is the central island bar which is a great place to prop yourself for a drink late afternoon, meanwhile the dining tables on the perimeter of the venue allow you get cosy and comfortable, whilst watching the world go by through the street-level windows.

Home to live music and acoustic sets with local and international talent, the edgier cousin of the award-winning Reform Social & Grill in The Lakes rivals the best speakeasy bars in the city.

Set to become a vibrant weekend destination thanks to a hiphop influenced Friday evening brunch which mixes up sounds of distinctive soul, funk and hip-hop, and Soultrain every Thursday with DJ Sam B taking guests on a journey of soul from 8pm, their signature cocktails such as the hops sours, Aunt Sally and gin ‘n’ juice will be flowing throughout the week along with a lively Tuesday ladies night with DJ Cliff Townley offering the very best in R&B and unlimited cocktails from 8pm to 11pm. A traditional British roast is served on a Saturday and Sunday supported by live sport on the big screen.

Whether you’re looking to hang out with the cool and quirky or set the trend, The Black Lion is one that stands out from the crowd.

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RIWAZ - THE RITZ-CARLTON BANGLORE

Riwaz

a journey of north-western Indian cuisine

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RIWAZ - THE RITZ-CARLTON BANGLORE

BIRYANI

Contemporary design meets touches of elegant fine dine at Riwaz, at The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore. Sleek modern design, alluring city views and architectural accents true to Bangalore’s rich history come together in a mélange to create the perfect setting for an epicurean culinary journey.

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Borrowing from the culinary heritage of North Western India, the culinary offerings of Riwaz are known for smoky, robust flavors, tender grilled meats and an assortment of traditional Indian breads. While the offerings remain true to the custom, which is the meaning of the word Riwaz, what sets this restaurant apart is the modern show kitchen. A recurring design element of jaalis, runs thought the restaurant in different patterns, lending itself beautifully to the ambience and carrying the theme of the hotel’s scenography.

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DUM BIRYANI

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RIWAZ - THE RITZ-CARLTON BANGLORE

NALLI NIHARI

RIWAZ SIGNATURE DISHES

Subj aur gucchi di galouti – cardamom scented dumpling of seasonal vegetables and morels.

Nalli Nihari – which is slow cooked lamb shanks Legend has it that the aging Nawab Wajid Ali Shah with yoghurt, mint and our chef’s special ‘Nihari lost his teeth but not his longing for meats. The Masala’. The dish gets its name from the Arabic galouti kebab was an invention of his khansama word Nahar which means day. The lamb is cooked or cook which incorporated minced meats. This overnight, which results in a tender, succulent meat delightful vegetarian variation is soft, succulent laced with delicate spices. and is made with the elegant usage of handpicked spices and herbs.

Bhatti ka kukkad - char grilled chicken marinated in mustard oil and a Bhatti Masala, which is a Afgani Korma - lamb cooked in almond, onion and special blend of spices. A time honored signature yoghurt gravy and spiced with mace and nutmeg. dish, cooked over charcoal fire, which was made This is a famed culinary legacy of the Pashtun tribe by warriors and rediscovered 40 years later in the and prepared with our chef’s special, homemade bylanes of Amritsar. qorma masala.

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KEBABS

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INDIAN BENTO

The Executive Lunch at Riwaz takes on an all new look as an exciting culinary innovation in a Themed Indian Bento Box. The compact boxes allows guests to enjoy a fine dining experience in quick, perfectly portioned culinary experiences in different variations. These themed bento boxes have gained popularity with guests because of their unique presentation and some of the popular themes have been the Indian Ayurveda concept and the Delhi Prepared in an open kitchen by expert chefs utilizing Haat bento box with specialties like Chicken Tikka celebrated traditional methods, these delectable Cold Salad, Mutton Sheekh Kebab Masala and creations captivate the palate, and are plated to Dahi Pakoda Chaat. provide a visual delight. A wide selection of desserts and sweets promise a memorable conclusion to every meal.

Adjoining the main dining area, an intimate spice table lets guest revel in the aromas of exotic spices and the wine enoteca has tasting tables at which guests may explore distinctive notes from a thoughtfully curated collections of wines.

Unforgettably innovative cocktails - each inspired by indigenous herbs, spices and fruits - complete the restaurant’ s distinctive beverage selection.

SUNEHARI JINGHA (PRAWNS)

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THE SALT GRILL - HILTON BANGALORE EMBASSY GOLFLINKS, INDIA

DUCK CONFIT SERVED ON HIMALAYAN SALT SLABS

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DECONSTRUCTED GREEK SALAD

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THE SALT GRILL This exclusive al fresco restaurant by the poolside serves a range of Indian and Eastern Mediterranean grilled delicacies. The ambience, seated under clear open skies, near the aqua waters of the beautifully lit pool, which changes colour, is a key element to the exotic and “out-of-the-world” dining experience at THE SALT GRILL. The cabana seating is another favourite with the diners to uplift the “Dining under the Stars” look and feel of the dining venue.

The highlight is that all signature grills are authentically, cooked, flavoured and plated on therapeutic Himalayan Salt Slabs, one of the first restaurants in the city to cook on natural salts from the Himalayan Salt Slabs. The pink salts imbibed in the meats pamper the taste buds and add a wonderful range of flavours making the dishes every meat lover’s delight. Delicious vegetarian options are available as well, namely the Kumbh Galouti, marinated in fresh herbs and yoghurt is a delight.

New Zealand Lamb Chops, Barbeque Pork Ribs and Duck Confit are some of the signature dishes of high quality meat, tender and perfectly done, flavoured and plated on Himalayan Salt Slabs.

The desserts bring in a spectacular culmination to the exotic meal with the Poached Pear with Mascarpone Cheese and Red Wine reduction smoked at the table.

NEW ZEALAND LAMB CHOPS

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SUNSET CRUISE | DINNER CRUISE | MIDNIGHT CRUISE

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METROPOLITAN R E P O R T

a connoisseur’s guide to the good life

www.metropolitanreport.com

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