WG MAGAZINE
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where intrigue, surprise and adventure awaits... a cuisine inspired by Indian flavours shaped by the imagination and experience of award-winning chef restaurateur, Vineet Bhatia.
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10 Lincoln St, London SW2 3TS +44 20 7225 1881 â—? info@vineetbhatia.london â—? www.vineetbhatia.london
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MiaMi | OrlandO www.rOckawaypr.cOM WG May 2017 -
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Contemporary Italian cuisine by
World Renowned Three Michelin Star Chef Heinz Beck
For reservations call +971 4 8182 155 | +971 4 818 2222 | Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah | www.waldorfastoria.com/Dubai
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ELEVATING BRANDS ABOVE THE CROWDS www.tallpr.com
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ARIA is an award winning, two hatted restaurant in Sydney located at Circular Quay, on the very edge of Sydney Harbour. This incredible restaurant provides a dining experience with striking Sydney harbour views, an award winning menu and extensive wine list, all served in an intimate and elegant dining room. ARIA Restaurant 1 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 T +61 2 9240 2255 mail@ariarestaurant.com ariarestaurant.com
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Editor Lifestyle Editor Culinary Editor Feature Editor Contributors
Fabian deCastro Doug Singer
Oilda Barreto Michael Hepworth Gigi Martin Costanzo Scala
FJMdesign Photography Consultant Creative Design Studio Publisher
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Identifying underprivileged children with culinary ambitions...
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Oscar Barrera Marengo Claudia Ferreres
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Cover Image Credit: Michael Wilson STUFFED BABY SQUID - PHÉNIX, Shanghai Photo ©PHÉNIX
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MAGAZINES
This May issue of WG will tantalize your taste buds as we visit three Michelinstarred Chef Pedro Subijana in San Sebastián. Subijana was instrumental in creating one of the most important gastronomic movements of our time - New Basque Cuisine. We then check in at VBL with India’s First Michelinstarred Chef Vineet Bhatia and explore Vineet Bhatia’s life in food. A brief stopover at Hangar 7 to delve into the flavours of Isaac McHale’s island creations, Isaac will be working his magic at Restaurant Ikarus in Hangar-7 throughout the month of May. Thierry Enderlin, Benjamin Higgins and Pierre are chefs at the 5 star Coquillade Village in Provence. The last stop in Europe takes us to Slovenia to meet with Uroš Štefelin of Vila Podvin. Uroš transforms traditional dishes into culinary delights of Slovene Nouvelle Cuisine. HEART Ibiza is a unique experience from the creative minds of Albert and Ferran Adrià in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, which opens on May 26, it is back once again with a new concept for multi-sensory entertainment where music, art and gastronomy come together.
Our culinary journey takes us across the Atlantic… our first visit is with three to Michelin-starred Chef David Kinch in the village of Los Gatos at the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. David Kinch’s distinctive culinary path has put him at the forefront of contemporary California cuisine. In search of the best restaurants in South America, we head out to Mexico City, Lima, Sao Paulo, Santiago and Buenos Aires before heading to Kyoto, Japan to meet with Master Chef Rei Masuda at Sushi Wakon. Chef Masuda’s sushi rice is famous for its unique texture that melts in the mouth, it is a work of art due to the care and attention taken in its preparation. While in the East, we stopover in Shanghai to learn more about ‘life is about the ingredients’ from Michael Wilson. We head out to the Middle East to have a Taste of Italy with Federico Teresi, a take on Peruvian cuisine with Benjamin Wan of COYA Dubai, we quench our thirst with Mixologist and Bar Manager Lukas Jehlicka of PLAY before to go out to meet Miss Wang. Bon Appétit
FdeCastro
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MAY 2017
CONTENTS 26
New Basque Cuisine
36
Progressive Indian Cuisine
62
Contemporary California Cuisine
74
Pushing The Boundaries
80
Rei Masuda
92
Heart Ibiza
102 Taste Of Italy 118 Coquillade Village 132 Life Is About The Ingredients 136 COYA Dubai 146 Slovene Nouvelle Cuisine 150 Play With Cocktails 158 Best Restaurants In South America 178 Miss Wang
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STUFFED BABY SQUID - PHÉNIX, SHANGHAI PHOTO © PHÉNIX
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1. MSRP. Tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment extra. ©2016 General Motors. All Rights Reserved. Cadillac®
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BREAKFAST Daily 7:00 AM-11:00 AM LUNCH Monday-Friday 12:00 PM-2:30 PM BRUNCH Saturday-Sunday 11:00 AM-2:30 PM DINNER Monday-Sunday 5:30 PM-10:00 PM
Recently renovated Private Dining Rooms available for up to 180 guests.
Café Boulud is a proud supporter of the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival. CAFÉ BOULUD AT THE BRAZILIAN COURT HOTEL | 301 AUSTRALIAN AVE | PALM BEACH, FL 33480 WWW.CAFEBOULUD.COM/PALMBEACH | (561) 655-6060
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‘ WOGOA FOUNDATION
Identifying underprivileged children with culinary ambitions...
Culinary Arts can give new life to children... we make it our mission to identify talented, underprivileged children with culinary ambitions and provide opportunities that otherwise would have been beyond their reach…
Grant MacPherson
WO’GOA Foundation Ambassador An inspirer, innovator and perfectionist - Grant encompasses all the qualities that deserving children can glean from a role model!
The Pearl Martin Benn - Sepia, Sydney, Australia - WG May 2017
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partnered with SKD ACADEMY the culinary institute in the Philippines
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PEDRO SUBIJAN
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EXCITING 40 YEAR JOURNEY
PEDRO SUBIJANA NEW BASQUE CUISINE Photo ©JOAN VALERA
Born in San Sebastián and studied in Madrid and under Luis Irizar at Zarauz, before setting up his own restaurant in 1975. The young Pedro Subijana began his career in Vitoria, Tolosa, Hernani, Madrid, and Estella, and then moved to Akelare to work as head chef. Throughout his storied career of more than 40 years at the restaurant, Subijana was instrumental in creating one of the most important gastronomic movements of our time - New Basque Cuisine. The influence and dynamism of the movement owes much to the approach (fiercely local yet innovative) and ethos (collaborative and open) that Subijana and his contemporaries purposefully conceived in the late 1970’s. WG May 2017 -
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PEDRO SUBIJAN
A strongly believer in academic training, and Pedro teaches in the European and American institutions as well as Spanish Hotel Management Schools. This love of teaching has allowed him to disseminate his “secrets� through television programs and dozens of books. A founder member of EuroToques in 1986, and was appointed president in 2003. Pedro continues to work extremely hard so that he can bring to fruition all the projects he feels bubbling up inside. Time will channel them, and others will follow in their wake. The three Michelin starred restaurant Akelare rests on the beautiful slopes of Monte Igueldo. Subijana, much awarded elder statesman of New Basque Cuisine, a great contributor to world gastronomy, and Pedro continues to cook here for delighted and adventurous diners with his triumvirate of experience, boldness, and passion.
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WG Magazine speak with Pedro Subijana, one of the founders New Basque cuisine‌ It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Pedro Subijana tells us how he found his way into the culinary world to become one of the most sought-after chefs in the World! I was born in a family which, although not being in the industry, had big cult to the ritual of gastronomy and all what surrounded it: Preparation, buying the produce, welcoming the guests, sharing the table and after table ritual talking. Every time there was a celebration at home, my father was the one in charge of it. And his father, my grandfather, was the real gourmet who knew all the restaurants in a 200m radius besides many more in cities which were a bit further. Since I was a child I came to know all these restaurants but never imagined to consider it as an option for me, a professional career. It was just when I had already decided I was going to go to the University to study Medicine, when my group of close friends, who had eaten what I cooked many times, suggested to join the Culinary Arts School. ESPARRAGO MERENGADO
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ASADO DE CORDERITO LECHAL. ENSALADA EN MADEJA.
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GAMBAS CON VAINAS
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Ingredients that inspire Pedro Subijana, his favorite ingredients and ingredients that he was not able to master...
LANGOSTA DESTILADA
Inspiration comes from being working, normally in different ways at the same time. Tests and more tests are made and eventually one of them work out. But it’s necessary to be very self-critic. I guide myself, first of all by the seasonality of the produce. But I also visit markets, different countries and by enjoying cooking as a particular way of living, with intensity, curiosity, humbleness and hard work. I don’t have defined favourite ingredients although to be honest, I really like seafood and vegetables, although I don’t dislike meat at all. Richness is in the variety. No, as far as I can remember, I have never had this problem. It can happen sometimes is that while looking for a formula for a recipe it may not finally work and I leave the idea for that occasion, but we achieve that specific idea for another occasion, and sometimes we work on it back after a while. WG May 2017 -
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Special cooking techniques behind Pedro Subijana’s signature dishes… We dedicate an important part of our time researching about techniques, new products and technologies and that is the most fun part of our work. When some time passes and if we are not doing anything new, then it causes me uncomfortable stress. And we do not give anything as final. I always say that when we have achieved something interesting, that it will be so only until we have found some better way to do it. Always ready to change. Creativity, Technique or Produce… Creativity without pleasure does not work for me. There must be a balance and proportion between the whole of it. I guess that a good cook always works with the best product. Technique and innovation are very interesting, even exciting, but for me, if they don’t feel the emotions, there is no success. I mean, that one must not be complacent with oneself and humble not to get off the ground. Doing important things is not a question of simple improvement, although sometimes it is rather about a lot of accuracy and analysis. It’s important to mix experience with boldness and risk. That’s why I like to have my team, I like to mix people of all ages in my team. The very young ones – it is important to let them take risks, but filtering with the strain of knowledge and experience.
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INFUSION DE CALDO VERDE, CIGALA Y RAPE AHUMADO
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“It’s very hard to define. I’ve lived close to the pleasure of eating well, but I’ve always been a nonconformist. Since I started at the culinary Arts School, I took the less comfortable path and chose to rethink everything for me. That’s why I founded, together with Juan Mari Arzak, that “revolution” of the New Basque Cuisine”
Three Michelin stars… What keeps you motivated at this point in your career? The more knowledge I have, the more I feel the necessity of learning more. It excites me so much facing new challenges and projects and having the determination of fighting to achieve them. Stars are not the goal, just the consequence. The gift. Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, Pedro Subijana’s advice to chefs who are entering the kitchen for the first time... Glamorous nowadays. When I started it did not have such a good reputation. We have managed to dignify the profession and be acknowledged as an engine for several others. We’ve been able to work together collaborating one another. To support each other with open our arms to any colleague who would need us. To display values that have either been lost or are at the risk of doing so and no matter how much the technology and robotics advance, it changes the world. Nothing can replace the warmth, the palate and sensitivity of a good chef. I think we have changed the landscape but it is not a fashion. You just have to be a little humble so as to keep your feet on the ground, and stay honest and consistent.
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VINEET BHATIA
THE FACE OF PROGRESSIVE INDIAN CUISINE
VINEET BHATIA TEXT GIGI MARTIN
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Vineet Bhatia arrived in London way back in 1993 with little more than a suitcase full of books, a lofty ambition, his love of Indian cuisine and a passion for cooking! Fast-forward a few years and Bhatia has now published a few successful cookery books, recorded a TV series, opened several restaurants and is the first Indian chef-patron to be have been awarded a Michelin star, and is now seen as the face of progressive modern Indian cuisine. Born in India in 1967, Vineet grew up in a middleclass family in Bombay (now Mumbai). He initially had his heart set on the skies and not the kitchen. Failing his medicals brought his dreams of becoming a pilot crashing down to earth. In retrospect, it was the best thing that could have happened to him, as then he turned all his attention towards his other passion, food. What better place to follow his dream than Bombay, a melting pot that combines a diverse range of culinary influences from many different regions of India. Fascinated by this diversity and his mum’s shared desire for cooking, he enthusiastically ventured into the world of food. Vineet Bhatia is one of the world’s most soughtafter chefs at this point, he talks about his hunger for cooking…. which was latent in his formative years.
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PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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“I grew up in Bombay near Juhu aerodrome and every morning my alarm call at 6:30 was the Gulf Air flight to Bahrain. My brother and I loved waking up to the sound of the engines, we would cycle down to school to Vile Parle just so we would go through the Juhu aerodrome… the idea was to spot the helicopters and airplanes along the way. In the mid ‘70’s there were no security guards so you could walk in and out without any hindrance. We were a very middle class and simple family. My father was an accountant and my mother a lawyer. Other family members were in different services like doctors or engineers as was the norm in India. I never was never keen on those lines; I wanted to be a pilot and serve my country. I wanted to do my engineering first and then start flying, the whole idea was to go into space, be an astronaut!” Vineet Bhatia truly wanted to join the air force when he took his defence exams but to his dismay was turned down. The medics told him he didn’t meet the height requirements to be a pilot. He tried textile designing for a while but that wasn’t his “cup of Darjeeling” either. That’s when he got the idea about being a barman, the thought of mixing drinks sounded exotic to him. A summer job landed him this opportunity to work behind the bar but that didn’t last long and he was told he was too short to stand behind a bar. “So, they put me in the back, in the kitchen.” That opened a whole new world, one that was incredibly disciplined and intense with activity. It was enough to sign up for a degree in hotel management. He goes on to tell us that 1985 was an eye opener for him, he had no love for food but the opposite as he used to shy away from it except Mithai(Indian sweets) and other sweets. When he walked into a kitchen at Oberoi Towers, (now Trident) at Nariman Point, Bhatia still remembers, it was so well disciplined and organised and this was at 6:45 in the morning. They made him stand in line to his check shoes, nails, haircut, his shave, the uniform and if it was not correct, he would have been sent back. “I thought, wow this is great, this is some kitchen, it’s clean, its well run, well-mannered and people are not abusive or shouting at each other. So, I decided then, that this is what I wanted to do. So, I actually learned to cook.”
EXPERIENCE MENU - VBL - BEET MOMO; BEET MACAROON PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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Vineet would spend hours and hours in the kitchen on his off days and made sure to put in the extra hours to learn. He did this for himself as he was greedy for knowledge and could do it at that time as he was only 17. Bhatia wanted to experience what the world was about through cooking. While most of his friends were enjoying, going to movies, he would spend his spare time working in the kitchen. At the age of 20 he joined the renowned Oberoi Hotel School (now OCLD). It is here that he was handpicked from candidates from all over India to be trained for a further two years. He tells us “I went through the training, six days a week: three days in college and three days on the job experience and finally we had the Sunday off. I used to finish college or work by 4:35pm and would get into kitchen by 6:30pm on my own, and even on my off days. “My batch mates used to say, ‘this guy is crazy he is trying to save money’ but it was not about saving money, it was about learning.” Part of their training was to work in various kitchens whether it be the Patisserie, Chinese, Indian, the coffee shop, in banquet, the soup section or the butchery and all had fixed timings. Vineet used to come half-hour early to spend even more time in the kitchen and created a fixed habit to always be early. “We never finished at 4.00, the staff go on time but we, as a trainee and apprentice had to put in the extra hours; it would be past 4:30 or 5:00 before we would go back to the locker room, shower, freshen up, change and back in the kitchen at 6:00, where I could do whatever I wanted.” Vineet used to go back and work on the tandoor or in the curry section, and would work till 12:00. He would struggle to sleep for 5 to 6 hours but the fire and passion would drive him back to work and with a keen interest of how he could grasp whatever possible in the shortest space of time kept him going.
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EXPERIENCE MENU - VBL - RAAN UTTAPAM PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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EXPERIENCE MENU - VBL - DUCK KORMA, RED ONION CHUTNEY PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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EXPERIENCE MENU - VBL - CHILLI LOBSTER, SQUID INK FOAM, DHOKLA SPONGE PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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Vineet Bhatia was finally ready to work “When you finish your two years you’re asked for your placement. I asked for Bombay, because besides being home ground, this property was the flagship (and has always been) as well as the busiest hotel in the group. Fortunately for me the gentlemen who came for the final interview was the senior vice president and was based in Bombay and so I was granted my wish. The second important part was the kitchen that one would get assigned to. And as we lined up, being the shortest and youngest in my batch, I was right in front. Despite that I was spoken to last as each one of us was asked their (kitchen) work area of preference. Someone said Chinese, someone said French, someone else said patisserie and I said Indian. The senior chef assigned the chef-candidates to their kitchens (they had asked for) but I was asked to stay behind for a chat. It was less of a chat and more a telling off, of my life. The crème de la crème were assigned French kitchens (and this also presented a scope of an International placement) and here I was requesting Indian! My chef mentor was severely disappointed as hitherto I was his winning horse, his star pupil, but with my choice of Indian kitchen, was now letting him down. I can still hear his booming voice, ‘why do you want to do Indian food, as there is no scope in that kitchen. Do you want to do kababs, biryani and breads for the rest of your life?” My explanation that Indian food and cuisine felt very close to my heart, one that I could relate to, fell on deaf ears.
EXPERIENCE MENU - VBL SPICED SCALLOP, EDMAMAE COUS COUS CHAAT PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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Vineet was deployed to a continental section under the watchful eye of both the Continental chef in charge as well as the senior chef mentor. However, whenever possible, after work or during his off hours he would go back to work in the Indian kitchen and was invariably found there. Finally, the powers that be were fed up with him and by way of punishment Vineet was placed in the butchery. The banquets (akin to most banquets in India) are fuelled by Indian cuisine and heavily reliant on butchery. And having worked in the Indian kitchen Vineet was well versed with the butchery spec that formed a part of the Indian cuisine and so was quick to notice that often the wrong cut of meat would be given from the butchery. So that was the task he set for himself - to ensure that the right cuts left the butchery for the Indian kitchen! His’ butchery stint/ punishment’ lasted for six months after which he was called to report all that he had learnt to the head chef. “I handed in an eightpage report, that the Executive chef reading only the first two pages, tore and threw in the bin. He looked me straight in the eye and enquired as to where my heart lay? “The Indian kitchen of course and without anything further to say I was sent there. That day I did loose my chef-mentor but gained the Indian Kitchen. Few months later, seeing my happiness and dedication, the chef-mentor was back on my side and on talking terms”
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VINEET BHATIA SHAKING HANDS WITH HER ROYAL MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND AT A RECEPTION AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO MARK THE OFFICIAL START OF THE UK-INDIA YEAR OF CULTURE - 2017
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VINEET BHATIA
It is in this post as Chef- in -Charge at The Oberoi, Bombay that Vineet’s determination was tested and talent revealed. Here he was somewhat underwhelmed and disappointed by the disparity that existed between the French and Indian cuisine. Whilst his French cuisine counterparts were applauded for their creativity, he was instructed to keep well within the rigid traditions of Indian recipes, which didn’t allow any attempts at being creative. These inflexibilities and above all, tradition-oriented kitchens didn’t give him the leeway he needed to unfurl his creativity and satisfy the urge to elevate Indian cuisine to a global platform. Exploring options outside of the Oberoi, he had four options in front of him: Dubai, Bangkok, Tokyo, and London and he chose London. Why London? Not because of anything else but the Heathrow Airport with all the aircrafts and the love of grey, rainy weather as the hot, humid Indian summers gave him headaches. Once he had moved to London, it was eerily deja vu as from his bedroom window, on the third floor above the restaurant; yet again (every evening between 4:30 to 5:00) he could see the majestic crafts fly. This in some strange way was a comforting, reassuring sign. He would stand there, mesmerized oblivious of the fact that in just a matter of 10 years he would get real close with these flying birds as the consulting Chef for British Airways and the Concorde.
However, once in London Vineet was unaware of what lay in store for him and what Indian cuisine really meant to Londoners, i.e. overly spiced curries washed down with pints of beer. Boy, did he have his work cut out at the first outpost, the Star of India where he stayed for five years. He used everything he’d learnt to create a professional environment, followed by changes to the menu bit by bit. After a year, he’d not only changed the entire menu but had also transformed the clientele from the typical late night curry eaters to true gourmets. It wasn’t long before he was hailed as the “Star of India” himself.
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EXPERIENCE MENU - VBL - SMOKED SALMON PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK TANDOORI PINEAPPLE SALSA PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK BAKED CRÈME PALETTE PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
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MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK DATE-ALMOND STICKY PUDDING PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK PEACH-PECAN FILO MONEYBAG PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
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Keen to have more independence, Vineet partnered up and opened Zaika in 1999 – and just two years later became the first Indian chef-patron to be awarded a Michelin star in the Guide’s 104-year history and rightly so. He had proved that Indian food could evolve and go beyond the stereotyped “curries” with floating oil, cooked by non-Indians in the many curry houses all over the United Kingdom. His food could not be pigeon-holed into the norms of traditional Indian cuisine. Instead, the combinations, contrasts in textures, flavours and temperatures and the sheer expressive range of his food came from Vineet himself. His light and imaginative dishes displayed a clever balance between innovation and an immense respect for the history of Indian cuisine.
MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK CHAI PANNA COTTA PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
In 2004, Vineet finally realized his life-long dream of having his own restaurant, when he opened Rasoi (Hindi for “kitchen”) with his life partner. The restaurant held a Michelin Star since 2006. Rasoi allowed him to showcase his “Evolved Indian” approach with dishes such as grilled chilli-garlic lobster dusted with cocoa powder and 24-carat gold leaf crusted black-spiced Chicken Tikka. His most copied Chocomosa or Chocolate Samosas, filled with dark and white chocolate, redefined Indian cuisine. This wide acclaim drew the attention of many hotels worldwide who approached Vineet for his expertise and in 2005 Indego by Vineet was launched at Grosvenor House Hotel, Dubai and led the way for others to follow. In 2009 his other venture Rasoi by Vineet in Geneva was awarded a Michelin star, thereby putting him back in the history books as the only Indian chef to have the much sort after star for restaurants both in UK and outside. WG May 2017 -
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When asked what he felt like to be the first Indian chef to hold a Michelin star? Chef Bhatia replied, “I was blank, absolutely blank, it came as a shock as it was so unexpected. We had not anticipated getting any awards or such recognition because just prior to the opening of ‘Zaika’ we had gone through tremendous turmoil and so receiving a Michelin Star or being in The Sunday Times Top UK Restaurants wasn’t the driving force but to be able to serve food that I strongly believed in and related to was! Michelin came totally out of the blue, we were totally unaware and it was not until we received an early morning call from The New York Times asking what it felt like to have won did the reality dawn on us. I replied, ‘I don’t know, it’s not something which we were aiming for, or I could have wished for in my wildest dreams! “In hindsight having Michelin stars, means that people take you seriously and are able to equate it with excellence. It is a game changer especially in those days when the media and Google weren’t as prominent”. “Although you may have broken the mould, burst the bubble and made history in some shape or form, what is more satisfying and tangible is when a Mr. or Mrs Smith who come to dine leave happy and pleasantly surprised discovering another side to Indian cuisine”.
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PHOTO © MATT INWOOD
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MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK RASPBERRY RASMALAI WHEEL PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK ASSAM TEA BAVAROIS PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
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MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK PASSION FRUIT-GLAZED COCONUT PANNA COTTA PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK HONEY-LAVENDER PANNA COTTA PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
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All the awards and accolades received heartwarming as they were wouldn’t feed the family particularly as he was in a parasitic partnership that did not translate to any financial gain. It was now time to get out of this relationship. When he opened Rasoi twelve plus year’s back, if somebody had asked him what was his long-term plan he would’ve said “There was no plan. There was not even a five-month plan at that time. The whole idea was to be able to do what one wanted to without seeking approvals, giving justifications and seeking fair share.” So, they applied for loans.
CHEF VINEET AND CHEF MANMEET IN VBL KITCHEN PHOTO © EARL SMITH
When the bank representative named Harry was sent to interview and gather information (Vineet and his wife Rashima), he was rather taken aback as was expecting to see an English gentleman but instead walked in to find an Indian guy sitting there. “Several questions later when we were asked ‘what is your break-even?’ my wife Rashima answered “2,520 odd pounds”. Harry looking slightly confused asked us how we had arrived at that figure and again Rashima replied, “that is the cost of the mortgage and our children’s (Independent) school fees, and as long as we can get that we would be okay. Food will come from the restaurant, however education cannot be compromised.” Further conversation revealed ‘Safran Restaurant’ at the then One & Only Le Touessrok Hotel in Mauritius where Vineet consulted and Harry who coincidentally was Mauritian and had dined and experienced Safran was suddenly very receptive. It was as if everything made sense and they were reassured on the level of cuisine that would form a part of this new project in London. The bank offered the loan for the start up and as they say, rest was history. WG May 2017 -
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Today when one talks to Chef Bhatia he is relaxed and humble as always. He tells us, “Good food is about eating with your eyes closed; enjoying a meal and being amazed by what you can taste. I enjoy composing a menu first on paper, sketching it as I see it in my minds eye. For me good food instantly transports me to happy memories, the food, the flavours I tasted as a child growing up in Bombay and visiting relatives all over India and I hope to be able to transport my guests to that same state of comfort triggering happy memories and creating fresh memories with every bite” When composing a menu Vineet draws on his heritage. He ensures that each dish is a balance of flavours, a harmony of all senses that come together to make a memorable meal. “It is the visual presentation, the sound, the smell, the touch, the temperature, the way your mouth feels, that all blend together and give you a complete and balanced experience of dish.” When balancing a menu Bhatia often refers to as composing a musical piece, there are ups and downs, peeks and troughs, all should not be boring and plain flat. Textures, colours, temperatures form vital components that help bring the experience together. Bhatia tells us his greatest influences in the kitchen are the people that he works with. “Food is food, you have to open your mind and as a young man I did not have the opportunity to travel around India much. I had never been to Kerala or to most of south India. I was making south Indian dishes that I had learnt from the cooks I worked with.” Vineet feels, it is the buzz and excitement you get from being in a restaurant, the constant innovation and an ever-evolving menu that keeps him going at the end of the day. He has people of Chinese origin working in the kitchen or Spanish guys in the larder or a French guy who is a food runner. This way, he is always surrounded by different views on life, a different feel for food, culture and style. He is always on a constant learning curve and the interesting suggestions and honest feedback from the team help but the strong gut instincts and how he reacts to them mostly help shape his ideas and dishes.
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CHEF MOINUL, CHEF VINEET, CHEF MANMEET IN VBL KITCHEN PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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PETIT FOUR LAUNDRY PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
Vineet’s biggest inspirational ingredient and what motivates him is passion, the passion to cook. Often people remark his Chocolate Samosas or his Mushroom Khichdi served with Makhni ice cream as legendary and to be his signature dishes whilst there are some that query what these signature dishes might be. He replies, “There is no signature dish, just a signature approach towards food.” He feels it is hard to point to one singular dish. Over the years there are so many, some get reinvented, some move on and some remain the same. He goes onto to say, “Food (in restaurants) is not to be viewed only as an art form but also that satisfies your soul and is cooked with passion, if that’s missing, then all is lost.” Chef Bhatia never wanted to write a book, it was Rashima’s idea. “I am not a paper and pen guy at
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all.” So, Rashima took on this challenge and with Aunty Marge, an 81-year-old English neighbour (in London) appointed as the home economist most of the recipes were actually trialled out before making it into the book. Aunty Marge had no idea about Indian food or how to cook it but was an enthusiast and wanted to give it a shot. She would toddle off to the local supermarket armed with nothing but the recipe and shop the necessary spices and ingredients. They figured, if Aunty Marge could find everything she needed and follow the instructions and get the flavours right, they were onto a winner with “New Indian Kitchen”. If she could cook the dishes at home, then anyone could do it, so the book would work. Yet the first line of the book says: “This is not for the novice cook” only to prepare one for a new approach to
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cooking and for some of the tedious restaurant style preparations that do also form a part of the book. The first fifty odd pages are dedicated to the building blocks and technique needed for Indian food, and then it goes into detailed cooking and assembly of a dish. Vineet had made it very clear that he was not going to be on the cover as he did not want to be the face of the book, it is not about him but about the food he cooked. My Sweet Kitchen, a dessert book is the latest volume in Vineet’s arsenal. A collection of his most treasured and iconic dessert dishes - inspired by a lifelong sweet tooth. My Sweet Kitchen is a plethora of innovative, experimental treats from one of the world’s most renowned Indian chefs. Each unique recipe, designed to appeal to a ‘non-Indian palate’, explores Vineet’s imaginative use of ingredients
and techniques, made entirely achievable for the passionate home cook. With recipes merging influences from east and west, playing on sharp versus sweet, warm versus cold and soft versus crisp. The book begins with the basics (pastes, curds and tuiles) before moving on to the creation of those show stopping desserts. Divided into ingredient led chapters, such as ‘Milk’, ‘Fruit’ and ‘Chocolate’, recipes include Chai Panna Cotta, Peach-Pecan filo Moneybag and Chocolate Cumin Fondant. The penultimate chapter, ‘A piece of cake, A slice of tart’ takes recipes inspired by people and places including Vineet’s beloved homeland of Mumbai. Suitable for all occasions, this isn’t by any stretch a typical dessert book, rather an expression of creative freedom in the kitchen, a celebration of that often-underappreciated final course.
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RESTAURANT VBL - THE LUTYENS ROOM PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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RESTAURANT VBL - THE WITTET ROOM PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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In November 2016 Vineet Bhatia London (VBL), the new flagship restaurant from Vineet Bhatia, heralded a new beginning for the award-winning chef and restaurateur. Set within a lovingly-restored Georgian townhouse, Vineet Bhatia London (VBL) opened its doors to Londoners, in what was formerly the chef’s long-established restaurant Rasoi at 10 Lincoln Street, just moments from the Sloane Square off London’s King’s Road. Reimagined and redesigned, VBL’s Indian inspired cuisine and the restaurant’s personal interiors reflect the chef’s 23-year journey from his birthplace of Mumbai to Chelsea and the vision that he and his wife Rashima set out to accomplish more than 20 years ago. Offering a tasting menu of between five and six courses preceded by a selection of delicate canapés and ending in a flourish of desserts; in a single evening guests will experience a culinary exploration of Vineet Bhatia’s life in food. Marrying east and west, his dishes are an accumulation of three decades spent pushing the possibilities and challenging the perception of his native cuisine, and display his continuous devotion to creating something new.
RESTAURANT VBL - SEATING BOOTH VBL PHOTO © EARL SMITH
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MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK CHOCOLATE-MANDARIN SHAMMI KABAB PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
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MY SWEET KITCHEN - DESSERT COOK BOOK CHOCO GOLGAPPA PHOTO © CHRISTOPHER PAPAN
Having travelled extensively for work yet each time the biggest thrill for Vineet is that he gets to fly. The buzz of going to the airport and getting into an aircraft still gives him a sense of joy. However, being a pilot may have been his childhood dream but his passion is truly fuelled by what makes him happy the most and that is being around food all the time. He tells us “I still see a good plump piece of chicken thighs and I know something good is going to come out of it. Like an artist when you paint something, and it comes to life there is an immense sense of joy. It is the same when you are plating, sometimes it is the simplicity of the dish that really is inviting and alluring.” At some point Vineet stopped being just a cook and evolved into a restaurateur but hopes that he also becomes a mentor and is able to impart all his learning via a culinary school. “We have only been able to grow because we have a good team around us otherwise we would never have had these twelve restaurants. Eventually the plan is to setup a culinary academy back in India where I can give back to society. The whole idea is to train about 20 kids at a time, out which we hope to give five impoverished kids from the street a chance to acquire skills that would make them employable by any restaurant and help break that poverty cycle.” Chef Vineet describes his cuisine as, “Very simply, evolved progressive Indian food cooked with lot of passion and care.” His name has become synonymous with revolutionizing Indian cuisine. His reputation as an “elite fine dining” Indian chef was reflected in his impressive portfolio of exclusive consultancies at hotels around the world, including Geneva, Mauritius, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai and even back in his hometown of Mumbai, where it all started. WG May 2017 -
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DAVID KINCH Photo © ERIC WOLFINGER
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David Kinch has forged a distinctive culinary path and has been internationally recognized as an innovator of a new contemporary California cuisine. His philosophy is fostered by the terroir, or “sense of place” of the California Coast, and the kind of ingredient-driven cooking and modern technique he studied around the world. Kinch finds inspiration from European traditions, American ingenuity, Japanese refinement, and the vast bounty of exceptional products California offers. Manresa earned three-Michelin stars for 2017 and 2016 and held two Michelin stars for nine consecutive years prior. The restaurant is also part of the esteemed Relais & Chateaux family. Chef Kinch was recently named one of Le Chef magazine’s Les 100 Chefs, featuring top culinary talent from around the globe and the restaurant also ranked number nine in Cuaderno Matoses’ annual list of the top 50 restaurants in the world in Metropoli, part of Spain’s largest daily newspaper, El Mundo. In 2016, Kinch earned an Emmy for Outstanding Culinary Host in the award-winning PBS series, “The Mind of a Chef,” a program that covers food, travel, history, science and more, featuring renowned culinary talent.
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PADRONS AND FIGS WITH PEPPER CONSOMME
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When his first cookbook, titled “Manresa: An Edible Reflection,” debuted, it was number 19 on the New York Times “Best Sellers List.” In 2015, Kinch expanded the Manresa brand to include a neighborhood bakery called Manresa Bread. In 2016, he also opened a casual New Orleans themed bar and restaurant, The Bywater, paying homage to his youth. David Kinch’s restaurant Manresa is located in a 1940s ranch style building in the village of Los Gatos at the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. Fostered by the terroir of the California Coast, and the kind of ingredient-driven cooking and modern technique he studied around the world, Kinch’s distinctive culinary path has put him at the forefront of contemporary California cuisine.
INTO THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
A nightly tasting menu showcasing the finest of each season’s products. Its collaboration with and proximity to local farms allows Manresa to source the highest quality ingredients of not only the season, but of that day, creating a distinctive dining experience for guests and allowing the restaurant to present the best possible menu that evening. As part of the dining experience, guests do not receive a menu until the conclusion of their meal, putting their trust in the hands of Chef Kinch and his team. WG May 2017 -
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WG Magazine catches up with David Kinch‌ Today you are considered one of the most sought after chefs in the world, but everyone starts somewhere - tells us how you found your way into the culinary field? The major factor for me becoming involved with gastronomy was finding myself living in New Orleans as a teenager. I needed to find work after school and decided to work in restaurants. I immediately fell in love with the industry –the restaurants and the people involved in it play an important part of the culture in New Orleans. It was a natural fit for me. Your cuisine is influenced by French and Catalan - unique and very creative with the most flavourful pristine ingredients - how do you bring about this balance on a plate? We, of course, try to work with the best and most seasonal products that we possibly can. We create dishes that are reflective of who we are and where we are in Northern California. That said, the execution of finding balance involves placing special importance on salt and acidity because we truly believe the single most important thing on a plate of food is balance.
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SPOT PRAWN A LA PLANCHA, EXOTIC SPICE
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SEA BREAM, SASHIMI STYLE
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ALL OF THE LAMB, NECTARINE, ESPELETTE
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STEAMED BUN; CORN AND PARMESAN
They say experience is the best teacher, tell us a bit about your own experience at Akelarre with Pedro Subijana one of the founders of new Basque cuisine and how did it help guide you as chef… My time at Akelarre with Pedro was an eye opening and wonderful experience. Culturally, it was a great opportunity to live and work in San Sebastian in the Basque Country. From a learning standpoint, it also gave me the chance to be a part of the restaurant industry that thrives there. My time at Akelarre was prior to the Ferran Adria modernist revolution, so the cooking was more tradition-based with emphasis on execution and technique. It was a great introduction to the outstanding products in Spain and it was a learning experience that I hold dear to this day.
SUMMER CLAM AND CORNICHON, TOMATO JELLY
What are some of your favorite ingredients that inspire you, and which ingredients have you not been able to master? We had a cool, wet winter and early spring in California so our traditional spring products are a little late this year. We are only experiencing our first peas, fava beans, and asparagus right now. That being said, it’s been a landmark year for wild mushrooms, of which we’ve been using a lot of this season. COURGETTE ‘STIR FRY’ SQUID, BASIL
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CHOCOLATE TART WITH SUMMER HERBS
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My favorite ingredients… I do not have favorite ingredients and tend to like to work with what’s in season. I will always gravitate to vegetables and seafood more than anything else. Nothing I can think of - there are a lot of ingredients we don’t work with but that is because they perhaps don’t fit into the idiom of the part of California that we are cooking in. Produce, creativity or technique -which is more important to you as a chef? Creativity, technique and produce are all very important in balance. It’s a big mistake to make creativity the supreme value in cooking or the emphasis of what’s coming out of a kitchen. The single most important thing when it comes to creating dishes in our kitchen is being able to create balance – dishes that offer pleasure and satisfaction in eating. I feel that creativity, technique, and produce all make important contributions to every dish.
CHERRY SORBET WITH GREEN TEA AND LIME
Your book “Manresa – An Edible Reflection” an ode to the mountains, fields and sea sharing the philosophies and passions - what was the inspiration writing this book? I always wanted to write a book but was waiting for the right sign, the perfect moment when we felt it was the right thing to do to tell the story of where we were at Manresa and not simply be a collection of recipes. When that moment arrived and I felt a level of comfort to allow it to happen, it was a much easier process than I thought it was going to be because it felt really natural to write it. WG May 2017 -
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Winning three Michelin stars, Best Chef – Pacific, Outstanding Chef by James Beard Foundation and the list is endless – How do you stay motivated and inspired? I continue to like to go to work. I enjoy my work. I enjoy working with my team and going through the creative processes of a day’s work. And the satisfaction I get out of having a dining room full of pleased guests remains my inspiration and motivation every day. Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, what advice could you give to chefs who are first entering the field today? The perception that being a chef is a “glamorous profession” is mostly incorrect but I understand how people would get to that. To achieve success as a chef is just like any other professional. You need to master basics and fundamentals as well as an understanding of how things work and why things react the way they do. Then you build upon that. As a chef matures, they create their own style and work ethic. This comes from understanding and taking in cultural references and a continued commitment to self-improvement by finding mentors and working under other people. The key is mastering the fundamentals and not paying attention to awards, recognition and exposure. If one is dedicated to their craft, all things will happen that are naturally supposed to happen.
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CHOCOLATE BALL WITH BLACK WALNUT AND COFFEE
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ISAAC McHALE
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
TEXT HANGAR-7 PHOTO © HELGE KIRCHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY / RED BULL HANGAR-7
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SCALLOP / TANGERINE / TRUFFLE / HAZELNUT
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TROUT SMOKED IN HAY / SANSHO / JERSEY-POTATO / CAVIAR
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‘Modern British’ is how Isaac McHale describes his restaurant The Clove Club. And he is spot on, as all of the produce he uses is sourced from the British Isles – chiefly from Scotland. The Clove Club is housed in Shoreditch Town Hall: a building which dates back to 1865 and lies in the heart of a multicultural district which brings together art, culture and cuisine, making it the perfect stage for the creations of The Clove Club’s ambitious team. Inside, guests are greeted with a Spartan arrangement of dark wooden furnishings, bright walls, tall windows, high ceilings and an open, sky-blue tiled kitchen, where diners are welcome to watch over the shoulders of McHale and his chefs as they craft their masterpieces. And masterpieces they are, unmistakably composed of British ingredients. McHale planted one such ingredient directly in the restaurant’s garden himself: with the air of a proud parent showing off baby photos on their smartphone, McHale proudly presents a photo of his hand-grown baby radishes. “We have some of the best produce here in the UK – but high quality fruit and vegetables can be difficult. With our garden, we can take matters into our own hands.”
MARTIN KLEIN AND ISAAC MCHALE IN THE KITCHEN OF RESTAURANT IKARUS
Born in the Scottish archipelago of Orkney, he began his career aged 14, starting out as a labourer for a fishmonger. He came to understand the complexity of a restaurant’s processes during his school days, working as a kitchen porter at various Glaswegian restaurants. Following stints at Marque in Sydney and Noma in Copenhagen, he ended up back in London working under Tom Aikens at The Ledbury. WG May 2017 -
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In 2011 he and some friends set up the internationally acclaimed Young Turks collective, which put on hugely popular pop-up events in and around London. The Clove Club finally opened its doors in 2013, and he and his colleagues quickly set about escalating it to the pinnacle of British haute cuisine. Since then, the Club has picked up a Michelin star, and placed at number 26 in the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’. The best way to describe The Clove Club is ‘down to earth’: “We really wanted to make something that was personal to us, a restaurant for our generation,” explains the chef. And in The Clove Club, he has certainly succeeded: a place where guests can feel at home, where they are personally looked after while enjoying high quality food. “You have to make time for your guests and really interact with them. We’re very good at that.”
ISAAC MCHALE IN THE KITCHEN OF RESTAURANT IKARUS
But it’s not only the service that impresses – the menu put together by the Scotsman has diners in raptures. Raw Orkney scallops served with hazelnuts, clementines and black truffle, followed by a traditional Yorkshire suckling pig seasoned with south Indian spices – the 36-year-old chef’s experimental side colliding wonderfully with homegrown British produce. Those who wish to delve into the flavours of McHale’s island creations will get the chance in May 2017, when the chef will be working his magic at Restaurant Ikarus in Hangar-7.
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SUCKLING PIG TACO / BEANS / ONION
MEDLAR / POPCORN / MEDLAR SEEDS
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REI MASUDA
Master Chef Rei Masuda was recognized as a prospective chef under his 9 years training with Master Sukiyabashi’s Jiro Ono - at 90 years of age, Jiro Ono is the oldest three Michelin starred chefs in Michelin’s history! Rei Masuda achieved Two Michelin Stars for Tokyo’s Sushi Masuda. Wrapped in nature and nestled within the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Sushi Wakon, embodies the essence and aesthetic of Kyoto’s illustrious history. Sushi Wakon offers an exclusive dining experience where guests interact and watch as world-class chef craft each stunning dish. A menu that uses seasonal produce and inspired by wonderful harmonic flavor of finely selected ingredients and fresh produce selected by Chef Masuda every morning from Tsukiji Fish Market, the best quality ingredients are sourced and flown each day to Sushi Wakon. Chef Masuda’s sushi rice is famous for its unique texture that melts in the mouth, it is a work of art due to the care and attention taken in its preparation.
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The exclusive dining room of Sushi Wakon is a lesson in understated elegance, where every detail is the vision of respected Japanese artisans and reflects the austere beauty and elegance of Japan. Stunning artworks and furnishings handcrafted by some of Japan’s most respected craftsman, ensure that Sushi Wakon is an exquisite space. Sushi Wakon’s dining room overlooks the stunning and artistic Ikeniwa, a captivating view that permeates the restaurant with an air of tranquility. Every detail and feature of Sushi Wakon’s dining room was created by respected artisans and is a reflection of the understated beauty and elegance of Japan. The centerpiece is the eight-metre long sushi counter made from a single piece of Japanese cypress, handcrafted by one of Japan’s greatest craftsmen.
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WG Magazine catches up with Chef Rei Masuda… It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Chef Masuda tell us how he found your way into the culinary field to become one of the most sought-after sushi chefS in the world! When I was a high school student, I casually joined a sushi shop called “Tenzushi” as a part-time worker in Kokura city, Fukuoka. At that time the owner of Tenzushi looked really cool, and one day I started to think that I wanted to be like the owner. I worked part-time for about 3 years in Tenzushi. At that time I thought I would like to study not only sushi but also cooking Japanese cuisine. So, I went to Kitakyushu Academy For Cooks for a year and at the same time did a part time job whiles studying the basics of cooking. After that, I worked for about 4 years at a Japanese restaurant named “Mansou” in Kokura and later, I worked at a fish store for about a year. However, while doing various jobs, my dream was always “to become a sushi chef”. At first, I needed to brush up my Japanese cuisine cooking techniques, and then obtain sushi cooking skills, I thought it would be “more than perfect”. Then I went to study at a sushi restaurant called “Morita” in Kokura. Mr. Morita, the chef, opened the restaurant after training for roughly 30 years in Tenzushi, and was a lecturer at the cooking school to which I went. However, when I asked Mr. Morita to accept me as a trainee, he advised me “You should go to Tokyo to study authentic Edomae sushi”. At that time, I was 24 years old, and I went to Tokyo and visited 30 to 40 sushi restaurants to decide where I would work. I didn’t have much money but I felt like it was an investment in my future. I set my sights on Sukiyabashi Jiro because I felt their sushi was the most delicious. At the time, Jiro was not as famous as it is now. Even I did not know much about the restaurant. When I thought I wished to work there, I was told that there were enough people so I could not join immediately, but after about three months I got a response from Sukiyabashi Jiro and started to work.
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Your cuisine is a combination of experience with the best quality ingredients, fresh produce from Tokyo’s iconic Tsukiji market and making it a dining experience – how do you bring about this balance? I think making Tamagoyaki is a good example of this. It is difficult to make Tamagoyaki so you must practice over one hundred times. It took me five to six years before I could do it alone. As for the reason why it takes so long, the recipe for Tamagoyaki is not firm except for the amount of sugar. For example as to the number of yams to be used for Tamagoyaki, the stickiness and taste are different between the upper end and the lower end. So the Tamagoyaki which was perfect when made from the yam at the upper would not be perfect using the yam at the bottom. It would not be perfect even with the same amount. When using the yam, if you don’t change the amount of seasoning delicately it would not be perfect too. Especially flavor and harmony of the yam and shrimp Surimi was very difficult to make Tamagoyaki. Also, as for the baking time, one day it was 40 minutes but next day it could be even 1 hour, so it takes time with hundred trials to master it. WG May 2017 -
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You are described as having “Truly remarkable seasoning” by Jiro Ono, the greatest sushi craftsman/chef in the world - Chef Masuda tells us the experience with Jiro Ono… It was only a dish-washing and cleaning job in the beginning. I think it depends when to start a cooking. In my case, I had the experience of being in a Japanese restaurant and a fish store, so I was able to help with preparation in about a year. It was not easy to get my cooked dishes out to customers at the restaurant sooner, but it was an environment where you could do the practice of cooking from the beginning. I bought ingredients by myself, handling fish at my break, making sushi and having my seniors eat it getting their advices like “this is bad, this should have been better if you would do this”. If I could get their “acceptance” I could help with the preparation of the sushi in the restaurant.
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Special cooking techniques behind Chef Masuda’s signature dishes… Temperature is a main component of all of our dishes. For example, our restaurant welcomes diners 3 different times per night, but we cook a new batch of Shari (sushi rice) for every rotation in order to control the temperature. In addition, “Hikarimono” (shiny fishes) should not be cooled in the refrigerator but should be cooled in the freezer very quickly and then we provide them to our customers. We proudly have 4 categories of temperature (warm, room temperature, cold, colder) to create different tastes and sensations. Creativity, Technique or Produce – what is most important? It is difficult to choose only one! If I can be bold and choose two, I will choose technique and quality of produce because creativity will be pointless without a strong foundation. WG May 2017 -
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Your culinary passion has been awarded with two Michelin stars, Sushi Wakon named the Best New Restaurant, several accolades - What keeps you motivated? It is the professionalism that I learned from working with Jiro. Honestly, I think that anyone could cook sushi if they trained as long as a year or so. However, Jiro always thinks about how to make customers enjoy his sushi more and how his sushi can become more delicious. I think his attitude is really amazing. It leads to the current reputation of Sukiyabashi Jiro. There are various kinds of chefs in the world, and I think some people are only working for money, but Jiro has no intention of making money. He just likes to work. He just wants to see the customers’ happy face. In short he is an old-fashioned “artisan”. I really wish to become an artisan like Jiro. This is my dream and what drives me. Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, your advice to chefs who are first entering the kitchen for the first time… You have to have passion and perseverance. Do not get into this field for glamour or money. With that attitude you will never be successful. Be humble, find a sushi master that you respect and submit yourself to learning everything you can from him and don’t ever stop learning.
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HEART IBIZA
HEART IBIZA 2017 A NEW AND INCREDIBLE LIVE DINNER EXPERIENCE PRESENTATION ITS THIRD SEASON... 92 - WG May 2017
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The unique experience from the creative minds of Albert and Ferran Adrià in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, which began in 2015 at the Ibiza Gran Hotel, is back once again with a new concept for multi-sensory entertainment where music, art and gastronomy come together in the best spot for international leisure. Heart Ibiza is home to a combination of highly varied disciplines: the artistic and magical creativity of Cirque du Soleil, cooking styles influenced by world flavours with the unmistakable seal of Albert Adrià and cutting-edge entertainment at the hands of talented artists along with some of the hottest DJ’s and musicians of the moment. In the words of the General Manager and Creative Director, José Corraliza «in the last months we have been preparing the concept for the new season... Ibiza is a inexhaustible source of inspiration and we’ve enjoyed creating what Heart in 2017 will be. As always, pushing the limits is what motivates us and our objective is to continue provoking the senses of all those who come to Heart... Moreover we will soon announce a program for our nights that will no doubt surprise our guests”. In addition, this year, Heart Ibiza will once more play host to the exclusive Charity Gala to raise funds in support of One Drop, the Guy Laliberté Foundation with the participation of the Ibiza Preservation Fund foundation and its “Alianza para el agua” project; as well as other galas like “Bridges for Music”, a non-profit organization that gathers the main characters of the musical industry in order to break the boundaries with disadvantaged countries and communities. WG May 2017 -
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A live dinner experience - Welcome to the Terrace... An exquisite aperitif to open the palate in a unique, open-air atmosphere with amazing views of the port and the historic centre of Dalt Vila. So begins the night at Heart Ibiza: the guest is lead to the terrace to enjoy delicate morsels such as the steamed brioche with truffled cheese or the Strawberry, sesame and curry cookies just to name a few. Thus begins a night of relaxation in a unique and festive atmosphere. On to the Dinner - A Trip for the Senses... Our House band welcomes the guest to Dinner in the main room on the ground floor of the venue. Live music will accompany a night of incredible performances that will leave our guests jaws on the floor. And of course how could we forget the genius and larger than life personality of our master of ceremonies for the night, Lady Heart. The gastronomic experience is diverse and cosmopolitan, created for the most discerning local and international palates, using only the highest quality ingredients as a starting point, like the Oriental lobster caldereta or the bonito fish a la catalana.
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It won’t stop surprising the extravagant tableware which, combined with the incredible live performances, will make for an experience that is much more than just a live dinner show. As we move further into the night, the space transforms and mutates its appearance into that of a nightclub. The creativity of each one of the parties, together with the originality of the performances, will create an environment where the guest can lose themselves in a truly special and new way to enjoy the Ibiza nightlife. Heart Ibiza presents a nightlife proposal with exclusive concepts and contents that have been especially created for each one of its nights. Besides incredible surprises that will be soon unveiled, Heart Ibiza will host again some parties that brought memorable moments to the island last season: Heart Factory’s Tuesdays will bring unique experiences to the Ibiza nightlife with the presence of internationally renowned DJ’s and bands; the awarded Acid Sundays will gather together its tribe in all its essence and vibes, and for those who want to relive some of the biggest parties of the 80’s Boogie in Wonderland will start this summer with more rhythm than ever. Furthermore, the iconic Ibiza party “La Troya” will transform to fusion its style at Heart Ibiza. In the upcoming weeks the line ups will be announced as well as other concepts that will complement the nightlife proposal for this season.
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HEART IBIZA
Each year, Heart Ibiza, which has a team of about 220 people between front of house, kitchen, artists, technical and musical departments, presents a fresh fusion between art, music and gastronomy: gastronomic innovations, diverse performances and musical proposals which create a world of sensations that escalates as the night goes on. The project is the result of ten years of friendship and the exchange of ideas between the founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté and Adrià brothers. Their combined creativity, talent and common vision have come together for this project on the island. The interior design is the work of Patricia Urquiola, who has garnered international prestige for her work and who is widely considered to be the one of the most influential Spanish architects and designer of the moment. Ferran and Albert Adrià may be the most wellknown siblings on the international culinary scene, being the precursors to what many have called the last ‘gastronomic revolution.’ Currently, Ferran dedicates his time and energy to elBulliFoundation, with elBulli 1846 which will see the light of day in 2018, while Albert has created a true ‘gastronomic Amusement park’ in the neighbourhood of the Paralel in Barcelona with elBarri restaurant group, which culminated the opening of Enigma in January 2017. Guy Laliberte is one of the clearest examples of success achieved through hard work. A restless artistic mind and a need to see the world drew him away from home at the age of 14, to eventually become the founder of Cirque du Soleil. Laliberte has extended its talent and creativity to other endeavors in which that same energy and spirit is apparent throughout all of his projects.
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ALBERT ADRIÀ, FERRAN ADRIÀ AND GUY LALIBERTE
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
TASTE OF ITALY
FEDERICO TERESI
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Growing up in Rome in a big family, it was all about food, Federico was lucky - on his father side he learnt the flavors of Rome from his grandmother and from his mother’s sides he learnt the cuisine from Milan and North Italy from his mother’s mother. This was all the kitchen experience at that time as Federico had a classic education, studied in Latin and after school he went to study engineering. Whiles in university and requiring extra money, Federico took up a job at a restaurant where he worked front of house. He was just 18 or 19 at that time and whiles working at this restaurant he use to see the how the chef was working and 7 months later he made up his mind, told his parents that he will would stop his studies and take up to being a chef, his parents asked him what was he talking about but Federico had already made up his mind. The restaurant that he use to work for had a new opening and since being young and motivated, yet not knowing how to use a knife correctly, the person gave Federico the opportunity to help open this small restaurant. Federico worked in this small family restaurant, learnt how to make pasta, how to cut a tomato and 6 months later he knew that this is what he going to do – be a chef.
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
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Federico started sending his CV to various places, “actually it was not much of a CV as the only experience I had was working in front of house and six months with this small family restaurant. I sent my CV around Europe and the last one I sent it to Monte Carlo to Alain Ducasse’s company” adds Federico. I remember it was 11:30 in the night, I arrived home and I found a mail from Alain Ducasse’s company. The letter stated that they would test me with a group of 20+ people for 6 to 7 months and the best would be kept to join one of Alain Ducasse’s restaurants or would have to go back home. “I was really excited, packed a bag, and took a flight to Monte Carlo”. “It was an experience of my life as this was the start to my culinary journey. The chef was an Italian at the Italian Bistro of Alain Ducasse, he was a very hard chef, he use to work with Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay, so you can imagine the strong character of the person, shouting but he was amazing. He taught me in detail and after two months, I was a Commis Chef and two months later I passed and became Chef de Partie”. Federico finished the entire season as Chef de Partie and in September that year he returned back to Rome and was waiting for the call from Alain Ducasse’s office. I finished all the season as Chef De Parte, after that the season was finished in September, I came back to Rome waiting maybe for a call because we were 24 people they said they will choose no more than 5. A month later, I received a call from Alain Ducasse’s office and they told me that I was one of the two people selected and I would go to Paris to Le Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower. Packed his bags, armed with a little English and not a word of French, Federico arrived in Paris to take on his new his new role. WG May 2017 -
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
It was difficult at the beginning as not knowing much about French cuisine, working at a Michelin starred restaurant and for an Italian it was hard. “I worked very hard, was the first to come to the kitchen and the last to leave. It was after a while, a long time that the head chef noticed me and said you Italian one, you will work in the fish section. A year and six months passed and by this time Federico worked in all the stations of the kitchen. He got a promotion and was sent to another Michelin starred restaurant a French Bistro of Alain Ducasse to learn and understand the base of French Cuisine. “When I started at the fine dining restaurant, I used to make some dishes but I didn’t understand the origin, you can’t understand a plate when you don’t know where it came from. You can make good dishes when you know the flavor, the product, so I want to be complete and I made a choice to go to this bistro. I have worked with some product which was amazing, which comes from the ground, the meat was meat, and the fish was almost alive it was classical, and plating was good but nothing crazy.” It was a great experience since Federico made all the decisions, he was in-charge of the training of all the apprentice, which allowed him to learn how to manage people. It was nice as he enjoyed teaching the apprentice staff. Federico began to understand what it was to manage or not to be managed.
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
CHEF HEINZ BECK AT TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK
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I realized my dream in Paris, so I had nothing more to give more. I was in a Michelin star restaurant for 6-7 months but arrived to a point which was what’s next? You can make a career and stay for 3 to 5 years and I didn’t have the power and the mind so I said ok it is time to leave. I went to the office and I spoke with the Head Chef and told him I love this place and I have given 110% but I am finished, if I stay here it’s bad for me and its bad for you, I cannot give you anymore and he said I do appreciate your honesty. He asked me if he could do anything for me, I told him I would like to go back to Rome. The chef told me that he was a friend of Heinz Beck and when I go to Rome to send him a mail. A few days later when I was at home, the telephone rang, it was my father who picked up and he told me that I have a phone call from Heinz Beck, I never believed him because I thought it was my friends who are making a joke and fooling. When I answered the phone, it was Heinz Beck he said can you pass by tomorrow to my office, I said yes chef of course. I went to La Pergola and I was thinking of working in La Pergola, had a nice interview, I saw how people respect Chef Heinz when he entered La Pergola, it was wow! He said that I have a good CV and asked me about my story. Chef Heinz said he has different options for me, he told me that I was very young and did not think it was a very good idea for me to stay in Rome. He said I can send you to Japan, I have a restaurant there or I have a new opening of a restaurant in Dubai - Taste of Italy and I want to give you the position of a Junior Sous Chef. Japan, I was a little bit scared and Dubai was not too far and it is a casual restaurant.
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
I arrived at Taste of Italy as a Junior Sous Chef, when I arrived it was still under construction and the head chef then was Chef Andrea. After 2 years and not giving up I was given the position of Head Chef. It was my patience, I never studied, I never had any formal cooking classes, I just went with my passion because I love what I do. It’s my heart, myself, I put myself in what I do. Federico’s culinary philosophy… “Food is not easy, for me it is all new, I am a young chef, however my philosophy is not to have 7 or 8 flavors in one dish. My philosophy is all about lightness, to focus on 3 or 4 ingredients, don’t touch too much, and just take it out from every ingredient. Get the maximum flavors you can because sometimes we forget that even a carrot when you eat it plain, you think about the flavors in your mouth. For me even a carrot can give you an emotion. I want to give it to my guests, the experience as the come here, eat and they have to feel the emotion, my kitchen is the memory.”
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
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Taste of Italy by Heinz Beck offers diners the chance to indulge in gourmet cuisine infused with his signature, Michelin-rated twist on Italian style home cooking... Favorite ingredient… “I don’t think I really have a favorite ingredient, yes I love fish or any seafood because I come from near the sea, so I would say fish makes me really happy and I enjoy cooking it. In my kitchen there is always tomato, garlic, fresh chili and a little bit of spices. It is the flavors I remember when I was a child.” Ingredients that Federico has not been able to work with… “It is Artichoke, this is strange because they are the most famous ingredient in Rome, I can cook them, I mean it not because it is something that I don’t like.” Any special techniques? I love slow cooking, especially meat is something that I really love to slow cook.
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
Who would you say is an influence on you? Of course, without any doubt it is Chef Heinz Beck. The technique and the knowledge of food maybe it is not coming directly from him because when I was young, I learned in France and this is the reality, in France it was great school but in the end I was just a number, you work for them, they pay you, they teach you and that is it. I had never met Chef Heinz, the first time I met him was at La Pergola in Rome for the first interview. He is always smiling, the way he talks to you and makes you comfortable and he is so passionate he is in what he does, you immediately feel something, and you will say I want to be like him. Chef Heinz has a lot of restaurants and he has a lot of years of experience and he is still has passion. Not only that, when I first arrived to Taste of Italy in Dubai, I was a junior chef and I was new, I had 20 staff to manage and it was not easy but Chef Heinz was always there calling me and giving me the confidence that I am able to do it and not to be scared, so day by day I said to myself I can do it and started to believe in myself. It has been 2 years and Chef Heinz has put me as the Head Chef, it is not easy but he gave me the opportunity. When Chef Heinz gave me this position, we both knew that I wasn’t ready, I was only 26 but I was strong, he tested me and he gave me the opportunity, he said you have 6 months and I will come and check. During the 6 months, Chef Heinz was calling me almost 3 or 4 times a week, I always felt he was here and this gave me the confidence and was motivated. It was lot of responsibility not only to prepare food but to manage the entire kitchen. After 6 months, Chef Heinz arrived and still he is teaching me, he gives me great advice and his is a great teacher. He is a great man and of course a great great chef. He believes in people, he gives opportunities to people. If I am here now thanks to Chef Heinz Beck and he is the one who encouraged me and I will be forever be grateful from him.
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FEDERICO TERESI - TASTE OF ITALY BY HEINZ BECK, DUBAI
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What motivates Federico? It’s the Challenge, once I start something and finish, I ask myself what’s next, and I love what I do. My dream is to have my own place, my name, my food, my philosophy my own ideas. Until I have not reached my dreams I will never stop. I am sure I will, if you can think about something it means you can do it, it’s always been my philosophy.
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COQUILLADE VILLAGE
COQUILLADE VILLAGE THREE NEW HEAD CHEFS FOR THREE RESTAURANTS
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PHOTO © BRICE TOUL
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The 5 star Coquillade Village, Provence is more resort village than simply a hotel, and is arguable the most stunning innovation from cycling pioneer Andy Rihs, owner of BMC Performance Bikes and benefactor of the BMC Racing Team. This 63-room property with views overlooking the Luberon and Mont Ventoux proudly announces three Head Chefs, one for each of their three restaurants – Le Gourmet, Le Bistrot and Ristorante. With a trio of outstanding dining options, the famed hotel in Gargas in the Vaucluse continues to build on its stellar reputation for world-renowned local produce and their own Aureto wines as well as heralding outstanding produce from their own estate gardens. The estate-produced wines are available across all three restaurants as well as an inventory of extensive French du vin, from vibrant reds to crisp whites and floral rosés; while the estate’s vineyard produces a selection of Rhône Valley wines - AOP Ventoux and AOP Luberon – namely Autan, Tramontane and special vintages Petit Miracle, Maestrale and Tempesta. WG May 2017 -
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Head Chef Thierry Enderlin fronts the established fine-dining Le Gourmet where Coquillade’s agrarian philosophy and passion for seasonal produce is promoted. His meticulous attention to detail is evident with dishes inspired by the ingredients and wild nature of Southern France, from organic olive oil and poultry from the Luberon to wild fish from the Mediterranean. It is Chef Enderlin’s goal to source the finest and freshest ingredients, with much of the Tasting Menu hand-picked from the estate’s herb and vegetable garden.
THIERRY ENDERLIN LE GOURMET
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“My approach to cooking is straight forward,” says Chef Enderlin, “I like to add a modern twist, without unnecessary embellishment, respecting the tradition of French cooking. Above all I work with regional produce revisiting the grand classical cuisine of the region.” Having trained under Alain Ducasse for 12-years, Chef Enderlin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Le Gourmet. He established the Gadus restaurant in Spain, for which he received a Michelin-star, before traveling to Bangkok and working at Bonjour restaurant. Returning to France, Chef Enderlin is back where his culinary journey started, creating jaw-dropping dishes from the abundance of spectacular produce around him.
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COQUILLADE VILLAGE
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Why did you become a chef and what was the fascination? When I was a kid, I’ve always been in my parent’s kitchen. It was the center of life. The most fascinating for me was food transformation, this means how you can prepare in the pre-processed raw state. Who inspired you to learn how to cook? So, when I was in the kitchen, I always watched all the women of the family cooking together. I could see how they prepared our meals and I could smell the food. This was the inspiration for me to study cooking and that made me move to the school in Reims. You’ve been working in Spain for a long time. How did the Spanish chefs and Alain Ducasse influence you? Alain Ducasse recruited me to make a Mediterranean and Provencal cuisine. Before I was focusing on traditional French cooking. Because of this opportunity, I discovered a whole lot about Mediterranean cooking. You are three chefs at Coquillade Village, do you inspire each other? Of course, it’s cooking with a group and sharing ideas, communication and we also help each other. How do you find the ideas for your dishes? What inspires you? In general, I find my inspiration in books, also find it in news and nature. WG May 2017 -
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COQUILLADE VILLAGE
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At Le Bistrot, Chef Benjamin Higgins leads the charge after spending four years with Le Gourmet. With such experience, Chef Higgins understands the principles of Coquillade Village and the focus paid on producing quality food and wine. With the option of two dining locations, either in a modern and contemporary fine-dining setting or outside among the lavender fields and 300-year-old vines of the estate, Le Bistrot is the perfect setting to unwind and soak up the relaxing atmosphere of Provence.
BENJAMIN HIGGINS LE BISTROT
“The Anglos Saxon gastronomy has for many years guided my culinary inspiration,” says Chef Higgins. “Provence, and the Mediterranean, are a big source of inspiration for my cooking which marries regional products and produce with ingredients from our kitchen garden. I want to share my passion for the South of France and the Luberon with the diners, helping them discover the richness of local gastronomic bistro cuisine.” As well as enjoying freshly-caught fish and handpicked vegetables, Le Bistrot have installed a stateof-the-art rotisserie offering quality cooked meats while the restaurant continues to shine a light on healthy eating and promoting their “bistronomic” concept. WG May 2017 -
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COQUILLADE VILLAGE
Benjamin Higgins further goes on speak about the produce, the herbs from the garden… The simplicity, the produce first. It is also a style of cooking that uses predominantly ingredients deemed less expensive, it is always interesting to see these techniques and ways of working!
Why did you become a chef and what was the fascination? I fell into cooking in my mid-teens; I was working in a kitchen each weekend, and I started taking an interest in what the cooks were working with and doing. This was my first experience with a chef, he showed me the enjoyment that can be found in this job, and encouraged me to help more and more during my years in school and university. I was working more and more in the kitchen during the holidays, the evenings. I’ve been working in a kitchen ever since.
For me it is more about the produce that we find here, and the possibilities that it can give you when searching for recipes and ideas. The fruit and vegetables bursting with flavor, the herbs. I try to use all of the herbs which we grow in the garden, I especially enjoy discovering new varieties that our gardener has planted, imagining how I can incorporate them into my dishes, and then sharing this with the other chefs and our clients! Without too many different flavours on the plate; good produce can speak for itself.
The herbs from the garden, freshly picked, play a huge role in all three of our kitchens; three species of basil, four of mint, lemon thyme, chives, edible flowers, plus some other less well known varieties, such as borage, ‘menthe des cerfs’, and absinthe. As well as this, we have a number of fruits and Who inspired you to learn how to cook? vegetables; different radishes, carrots, turnips, My inspiration came from my first chef, and the beetroot. These plants thrive in the garden, as long chef in the first restaurant ‘gastronomique’ that I as the watering is done regularly in the summer worked, he really showed me the enjoyment and months!! even wonder that comes with certain products; Scottish langoustines and scallops arriving alive I prefer to always try to use local produce first, we in the morning; scottish girolles; local green are surrounded by glorious produce, and you don’t need to go too far! asparagus, welsh lamb.
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The third dining option for guests is the Ristorante, a new concept restaurant with an emphasis on Italian cuisine and the promotion of freshly made pasta, pizzas, charcuterie and homemade ice cream, all set within a fashionable poolside setting in beautiful Provence.
PIERRE GIUNTA RISTORANTE
Ristorante appointed Pierre Giunta as Head Chef who has over 20-years of top-notch culinary experience, having spent two decades with the Accor Hotel Group. “I welcome you to discover dishes full of Provence sunshine, made from the freshest products of our region and, of course, Italy,” says Chef Giunta. “I invite you to come and share my gastronomic fare combining French and Italian flavours.” Afternoon and evening menus at Ristorante promote classic and contemporary Italian dishes such as carpaccio of veal, saffron risotto and vervein tiramisu served with mascarpone and lemon cream made from the estate’s garden herbs.
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Why did you become a chef and what was the fascination? Since a young age I was surrounded by people who worked with food, my grandfather and one of my uncles were both butchers, and I started cooking at home for the family at a young age, helping my parents, etc. Because of this, it seemed obvious to become a chef in a professional sense. I’ve always enjoyed the pleasure that comes from sharing my passion for cooking with others, as well as the possibility to share my natural pleasure that comes when eating with others. Who inspired you to learn how to cook? My inspiration came from my family; my grandparents especially, who were the first to show me the way around a kitchen! After this, my first professors when I started cookery school had a huge impact on my notions of ‘cuisine’.
and which come from different ‘provinzie’ in Italy. For the local produce, we are very lucky here with the variety of herbs and vegetables which can be found!! We grow all the ‘mediterranean’ vegetables in the garden, as well as the herbs, 3 types of basil, marjoram, oregano. I love to find, and taste new produce! This gives me the inspiration to share what I find with others; the ideas come on their own!
We work together; all of us have a passion for cooking, and for the produce that you find in the region. At the moment we are going around our suppliers in the region, speaking to them, and For me, ‘la cuisine italienne’ is all about tradition, seeing at firsthand how they work. This is enormously family, and the amazing produce that abounds helpful to all of us, and it is a real pleasure to in Italy adds Pierre Giunta. I think that the share our ideas with each other; everyone brings popularity of Italian food comes from the idea that something to the relationship! We are surrounded it is naturally healthy, relying on simplicity, light by wonderful produce here, with an abundance seasonings and of course, olive oil! The taste of of different environments; the Mediterranean, the sundrenched Sicilian olives; freshly made risotto. mountains, the Provencal sunshine. You don’t need For me, a Sicilian, the typical dishes are with lots of to search too far. Because of this, we can also rely vegetables, Mediterranean fish, such as sardines, on the freshness of the products; the speed that the food can go from the ‘field to the plate’ gives dorade, and, of course the pasta! a natural advantage in taste and nutrition. Our Produce… Firstly, I am a big fan of Italian olive suppliers being nearby also gives a better reactivity; oils, I use four in particular which are very typical, if we need it in a hurry, they are close by! WG May 2017 -
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MICHAEL WILSON
Life is about the ingredients... Rooted in the philosophy of “Life is about the ingredients”, a visit to PHÉNIX is a charming invitation to reconnect with the essentials through an intuitive French cuisine inspired by the richness of seasonal natural ingredients.
MICHAEL WILSON PHOTO © PHÉNIX
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This commitment to the finest, freshest, and best quality ingredients is not only at the heart of everything in PHÉNIX but also at the very foundation of the renowned Chef Michael Wilson’s cuisine philosophy. Through PHÉNIX, Michael has embarked on a mission to give a new life to French cuisine, by revisiting old favorites with a modern refreshing twist. PHÉNIX presents an evolving menu with one-of-a-kind recipes solely based on the top seasonal ingredients. From La Royale, the perfectly fresh and plump oysters cultivated in individual space, to the Merino lamb shoulder slowly cooked for 12 hours in 10 secret spices, guests can indulge in the signature dishes with splendid stories of the ingredients, and enjoy a true epicurean experience.
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MICHAEL WILSON
Merino Lamb Shoulder Merino not only produce finer-textured wool, but also far better meat. Merino meat is fine grained, silky, succulent and marbled, without the heavy fat deposits found in conventional lamb. Since it’s raised in the alpine areas of the south island of New Zealand and feeds on alpine herbs and native grasses, the meat has a lighter, less gamy, more elegant flavor and leaves a clean palate. Slowly cooked for 12 hours with 10 secret spices and herbs, this recipe embodies an exotic North African influence from Frances colonial past.
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Oysters With locations on the west coast of France in Normandy, Brittany, Oleron, oyster farmer David Herve seeks to deliver exceptional oysters, constantly refining his work and adjusting his methods to enhance the textures and flavors. David personally walks the oyster marshes accessing what can be regarded as exceptional. “The selection is tough, the work is intense and exciting”, said David. The oysters are air freighted twice a week to Shanghai for optimal freshness and enjoyment. PHÉNIX also offers a special kind of cold water oyster from Canada, which is grown below the ice for almost 5 years. The oyster farmers have to cut through close to one meter of ice to harvest this delicacy.
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BENJAMIN WAN - COYA DUBAI
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BENJAMIN WAN
The Peruvian journey begins from the moment you 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, twopart, 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. Ben Wan’s 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. A selection of simple, quality dishes includes 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. WG May 2017 -
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BENJAMIN WAN - COYA DUBAI
WHITING CEVICHE SEABASS FILLET
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BEETROOT CAUSA
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WG Magazine speaks with Ben Wan… It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking, tell us how you found your way into the culinary field! It felt like the most natural thing to do, my father was a chef who owned 2 restaurants. I grew up in the kitchen environment. The book ‘White Heat’ by Marco Pierre White really pushed me into pursuing the culinary arts as a career and led to my move into a catering college. I was very fortunate to work for him in my 2nd job in the industry at ‘The Restaurant’ QUINOA SALAD
A culinary background in French cuisine yet it is all Peruvian flavors at Coya… A lot of the times it’s trusting your palate, knowing what the customer wants and just knowing what works. We have adapted our menu for it to be more accessible to all our guests. I wouldn’t label our cuisine traditional Peruvian, luckily our kitchen is filled with chefs with a very diversified culinary background and the influences we are able to learn and develop from each other has helped a lot in evolving the menu to where it is now.
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BENJAMIN WAN - COYA DUBAI
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Ben’s culinary philosophy‌ My philosophy would be to first use the absolute best quality of ingredients you can find, and then keeping it simple. Let the ingredients speak for themselves. Although simplicity can be the hardest thing to do at times, Chefs tend to get carried away with a need to impress. For me creating a dish is about just that, using the best quality and complimenting it with the right amount of flavours and techniques to make it really stand out.
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BENJAMIN WAN - COYA DUBAI
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PISCO LOUNGE
Ingredient – what new ingredient inspire you, your favourite ingredients and any ingredients you have given up on…
COYA’s Pisco Lounge started the world’s very first Pisco Library with over 15 different homemade Pisco infusions and is Dubai’s most visited destination to sample a Pisco Sour...
We’ve just received samples of Mashua, a Peruvian tuber similar to potato and turnip. Beautiful with vibrant colours. Right now we are experimenting on how to use them the best; they tend to take on a lot of strong flavours really well. We are trying pickles, slow roasting etc. Fresh Japanese fish flown in direct. This one is pretty hard to top! I have never given up on any ingredient. Although it was very hard work getting to know the huge variety of Peruvian chillies with the varying strengths of heat and flavour. Once you get to know them much better, the experience working with them is very rewarding.
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BENJAMIN WAN - COYA DUBAI
Special cooking techniques behind your signature dishes… They are all tried and tested techniques that we take pride in using and evolving with different dishes. For instance, for the ceviches, we cure the fish with lime juice and salt, the classic traditional way. We have a Robata grill (fired with Japanese charcoal for heat and wood for flavour). This also works really well for our Anticuchos and grilled Meat and Fish. Creativity, Technique or Produce… The produce is the most important for sure. The quality of the ingredients are the solid foundations of a great dish. No amount of creativity and technique can hide produce that is not up to scratch or is past its best. What keeps you motivated? Pushing our brand forward, taking it to the next level. We’re fortunate to have achieved so much in a short space of time, and each year we look to do much better than the last. Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, any advice to chefs entering the kitchen for the first time… My advice is to totally dedicate yourself to it. At times, mostly, it’s not fun and games but more blood, sweat and tears, don’t be disheartened. The rewards are immense, hard work always pays and if you find genuine passion in doing what you love; it’s a continued journey you’ll love every step of the way.
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UROŠ ŠTEFELIN
SLOVENE NOUVELLE CUISINE Uroš Štefelin source of inspiration stems from his own childhood when the family kitchen was full of the aromas of traditional Slovene dishes, when they prepared homemade sausages and enjoyed sweet treats such as dried must-pears.
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His kitchen characteristically blends a medley of flavours on one plate; different colour combinations, using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients and vegetables from the hotel’s own garden. A strong emphasis is also dedicated to the presentation of the food, since we taste with our eyes as well as with our palate. Uroš likes to discover local food, to get to know it thoroughly and to create new dishes in his own unique way. Have you ever tasted dishes such as must-pear risotto, must-pear ice-cream, pasta with must-pears, must-pear chutney, and must-pear pralines? The neighbors have even started to sow them just because of him!
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WHITING FILLET
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RABBIT STEW PASTA WITH FOIE GRAIS AND TEPKA PEAR
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ZONTA VEAL LIVER REDCORN POLENTA
Uroš finds challenges in discovering forgotten local ingredients, by getting to know them and creating new dishes in his own unique way. With his modern techniques and creativity, Uroš transforms traditional dishes into culinary delights of Slovene Nouvelle Cuisine. This brings these wonderful flavours and beauty to every dishes and paired together with Slovene wines or beers to make it complete. The restaurant is decorated with local Slovene souvenirs. Each telling a tale of its past and the wealth of Slovenian cultural heritage. He wishes to add to this collection by sharing his culinary souvenirs in every dish, leaving you with good memories of the dishes you have tasted. Through his cookery school for both adults and children, Uroš raises an awareness and reputation of the hospitality industry as a career, demonstrating the beauty of cooking and service, impart a feeling for enjoying food and drink, respect for local food and raising the level of eating and drinking in Slovenia.
MOUFLON
As the best mentor, his team is further complemented by excellent colleagues with whom they have created a local story of tradition, a love of home, quality, freshness and care for good health and the future. CHOCOLATE HONEY TASTE RADOLCA
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LUKAS JEHLICKA - PLAY , DUBAI
No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore
LUKAS JEHLICKA Growing up in the Czech Republic, Lukas started his career at an early age, after his studies he moved to Prague to join Gordon Ramsay as the Chef de Rang and later took up to tending at the Bar. His passion for perfection took him to London where joined the famous China Tang at Dorchester, the Bassoon Bar at The Corinthia, and the Supper Club, during this time he became known for his extraordinary style of bartending and his modern interpretation and unusual cocktails with accent for details.
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During stay in UK, Lukas took part in several competition and even collaborated with Bar Magazine publications. Lukas decided to take on new challenges which took him to Amsterdam, Casablanca, Beirut and to Dubai with The Crystal Group and Entourage Group as Consultant Bar Manager to develop several beverage concepts.
WG MAGAZINE
Sakura Bedlam in your eyes which creates intention of ours. Do you like surprise.....
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LUKAS JEHLICKA - PLAY , DUBAI
O-Makase The essence of life is to accept the inevitabilities of human existence, that we are born and must die, and to make the very best of the life in between and have as good a time as possible.
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Lukas returned back to the UAE where he got the opportunity to utilize all his experience within Play Restaurants Group as Bar Manager for Dubai and Cannes. WG catches Jehlicka…
up
with
Lukas
Tell us how you found your passion to being a Bar Chef… It was my dream to be a Bar Chef, to be creative like Reif Othman. Surely the unintended impulse came from childlike compulsion to create and make values. Your approach to making drinks is an experience at PLAY- how do you bring a balance of different aromas in the glass? I don’t look at other bars as to what they are doing. I look into other disciplines which we can offer guest that extra experience they are looking for. If a person from my team doesn’t agree with a recipe, we then look at change. Knowing your customer base, the style of your drinks should fit to what guest want and to carefully look at age-gender-purposeprofile. We are constantly changing our mixes and how different we can do it.
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LUKAS JEHLICKA - PLAY , DUBAI
What is your philosophy and could you share the process you go through to creating a new cocktail? Simply outline the shape to follow, and go for it. Taste the water and try it again on different occasions, as long your mood changes alongside of your taste. And I believe taste it first and if it goes wrong don’t bother.
PENELOPE
The coolest cocktail name you’ve ever come up with… ‘Say Yes’, roughly 10 years ago and it still makes people happy across several continents where it remains as house special. What is the most unusual drink request you’ve gotten?
Surreal In honour to those who explore the world and open the trade routes for the next generations. Cachaca mellowed with ginger liqueur and our inhouse made Portuguese Shrub
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There are many of them which made me laugh and the list is long, to name just one could be sad. All specials ever made on demand are a challenge, me and my colleagues use our imaginations with what we can use and how mixable can we make it.
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Kappa Bizarre yet delicious concoction, a reminiscence for Dubai winter... WG May 2017 -
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LUKAS JEHLICKA - PLAY , DUBAI
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SIGNATURE MARTINI
WG MAGAZINE
What is your secret weapon behind the bar? It is supposed to be secret, you don’t expect me to say it, do you. In your opinion what makes a good bartender? Be a host to experience.
join
timeless
Favorite bar besides PLAY? Those which are open when I’m about to have a drink with friends. What’s the next “big thing” in the cocktail world? In the past 15 years, there was truly amazing recipes & stories of cocktail often called as second golden Era. I believe that the next big thing is to elevate our craft and keep it simple for everyone.
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - CENTRAL, PERU
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PULPO EN SU CORAL
WG MAGAZINE
In Central Virgilio Martinez celebrates the biodiversity of Peru. Fresh produce and an inexhaustible curiosity to discover and integrate new ingredients into the menu bring Peruvian cuisine to the forefront in the heart of the traditional district of Miraflores in Lima. Virgilio presents a novel cuisine dedicated to the richness of our products. Its preparations are a travel experience though Peru by its hidden ingredients, undocumented to modern gastronomy. He chooses to approach the diversity of our ingredients in a manner similar to that used by the peoples of the Andes in pre-Hispanic times: through vertical ecological monitoring. According to this alternative way of understanding the geography, land is perceived not as a horizontal plane but rather vertically, so that it takes advantage of all that the flora and fauna are able to deliver according to the particularities of each ecological system. As a result of the dramatic fluctuations in the Andean terrain in a relatively small radius of 100 kilometers, there is direct access to the country’s products from various altitudes ranging from the coast to the Amazon. Virgilio’s interdisciplinary team that complements each new “discovery” in a necessary context that seeks to transcend the strictly culinary and penetrate nutritional, biological, anthropological aspects.
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - MAIDO, PERU
MITSUHARU TSUMURA
MAIDO LIMA, PERU
Micha, as everybody calls him, was born in Lima and since his childhood Micha has was very passionate about cooking. While studying, he trained in various hotels and restaurants in Rhode Island and did his internship in Swissotel Lima. He also worked to develop along with the newspaper El Comercio “The Great Encyclopedia of Peruvian Cuisine”. After graduating, he decides to go to Osaka, Japan to specialize in Japanese cuisine, where he worked in restaurants such as “Seto Sushi” specialized in sushi and “Imo to Daikon” in Izakaya style cuisine. His passion for Japanese and Peruvian cuisine led him to create Maido, a Japanese restaurant with Peruvian heart. 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. 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.
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PHOTO © JOSÉ CACERES
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - D.O.M. BRAZIL
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PIRARUCU (AMAZONIAN FISH) WITH AÇAÍ BERRY AND PIMENTA-DE-CHEIRO (AROMATIC CHILLI
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Alex Atala, chef and owner of D.O.M. Restaurant, is recognized by an innovative cuisine, thanks to the flavor variety of the Brazilian ingredients. Atala graduated at the Hospitality School of Namur, in Belgium. In Brazil, made his debut as a chef at Filomena, a mixture of bar and events venue. In 1999, after working in other venues as a hired chef, he opened two houses: NaMesa, a chic fast-food (extinct), and D.O.M., creative contemporary cuisine restaurant with a marking Brazilian accent. In 2009, another contribution to the astronomy universe: Dalva e Dito restaurant, which presents the concept of affective cuisine and reinforces the faith Alex Atala has in both native ingredients and culture. The work developed throughout his career towards Brazilian ingredients, colors and flavors enhancement caught the specialists’ eye. Atala has a collection of both national and international prizes and, in 2013, made it in the 100 most influential people list of TIME Magazine. For the last ten years, D.O.M. has been included in the 50 best restaurants of the world list by the British publication, Restaurant Magazine. Currently, it is holds the 9th position in the ranking. In 2014, Atala was given the Lifetime Achievement Diners Club Prize in the South American 50 best election, by the same magazine.
ALEX ATALA D.O.M. SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL PHOTO © RUBENS KATO
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - BORAGÓ, CHILE
RODOLFO GUZMÁN BORAGÓ SANTIAGO, CHILE
Rodolfo Guzmán runs his kitchen based on the Chilean territory and its seafood, products from the native forests, valleys and mountains, respecting what the earth is capable of giving us at any given moment, just like the Mapuches and Pehuenches proposed, but not only this. Rodolfo, with his team have dedicated themselves to document the uses and properties of all that is endemic Chilean life. Exploring new possibilities, through a collaboration of more than 200 people from foraging communities and small producers from the entire length of Chile. This for years, has allowed access to a product unique in all the world, with a huge cultural weight, transformed by a true ritual, to represent the temperament of the Chilean environment, looking back in time into our natives to shape the future of Chilean cuisine. In an effort to go beyond, Guzmán has tried to reinvent Chilean food from a point of view one may think is invaluable. Using the ancestor legacy of cooking over different kinds of rocks, and smoking with indigenous woods that come from diverse regions of our country. A cuisine develop at Boragó which is based on the environment, and “what the earth is ready to give us at this moment.” Rodolfo Guzmán uses the legacy of his Chilean forebears in his cuisine, cooking on hot stones and smoking with native woods from all parts of Chile.
PHOTO © CRISTOBAL PALMA/ESTUDIO PALMA
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - PUJOL, MEXICO
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CAULIFLOWER, ALMOND AND ARBOL CHILE MOJO
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Olvera’s culinary proposal has been defined over time based on an obsession for detail, subtle ingredient selection and flavor construction, as well as a dynamic of constant evolution and deep exploration of Mexico’s gastronomic potential. His unending curiosity has driven change and ever-greater perfection in his work. Following a first phase reinterpreting Mexico’s popular recipes-that brought him fame well beyond the nation’s borders-Olvera adopted a more personal focus in which he began to explore and create based on Mexico’s almost inexhaustible universe of ingredients, while never ceasing to experiment with both contemporary as well as millennia-old culinary technique, always deeply invested in bold and imaginative proposals. Olvera has achieved a certain balance by means of experience, maturity, evolution. To evolve for Olvera is to incorporate tools into his life. Tools to communicate himself better. Tools to be able to manage and put into practice what you’ve learned through books, travels, talking to people you admire, eating at other restaurants. For Olvera it has become very personal, free and fearless. Where there has to be a dialogue with the ingredients he is using and with the context that he is working on. The best food is the intelligent one and the best dishes are the ones to come.
ENRIQUE OLVERA
PUJOL MEXICO CITY, MEXICO PHOTO © ARACELI PAZ
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - QUINTONIL, MEXICO
JORGE VALLEJO
QUINTONIL MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
Jorge Vallejo is one of Mexico’s most recognized young chefs on the culinary scene, at home and abroad, whose solid, everupward career path has been an unstinting labor of love and enthusiasm. After discovering his culinary bent as a teenager, Vallejo entered the Centro Culinario de México to study Culinary Administration and Arts. A restless spirit led him to set sail with Princess Cruises in 2004, where he worked on voyages to all corners of the globe. Once back on land, he joined the team at Pujol and was later Corporate Chef at Grupo Habita, where he oversaw kitchens at the Condesadf, Habita and Distrito Capital hotels. He became Executive Chef at the St. Regis hotel’s Restaurante Diana, in 2010, before traveling to Copenhagen for a season at Noma. That same year, in collaboration with Mauro Colagreco and Virgilio Martínez, Vallejo started the Orígenes initiative, designed to rescue and preserve culinary products, techniques and customs in small Latin American communities. 2012 was a critical year. Alongside his wife Alejandra Flores, Vallejo opened Quintonil, his “life project”; a gastronomic proposal that clearly expresses the flavors and forms of modern Mexican cooking. He strives to use ingredients derived from Mexico’s small-scale producers to create dishes that take every day, home style flavors to an even higher level.
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CACTUS CEBICHE WITH BEET ROOT AND MANDARIN
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - ASTRID Y GASTÓN, PERU
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Promoter of Peruvian culinary arts, Gastón Acurio attended law school. However, his passion for food was stronger, so he left law school to begin studying culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. During his time in Paris, Acurio met his German-born wife Astrid. In 1994, they opened the restaurant Astrid&Gastón in Lima, Peru, establishing one of the first restaurants of Peruvian haute cuisine in the world. Initially very French-oriented due to the couple’s classical French training, Gastón soon found himself experimenting with Peruvian ingredients and taking inspiration from local traditions. In 2013, Acurio was the recipient of The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the organizers of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. He was selected to receive the prestigious award in a vote by 250 industry experts from across the region. The honor recognizes Acurio’s fundamental contribution to Peru’s culinary industry and national identity. Acurio is the primary supporter of the culinary instruction institution, Pachacutec School of Cuisine, located in one of the poorest areas in Lima. The school provides underprivileged young people with a facility to study under industry-leading instructors.
GASTÓN ACURIO
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - MANÍ, BRAZIL
HELENA RIZZO DANIEL REDONDO
MANÍ SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL
The husband-and-wife team Daniel Redondo and Helena Rizzo of Maní have greatly helped revolutionize Brazil’s dining scene throughout the past decade.
Named after the indigenous Brazilian God – Maní, legend has it that a beautiful young woman who mysteriously died and was later reincarnated in the form of plants. Daniel and Helena’s sophisticated take on Brazilian country cuisine meshed with modern cooking techniques, dishes might not sound like much, but one bite is enough to explain their take on Brazilian cuisine.
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - TEGUI, ARGENTINA
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OSTRA FRESCA, FRUTILLAS TOMATE PHOTO © MARCELO SETTON
WG MAGAZINE
Germán Martitegui spent much time alone as a young boy, experimenting with and learning from his grandmother. He studied International Relations and Foreign Trade at the University of Salvador, but his true love was cooking. At age 19 he began working in catering kitchens, and in 1989 at the age of 23, he went to France, starting under Georges Blanc. He then worked at the Fitz Roy hotel, and they invited Germán to work on their new summer restaurant on Corcega Island. He returned to Argentina in 1992 to become chef of hotel La Casada de Bariloche on the Argentine Patagonia. He later went to California to work at restaurants like Patina, La Brea, and Campanilis to learn the California cuisine. In 1994, Germán returned to Argentina working with Francis Malmann at his beach store in Punta del Este and his two famous restaurants in Buenos Aires, Patagonia Sur, in the La Boca barrio section, and Cholila. Germán then went on to become the executive chef of Agraz Restaurant in the Caesar Park Hotel. In December of 1999, the Great Chefs team showed up at Agraz to feature Germán for their Great Chefs of the World television series on the Discovery Channel. Germán created Restaurant Casa Cruz in 2004 and in 2009 Germán opened Tegui.
GERMÁN MARTITEGUI
TEGUI BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA PHOTO © JOE PEREIRA LUCENA
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BEST RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA - BIKO, MEXICO
MIKEL ALONSO GERARD BELLVER BRUNO OTEIZA
BIKO MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
The best of two worlds – Biko is a creation of Basque chefs Mikel Alonso and Bruno Oteiza with their fusion of Mexican and Basque cuisine blending with Mexican ingredients, and Spanish chef Gerard Bellver adds techniques influenced from ElBulli – a priceless culinary experience which dazzles all your senses.
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MISS WANG, DUBAI
The new funky Asian concept launched at the Majestic Hotel Tower, member of The Great Hotels of the World. A neighborhood hotspot in “Old Dubai”, residents or for the adventurers that are on the hunt for something new and not so ordinary. The venue is very hip, industrial and urban with contemporary touches and pops of color, bringing an Asian downtown hipster vibe to life.
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The Asian connection goes deeper in the menu, drawing from diverse cuisines offering a mix of authentic favorites and modern variations of signature dishes including crunchy volcano shrimps, teriyaki beef sliders and apple pie wontons. The dishes are complimented with non-traditional handcrafted cocktails influenced from all over Asia –Thailand, Japan, Philippines and Vietnam – and are lovingly prepared to satisfy a variety of palates. Open every night of the week, Miss Wáng features a cool-as-can-be live band that knows exactly how to build up an excitement. Expect the greatest tunes with an alternative twist - happy, fun, cool and funky.
WG MAGAZINE
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
HUNAN STYLE CHICKEN WINGS
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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 Answer the question to win a Brunch for two... Which hotel is Brasserie 2.0 in? Send your answers before 23 May 2017 to: competition@wgmagazines.com *Terms and conditions apply. The competition is open only to residents of the country where the restaurant is located.
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WG MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017
2016 A COLLECTIVE OF CHEFS
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2016 GELINAZ! WWW.WGMAGAZINES.COM
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a feast for the palate...
a feast for the palate...
GÉRALD PASSEDAT
PIERRE GAGNAIRE
YANNICK ALLÉNO®
LE PETIT NICE
A CULINARY HYPOTHESIS
REIF OTHMAN
ANDREA BERTON
EXTRACTIONS A REAFFIRMATION OF TASTE
A MASTERFUL TOUCH
MEDITTERASIAN CUISINE
DAVIDE SCABIN
PACO TORREBLANCA
UP&DOWN
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a feast for the palate...
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a feast for the palate...
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ALBERT ADRIÀ
Tickets To 50 Days
RICHARD SANDOVAL A Mexican Flair
ANNE-SOPHIE PIC
ENRIQUE OLVERA
The Artist With Flavours
MEXICO’S GASTRONOMY
ANDRÉ CHIANG Eight Elements
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MARGOT JANSE
The Magic Of The Kitchen www.wgmagazines.com
DAVID TOUTAIN The World’s Most Gifted Chef WG June 2016 -
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JORDI ROCA
A SWEET PERFECTIONIST www.wgmagazines.com
WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANTS1 WG January 2017 -
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SØREN SELIN
PURE FLAVOR CONCEPT
PAOLO CASAGRANDE
GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE WG December 2016 -
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