WO’GOA something is always brewing… August 2015 Issue

‘ W GOA O

AUGUST 2015

something is always brewing

PERU

The Living Traces Of The Past

ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI Iconic Designer’s Signature

LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS Alain Ducasse’s Return To Roots

BENOIT

100 Years Of Passion

MARTIN BERASATEGUI 7 Michelin Stars

VIRGILIO MARTÍNEZ & PÍA LEÓN CENTRAL

2015 GOURMET TRAVELLER CHEF OF THE YEAR

Andoni Luis Aduriz 9 Course Meal

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MARTIN BENN

Luxur y

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

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S P A C E S

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B E Y O N D

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Le MĂŠridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina Al Sufouh Road, Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 399 3373 l +971 55 821 6062 www.watatsumi.ae 15

Editor Fabian deCastro

experience the adventure! anytime, anyplace, anywhere!

Lifestyle Editor Doug Singer Feature Editor Oilda Barreto Editorial Contributor Mario Bermeo Jr FJMdesign Photography Consultant Creative Design Studio Publisher

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‘ W OGOA something is always brewing

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Cover Image Credit: The Pearl Martin Benn - Sepia, Sydney, Australia

‘ GOA W O ™

something is always brewing

Our August issue will take you beyond the carved stone walls of Machu Picchu, to the astonishing clay temples of the Moche Culture and the sacred pyramids of Caral. We will seamlessly transition from old to new soaring high above Downtown Dubai with the name synonymous with pioneering red carpet fashion, Georgia Armani - who has masterminded an exquisite hotel chain, where his classic style, fashion and flair meet with refined hospitality. Then it is off to Europe, more specifically, Provence, where Iconic Chef Alain Ducasse returns to his roots with La Bastide de Moustiers.

For our golf lovers, we will head to Ireland and into the lush heartlands of County Limerick which plays home to Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort, one of Ireland’s most evocative and spellbinding castle hotels. Then take a jaunt over the water to New York as we delve into the refined pleasures of Trump International Hotel & Tower.

Not enough of a culinary fix yet? We are just getting started! Join us for a 9-course meal with one of the most influential chefs of our time, Mugaritz’s Andoni Luis Aduriz, or the legendary Martin Berasategui as he shares what one needs to have in order to become a kitchen legend.

As we continue our intercontinental journey we will stop in Lima at the No. 1 Restaurant in Latin America and No. 4 in the World before heading off to Taiwan for a Q & A with Lanshu Chen - 2014 Best Female Chef in Asia.

Next we will be chatting with Martin Benn - Australia’s 2015 Gourmet Traveller Chef of The Year before we jet off to Moscow to experience White Rabbit - Vladimir Mukhin’s innovative cuisine served in a fairytale setting. We will also make a few delicious stops in London including Engawa with Yahitori Akira, Gourmet On-the-Go by Street Kitchen, East End’s Rosa’s Thai Cafe and the exciting One Canada Square.

After a quick jaunt to Hong Kong to poke our head into L’Altro, it is back to the homeland where we will be stopping in at Bukhara in New Delhi and Indigo, making its home in the restored turn-of-the-century bungalow off the busy Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai.

Fasten your seat belts for a ride to remember!

Doug Singer Lifestyle Editor

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AUGUST 2015

CONTENTS

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26

The living traces of the past

38

ARMANI Hotel Dubai

50

Alain Ducasse›s return to roots...

58

Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort

68

TRUMP International Hotel & Tower

76

9 Course Meal with Andoni Luis Aduriz

96

The Spanish Legend

110

Central

124

Best Female Chef in Asia

136

2015 Gourmet Traveller Chef of the Year

154

100 Years of Passion

162

Unique Gastronomical Performance

170

ENGAWA with Yahitori Akira

178

Gourmet Sandwiches ‘By-The-Inch’

184

French-Italian Gastronomy

192

Delhi’s BUKHARA

196

One Canada Square

202

Indigo

206

Born in the East - Raised in the East End...

WO’GOA

‘ GOA W O ™

something is always brewing

The Pearl Martin Benn - Sepia

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The Whitehall Penthouse Terrace

London’s 21st Century Grand Hotel Corinthia London combines contemporary flair with traditional grandeur.

Situated in the cultural heart of the capital, the hotel features beautiful rooms, elegant restaurants and the most breathtaking spa in London, ESPA Life at Corinthia.

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Where luxury meets the wild

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PERU - THE LIVING TRACES OF THE PAST

Peru the living traces of the past

CampinĚƒa de Candarave Photo Juan Puelles and PromPeru 26

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PERU - THE LIVING TRACES OF THE PAST

Beyond the carved stone walls of Machu Picchu, of the astonishing clay temples of the Moche Culture and of the sacred pyramids of Caral, Peru had a great development of civilizations that began in the cold Andean highlands more than ten thousand years ago.

The men who built the Lost City of the Incas, those same men who designed the most intricate paths and designed the most formidable hydraulic and agricultural engineering works, came from some cold caves located at over four thousand meters above sea level.

These hunters and collectors were the first to populate our territory and they have left innumerable traces of their lifestyle in places such as Pikimachay (Ayacucho), Lauricocha (Huรกnuco) and Toquepala (Tacna), where researchers have succeeded in deciphering the birth of the Peruvian Civilization.

Almost seven thousand years ago, these first dwellers abandoned their caves and shelters to descend into the occidental valleys of the Pacific, and then continued onto the coastal hills, before finally reaching the sea. Thus, those hunters of llamas and deer, suddenly became seafood collectors and fishermen, and later, domesticated the plants of the warm valleys that cross the desert. Men such as the one from Nanchoc are evidence of this dramatic moment lived by the Peruvian man, when they began cultivating their first products such as broad beans, corn, potatoes and cotton, as a result, ended their roaming lives to establish the first villages.

Complejo Arqueologico De Caral Photo Michael Tweddle and PromPeru 28

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What is considered the most ancient civilization of America, Caral, and appeared more than four thousand years ago in the valley of the Supe River, to the north of the city of Lima.

More than a decade ago, this coastal domain, contemporary to Egypt and Mesopotamia, changed the Peruvian History and consolidated our country as one of the most important cultural centers of the word, together with Mesopotamia and the basins of the Nile, the Euphrates and the Indo Rivers.

Caral is the culmination of an initial cultural process that has been called the Initial Period, and whose main characteristics are an absence of ceramics (Pre-ceramic), and the construction of layered adobe temples, circular plazas and small villages around cult and administrative centers. Notable archaeological sites such as Sechín, in the coast of Ancash, the Temple of the Crossed Hands in Kotosh in Huánuco belong to this stage.

About one thousand years later, Chavín appeared in the North Central Andes, in the department of Ancash. This new State disseminated their culture across great part of the territory, as can be seen from the “Chavinoid” iconography in places as far as the south coast and the highlands. Its main religious center was located in the Valley of the Waqueqsa River in the beautiful region of Conchucos, and it constitutes one of the most important archaeological findings of the country. Until the discovery of Caral, it was believed that Chavín was the first great Peruvian civilization.

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PERU - THE LIVING TRACES OF THE PAST

Towards the year 700 B.C., there was another culture in the Central Coast, the first great inhabitants of the desert: the Paracas - whose inhabitants were skilled weavers – their big looms of intricate design have been seen all around the world – and they stood out due to the way they buried their dead and because they carried out successful brain operations, as shown in the remains found

by Julio C. Tello in the decade of 1940. During the first centuries of our era, and after the hegemony of Chavín, several domains appeared along the territory. The Mochica, who extended their domain through nearly all the north coast of Peru, stand out. With their center in the Moche Valley in La Libertad, these men were characterized by their figurative ceramics, their delicate gold and silversmithing and their efficient use of the water resources that allowed them to expand considerably their agricultural borders and thus, be able to sustain a large population.

After the initial regional development, what is known as the first regional empire – the Wari – appeared towards the year 550 B.C. As a continuation of the Tiahuanaco Culture, located in the Peruvian highlands of Peru and Bolivia, the Wari dominated an extended territory, and created what would later become the Tahuantinsuyo.

It was them who began building great pre-Hispanic roads and who established the base of the social and territorial administration which the Incas from Cusco, would inherit.

Líneas de Nasca Photo Talía Barreda and PromPeru 30

WO’GOA

When the Wari disappeared, approximately in the year 1200 B.C., the Late Intermediate Period begins a second wave of regional developments, where the Ichma Culture – who possessed the powerful Pachacamac Oracle – appeared. The Chincha – great sea traders who became “trade partners” of the Incas, and above them all, the Chimú – the Great Lords of the North – who are renowned for their exquisite ceramics and their complex irrigation systems. It was them who built the big city of Chan-Chan, the biggest adobe compound in the world.

These are also the times of the Chachapoyas, the “men of the clouds”, owners of the exuberant cloud forests of Amazonas, where they built the most hallucinating cities and mausoleums, which they excavated in the sharpest cliffs.

While these cultures reached their prime, in the Vilcanota Valley in Cusco, a domain of “quechua” origin was taking shape gaining land through strategic alliances and reciprocity systems, as well as with their weapons. After defeating the Chancas of Apurimac and Ayacucho, the Incas – as history knows them – created the biggest Empire of Latin America, one that extended its territory over six contemporary countries and which gathered, under their flag, the most diverse peoples thanks to a strict social control and an efficient administration system.

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PERU - THE LIVING TRACES OF THE PAST

Between the XII and the XV centuries, the Incas created what no one had imagined before. A great State communicated by an efficient road system which synthesized millenniums of wisdom. Instead of eliminating the conquered cultures, the Incas assimilated the lifestyles of their subjects and used the best of each peoples to build their astonishing culture.

A country with high mountains that seem to touch the skies, differently from the Himalayas, the Access to the Peruvian mountains is very easy, and it is possible to find, in the same region, peaks of different levels of difficulty, including many of them to carry out the desired “first ascent”. The Cordillera Blanca located in the department of Ancash, is the Mecca of ice lovers and has some of the most valued peaks of the world, such as the Alpamayo which measures at 5,947 meters above sea level and is considered the most beautiful mountain in the world, due to its perfect pyramidal shape, it is also one of the jewels of mountain climbing. A demanding snowcapped peak that requires much previous expertise. The Huascaran is 6,768 meters above sea level, the roof of Peru and the highest tropical range in the world, with its two peaks - the Southern peak measuring to 6,768 meters above sea level while the peak at the North measure up to 6,654 meters above sea level. It does not have many technical difficulties even though it has several crevices, avalanches and “seracs” (ice columns).

Ciudadela de Machu Picchu Photo Enrique Castro-Mendívil and PromPeru 32

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PERU - THE LIVING TRACES OF THE PAST

Laguna de Aricota Photo Juan Puelles and PromPeru 34

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Furious fast-flowing rivers that flow down the steepest ravines, seemingly endless perfect waves, pre-Hispanic paths that cross the most astonishing landscapes and impregnable forests that guard the greatest natural treasures. This is Peru - a territory that breathes adventure.

The great diversity of its natural environments makes Peru a first class destination for the practice of many adventure sports. From mountaineering to cycling and trekking to water sports such as kite-surfing and kayaking, our territory is an extended gym where you can satisfy all your expectations. Important entrepreneurial initiatives add themselves to this great natural scenario and allow the security and logistics needed so that adventurers from the entire world leave their traces in our country.

In addition to being a first class cultural, natural and historic destination - Luxury and pleasure in the country of the Incas, Peru has positioned itself as the ideal destination for those who wish to live luxury experiences. From exclusive cruises that sails the longest river on the planet - the Amazon River to the train to Machu Picchu – considered globally as one of the best in the world – to the hotels located in historic monuments and lodges for hikers that offer a five-star service in the midst of breathtaking environments, Peru is the best place to let your five senses go surrounded by the outmost comfort.

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PERU - THE LIVING TRACES OF THE PAST

Andenería en Moray Photo Alfonso Zavala and PromPeru 36

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Fruit of the intense crossbreeding between the Andean and the Spanish cultures, as well as successive migrations from all over the world (Africans, Chinese, Japanese, Italians, among others) - Peru is a crucible of cultures, races and cultural expressions that one can find at every corner of the road.

Multicolored festivities and dances, striking clothes made by laborious hands, millenary agricultural traditions, skilled artisans who work with different materials and ancestral customs that respect the environment and knowledgeable of every corner of the woods and mountains populate our whole territory.

It is possible to trace the influence of the Andean cultural in every cultural expression in Peru, its closeness with the soil, its deep respect and devotion for the mountains, the incomparable cheerfulness of the Andean man, the one who harvests with love the fruits of the soil. On the other hand, one can find religious syncretism, European solemnity and the richness of the clothes, the techniques and foreign designs of the exquisite pieces of popular art, the deep fervor for the patron saint and for the cross worshipped.

Lines of history, but also desires of the present. The living cultures of Peru is the adventure of color and music where one can read clearly the real meaning of being Peruvian. Peru - a destination of experiences!

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ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

Armani Hotel Dubai redefines luxury Text Oilda Barreto

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WO’GOA

Giorgio Armani and Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties

The name synonymous with pioneering red carpet fashion has masterminded an exquisite hotel chain, where his classic style and fashion flair meet with refined hospitality. Soaring high above Downtown Dubai in the exemplary Burj Khalifa, UAE, located in the world’s tallest tower, is home to the first hotel designed by Giorgio Armani: the exclusive Armani Hotel, Dubai.

A global design first, it reflects the pure elegance, simplicity and sophisticated comfort that define the iconic designer’s signature style. The Armani Hotel Dubai, in collaboration with property developer Emaar Properties PJSC, is offering visitors to Dubai a supreme choice for luxurious indulgence in an elegant setting. Since its opening, the hotel has welcomed several thousand guests who seek an exemplary lifestyle experience with signature suites and rooms designed by Giorgio Armani. The Armani Hotel experience has unfolded in Milan, Italy, where it opened its doors in November 2011. Located at Via Manzoni 31, in the heart of Milan’s fashion district, the hotel is a quick walk from the famous La Scala theatre and the spectacular Piazza del Duomo.

The five-star Armani Hotel Dubai is the realization of the designer’s long-held dream to bring his personal panache to life in the most inclusive way, by offering his customers a unique “Stay with Armani” experience. Every detail in the hotel bears the Armani signature, beginning with warm Italian-style hospitality moving through to each individual design element; from the Eramosa stone floors to zebrawood panels, and from the bespoke furnishings to the restaurant menus and even the in-room amenities, every aspect of the hotel’s design and service offerings have been fashionably planned by Giorgio Armani himself.

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ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

Armani Dubai Suite 40

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Practicality and elegance are the cornerstones of Armani’s signature style and they are combined with precious materials and sophisticated finishes to create an Armani tailored space. Elegant colors, clean lines and unique textures blend together seamlessly with the tower’s stunning architecture and use of natural light to create an atmosphere of calm serenity…where guests can retreat into a world of minimalist elegance. Based on the philosophy that travel is as much an emotional journey as a physical one, Armani Hotel Dubai assigns each hotel guest a personal Lifestyle Manager, who serves as a personal contact and host from the moment they make a reservation to the time they check out, and even beyond. This service supersedes beyond the concierge. A spokesperson for Emaar Hotels & Resorts, said: “Armani Hotel Dubai has created a new benchmark in luxury hospitality, pushing the accepted norms and frontiers in the industry. The collaboration with Giorgio Armani brings a new level of aesthetics to the hotel. Additionally, the concept of Lifestyle Managers, who meet every need of the guests, introduced for the first time in Armani Hotel Dubai, has redefined service standards.”

Emaar Hotels & Resorts spokesperson states: “The ‘Stay with Armani’ philosophy has been overwhelmingly well received by guests, as it ensures they benefit from a “homeaway-from-home” experience that goes well beyond visual aesthetics.” The hotel also enjoys several other special features, especially its location in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower; it possesses unparalleled sweeping views of the city and the Arabian Gulf. It occupies the concourse level through level 8 and levels 38 and 39, with its own dedicated entrance. It is also in the heart of Downtown Dubai described as, “The Center of Now”. It is within walking distance of the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination, The Dubai Mall, and some of most popular tourist attractions including the world’s tallest performing water fountain, which can be seen from many of the hotel’s 160 guest rooms and suites. The hotel features Classic and Deluxe Rooms, Premiere Suites, Premiere Suites with Balcony, Fountain Suites, Fountain Suites with Balcony, Executive Suites, Ambassador Suites, Ambassador Suites with Balcony, Signature Suites and an exclusive Armani Dubai Suite, all conceived and designed by the fashion icon himself with his elegant style prominent at every angle.

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ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

For unique events with signature style and impeccable service, Armani Hotel Dubai has a venue to complement every occasion. Set in the heart of Downtown Dubai - the city’s lifestyle and commercial hub - the combination of stunning architecture, minimalist elegance and distinctive hospitality, makes it the preferred location for business and pleasure.

From high profile business conferences and closed door boardroom negotiations, to unforgettable wedding celebrations with unique flair, our collection of contemporary spaces are designed to offer flexible yet sophisticated location solutions. A Dedicated team of event professionals is committed to delivering tailor-made experiences, with essential attention to detail ensuring that hand-selected table linens, thoughtful floral centerpieces, state-of-the-art audiovisuals, and world-class cuisine with a delectable range of food and beverage choices and the first in-hotel Armani/SPA, will set the tone for a successful event.

An oasis of peace and tranquility in the heart of a bustling city, the 12,000” Armani/ SPA reflects the Armani lifestyle and design philosophy, offering unique spaces and outstanding service for individually personalized treatments, thermal bathing, creative SPA cuisine, personal fitness or simply, private and social relaxation areas with an outdoor swimming pool. Each guest at the Armani/SPA receives a personal consultation from a spa professional to develop a customized sensory experience designed by Armani.

The SPA therapies have been thought-through to fulfill different goals. These therapeutic treatments are enhanced with custom made, naturally fragranced Bois, Jasmine and Jade oils by Armani.

• MU quenches a desire for relaxation and stillness • Libertà encourages freedom of movement and the release of physical pain • Fluidità enhances vitality, restoring internal balance 42

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Armani/SPA

Armani/SPA 43

ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

Armani/Mediterraneo

Armani/Ristorante 44

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Armani Hotel Dubai features seven restaurants offering an exciting collection of world cuisine, from Japanese and Indian to flavors of the Mediterranean and, of course, authentic Italian. The impressive culinary options reflect the cosmopolitan nature of the city and the stunning restaurant interiors which are complemented by exciting al fresco terrace and balcony dining opportunities. The Lobby Level has several outstanding choices…

The essence of Italy is brought to life at Armani/Ristorante where a natural passion for the finest ingredients, exquisite flavor combinations and contemporary presentation come together in an exclusive environment that excites the palate and leaves lovers of gourmet dining wanting more. A signature tasting experience for all the senses; Italian culinary excellence is paired with uniquely personalized service, taking diners on a memorable journey from a classic “aperitivo” to the subtle nuances of the gustation style menu and expert recommendations from the restaurant’s own sommelier.

Armani/Ristorante

Located in the heart of the hotel and overlooking the spectacular Dubai Fountain, Armani/ Lounge is the perfect place to meet friends, discuss business or just watch the world go by while enjoying innovative interpretations of international cuisine. An extensive selection of coffees, teas and wines complement a world-class array of beverages. Armani/Lounge is the definitive destination in which to enjoy teatime treats during the day or an Italian-style “aperitivo” at sunset.

Take a culinary journey for lunch or dinner and savor a truly authentic selection of regional specialties. Enjoy the diverse flavors of the Mediterranean at any time of day.

Contemporary casual style defines the Armani/Mediterraneo, from breakfast through to late-night dining. Kick-start your morning with a creative buffet take on the classic continental breakfast or, opt for an à la carte favorite prepared by their skilled chefs.

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ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

Milan’s exclusive Armani/Privé lounge comes to the city at Armani Hotel Dubai. This VIP lounge hosts the most exciting nights in Dubai. Meet up with old friends and make new ones, then dance into the early hours to the vibrant beats of the resident DJ, as well as visiting and international guest DJs. Armani/Privé is the city’s preferred after-hours destination for fast-paced fun.

This visually engaging boutique emporium presents an elegant selection of Italian sweets.

Armani/Dolci offers a delectable selection of artfully finished chocolates, scrumptious spreads, honey and preserves, biscotti, praline-coated almonds and dragées, and a selection of fine teas. Everything is elegantly wrapped with the unmistakable Armani signature.

Armani/Galleria

Giorgio Armani’s clean, sophisticated style is reflected in the modern floral arrangements at Armani/Fiori. This shop features fresh flower arrangements and exclusively designed vases by Giorgio Armani. The vases’ quintessential designs follow the fluid shapes of the flowers themselves. Flowers are available in the shop or can be delivered for events, holidays or special occasions.

Take home part of the Armani lifestyle experience with the carefully selected products from Giorgio Armani retail concepts at Armani Hotel Dubai…

Armani/Galleria, located on the lobby level, presents haute-couture fashion and accessories from the elegant Giorgio Armani Privé collection. The boutique carries a range of watches, handbags, jewelry and perfumes and is the first and only place in Dubai where the Giorgio Armani Privé Collection is available.

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Armani/Dolci

Armani/Privé lounge 47

ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

Armani Lobby

Armani/Hashi

Other choice places to indulge in exquisite delights, located within the hotel: On the ground floor grab a “Pronto Lunch� or satiate your senses in an authentic Italian deli experience where Italian culinary flair and the very best international ingredients come together to create a daily changing menu of classic and contemporary flavors.

A gourmands’ paradise, pick up something to go from the fresh food display, relish in the simple lunch time delights of a plate of homemade pasta or join friends for our popular Friday brunch. From fresh bread and classic charcuterie to European cheeses and tempting pastries, Armani/Deli is your gourmet market in the heart of the city.

Located on the third floor, gather with friends for dinner and savor the true taste of India in an unforgettable setting. Fresh and innovative regional Indian cuisine is on the menu at Armani/Amal, along with an exciting beverage list and selected teas. Exotic curries and other specialties are prepared tableside, showcasing time-honored traditional cooking methods and ingredients. Enjoy a memorable dining experience with stunning views over the Downtown Dubai neighborhood and The Dubai Fountain.

On the concourse level experience the best of Japan in a vibrant setting. Armani/Hashi 48

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Armani/Amal

Giorgio Armani

restaurant and lounge delivers an imaginative twist on traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine. For dinner or Friday brunch, fresh fish is flown in daily from around the world. You can complement your meal with a selection of specialty beverages. Enjoy panoramic terrace views of the iconic Dubai Fountain coupled with the beat of restaurant’s resident DJ while dining on sushi, sashimi and other authentic Japanese dishes for a culinary occasion that will delight all the senses.

It is very easy to indulge in sheer luxury in beautiful downtown Dubai at the elegant Armani Hotel Dubai. If you are looking for haute couture shopping, hugely popular luscious and diversified cuisine selections, specialized spa treatments, relaxation and personalized amenities, there is only one remarkable place to visit.

Only a twenty minute ride from the Dubai airport to the Burj Khalifa on Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai, why not delight your senses and give yourself the star treatment? The pioneer of clean lines and tailored fashion, style guru Giorgio Armani has given birth to an incredibly stunning, exclusive and ravishing destination. For an unforgettable experience, indulge in a hotel lifestyle like no other at the Armani Hotel, Dubai.

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LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS - PROVENCE, FRANCE

LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS

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Alain Ducasse’s return to roots...

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LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS - PROVENCE, FRANCE

Celebrating the spirit of the contemporary inn upheld by Alain Ducasse “I really fell for Moustiers and the surrounding area” A resident on the French Riviera for more than twenty years, Alain Ducasse discovered the Alpes de Haute-Provence while out on long motorbike rides. And of course, he fell in love with Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and its outstandingly beautiful countryside.

In 1993, he started looking for a fine property where, on one hand, he could stay when out on his motorbike rides and, on the other hand, enable him to welcome those who might be looking for a little corner of paradise a long way from the urban hub-bub.

“For my week-ends, I wanted a pleasant place offering simple cooking. So, I decided to create a country-house for the lovers of Giono’s Provence” explains Alain Ducasse.

In 1994, he purchased a property, once owned by a master-potter, and transformed it into the most charming place. This is how La Bastide de Moustiers came into being.

Photo ©Pierre Monetta 52

In order to recreate its 17th century Provençal style, La Bastide de Moustiers has been restored in 1994 and renovated in 2009 by regional craftsmen. A needlewoman and an artist

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glassworker of Moustiers, a cabinet maker and a painter of Carcès, a ceramist of Salernes, antique dealers of Mouans-Sartoux or Isle-surla-Sorgue, only to name a few. The china of Moustiers is naturally present. The new display plates were manufactured by Soleil, prestigious name in the village. One of the dining rooms offers various faïence pieces from creators of the village.

The blueprints of the kitchen garden were drawn

by Jean Mus, a landscape designer inspired by the Mediterranean spirit.

To determine the place of the stone fountain, it was necessary to appeal a dowser. “I wanted to combine refinement, comfort and simplicity” Conceiving Bastide de Moustiers as his country house, Alain Ducasse personally put a lot into his arrangement 20 years ago and, quite recently, into his renovation. He followed closely the works and hunted for antiques at numerous antique dealers of the region to furnish her in a Provençal style.

He chose a friend he has known for 20 years, Tonia Peyrot (who, like Alain Ducasse, has chosen Provence as her country of adoption), to help him decorate his new home. This interior designer (who has also created jewelry, watches, furniture, crockery...) was for a longtime, in charge of a top-quality pottery works.

She has also worked for the “Réunion des Musées Nationaux” (National Museums), the “Musée des Arts Décoratifs” (the Decorative Arts Museum) and for major Parisian goldsmiths.

Together, Alain Ducasse and Tonia Peyrot imagined and created a welcoming and warm country-inn, combining simplicity and luxury, traditional cuisine and the finest most delicate dishes.

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LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS - PROVENCE, FRANCE

Chambre Volière Photo ©PierreMonetta

He wanted each of the inn’s thirteen bedrooms to not only be different, but also poetic and charming; each one evoking a colour, an aroma, an image of Provence. Thus, the rooms have been named Tournesol (Sun-flower), Lavande (Lavender), Framboise (Raspberry), Amande (Almond), Potiron (Pumpkin), Blanche (White) and La Volière (the Aviary), and also Rose, Abeille (Bee) and Coquelicot (Poppy), Pigeonnier (Pigeon room), Olive and Bastidon.

Right down to the finest detail, each bedroom and bathroom has its own particular style.

A style appropriate for every room was declined to the slightest objects. All the rooms are fitted out with piece of furniture and objects mocked by Alain Ducasse.

Rose Trémière and Coquelicot are situated in a small house below the main house. They are connected by an arc with the room Olive, which, by communicating with the Abeille to form a double suite. Each of these new rooms possesses a privative car park of full foot.

The last one of these new rooms, Le Pigeonnier, offers a pleasant mezzanine. The Suite Bastidon is a contemporary shelter with its own secluded garden.

At the foothills of the Pigeonnier is the shop where one can find a beautiful selection of objects collected by Alain Ducasse and the best local products. To remember or discover.

The dining-room is made up of four different areas - a large room with a fireplace, the ‘Salon des Faïenciers’, ‘the little’. ‘Salon des Amoureux’ and the ‘Bibliothèque’.

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Chambre Blanche Photo ©PierreMonetta

The lightened first one carries refurbished in a beautiful ecru linen armchairs weaved

by Muguet, new photos by Thomas Duval, glass made bracket lamps created by MarieOdile Savigny.

For the three others, intimacy and discretion necessary for business lunches or for tête à tête. Le Salon des Amoureux was completely renovated in 2009, like a boudoir with old pink walls and engravings evoking courteous scenes of 18th century. New atmospheres also for the Salon des Faïenciers and the Bibliothèque. Purity, minimalism, simplicity, with a contemporary touch: armchairs design by Cassina.

On the tables, new crockery by French ceramist Jars, precious tree sculptures by the artist Louis Cane and Jean-Claude Novaro’s glass colored photophores.

“Being a cook is above all a passion for simple things” Alain Ducasse trained the cooks at La Bastide de Moustiers, in the heart of his brigade at “Le Louis XV”. He passed onto them his taste for a sincere and authentic cuisine, using ingredients from local markets and La Bastide’s own vegetable garden.

All from different horizons, after gaining several years of experience in the kitchens of great restaurants, they finally, come to work for Alain Ducasse in Monaco or in Paris.

Alain Ducasse says: “they are excellent cooks and we share the same fascination for Provence and its culinary wealth. That is why I chose them…”

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LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS - PROVENCE, FRANCE

La Bastide de Moustiers - Suite Photo ©PierreMonetta

The menu, proposed by the kitchen staff every day, varies according to the availability and quality of the produce in the local markets and the Bastide’s vegetable garden.

The two wine lists of La Bastide are exceptional in many ways. There are over 300 different appellations. The “carte de La Bastide de Moustiers” offers a wide selection of vineyards in the meridional area. “La cave d’Alain Ducasse” offers the very quintessence of France’s other vineyards.

“Welcoming a guest means making sure he is happy while he is under your roof” “Hospitality, sincerity and conviviality are for me, of great value at La Bastide”.

Each guest can come and go as he likes at La Bastide. There are two entrances which are always open; one downstairs, the other upstairs. The atmosphere is so warm and friendly that guests sometimes forget the age-old reflex of locking their bedroom doors behind them.

The guests do as they please; they can walk around the property and decide upon one activity or another: stroll around the flower garden or the kitchen garden which are a pleasure to the eye, relax by the heated swimming pool or just as well, go for a walk with a picnic basket full of specialties from La Bastide and southern France that the cooks will prepare especially for you. Alain Ducasse ensures that each and every guest is perfectly happy, whatever their mood and feeling may be at any particular time.

Athletic guests can choose between a walk in the 10 acres tree-planted grounds, a mountain-bike trek or even, go on an adventure in a four-wheel-drive thanks to the specially made circuits in the surrounding areas of the Verdon Gorge.

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Terrasse et Parc Photo ©David Bordes

Those who just want to relax can sit on the terrace, in the shade of the trees, sip aperitifs and listen to the gentle sounds of the water in the fountain.

The children can safely play on their own, visit the ponies and horses in the stables or, even better, see the little fawns and the chickens.

The spirit of the vegetable garden – “A wide variety of tastes, colors and odors is the spirit that I wanted to achieve in the vegetable garden at La Bastide de Moustiers”. It is much more than a place of production for the fine culinary arts. It is also a place to walk and discover rare products or those not particularly well known.

Jean Mus, a landscape designer who is passionate about Mediterranean culture, was in charge of designing what has now become a place of harmony and production.

Constantly accounting for the morphological conditions (dry soil), and climate (a very sunny and windy region), there are specific products typical of the region cultivated in the vegetable garden (zucchini flowers and fresh herbs...). A harmony of flowers, aromatic plants, seasonings, vegetables and spices, ensures that Provencal tradition continues with a vegetable garden as seen in the last century.

The vegetable garden has been sectioned into themes which relate to their cooking uses.

As a result, many different gardens have been created - The aromatic herb garden is comprised of about thirty different plant species that have been specially selected for their cooking purposes (Sorrel, mint, chervil, oregano, thyme, chives and of course others...)

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ADARE MANOR HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT - IRELAND

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Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort

member of the Leading Hotels of the World

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ADARE MANOR HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT - IRELAND

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Situated in the lush heartlands of County Limerick, Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort is one of Ireland’s most evocative and spellbinding castle hotels. This nineteenth century neo-Gothic castle is steeped in exotic history and surrounded by medieval ruins, its 840-acre demesne is home to beautiful parklands, superb trout fishing on the river Maigue, and a renowned 18 hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior.

You will discover the fairy-tale setting of the vast Great Hall, the lavish Drawing Room and the splendid Minstrels’ Gallery. Unique and individual-designed stately bedrooms, elegant fine dining and the best of contemporary Irish food in an incomparable setting, and the highest standards of modern hospitality are hallmarks of the Manor experience.

The Manor house is initially reminiscent of a chateau, but many of its features are shared by great residences of the era in Britain and Ireland. Mysteriously, the Manor is laid out as a Calendar House. 365 stained windows and 52 chimneys mark the annual tally of days and weeks. Sleuthing visitors may be able to spot references to the 7 days of the week and 12 months of the year. Although there are other examples of such buildings, they are rare, this allusive quality is heightened by discreet gargoyles and French or Latin mottoes graven on secluded walls.

Records indicate that the Earl was prone to changing his mind. As a result, when he died in 1850, the Manor still stood incomplete, compelling his son to return home from Britain to complete what his father had begun. With a new generation came zest and focus.

The 3rd Earl decided to commission an innovative new architect, Philip Charles Hardwick, whose remit also ran to laying out the garden.

Only in the early 1860’s did the vision of an agonized man three decades previously became realized. To this day Adare Manor speaks volubly for the talent and inventiveness of the people who laboured over it.

Some of their story will always be locked in its stones, but what can be seen today bears eloquent testimony to their skills and vision.

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Dunraven Stateroom

Until 1982 the Dunravens kept their family seat here. Five years later the Kane family of Florida took matters in hand, purchasing the 840 acre estate in it’s entirely. In the Dunraven tradition, no effort was spared in a restoration that sought to preserve the grand ethos of the house’s earlier epoch. And rightly so, because it is never forgotten here that the Manor is not only a hotel but a great and intriguing house.

True to the Manor’s fanciful architecture, no two bedrooms are the same, the Adare Manor consist of 62 Manor bedrooms, 8 Clubhouse bedrooms, 42 three and four bedroom villas and 9 two and four bedroom townhouses with each having its own shape and proportions. Furniture has always been favoured over fittings, and this philosophy is evident from what was formerly the Housekeeper’s room to Lady Caroline.

Arched ceilings, fireplaces, beds with carved headboards, fretwork windows and eye- catching views are typical throughout. Boudoir seating and tables ensure that anyone eating from the in-room menu does so in urbane comfort. Bathrooms are weighted with equal importance and are often larger than the rooms they attach to. An overnight requirements beyond those already supplied can be had from the hotel boutique just inside the main portico entrance Lady Caroline’s Room - originally the quarters of Lady Caroline Wyndham 62

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Dunraven Stateroom

– this room is steeped in history and full of hidden secrets. Discreetly modernized, the suite enjoys spectacular views across the estate through the many picture windows, a private sitting room, and two ensuite bathrooms.

The Staterooms are the grand bedrooms of the Manor, each one different from the next. All of the little details have been carefully considered - with truly lavish rooms and bathrooms, high ceilings and elegant furnishings.

The Dunraven Staterooms offer guests every last luxury, including four poster beds in three of the four rooms, spectacular views and a spacious lounge area. The hand-carved fireplaces in the Dunraven Staterooms are works of art in themselves, along with other bespoke details such as imported tiles and marble which were selected from all corners of the world.

The Deluxe Bedrooms are more spacious than the Classic rooms, with views over the Formal Gardens and River Maigue, the Deluxe rooms offer touches of extra luxury. Boudoir seating and ample table space mean that one need not leave their room at all!

The Classic rooms feature bright and spacious bathrooms, exquisite furnishings with all the modern additions expected by the 21st Century visitor discreetly interspersed throughout the room.

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ADARE MANOR HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT - IRELAND

Minstrel’s Gallery

The Minstrels’ Gallery is the most compelling room in the Manor. It runs 132 feet from east to west so that it is flooded at alternate ends with morning then evening light. But it is the stained glass panes, which make the strongest impression. They proclaim the heraldic history of Lady Caroline’s family, the Wyndhams, with only a nod to her husband’s line. This seems lopsided until one realizes the windows were dedicated by Lord Dunraven wholly ‘in love and honour of … his countess’.

With this tenderness in mind, the Minstrel’s Gallery is a model venue for a wedding party. Its sentiments of devotion and its epic proportions reflect the ethos of marriage. It is also, quite simply, a stirringly beautiful room, the 17th century Flemish choir stalls at one end of the Gallery – and their locally duplicated counterparts opposite – tower imposingly over all that pass beneath them. Enormous fireplace dot the southern wall while the northern side sports a wainscot carved with biblical episodes and illustrations from Froissart’s Chronicle of the first half of the ‘Hundred Years War’.

Then - If a passerby had stopped to look at the Dunraven family home in the 1930’s he would have seen a typical Georgian house.

Returning twenty years later, he would have found that modest structure 64

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Drawing Room

had disappeared and been replaced by the exceptional Neo-Gothic Manor that stands to this day. Staring at its towers, bays and steep roofs, he might have wondered what prompted such a great change.

It is unlikely he would have guessed the reason, for the Manor owes its existence to one of the most excruciating ailments of that time.

When Lord Dunraven began to rebuild his home, he conceived a grand architectural scheme brimming with vigorous imagination and peppered with eccentricity. To marshal his state for eclecticism and keep it in step with the principles of a beautiful house, the service of a front rank architect were required. The Earl chose James Pain whose technical flair and ability were indisputable.

Now – secluded from the outside world by a wall of tall trees on one side and the steady slide of the river Maigue on the other, the Manor exudes old world romance. With its Teutonic Wyndham tower and a disguised message carved along the roofline balustrade, it could pass as the backdrop to a Gothic novel. And the robust atmosphere is as palpable inside as out. Extravagant, ornate fireplaces designed

by Pugin are found in every major ground floor room, not least the Great Hall where a fire perpetually blazes. Irish oak cabinets and sideboards punctuate the walls along with casts of arms, all overlooked by the Gallery and its cryptic supporting figure.

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The Oakroom

The Spa 66

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The Oakroom

Food plays a role of cardinal importance at the Manor. The Chef heads up a young and enthusiastic culinary team. In the Oakroom Restaurant a contemporary Irish approach is melded with strong classical influences. Dishes and flavours change with the seasons, as the Chef endeavors always to source and cook local produce. Roughly 300 wines are cellared at any one time and wine lists are constantly updated to include recent acquisitions.

The Oakroom is an imposing space overlooking the river but its accompanying colonnade is perhaps the most enchanting dinner setting in Ireland. Illuminated only by candlelight, diners sit under a panoply of high and bas reliefs carved from red limestone. Fruit hoarding monkeys and squirrels, heraldic arms and crowned heads keep company with a howdah bearing elephant.

A steam room and fitness room are both situated within the Manor. So too an airy and bright heated swimming pool overlooking the Maigue. Elsewhere, the Elemis Treatment rooms occupy what used to be the Coachman’s cottage, a few steps from the golf clubhouse. Six Elemis trained therapist offer the full spectrum of body treatments, message and wraps.

Hydrotherapy baths are popular with golfers returning from the course.

A stroll through the grounds, munching on an apple or fig from the walled gardens can create its own regenerative magic.

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TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER - NEW YORK

TRUMP

INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER Text Doug Singer

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TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER - NEW YORK

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The 176 magnificent luxury suites and guest rooms at Trump International Hotel & Tower, deliver cutting-edge opulence for the well-heeled jet setter. Most hotels give you a room; Trump seems to deliver an entire city. From Midtown West, to Central Park, to Lincoln Center and Fifth Avenue, the views are simply stellar. Add to that world-class local shopping and an unparalleled nightlife scene that only New York City can offer, and you have landed in Nirvana.

Sunlight pours through the 10-foot floor-to-ceiling windows of each hotel room inside the Trump International Hotel & Tower® New York, framing the captivating panoramas of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline perfectly. These 176 newly renovated, luxury New York City accommodations, are yours for the choosing, including 35 superior and deluxe guestrooms, 141 one-bedroom suites, two-bedroom suites, and available threebedroom suites. Many of these luxury hotel rooms and suites feature fully equipped state of the art kitchens that make the ideal home base for an extended stay, leisure and corporate travel. As you would expect, all accommodations are outfitted with a bold and engaging style befitting New York, and every detail is custom designed to create a relaxing and indulging experience.

Recognized as the only Forbes Five-Star and Five-Diamond hotel that features a FiveStar and Five-Diamond restaurant in New York, guests are surrounded at all times by impeccable style, spectacular service and rich, luxurious amenities, including a personal Attaché service exclusive to Trump.

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TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER - NEW YORK

Jean-George

The 30 million dollar renovation completed in September of 2010, supplied plush seating, rich wood finishes, burnished gold leaf and bronze mirrors and handcrafted Schonbek crystal chandeliers - all details lauded over to bring the sophisticated urban feel of New York City inside for your indulgence.

As for other attributes, the aforementioned Five-Star and Five Diamond restaurant, Jean Georges, isn’t to be missed. This, his New York city flagship, offers a couple of dining options. For Michelin-starred elegance, the signature Jean Georges will rock your culinary world. If a more a more relaxed vibe is what you are seeking, Nougatine is the more casual sister of Jean‑Georges, with a very lively bar scene at night. This restaurant attracts a mix of celebrities, socialites, and movers and shakers in the business world. Adjacent to the formal Jean‑Georges dining room, Nougatine serves the signature and seasonal dishes of Chef Jean‑Georges for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is more casual than that offered at Jean‑Georges but still market- driven, utilizing only the freshest and finest ingredients. In addition to providing gorgeous views of Central Park, the newly renovated dining room by Thomas Juul‑Hansen features a bustling, immaculate open kitchen. In the warmer months, the easy‑going vibe of Nougatine naturally extends to the terrace where diners can enjoy the full Nougatine menu or simply sip on a signature cocktail from the bar. This serene oasis has umbrella-covered dining tables shaded from the sun but once again, is surrounded by magnificent views of the Central Park.

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The Oakroom

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When it’s time to relax, the Trump Spa at Trump International Hotel & Tower® is 6,000 square feet of pure serenity. A respite from the best and busiest city in the world, inspired by wellness techniques from around the globe, this Manhattan spa features a unique selection of facials, luxury massages and treatments designed specifically for women, men and couples, as well as day spa packages second to none. An extensive health club rounds out the experience with a heated indoor pool, steam baths, saunas, yoga instruction and personal training with individually designed exercise programs. The Trump Spa features a fine line of specialty spa products, designed to accentuate the benefits of any treatment.

From advanced skin care treatments by celebrity skin specialist Sonya Dakar, aromatherapy oils by Manhattan’s own Essence of Vali, wellness remedies

by Sprayology, candles by Oculatum, famed nail lacquers by Deborah Lippmann and skin softening body treatments by Nikali and Fleur - truly this is the ultimate luxury hotel spa in New York City.

All in all, Trump International Hotel and Tower represent the pinnacle of New York City hospitality, and is a prudent choice be it for a day in the spa, or an extended stay while you explore all that the Big Apple has to offer.

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9 COURSES AT MUGARITZ - SPAIN

Andoni Luis Aduriz 9 Course Meal

Andoni Luis Aduriz is undoubtedly one of the most influential chefs of our time. Throughout his career, he has remained highly committed to culinary evolution, making him somewhat of a rebel in the kitchen.

The launchpad for his famed restaurant in part seems to be the time he spent working under legendary chef Ferran Adrià, between 1993 and 1994, as it was not long after this that he decided to go off on his own adventure, opening Mugaritz in 1998.

Named after a border oak tree that grows in the hills around San Sebastian - Mugaritz takes attention to detail to new heights. From the specially created barbecue smell that emanates from the restaurant, designed to remind approaching diners of their childhood, to the way the table is set or not - is done for a very specific reason - to transcend the dining experience to new and unexpected heights.

Aduriz intends a meal at Mugaritz to shock and surprise as well as delight with ‘trompes l’oeils’-culinary tricks of the eye. There is no menu in play during your experience at Mugaritz. What is delivered is a personalized array of signature dishes - some creations play with aroma, texture and flavour while others are designed to tell a story or evoke an emotion.

Aduriz’s aim is clearly to seduce us with an experience that encompasses all five senses.

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9 COURSES AT MUGARITZ - SPAIN

Rice Cake PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz 78

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First Cou rse

Fermentations are living in an age of wonder in the culinary world. The exchange of ideas as well as the flow and the combination of different culinary cultures where the most ancient processes integrated fermented elaborations is a means of opportunity. In Mugaritz, they have worked with this type of phenomenon for more than 5 years. During this time, they have learnt about microorganisms responsible for these types of processes; the way in which they feed, the way they should be treated and the areas where they may react.

Thus, the rice cake is simply the result of applying a different point of view in the process of sake-making. Here, the defined quantity of Koji or Aspergillus Oryzae is incorporated to cooked rice. The reaction of this microorganism causes the present carbohydrates in the rice to breakdown into small saccharide chains until a granulated and sweet dough is obtained. This is simply the previous stage of a liquid which if fermented longer, becomes sake. In Mugaritz, they toast this naturally sweetened cake with a little butter.

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Second Cou rse

Many years ago, Mugaritz began to research on the strength of various seeds that hold recognised health benefits. Among them, exists the chia seeds even though the teff, amaranth, quinoa, flax seed and mustard seeds have already been part of numerous experiments in the Mugaritz kitchen. In some cases, the seeds were converted to vegetal milk bases; in others, they were shaped into biscuits, cakes, creams, risotto, meringues and ice-creams. Until a couple of years ago, they never thought about reviving these seeds, to give them a second opportunity and to sprout them. They found that by offering them the appropriate environmental conditions and minimal care, the seeds offer generous results. This holds truth in the live cannelloni. The dispersion of the seeds on a flat surface and its regular irrigation results in a vegetal veil by simple and dense rooting. All that is needed is to cut part of the germinated sheet and to roll it into a cannelloni. In this dish, it is stuffed with a lobster farce.

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Live Cannellone PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz 81

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Walnu t Omelette PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz 82

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Third Cou rse

PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz

There are natural associations that are generated in the mouth during the process of elaborating taste. The egg yolk and the walnut share fatty nuances, textures and aromatic fixtures that help them combine with each other easily. Obeying this form of nature, at Mugaritz they prepared a simple recipe of domestic ingredients - an omelette combining egg yolks and grated walnuts. Already, the two ingredients result in a dough that is enjoyable, fatty and creamy. No more ingredients are added except a little bit of pepper.

The magic of this recipe is the combination of these two common ingredients which are served in an adequate proportion to form a new, unknown, tortilla. In its plating, it is enriched with a spoon of cold-pressed walnut oil. Depending on the season, this tortilla can be supported by a handful of small wild mushrooms such as the spring mushroom or small cepe mushrooms that are firm and sliced finely over the omelette.

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Fou rth Cou rse

The french toast is a dessert that is most consumed in Basque country around Carnaval, lasting from February to early March. It usually comprises of an old bread soaked in an aromatic milk of cinnamon and citric peels. The soaked slices of bread are then battered and fried resulting in a milky, juicy and sweet bread. In this recipe, Mugartiz reinterpretes this culinary piece and developed its savoury version. Wafer sheets are soaked in milk infused with nutmeg, black pepper and other spices. These sheets are then superimposed making a stack. This stack is then hollowed in the middle and filled with carrot juice. This toast stuffed with carrot is then fried in very hot oil so that its exterior appears like that of a fried toast. This toast is served on a warm plate and is then covered with sea urchin roe, both sweet and fresh. The diner is given a small cheese cloth filled with nutmeg and chooses how to spice the toast.

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Savou ry French Toast PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz 85

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A Thousand Leaves PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz 86

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The most popular word used in Spanish to describe a puff pastry is a “mille-feuille” (also known as thousand leaves). It is a term that graphically describes the disposition of numerous levels that offers the diner one of the most recognised textures in cuisine.

Throughout many seasons, Mugartiz has looked at many ways to play with the word so that the name of the dish, without holding truth, can generate a remote idea of the reality of the dish. Working a long time in the cooking and selection of the leaves until they discovered that the swiss chard can offer characteristics to create the vegetal millefeuille what they serve today. The numerous swiss chard leaves superimposed on the dish are drizzled with a savoury liquid caramel; a concentrated jus of beef and onion. The bitterness of the mille-feuille and the sweetness of the jus are combined with the depth of the 24 months aged Idiazabal cheese.

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The squid subjects itself to different types of elaboration depending on its size and the culture in which it is processed. A finger-sized squid can be filled with its own tentacles if it is treated with care. Sometimes, at Mugaritz they like to cook them in their own ink in order to take advantage of its fresh ink sack. They could also cook them “a lo pelayo”, with onions, and caramelised vegetables. For those that like it a little bigger, “begin hundís”; it is cut in pieces and marked on the ‘plancha’ and then finished in the oven or grill. In this way, its texture is firm and one can feel the freshness of the cephalopod. On the other hand, if prepared in a stew - the firmness transform itself in a texture that is almost creamy. The recipe developed by Mugaritz is made from glutinous rice flour, where they try to achieve the shape and aspect of grilled squid. It offers a texture that is both creamy and glutinous, a texture much appreciated in many cultures like the Japanese, but exotic to the West.

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Bovis Maxima: Vive La France!

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France is referred to by many cooks as one of the most important culinary cultures, if not the main culinary reference in the Western world. The formation of so many chefs has occurred under the culinary standards of this Gallic country. The ingredients that make up the recipes of this cuisine are important references and shape the iconography that hold significance in many dishes today. The exercise that Mugaritz proposes in this dish summaries the above details. The element of service with the engraving of a cow extols the virtues of this animal that is one of the most generous in cuisine. Cream made from cow’s bone marrow, and beef jus transformed into a crisp and a gelatine are the main elements of this unusual bite. It is finally seasoned with tarragon, an aromatic herb typical in French cuisine.

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The red beetroot is one of those ingredients that has the capacity to make one feel the sensation of eating a piece of earth without mediation. It is an ingredient that holds sensorial characteristics that are difficult to avoid. However, if you subdue it in a process of fermentation for two weeks with sheep’s milk whey and salt (an ingredient which favours the generation of lactic acid), you obtain a liquid that has lowered the earthy profile of the beet and that has generated a slightly sweet acidity which gives it a delicious aromatic balance. This liquid may hold the texture of whatever one wants. It is here where an ingredient can round the virtues of fermentation. The addition of inulin, a part of dietary fibre, provides the elaboration a silky and singular texture. The result is a smooth cream, that is very enjoyable in the mouth and that is able to melt while expressing its aroma and taste. The fatty fish that is served is the protein part that gives tastiness and texture to the dish. It is perfectly aligned with its purple complement. Mugaritz likes to incorporate a spicy and refreshing note from grated horse radish.

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Mackerel, Beetroot and Horseradish PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz 93

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Jasmine and Hay PHOTO: José Luis López de Zubiría/ Mugaritz 94

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Jasmine is one of the greatest perfumes of nature. Its white flowers and generous aroma are part of numerous perfumed teas. Hay, the dry grass that feeds the herbivores during the winter is not enjoyed as evidently as the other. However, its unique aroma fills the surroundings of Mugaritz each summer. The farmers proceded to mow the grass and leave it to dry for several days under the sun. The aroma that is given off from this hay is also present in that of the tonka bean and vanilla. It has a captivating power dosed in its right amount. This ball of hay and jasmine is the combination of the highest and humblest flavours in an elaboration that is extremely delicate. The elastic texture of the jasmine threads adequately trap the creamy hay capsule. The guest will discover that this capsule cuts the glutinous barrier of the jasmine that appears in every bite, both glutinous and starchy.

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Martin Berasategui Spanish Legend

Text Oilda Barreto

What does one need to have in order to become a kitchen legend?

According to Martin Berasategui it’s called, “intensified passion”.

“I have never lost the curiosity and passion for my job. I am always on a constant path of improvement and innovation. It has even intensified over time, I truly enjoy it. The kitchen has a magic like no other and is a huge motivation for me.”

That’s intensified passion. It is also the key to winning a total of 7 Michelin stars, more than any other Spanish chef. In addition to his three at Restaurante Martín Berasategui, he holds two at Restaraunte Lasarte in Barcelona and another two at M.B. in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. His restaurant M.B. in the Ritz Carlton Abama resort in Tenerife gained its first Michelin Star in the 2010 guide. In addition to his three Michelin starred restaurants, he owns a further six around the world including two in the Dominican Republic, one in Mexico and he recently opened a restaurant in Costa Rica.

This passion developed in a man who began his dream of becoming a chef while growing up in a busy family restaurant business. His family owned the popular Bodegón Alejandro near the old part of the city of gastronomes, San Sebastian, Spain. The restaurant was also home as “it was where we lived our lives and it was the epicenter of everything. We only went to our house to sleep and freshen up.”

Even though at the same time, he was being heavily persuaded by his aunt and mother to NOT become a chef because it was a very hard-hitting vocation. They wanted him to try other careers where he perhaps wouldn’t have to work so hard and thus, be much happier.

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But to Martin Berasategui, the restaurant regime was what he truly loved, it made him happy. He felt comfortable being there. To him, home was the restaurant and it is a home-spun lifestyle he has adapted to this day, so it can always be an easy-going existence.

He began working at his parent’s restaurant at the tender age of 14. At the age of 20 he took over, and earned his first Michelin star there by the age of 25. Intensified passion.

Cooking and eating, that is what the Basque regional cuisine is all about, life happens in the kitchen. An integral part of Basque culture is the food. Just as language is distinctive to an area so is the local diet. The Basque region of Spain is north-central Spain and southwestern France or, the coast of Bay of Biscay to the western end of the Pyrenees Mountains. Being a virtually isolated area, their language is one of the few surviving pre-Indo-European languages in Europe though it has adopted a good deal of its vocabulary from the Romance languages. What they speak and what they eat are both unique. Some call Basque cuisine a combination of French and Spanish gastronomy while others call it Spanish “soul food”. It’s been around for a long, long time.

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The Basques spend a greater percentage of their time cooking and eating thus, much of their disposable wages goes toward food. The kitchen and cuisine are the heart of the Basque culture, especially for Berasategui. He grew up in the midst of creating food to feed the masses. Though Martin and his three brothers spent their formative years in the trade, it was only he who “had the kitchen in my blood” and was told that if it truly was the life that he wanted he would have to work around the clock, 8 a.m. to midnight, every day.

And so it was, as it is, today. Intensified passion.

Berasategui had many influences in his cooking career, the obvious paramount being through his family’s restaurant business. At age 17 he went to France to learn about pastry. He worked alongside Jean-Paul Heinerd and André Malin and he especially credits Didier Odile, from whom he learned to keep meticulous notes. “I obsessively wrote down everything they taught me.” He accumulated endless piles of notebooks full of lessons which he still uses to train his teams today “so they always know exactly what to do.” His pastry lessons helped him create the nouvelle slice of Basque cuisine. They were fundamentally unknown for their sweet course at the end of a meal. He credits himself in creating nouvelle Basque sweets since the cuisine lacked in desserts.

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From Françoise Brochican he learned about the butchering management of duck and goose. He asked Brochican to send him to work at his newly opened restaurant Pan Adour et Fantasie with Didier Oudill, who had just finished 16 years as head chef with Michele Guerard, the inventor of Cuisine Minceur (slimming/spa cooking) and the founder of the Nouvelle Cuisine movement.

Traditionally the Basque region cuisine is simple yet complex, like soul food. From coastal cuisine to an inland cuisine, the dishes are as varied as the culture. Meat from the hills and seafood from the local waters are grilled over coals. Popular cider houses are only open for a few months of the year throughout the region; they are restaurants with giant barrels of local ciders with rustic menus. Popular tapas-crawls or “txikiteo” are groups of people scuttling from bar to bar, known for their specialties. Influenced by the nouvelle cuisine of France, the Basque Nouvelle Cuisine is a lighter and less rustic version of their traditional dishes and it has become a staple way for tapas or “pintxos” to be served.

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But when asked to define his cooking, Martin is modest as he feels the people who eat it should be the ones to describe it. “I often say that my cuisine is complex and can pave the way for the next generation. It’s difficult for people to understand that we must add many details to make it all work at the level that I demand. It’s my specialty suppliers and the actual products which are the essential parts that we need to make the creative cuisine we offer in my restaurants. I always have given my best but, I am always learning something especially from very great professionals who have given us their life in the art of gastronomy.” He says it was Michele Guerard who gave him his best lessons. “Michele taught me that without tenacity, perseverance and passion there was little to do in the kitchen. He is an expert chef who really paved my way of understanding cuisine.”

Berasategui humbly deviates from the question about what is his best recipe and what inspired it. Because he likes them all, he says it’s impossible to pick one. Each recipe is very time consuming in its formation. He always prefers his latest creation so he requests that we visit his restaurant to try his best current recipe. His dishes are based on simplicity mixed with intensely delicious flavors and of course, his Basque food culture balanced on a plate. He says his kitchen has its own mark that cannot be classified into any category.

He insists that his dishes have to be perfect; otherwise it’s not worth it. In order to create a new dish Berasategui first finds the idea for it and then adds the idiosyncratic elements necessary to create a dish that is perfect. Sometimes the end result has nothing to do with what he originally had in mind but when it’s done, and it does not work as it should he says you have to play with it.

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Lomo de merluza asado sobre espinacas trufadas, meloso de centolla y espumoso de K5

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“The creation of a dish depends on the time required to put into it and I put in huge quantities! Improvisational cooking does not have any room on my stove; it is something that is at odds with the high flying cuisine that I create. Everything must be measured and determined in advance although it is true that it sometimes causes pleasant improvisational accidents...but I love to stumble upon great surprises, they usually turn out perfect.”

Intensified passion.

Though he does not have ingredient obsessions he says that extra virgin olive oil is one of the foundations of the kitchen.

“I used to go to the markets to get my ingredients with an empty basket to fill.”

He loves all kinds of ingredients and enjoys studying all of the possibilities each one has to offer. The product itself is the first thing that the cook has to care about. “I demand quality and extraordinary things that are usually not available in the markets. I have specialized people, suppliers who bring me what I want. I no longer have to go to the markets to fill my pantry. It is important to see where producers produced and how nature works. You must pay attention to the highest degree in nature to achieve the highest point of anything. Take the Sweet Pea for example. I buy it for spring, you never see it in the markets when it predates the season and is marketed through the usual channels. We always seek the best, that is our first task. My restaurant is not an ordinary eatery. You come here to eat extraordinary things.”

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Martin Berasategui declares he has yet to meet any ingredient that he wasn’t able to master, as he is a dedicated “performer” in the kitchen. When he visits kitchens around the world he brings to each one some products and techniques that he has applied in his own restaurant and he always brings an open mind. He says that creativity and technique are both equally important in a fine dining establishment and that he will never lose his passion for his job, especially because it has intensified so much overtime.

It is highly doubtful that this kitchen legend will ever lose his curiosity for creating dishes. He is always on a constant path of improvement and innovation, that motivational magic.

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Though it takes a lot to be an 7 Michelin star winner Martin Berasategui does know how to take a break. However when he does, he still loves to cook for his family and friends.

How he prefers to charge his battery is by walking through nature near his home or in the city of fellow food connoisseurs, San Sebastian. He still longs for the family’s simple Bodegón Alejandro atmosphere.

“I do not know what would’ve happened if I was not born and raised there…My kitchen is very attached to my land and my roots but it is open to the world. “ When asked, “What is your guilty pleasure food?” Martin lightheartedly replies, “I am among those who think that eating is never a sin.”

Now that is intensified passion.

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Virgilio Martínez & Pía León

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Pía León and Virgilio Martinez are the masterminds behind the illustrious Lima’s Central Restaurante of having established a style of contemporary cuisine that focuses on the resources of Peru. Central celebrates the biodiversity of Peru, fresh produce and an inexhaustible curiosity to discover and integrate new ingredients into the Central’s menu.

Virgilio chooses to approach the diversity of Peruvian ingredients in a manner similar to that used by the peoples of the Andes in pre-Hispanic times, through vertical ecological monitoring, understanding the geography, where the 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.

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ingredients that can bring undocumented and yet even more wealth to the local cuisine, through a number of areas – the ocean, lower Andes, extreme altitudes, and high and low jungles. With an interdisciplinary team that complements each new “discovery” in a necessary context that seeks to transcend the strictly culinary and penetrate nutritional, biological, anthropological aspects.

Pioneering the Peruvian cuisine movement, Pia represents Mater Iniciativa (a group dedicated to learning, documenting and using well sourced and traditional Peruvian and Andean products in gastronomy) and the culinary team of Central, she leads the area of research and concept development in Lima, London, which was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2013 after being open for only one year; and Senzo -Cusco, Peru, where her intensive research unveils the source of unique Andean products.

Central is ranked Number 4 of San Pellegrino’s 50 Best Restaurants in the World and Number 1 of the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

WO’GOA catches up with Pía León and Virgilio Martinez…

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WO’GOA: It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Tell me more about your formative years and how did you find your way into the culinary field to became one of the most sought-after Chef in the world!

Pía León: I always knew this was going to be my career. I can´t say I knew all about it back when I was at school, but I was definitely willing to take the chance as it was all that was in my mind. You know being a cook is demanding, time consuming and it takes a lot of work and dedication to meet one´s goals, so it´s not an easy way of life, but I wouldn´t have it differently.

I should mention my mother, she has definitely something to do with that decision. She always cooked for us. She spent hours in the kitchen to meet perfection with practice, so I guess it inspired me in some way to pursue cooking. Also, in Peru it is all about food and flavors, and colors. In times 114

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where I entered Le Cordon Bleu in Lima as soon as I was off school, other young people like me were adventuring to meet this life too, and it was incredible to be part of it.

Virgilio Martínez: I was very active and dynamic at 17. I was convinced I had to do something creative. Times in my country were difficult, politically and economically we were so unstable it showed no promise for my generation to stay. So after a couple of years of trying to fit in this city with the wrong career choice, I decided to travel, and see other things and look for what could really move me. Cooking was at first the best vehicle to do so, and then it became without a doubt my passion. I took studying very seriously and understood exactly what I had to do: see as much as I could from the world in order to be technically good to return home and practice what I ´d learnt. After more than ten years of studies, and working in restaurants around the world I came back to do my own thing. Looking back, I wouldn´t change a thing.

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The Central Experience - Chef Virgilio Martinez’s creative menu, contemporary and with respect, for exploration and biodiversity.

Mater Iniciativa is the result of an insatiable search from Central that seeks to discover the as yet undiscovered...

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WO’GOA: Internationally acclaimed, your culinary creations are nourished by your genius flavors combinations and passionate ingredient sourcing, simple yet complex with an impeccably balance to your Peruvian cuisine, how do you bring this balance on the plate?

Pía León: Almost three years ago we created Mater Iniciativa, as a way to register Peruvian ingredients in their original habitat. It has been an amazing journey since then because as cooks, we have had the chance to get out of our kitchen and really connect with the outside world (in Peru). So a lot of trips and stories to tell about curious items we have been including in our proposal as discoveries, or rediscoveries. Peru is so diverse it never ceases to amaze us. And so, Central´s creations are somehow born in those trips, in every story gathered and has taking into account the tradition and local empirical knowledge that has for us immense value.

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WO’GOA: Your culinary creations are based on promoting Peruvian cuisine by applying your cooking techniques to indigenous Peruvian ingredients - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Virgilio Martínez: As Pia has mentioned before it was through Mater Iniciativa that we developed a close proximity to this territory, its culture and people. In every trip we have learnt so much, and we have brought home so much more than we expected, that it has become an incredible motor to keep us running. I am always thinking in all the ways I can show respect for every ingredient and their story behind, when creating a dish. And so we work with items, and with lots of people and their customs. Peru is so diverse in cultures…every one of them bring something additional to every ingredient.

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WO’GOA: Having had the opportunity to work with the Roca brother at El Celler de Can Roca, tell us about this experience and did this experience have a significant impact on your career as a chef today?

Pía León: It was an incredible experience. They are amazing warm people. The work environment was very comfortable, and they are a very kind family. I learnt new things, about a new culture and new ingredients so it was incredibly worth it.

WO’GOA: Tell us about your journey to becoming a chef and what inspired you to pursue this career?

Pía León: As I said before, my mom was a big part of that decision.

And I guess also is living in this country, where it is all about food and flavors.

WO’GOA: In your opinion, what is the best recipe you have created? What inspired this recipe and why?

Pía León: I love Andean tubers. We found amazing mashwas and ocas, and native potatoes varieties in the altitudes of Cusco. The landscape is so inspiring, and also the processes of every ingredient, developed by the locals that follow traditional practices. The mashwas for instance, are left under the sunlight after the harvest for up to 8 days laying over large cloths. The purpose is for making them produce more sugars from starches and so they go from kind of bitter, to incredibly sweet. Cooking tubers with Andean herbs like paico and chincho and markhu is remembering where we were.

Virgilio Martínez: We were inspired by an Andean method to see the world that consists in seeing different ecosystems at different altitudes. That allows them (and us) to take into account ingredients that grow or develop at a certain height and understand which conditions are particular to that zone, and the community hat is close by. So for instance, we went to Aija last March, (in Ancash), and it was an amazing valley between the greenest Andean mountains, as high as 300masl. Potatoes were processed as tocosh, and there were passionarias like tumbos, and tintin, and also different colored ollucos, as well as hundreds of aromatic herbs.

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WO’GOA: Could you share the process you go through to create a new dish?

Virgilio Martínez: First, we travel. We see a new ecosystem, a new environment. And we listen to the stories, we learn from the people about ingredients, how they use them and they care for them. And we search for new things they may not know they have around, so that is how we may be able to give them something back. We bring everything home, and so the formal process begins. Research about what we got, to be sure everything is safe. And then we experiment in the kitchen, keeping in mind the landscape we saw, and the elements in the surroundings. The colors, the textures, everything.

WO’GOA: What new ingredient or ingredients are inspiring you right now and how do you select your ingredients?

Virgilio Martínez: Tocosh (fermented potatoes that are obtained when buried for near a month in Andean mud and ichu near a water creek at almost 4000masl.), and kañiwa, a pseudo cereal from the High Plateau of Puno, tinier that quinoa but as rich and tasty.

WO’GOA: What are your favorite ingredients you like to work with?

Virgilio Martínez: I love cushuros, cyanobacteria from the Andes. Also, huampo, the gel that comes from this Amazonian bark when the resin is boiled. Then, ungurahui, a fruit from a palm tree in the low jungle that belongs to the awajunas. It has little pulp but it works as a natural dark purple dye.

WO’GOA: Do you have any special cooking techniques or equipment you particular enjoy using?

Virgilio Martínez: Dehydrator. Up in the Andes, it is very common to dehydrate stuff under the shadows or covered under the sun. The air has less oxygen and is very dry.

Lima’s humidity makes it harder, so I have come to love these equipment’s for vegetable skins, fruit, herbs, and lots of other things.

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L an s hu C hen

Asia’s Best Female Chef

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Born in a big family from Yilan, a small town in the northern Taiwan, Lanshu learned to cook from her grand mother and mother since very little. After 4 years in Foreign Literatures at the National Taiwan University, Lanshu decided to follow her craftsmanship passion in food and went to her dream city, Paris.

It took her 4 years there to explore the world of gastronomy, training in several grand restaurants as Les Ambassadeurs with Chef Jean-François Piège and Jérôme Chaucesse, Relais d’Auteuil with Chef Patrick Pignol, in the pastry atelier of legendary Pâtissier Pierre Hermé, as well as the French Laundry of Napa Valley as the last stop before going back to home.

In 2008, she opened her restaurant Le Moût in Taichung, Taiwan, where Lanshu creates her “Haute Cuisine,” featuring the ultimate balance with her Taiwanese roots and the art of French cuisine. She plays with the local seasonal specialties and what is available amongst the best in the world at that particular time. The balance with layers of finesse versus the pitches of flavors unveils the essence of her philosophy, as well as the most poetic part of her creation.

WO’GOA catches up with Lanshu Chen...

WO’GOA: Tell us about your formative years and take us through your journey of what inspired you to pursue this career in the culinary field to become one of the most notable female chef in the world and 2014 Asia’s Best Female Chef!

Lanshu Chen: I started all for the love of enjoying food, and the pleasure to share. I grew up in a big family where I learned how to appreciate food and the culinary art. Later on my passion to food became stronger and stronger. It finally brought me into the professional domain.

WO’GOA: Graduating from culinary school, you had the opportunity to work with some of the grand chefs - Jean-François Piège at Les Ambassadeurs in Hotel de Crillon, Patrick Pignol at Relais d’Auteuil and Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, how did that experience help to form who you are as a chef today?

Lanshu Chen: Chef Jean-François Piège he inspired me with his amazing artistic balance of flavors and extremely exquisite visual achiements. For me his work in Les Ambassadeurs, in Hotel de Crillon period, is always the prototype of French Haute Cuisine. When I worked in pastry in Hotel de Crillon I was impressed so much by looking at his brigade creating those beautiful dishes. And ever since I dreamed to become a chef like him. Another important inspiration is from chef Thomas Keller, whose determination and perfectionist spirit has influenced so many chefs in the world. His team runs the most efficient gastronomic kitchens I ever seen.

Every chef, every kitchen have their own style. It is very important for me to integrate all the knowhow from them into our own culture in Taiwan.

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WO’GOA: Your culinary creations employs delicate cross-cultural fusion flavors and textures, delicate and complex with combining French culinary traditions and local ingredients which is flawless, how do you bring this balance on the plate?

Lanshu Chen: Balance does not equal to being mild or light. It is a beautiful interaction among all the textures and flavors of a dish.

It is so interesting for me to explore all the nuances and to create a pure pleasure of tastes. In Taiwan we have numerous wonderful produce. With French culinary skills, I can reinterpret these produce in a very elegant and poetic manner. It is the contrast between two cultures, and maybe the most surprising part of my cuisine.

WO’GOA: Tell us about your journey to becoming a chef and the inspiration to pursue this career?

Lanshu Chen: I started in Pastry and then accidentally I fell in love with French cuisine. I got inspired to be a chef in my third year in Paris. After working with Chef Jean-Francois Piege, I tried to imagine to have a real nice French restaurant in Taiwan. But I confirmed my intention to open a restaurant after I visited The French Laundry.

I had to build up myself a very unique kitchen team with French, American and Taiwan spirits.

WO’GOA: What are your greatest influences in the kitchen?

Lanshu Chen: It changed my life totally. I live in this profession.

WO’GOA: In your opinion, what is the best recipe you have ever created, what inspired this recipe and why?

Lanshu Chen: The best recipe…It will always be the next dish I create.

WO’GOA: How would you describe the philosophy behind your cuisine?

Lanshu Chen: would use the Chinese word «Jong 融“ to describe the style, which means “melting, fusing, or harmony,” of flavors and textures. But balance is not to be taken lightly. It is the interplay of sweet, sour, spicy, and aromatic sensations that combine to create a medley of flavors, all working in harmony to present the beauty of the dish. So The “layers” inside the dish should be clearly and cleanly stated with different strength.

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“The happiness of sharing lightens the journey for perfection, the most pleasant companion ever.”

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WO’GOA: What was the feeling when you were awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2014!

Lanshu Chen: As a chef who strives for perfection, I am truly thrilled to receive this award from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, which is recognised by respected industry experts including other chefs in the world. But more importantly, it is a great encouragement for our team, for their uncompromising standard and dedication. They are all very young and passionate. This award gives them more confidence to continue the path they have chosen.

WO’GOA: What is it that keeps you motivated at this point in your career?

Lanshu Chen: One of the most important motivations for me on a daily basis is my team. I am aspired to bring Le Moût and my team continuously to a higher standard, so that hopefully both the restaurant and my team member will have more opportunity and recognition on the world stage.

WO’GOA: What new ingredient or ingredients are inspiring you right now and how do you select your ingredients?

Lanshu Chen: Oriental ingredients. Not necessary Taiwanese but Oriental.

I think as an Asian, or a Chinese, I do have a different relationship and connection in the interpretation of an ingredient from the Orient, in respect to the chefs from another culture. (i.e. from Masala to Lotus stem to black garlic) WO’GOA: What are your favorite ingredients you like to work with?

Lanshu Chen: I don’t have a particular preference. However I do have a preference to work with ingredients that are elegant and delicate in its flavor profile.

WO’GOA: Is there an ingredient that you weren›t able to master and have given up on and why?

Lanshu Chen: If you are talking about mastering techniques of handling an ingredient, I think a lot of chefs has already pass through that stage. I am continuously in search of a deeper relationship and understanding of all the ingredients that I associate with, so I can interpret them in a more in depth and interesting angle. For example - rice. I have been in search of the best way to express the fulfilling, satisfying feelings, and the delicate fragrance of rice through the technique of the French cuisine.

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WO’GOA: Do you have any special cooking techniques or equipment you particular enjoy using?

Lanshu Chen: Knifes, pots and pans. The Classics.

WO’GOA: Produce, Creativity or Technique, what is more important to you and why?

Lanshu Chen: If you have to choose one out of the three, it has to be produce. However, for a grand chef, they are like air, water and the Sun, they are all important.

WO’GOA: How important is the presentation of your dishes?

Lanshu Chen: It is like etiquette and manners to a human being.

WO’GOA: What is your guilty pleasure food?

Lanshu Chen: Fried chicken WO’GOA: What does Lanshu Chen do when she needs a break?

Lanshu Chen: Spend time with my family.

WO’GOA: Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, what advice could you give female chefs who are first entering the field today?

Lanshu Chen: New members always bring change to a traditional structure. I don’t know if there will be any big change of food industry because of the participation of women. But it obvious that there will more female chefs joining in this domain along with the more mature social value towards them. But for me, more importantly, there should not be any gender difference in a kitchen. Chef is a neutral term.

Being a professional cook in a restaurant is to devote all his/her time and spirit to this career. You have to be very determined to make this commitment.

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Martin Benn 2015 Gourmet Traveller Chef of The Year “You can’t succeed at anything in life until you learn what not to do.

Understanding the elements of failure is as important as the retention and the way you use, knowledge. What makes up our personal story is created by much more that our hunger and will. What inspires us, what drives us – good and bad - helps define the footprint we leave behind, but there are always unplanned moments that alter our paths along the way” Sepia the cuisine of Martin Benn.

Martin began his cooking career as a Chef at the Oak Room in London learning French gastronomy under Michel Lorrain. From there Benn moved to work at the Landmark and later the Criterion, where he came under the tutelage of Marco Pierre White.

Relocating to Australia in 1996, Martin spent two years at Sydney’s Forty One Restaurant. In 1999 he then gained a place at Tetsuya’s, learning the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine from Chef Tetsuya Wakuda and mastering them to become Head Chef at the age of twenty five.

Martin opened Sepia Restaurant in 2009, collaborating with renowned seafood supplier George Costi of De Costi Seafoods to supply the restaurant with the best quality seafood available.

Martin’s unique style of cuisine and his new style of dining where he serves fine food in a more relaxed and comfortable environment, changing the perception of what fine dining was, this earned him in 2011 the coveted 2011 SMH Good Food Guide - Chef of the Year and in 2012, 2014 and 2015 Sepia Restaurant was awarded SMH Good Food Guide - Restaurant of the Year and the Three Chefs Hats.

Sepia also won the 2015 “The One to Watch Award.”

WO’GOA catches up with Martin Benn...

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WO’GOA: Tell us about your formative years and how did you find your way into the culinary field to became one of Australia’s notable chefs offering a cuisine with French techniques and Japanese influence.

Martin Benn: I moved from my home town of Hasting in East Sussex at the tender age of 17 to the big city lights, filled with great expectations and enthusiasm.

Little did I know how different it was and how much sacrifice I had to give an as young man to fulfill those dreams? It was pretty clear to me at the time that all the training in the world would never prepare you for the London kitchens, it was the school of hard knocks for sure, but the experience grounded me, shaping me to the chef I am today. Every day that I cooked I just wanted to know more and more, in my first job in London I would spend time working with the hotel butcher before my shift started just to gain the experience and learn more of the technical butchery that I was not able to learn at culinary school.

WO’GOA: Starting your culinary career, you worked your way from the Terrace Brasserie to join Michel Lorrain at The Oak Room, later with the godfather of modern and contemporary British cuisine - Marco Pierre White at The Criterion, and Australia’s finest and most innovative chef - Tetsuya Wakuda, how did they influence your values and how did this experience help to form who you are as a chef today?

Martin Benn: It was amazing grounding and an honor for me as a young chef to be taught by the great French 3 Michelin star master such as Michel Lorrain and the godfather of modern British cuisine Marco Pierre White. Everything I 138

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do today has the building blocks from those years. It was those early years that at the time you really do not understand what you are learning until you can look back years later. These were very busy kitchens and the standard was extremely high and the atmosphere very tense, with no room for error. You had to learn fast and be able to repeat the quality time and time again, it was teaching me consistency, discipline and technique without really knowing it. I believe this to be essential to every chef to understand that it takes many years of cooking to achieve this, it’s not something that you just get overnight.

WO’GOA: Take us through your journey to becoming a chef and what was your greatest inspiration to pursue this career in the culinary field?

Martin Benn: There was always something in me as a young boy that I wanted to cook. Back then it was not at all fashionable or even cool to be a chef. To be a chef back in the 80’s it really did not have a great reputation as a career choice. There was not many television cooking shows although I was a massive fan of Keith Floyd. At around the age 12 -13 I was working in the local public house collecting beer glasses from the patrons. The owner’s son was a chef in a hotel in Maidenhead just outside of London and he would visit his parents and help cook in the kitchen sometimes. Watching him cook was really my first inspiration and this is when I knew that I wanted to be a chef. He invited me to work with him at the hotel in the school holidays in which I jumped at the chance after this there was no turning back.

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“All that I aspire to achieve is that every dish is delicious, with just that little bit of magic...”

Martin Benn

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WO’GOA: Your culinary creations which are based on a unique interpretation of French techniques and Japanese influence that goes beyond your undisputed culinary talent, the utmost attention toward ingredient selection and their transformation into highly innovative flavors, how do you bring this balance on the plate?

Martin Benn: There are many elements to cooking as you can imagine but really it comes down to a few disciplines, tasting and remembering taste this is fundamental to cooking to me. Umami plays a very important role in my cuisine and I try to incorporate this in every dish.

WO’GOA: What are your greatest influences in the kitchen?

Martin Benn: Seasonality, produce, and my chefs.

WO’GOA: In your opinion, what is the best recipe you have ever created and the inspiration behind this recipe and why?

Martin Benn: Butter poached Port Lincoln squid, barley miso cured egg yolk, yuzu, this seems just such a simple dish when you look at it and really it is. But it is one of those dishes that rewrites the rule book. As a chef we are taught two ways in which to cook squid. The first is high heat and very quickly for example stir fry. The second lower temperature for a long time for example braised in stock. For this dish there were a few concepts that I wanted to touch on, firstly I wanted to keep the sylingricle shape of the squid, but I also wanted to have texture in the squid without the chewiness. I decided to cut the squid into very thin slices then roll it onto a cannoli mould. Then I cooked it in butter for just 3 minutes at 70c. In other worlds a short time at a low temperature.

The result was the tenderest and flavorsome squid I had ever had, that when I removed it from the cannoli mould it held its shape and look amazing. It was a real Eureka moment.

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Tuna with Katsuobushi

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Bonito 144

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WO’GOA: How would you describe your cuisine?

Martin Benn: I hope to describe it as exciting, flavorsome and inspirational WO’GOA: Sepia – a celebration of what it has achieved in six years, constantly evolving, introducing Sydney to a new style of dining of fine food in a more relaxed and comfortable environment, what was the feeling to be awarded - Restaurant of the Year since 2011, Gourmet Traveller Chef of the year in 2011 and 2015 and to maintain the highest rating of Three Chefs Hats for four consecutive years!

Martin Benn: It really is the most amazing feeling to have been honored with such prestigious awards over the last 6 years and I pinch myself every day that it really has happened to me. As a chef I never really thought about winning awards, they really have never driven me or defined me, but it is certainly great to be recognized for what I love to do.

WO’GOA: What new ingredient or ingredients that are inspiring you right now and how do you select your ingredients?

Martin Benn: I am using two new products right now from a diver who is catching sea urchin (uni) and Black lip abalone.

They are truly spectacular products and you cannot get any fresher. They are caught sustainably and responsibly, you cannot ask for more than that.

WO’GOA: What are your favorite ingredients you like to work with?

Martin Benn: I like to explore possibilities each year and so this year have focused on starches and what applications we can achieve from each one. At the moment I and using a lot of Kuzu starch in which we import from Yoshino in the Nara Prefecture south of Kyoto in Japan It is pure 100% kuzu which is quite rare to find and comes from very small artisan producers. The possibilities are endless.

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Chicken with Nori and Morel Butter

WO’GOA: ‘A book about a restaurant, a technical mastery with focus on flavors, textures and contrast, based on four degustation menus – The Preparation, The Dream, The Theatre and The Sweetest Thing’ your book ‘Sepia - The Cuisine Of Martin Benn’, what was the inspiration behind this while writing your book?

Martin Benn: The book is based on all I have learnt through my life and career as a chef and what I know about restaurants, people and the way it can affect our life on both sides of the passe. It’s a journey that I want people to see and realize that dreams can come true. It’s a funny thing but the other day it all make sense to me what has actually happened. We have many single diners in the restaurant, people that are happy to dine in their own company and this for me was a very important part when we built and opened Sepia. We had a lady dining with us, who was travelling through Australia and it was her last night in Sydney before she flew out the following morning. She was in the hospitality business and had heard of Sepia and so saved it for her last night. She had the entire tasting menu while reading my cook book “Sepia the Cuisine of Martin Benn” we spoke at the end of the evening and I found that it had a profound effect on her emotionally, transporting her into the moment.

For me this was an amazing moment that we have created something very special for someone and to be able to read about my journey while I am cooking………it is kind of surreal.

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“I have gained a fond appreciation for desserts over the past few years and get a lot of enjoyment from creating them.

Desserts are where you can let your imagination run wild and anything is possible...�

Martin Benn

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Alpine Strawberry Meringue

WO’GOA: Produce, Creativity or Technique, what is more important to you and why?

Martin Benn: I think you have to take in consideration all three of the above you cannot have one without the other. You really have to start with a quality produce which is essential the final product. We need to keep evolving through our creativity to push the boundaries and technique has to play a role in this to give the desired result.

WO’GOA: Do you have any special cooking techniques or equipment you particular enjoy using?

Martin Benn: Binchotan Charcoal WO’GOA: How important is the presentation of your dishes?

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Martin Benn: The visual sensation of a dish is as important as its flavor. In my philosophy of Japanese cuisine this becomes apparent. The thought process is not only how the dish will look, but what will it be serve on and what will we use to eat with. This then defines the way we cut the fish meat or vegetables and the final style of plating.

WO’GOA: What is your guilty pleasure food?

Martin Benn: Cheese WO’GOA: Martin Benn and Sepia has received about every honor imaginable, what is it that keeps you motivated at this point in your career?

Martin Benn: Discovery, just finding that little something that make me and the guests smile.

WO’GOA: What advice could you give to chefs who are first entering the field today?

Martin Benn: Follow your dreams and cook from your heart!

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ALAIN DUCASSE - BENOIT, PARIS

Benoit 100 years of passion

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Photo ©Pierre Monetta

A reverend age for the only Parisian bistro holding a Michelin star. With the vitality of a young man, this restaurant in the heart of Paris flies the flag of bistro traditions.

In the beginning…

Until April 2005, Benoit had belonged to the Petit family for 93 years. The story began in 1912 when Michel Petit’s grandfather, Benoît Matray, first bought the restaurant. A butcher by trade and boasting an excellent gustatory memory, Monsieur Matray turned the restaurant into a veritable bouchon lyonnais. His customers were the market traders that worked in the nearby artistic and colourful Les Halles. The restaurant rapidly became the place to eat, an animated spot in which Benoît Matray extended a warm and hospitable welcome. The restaurant was often fully booked, becoming a regular rendezvous for loyal customers who gathered in large groups to devour the tasty little dishes that made Benoit so famous: those based on authentic French recipes.

At the end of the 1950s, Benoît Matray contemplated selling the business. He even organised a candle auction, but no buyer was found. In reality, he secretly hoped that his grandson would take the reins. Michel Petit had, indeed, joined a Parisian catering school upon leaving sixth form college. Keen to visit the United States, he worked for the Transatlantique cruise company for a while after numerous work placements and a period at the Cercle Interallié in Paris. In 1961, Michel Petit finally fulfilled his grandfather’s dream, replacing him at the head of Benoit. As it turned out, Michel Petit’s own childhood 156

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dream of becoming a vet had been sidelined in favour of a trade learnt not only from his grandfather but from his father too, himself a hotel and restaurant owner in Gaillon in the Eure.

Michel Petit and his wife Catherine made several alterations to the premises: they created a private function room on the 1st floor, renovated the kitchens, extended the dining area and made improvements to the cellar where wine was bottled using the traditional Beaujolais method. Michel Petit’s ageing mother Marie, author of the closely guarded recipe book that was behind the restaurant’s success, was also called in to lend a helping hand. Michel convinced her to put her apron back on and teach him how to make her blanquette of veal, traditional calf’s head and her rice pudding…

Despite the disappearance of les Halles’ market stalls, a new group of customers made Benoit their own, perpetuating the tradition of sharing a convivial meal. One day, the pyrographer Lesage, one of Benoit’s regular customers, came up with the slogan for which the restaurant has since become famous: “Chez toi Benoit, on boit, on festoie en rois” (“Come over to Benoit’s and once you’re in you’ll drink and feast just like a king”).

He also personalized the menu with several highly festive drawings, to which Madame Petit later added her own feminine touch.

After many years of hospitable success, Michel and Catherine Petit decided to sell Benoit to the Alain Ducasse Group, which today combines the restaurant’s typical bistro traditions with its own modern-day twist. The Petit family could never have imagined that by selling their business to Alain Ducasse, they would end up placing the restaurant on the international stage and that in September 2005 the very name that the family had held so dear to its hearts for almost 100 years – BENOIT - would shine out for all to see in one of the most highly visible districts of Tokyo.

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Petit pot de creme au jasmin Photo ©Pierre Monetta

Vole-au-vent Photo ©Pierre Monetta

And today…

“For once in my life, I’m not going to talk about cooking, but about the places in which that cooking’s eaten!” says Alain Ducasse in his Dictionnaire Amoureux de la Cuisine upon reaching the “Bistros and Brasseries” chapter. Benoit is one of those “memorable places that great artists, from the Second Empire onwards, decorated with mirrors, stained glass and stucco work, enamelled tiles and panelling; those authentic locations that are full of life and where a sauerkraut, a sole meunière or an apple tart are simply a must, all served with a generous helping of conviviality”.

From the outside, you can’t even begin to imagine how comfortable and friendly the restaurant is inside. Its interior is secluded behind delicate lace curtains and huge windows that proudly display the awards the restaurant has earned over the past few years: plates autographed by famous chefs.

Once you’re through Benoit’s double doors, you enter the world of a traditional Parisian bistro. From the tiling to the panelling, the red velvet wall seats to the copperware, the engraved panes of glass to the imitation marble columns, from the lamps at the bar to the huge mirrors or the Beaujolais-style reproductions, every last detail makes for an exquisitely cosy location in which you feel cocooned from the outside world.

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Vole-au-vent Photo ©Pierre Monetta

Lievre à la royale et legumes de saison Photo ©Pierre Monetta

Those who are after still more privacy can make their way upstairs to entertain their friends in the private function room. The centrally-positioned table that dominates this ovalshaped room can seat twenty guests. The walls are adorned with numerous paintings, including a still life, a portrait of the former owner and an advertising poster singing the praises of “black ceremonial clothing” on sale at the “Tour Saint-Jacques” store. The ceiling is painted to resemble an immense glass roof decorated with pots of coloured flowers. Those who allow their gaze to wander will discover old earthenware floor tiles, decorative panels, a fireplace, a pedestal table, candlestick lamps and antique terrines…

The cuisine - “Gran, the green beans are overdone!”. At the tender age of 12, such were the words that tripped off the tongue of the young Alain Ducasse in a farmhouse somewhere in the Landes. Even way back then, he already knew he wanted to be a chef.

Born near Castel Sarrazin amongst the chicks, ducks and geese, brought up surrounded by ceps and foie gras, he grew up in paradise on earth and was introduced to flavour at a very early age. Flavour that he rapidly learnt to respect, preserve and cook. When Alain Ducasse took over Benoit, it was for the very same reasons that he had taken over the Iparla auberge and the bistro Aux Lyonnais in 2002 with Thierry de la Brosse – Fabienne Eymard wished to give rural produce and French culinary specialities pride of place on his menu to truly honour their flavour.

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Sauté gourmand de ris de veau, crêtes et rognons de coq, fois gras et jus truffé Photo ©Pierre Monetta

Volaille jaune des Landes Fernand Point Photo ©Pierre Monetta

At Benoit, the welcome and service reflects the surroundings... simple, warm and of excellent quality...

The lunch menu of the day is displayed on the restaurant’s easel bears witness to this very desire. It offers a choice of 3 starters, 3 main courses and 3 dessert: “Delicate garden peas soup, goat milk cheese and croutons”, “Traditional veal blanquette, pilaf rice”, “Pan-fried black pudding to style apples”…

Should you choose to eat à la carte, Chef Fabienne Eymard will delight your taste buds with some of France’s more traditional dishes: “Lucullus-style calf’s tongue, heart of romaine with mustard”, “Snails in shells, garlic butter, fine herbs”, “Nantua-style sole fillets, lightly creamy spinach leaves”, “Calf’s head with ravigote sauce”, “Homemade cassoulet white beans”, “Profiteroles Benoit, hot chocolate sauce”… Every one of these dishes is served in an enormous white porcelain plate beautifully decorated with floral motifs and with a “B” inscribed in the centre. And Madame Petit herself was behind the golden décor which delicately entwines the silver metal cutlery. Fabienne Eymard, chef of the restaurant, leads a brigade of about fifteen cooks.

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Fraises Sarah Bernhardt Photo ©Pierre Monetta

Chef Fabienne Eymard Photo ©Pierre Monetta

Alain Ducasse continues the exceptional journey of Benoit, refuses to change a thing and keeps the magic of the restaurant intact…

To accompany this flavour-packed menu, the sommelier, Olivier Gresselin, purpose some 350 wines to choose from. Carefully selected by Gérard Margeon, Head Sommelier of Les restaurants d’Alain Ducasse, they honour all the main French wine-producing regions.

The wine list at Benoit gives centre stage to the great French classics, the “A-grade” wine growers, the top range vintages, all those great vineyards that have established the country’s reputation.

“There is no restaurant more bistro-like and more Parisian than Benoit. I have very special ties to this beautiful establishment, because of its generosity; it has so many delicious stories to tell. Benoit is all about conviviality, memories, and a shared pleasure around the table. It shows a certain lifestyle and tradition, that both have very bright futures” says Alain Ducasse.

And one hundred years later, the beautiful story continues...

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White Rabbit unique gastronomical performance

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Picturesque backyards of old Moscow districts, majestic skyscrapers of the Stalin-era, futuristic skyscrapers of Moscow-City, a blue ribbon of the river – this is only a small part of what one can see from the height of the 16th floor of the Smolensky Passage. White Rabbit is the first joint project of restaurateur Boris Zarkov and Chef Vladimir Mukhin. Beautiful, modern and daring in its own way. Here for the first time Russian cuisine sounds in unison with the latest culinary trends and Russian products rise to a height of recognized delicacies.

Seasonal local products, original recipes and finely-designed combinations – those are the distinctive features of a cuisine of Vladimir Mukhin. Following the rules of high gastronomy, Vladimir opens every season with a tasting menu, which is based on new products, ideas and combinations of flavors. Through his tasting menu, he introduces Black Sea Oysters, Rapa Whelk from Yalta, Crimean Truffle and other delicacies of contemporary Russian cuisine.

Every dish on the menu is a result of long work hours, gastronomical expeditions and a special respect for traditions.

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Vladimir Mukhin reinterprets his innovative cuisine in a fairytale setting, a unique gastronomical performance “Alice in Wonderland”, every Thursday, the Champagne bar at White Rabbit transforms itself to a chapter of “Alice in Wonderland”. This fascinating story about a combination of food and cocktails charms and convinces that gastronomy is as much art as literature and painting. Mad Hatter is played by Vladimir Mukhin, March Hair played by the chief-bartender Oleg Reshetnyakov.

After 150 years since the first edition of the legendary book written

by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, for the first time it was translated from English into the language of high gastronomy at White Rabbit. Fabulous rastibulki, magical dwarf water, Dodo bird egg, Cheshire cats’ smile and more has obtained not only the shape, but also the taste. A modern makeover to the Russian staple, fried carp, sour cream and turnip chips served with beans. Contemporary techniques, global influences with ingredients from around the world – Vladimir’s culinary philosophy of re-defines Russian cuisine.

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Mussels with fried onion foam and apple home brew jelly

Tongue of the calf a-la Lakomka stewed in a test of the bird-cherry tree with morel sauce and mashed potatoes

During the 12 acts, Mad Hatter and March Hare accompany their guests on a journey down to the rabbit hole, drop in the Duchess kitchen, find themselves at the croquet field in the company of the Red Queen.

Each chapter of “Alice in Wonderland” is presented in sometimesprovocative combination of dishes and cocktails. Thus, thinking about Alices’ swimming through the “Pool of Tears”, you can try fish milk and an intoxicating starfish, and upon reaching the famous Mad Tea Party you will feel the real madness, tasting a shrimp doughnut with a smoked teapuccino.

Named the “Highest New Entry” at the 2015 The World’s 50 Best Restaurants of the World, White Rabbit ranks 23rd, for the first time a Russian restaurant is highly acclaimed by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, leaders in the restaurant industry, gastronomic critics, chefs, restaurateurs and the most experienced foodies. Vladimir Mukhin was also the youngest chef among all the winners of 2015.

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Engawa

A Unique Japanese Dining Experience with

Akira Shimizu Photo ©John Charles Media

Having grown up in Japan, Akira Shimizu was fascinated by the local cuisine of the Miyazaki prefecture of Japan, specifically the dynamic flavours of Jidori Momo Sumibiyaki – the freerange “Jidori” chickens that are ubiquitous throughout the region, slow-cooked over a charcoal-grill.

After beginning his training at just 15 years of age, Akira moved to Tokyo before joining the Chanto restaurant group where he caught the attention of Vice President Morio Inoue.

When Inoue went on to establish Salt Group in 2002, he brought Shimizu with him, setting the young chef the challenge of establishing his first restaurant, Yakitori Akira.

In his capacity as Executive Chef, Akira has been heavily involved in launching many of the Salt Group’s 45 restaurants, covering everything from casual dining to high-end cuisine, before turning his talents to the Kobe beef concept behind Engawa in London, the first opening outside of Japan.

As both Executive Chef and a Salt Group Director, Akira manages 20 restaurants across the group’s portfolio. Engawa is his latest venture, through which he hopes to express the ‘sensitivity’ and ‘beauty’ of authentic Japanese cuisine.

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Bringing a unique modern Japanese dining experience to the capital is new restaurant Engawa. Specializing in the caviar of meat, Kobe beef, the freshest of sushi and sashimi and exclusive sakes, the attention to detail is unrivalled, from the spectacular presentation of each dish in bespoke Japanese pottery to the specially commissioned lighting featuring calligraphy by Sisyu.

Located in the boutique Ham Yard Village, Engawa is the first London opening from the prestigious Japan-based restaurant and bar operator, Salt Group, responsible for an array of fine dining and casual restaurants and bars in Tokyo and Osaka.

One of just a handful of restaurants in London to offer Kobe, widely considered the most exclusive beef in the world, the meat is sourced from the Tajima breed of Wagyu cattle with only around 3,000 heads of cattle qualifying annually as Kobe grade.

A genuine delicacy renowned for its superior flavour, tenderness and well-marbled texture, Engawa is the only UK restaurant to import the entire Kobe cow and as such can offer a wide range of cuts including sirloin, rump, fillet, ribeye and oyster blade steaks. Other Kobe dishes come in the form of shabu shabu (thinly sliced and boiled), sukiyaki-style (Japanese hot pot) and sashimi.

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At the head of the exclusively Japanese brigade is Executive Chef Akira Shimizu who has been responsible for a number of fine dining and yakitori restaurants for the Salt Group since the company’s inception. Shimizu san offers a selection of fixed kaiseki menus, lunchtime bento boxes and dons (rice bowls), all of which put the spotlight on Engawa’s Kobe dishes.

The set dinner menus cater for varied appetites and budgets with three, five and eight courses available. For the full Engawa experience the eight-course tasting menu is a must try and showcases Akira’s modern approach to authentic Japanese cuisine.

A range of appetizers include slow-cooked Kobe beef with ponzu jelly; finely chopped Kobe beef with dashi stock, grated yam and spring onions; and the Engawa-style organic egg roll dressed with Kobe beef dashi and shaved truffle. Follow with the tempura, kakiage or karagge of the day; a selection of sashimi; and thinly sliced Kobe cooked shabu shabustyle with ponzu dressing and yuzu peel. The main event is a choice from the restaurant’s daily selection of Kobe cuts and is served with seasonal vegetables. Finish off, as they do in Japan, with sushi and a dessert of tofu cheesecake with seasonal fruit beautifully presented and accompanied with a green tea-infused white chocolate dipping sauce.

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The lunch bento boxes are as visually striking as they are delicious. An array of jewel-like, individual hand-painted pots and bowls are contained in either an 11-dish bento or a 14-piece box. Both feature selections from a rotating range of dishes with highlights including Kobe beef sashimi with kumquat; slow-cooked Kobe with daikon and sudachi zest; fried maki roll with shrimp, green bean and avocado; Kobe meatball with sukiyaki sauce; and deep-fried chicken marinated with soy and ginger.

A lunch Kobe Teppanyaki Kaiseki set menu features a ninepiece sashimi box followed by teppanyaki Kobe steak and seasonal vegetables. For a simpler but equally indulgent affair two Kobe don (rice bowl) dishes come either breaded and fried or cooked on the tepan with onions and a sukiyaki sauce.

The drinks menu is equally enchanting with a carefully selected sake list featuring a number of small-batch International 176

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Wine Challenge-winning sakes, exclusive to Engawa. The restaurant’s dedicated sake sommelier can guide you through the varieties such as the rich and complex SUIOU Aged Sake and the clean and crisp TOKO Daiginjo. Experience a range with Engawa’s three and five glass flights.

A small but perfectly formed bespoke cocktail list features a Japanese Negroni (Campari, Martini Rosso, Gassan No Yuki sake, gin), Lemongrass Stinger (Gassan No Yuki sake, sugar, lemongrass) and the Engawa (Crystal Head Vodka, green tea, sugar, lime, elderflower liqueur).

This intimate dining room seats 29 and includes stools at the pass for a fascinating insight into the workings of an authentic Japanese kitchen. A number of striking design features include a stunning resin artwork positioned above the open kitchen and an eye-catching light arrangement decorated with hand-stenciled Kanji writing depicting various emotions.

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STREET KITCHEN - LONDON

Street Kitchen

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24 inch sandwich - broccoli

Mark Jankel and Jun Tanaka are the chefs and co-founders of Street Kitchen, the renowned street food concept with four sites across London, including The Hatch in Battersea, two Airstream kitchens in Devonshire Square and the City and as of recently a permanent shop in Broadgate Circle selling seasonal, gourmet sandwiches ‘by-the-inch.’

Mark graduated with a degree in environmental science, but with a strong passion for cooking he landed his first job shortly after graduating at two Michelin-starred restaurant The Square. Within four years, Mark took a head chef position at Notting Hill Brasserie where he led the restaurant to be awarded three AA-rosettes and to be placed in the top ten in the respected Harden’s Restaurant Guide.

Mark then moved on to become executive chef at The First Restaurant Group, where he was responsible for five restaurants. But keen to start his own venture, he left the company 18 months later; as a chef, Mark was constantly frustrated by the lack of information relating to the environmental impact of the produce he was purchasing, so he stepped

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out of his chef shoes into a pair of wellington boots to visit and work on agricultural farms across the UK for a further 18 months. It was here he learnt about the issues associated with farming and supply chains, so set up The Food Initiative*, its ethos supporting sustainable farming practices.

Jun’s career has seen him work in nine Michelin-starred restaurants since the age of 19. In 1992 he started out as a commis at three Michelinstarred restaurant Le Gavroche in Mayfair. Throughout the nineties, Jun built on his culinary knowledge and expertise by working under some of the most respected chefs in the industry including Michel Roux Jr., Marco Pierre White, Philip Howard and Eric Chavot.

By 2004, Jun was serving up modern French cuisine at Pearl, London, where he was executive chef for eight years. During this time, he appeared on numerous television shows including Saturday Kitchen, Market Kitchen and Food Network US. In 2009 he wrote his first cookbook, Simple to Sensational – a book for the novice and more confident cook.

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Hot smoked salmon

In 2011 came Street Kitchen, the gourmet street food concept set up by both chefs and long-time friends. Street Kitchen was to be a pilot for the ethos and sustainable business practices Mark yearned for and the business was grown from three pop-up kitchens across London. In June 2015 they launched their first permanent site on Broadgate Circle where they serve gourmet sandwiches ‘by-the-inch’, gourmet burgers, buttermilk-fried chicken and posh ‘dogs. Everything from the ingredients to the interiors at Street Kitchen is in-line with Street Kitchen’s ecologicallysound ethos, enabling the chefs to offer what they call ‘slow food, fast’ – an entirely new proposition on London’s grab-and-go dining scene.

Gourmet on-the-go: the shop – offering the same brand of natural and organic food that Street Kitchen has been serving to Londoners for the last three years – specializes in signature 24-inch sandwiches served ‘by-theinch’ and measured against bespoke boards inlaid with vintage yardsticks for quirky ‘cut-to-size’ ordering.

Made using a selection of beautiful breads sourced from specialist bakers across the capital – focaccia, pitta, challah, rye, brioche – fillings include charred organic broccoli with free-range eggs, smoky mustard mayo, pickled red onions and Old Winchester cheese; and rare roast beef with caramelized onions, watercress, pickled cucumber and horseradish.

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Jun Tanaka

Also available throughout the day are hot sandwiches such as roast chicken with tarragon mayo, smoked salmon with pickled red cabbage and lamb meatballs with tomato compote and spiced yoghurt. Two hotto-trot specials – salt beef and lobster rolls – are exclusive to the evenings and pair perfectly with a cool collection of locally-brewed craft beers from the likes of Camden Town Brewery and London Fields Brewery as well as a tight edit of sprightly English sparklings.

Accompanying the sandwiches is a range of light and healthy, farm-tofork salad boxes – both large and small, packed with seasonal British ingredients such as home-smoked salmon with sweet pickled vegetables and dill dressing; spiced aubergine with hummus, roast cauliflower and pomegranate; beef and broccoli with pickled carrot and soy and sesame dressing; and goats’ cheese with sweet red onion, butternut squash and marjoram. Low in calories, they are ideal for those watching their waistlines as we hurtle headfirst into summer.

Against a sleek backdrop of all-natural materials – think marble deli-style counter, herringbone floors and vibrant pops of red and grey – or take it outdoors and enjoy on one of two terraces as the sun sets over another busy day in the city. The perfect after-work wind-down.

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L’ALTRO - HONG KONG

Philippe Leveille French-Italian Gastronomy

What is a Breton chef ever doing in Brescia? This is what most of the people have wondered about Philippe Leveille, two-starred Michelin chef of Miramonti l’Altro. The love for a woman and her country, and a vagabond soul might be the answers.

A very singular journey has brought Philippe where he is.

Born in Nantes, France in 1963, Chef Philippe studied at the culinary high school at Saomure, before volunteering for the Red Cross in Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen. He then began a whirlwind of travels around the world and has since worked in a number of fine restaurants including in Paris, New York, Martinique, Monte Carlo and finally settling in Italy. In 1992 he joined the Piscini family working at the Miramonti di Caino restaurant and subsequently the Miramonti l’Altro founded in 1994 which is now located at Concesio, Brescia, the foot of the Alps Mountains of Northern Italy.

The Brescian local cuisine of the Lombardy region has, for generations, offered delicacies one can only find there and Mary Piscini is renowned for having mastered the cooking style of the region. A new cooking era in the Piscini family started when Mary’s daughter Daniela married the talented Chef Philippe, whose own culinary skills have been fused with the unsurpassed savoir-faire and secrets of Mary Piscini’s cooking resulting in what can only be described as cult dishes.

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Chef Philippe has been living in Italy for more than two decades and whilst he “claims to be Italian”, the unmistakable French influences in his Italian cuisine have produced results that simply must be tried. He has taken from the other side of the Alps the ways of treating food, the cooking techniques, the strictness and the precise roles division of every section of the kitchen, but it’s in the plains of the Lombardia that he’s got the substance: the wine, the “casoncelli” and the “galettes au ble noir”. The pre-Alps territory is definitely the protagonist of his kitchen where he always pursues for delicate preparations and constant research for quality. In fact, he still goes to the supplier, the main markets, the local fish shops or small farms around his restaurant every morning.

“Greedy, buttered, generous and ‘never brainy’” is how Chef Philippe describes his kitchen, to mean a perfect balance between substance and taste, an almost “contagious gluttony” and “conviviality” - full pleasure for patrons in short. This simple philosophy is behind, and has continued to fuel, the growth and popularity of the restaurant. Miramonti l’Altro has been awarded two Michelin stars since 2001, a status which it has retained for the past ten years and also boasts a celebrity following which include Pope Benedict XVI, Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Grace Jones, Eros Ramazotti and President Francesco Cossiga.

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Wagyu Beef M8 lightly smoked, with vegetables in different colours and textures

Philippe celebrates the exquisite flavours of summer, his new menu of Italian seasonal gastronomy with a twist of French haute cuisine at L’altro. The Hong Kong flagship of one of Europe’s most outstanding chefs at L Place, Central is widely acclaimed among the finest Italian restaurants in town.

Complementing all-time signature favorites, Chef Leveille now unveils the latest Summer Menu from his famed 2-star Miramonti L’altro in Italy – bursting with the freshness of premium seasonal ingredients and fruit from Europe.

Among new appetizers are Soft Japanese Egg and Asparagus, sprinkled with garlic bread crumbs and drizzled with capers soya milk mayonnaise, Mediterranean Red Tuna in Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce with Basil Sorbet, served with parmesan cheese cookie, and “One Side” Roasted Scallops, with watermelon sauce & salad, almonds and refreshing cucumber sorbet.

New ‘must try’ pastas include Lobster Ravioli with Crispy Lobster Jus Popcorn and Lime, complementing such all-time favorites is Philippe’s hand-made Spaghetti with Italian Clams in Sea Water Emulsion, and the his famous Miramonti L’altro Risotto with Mushrooms and Sweet Cheese.

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Soft Japanese egg, asparagus with garlic bread crumbs, capers mayo

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Mixed fishes and crustaceans, brioches and lobster soup

Roasted baby lamb striploin, black olives and fried potatoes

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Lychee, Champagne and raspberries

Four new main courses from the kitchen include a seafood symphony of line-caught Sea Bass, Mussels and Clams, served in fragrant fresh basil sauce with new potatoes.

Continuing the Mediterranean theme is Mixed Fish, Lobster and Crustaceans Soup with Brioche.

Meaty summer specialties include lightly smoked Wagyu Beef M8 in a kaleidoscope of vegetable colors and textures, and Roasted Baby Lamb Striploin, served traditionally with fried potato napoleon and black olives.

For devotees of L’altro’s delectable desserts, new alternatives to the restaurant’s beloved Gelato Miramonti ice cream with warm strawberries capture the spirit of summer – including luscious Cherries, Pistachio and Coconut Meringue and a decadent east-meets-west innovation of Lychee, Champagne and Raspberries.

Four and five-course tasting menus introduce a flavor of the new Summer Menu alongside all-time favorite signatures.

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BUKHARA - ITC MAURYA, NEW DELHI

J P Singh & Bukhara Robust Flavours of North-West Frontier with Bukhara at ITC Maurya, A Luxury Collection Hotel, New Delhi. ITC Maurya’s signature restaurants provide the perfect setting with exquisite cuisine and superior service to ensure an unforgettable time.

The food at Bukhara is cooked in clay ovens or tandoor in the traditional style of the Indian North-West Frontier region. This style of cooking requires great expertise on the part of the chefs, since the meat is not accompanied by any sauce or gravy, but is only pre-marinated and cooked before serving. It takes a Chef years of meticulous training and dedication to master the technique of the art of making the breads that are a vital part of the cuisine, or to acquire the ability to gauge spices, mix marinades, and the most vital of all, to judge the heat of the tandoor and the time necessary for each dish to be perfectly cooked. The world renowned Dal Bukhara, a combination of whole black lentils (urad dal), tomatoes, ginger and garlic, is cooked and simmered over slow coal fires of the tandoor overnight for 18 hours at a stretch! It is sure to be the longest cooked lentil in the world! Another unique feature of the cuisine is the use of prime cuts of meat, marinated with the choicest of spices and skilfully cooked on high heat, while retaining their tender moistness.

A unique concept, the restaurant offers a sophisticated yet totally ethnic experience where the display kitchen is part of the restaurant.

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BUKHARA - ITC MAURYA, NEW DELHI

Bukhara at ITC Maurya

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Murgh Malai Kabab

Paneer Tikka

The decor comprises of stonewalls and flooring, hung with Bukhara carpets. Rough-hewn trestle tables and wooden stools complete the rugged look. Copper pots and urns are suspended from the ceiling and pillars; the crockery is earthenware in an earthy ochre colour, while the menu is painted on a block of wood. While dining, guests are given checked aprons and are encouraged to eat with their hands to experience the food through all their senses. The chequered apron is also a totally novel concept that has become very popular.

The view of the kitchen, with the busy chefs, adds to the warmth of the restaurant, inviting one to take time off to photograph the activity inside the kitchen. The speed by which the food is cooked and delivered to the tables justifies its claim of having one of the most efficient services.

JP Singh joined ITC in 1981 as Demi Chef De Partie and since then has held several positions. In 1991, ten years later, Singh joined Bukhara and at present is the Executive Chef of the restaurant. He is known to have cooked for who’s who of the world, including Barack Obama and was felicitated with Life Time Achievement Award at the Top Chef Awards 2014 organised by Delhi Gourmet Club. Bukhara is one of the most successful Indian restaurants in the country. Bukhara is amongst the world’s best 50 best restaurants and one of the best restaurants in Asia.

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ONE CANADA SQUARE- LONDON

Jamie Dobbin An exciting modern European menu from ex-Ivy Club Head Chef Jamie Dobbin; a sensational cocktail list where the Negroni and G&T take centre stage and interiors by David Collins Studio. Welcome to ETM’s awardwinning One Canada Square – a truly impressive restaurant and cocktail bar situated on the ground floor of the iconic building from which it takes its name.

Making his mark from the word go, Head Chef Jamie Dobbin has merged brasserie-style food traditions, techniques and flavours to bring the very best out of the seasonal, home-grown produce that ETM Group passionately champions.

Delicious British-sourced meats and seafood fresh from Billingsgate Market – just a few hundred metres from the kitchen door – are beautifully presented in the form of ceviche, carpaccio and tartare, creating starters that stimulate the palate and set the tone for a meal bursting with flavour.

Main events mix-up crowd-pleasers with new takes on classics. The spectacular fish offering is once again showcased with a king scallop and shrimp burger with Thai slaw and chips; half or whole Scottish lobster from the grill with garlic and parsley butter and roast Peterhead cod fillet with king prawn risotto and samphire has fast become a signature dish.

Meat is sourced from Lake District Farmers, a cooperative of Cumbrian farmers who share ETM Group’s commitment to quality ingredients. These include a daily changing One Canada Square pie; Shorthorn steaks; and Herdwick double lamb chop with sweetbreads, bubble and squeak and BBQ sauce. Game is sourced from a select number of gamekeepers and riflemen as well as Yorkshire Game Company, with choices including whole roast Swinton Estate red grouse with game chips, red cabbage, bread sauce and liver pâté en croute with a red wine jus.

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ONE CANADA SQUARE- LONDON

Steak tartare

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Yellowfin tuna tartar, spiced avocado, black pepper dressing

Sweet treats receive a magic touch too with crème brûlée and cinnamon doughnuts, blackberry and lemon verbena baked Alaska and a bitter chocolate tart with pistachio and mint ice cream and caramelised pistachios.

An elegant and stylish venue requires a drinks list to match and One Canada Square puts a strong focus on serving classic drinks of exceptional quality.

The wine list explores a new take on the famous Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties. Showcasing the classic Burgundian styles alongside wonderful delights from around the world.

The crowd-pleasing G&T has been given special treatment with a list of signature serves from a variety of premium gin brands - Death’s Door receives a kick with cardamom and coriander; Gin Mare gets an herbed twist with rosemary and olives, whilst Hendrick’s comes over all floral with cucumber and rose. One Canada Square boasts a stunning 50-strong range of whiskies from around the world that include American bourbons and ryes, Irish whiskeys and Japanese malts as well as varieties from the best Scottish distilleries. Fine and rare must-tries include an astonishing 25-year old Yamazaki aged in the finest sherry casks and a superb second edition of Balblair 1975 – a rich whisky aged largely in American oak casks.

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The finest premium spirits are on offer, including a rare selection of bourbons such as Eagle Rare and William Laure Weller (only 1200 bottles of each are imported to the UK each year), all served in bespoke glassware with fresh garnishes straight from Jamie Dobbin’s kitchen such as oyster leaf, salsify and rosemary. A real experience for cocktail connoisseurs.

Hunger is staved off with a satisfying bar menu featuring Daily Dishes ranging from steak frites with herb butter, or grilled half lobster, garlic butter and hand cut chips to roast Peterhead cod and tiger prawn Masala with fragrant rice and mint yoghurt.

Expect brisk business breakfasts from Monday to Friday to boost your morning with fresh, healthy options including a fresh fruit plate with toasted seeds; roast granola, strawberry compote and Greek yoghurt; braised kale and broccoli omelette; or kiln-smoked salmon with poached egg, quinoa and black rice accompanying everyone’s favourite fry-up options.

Saturdays are all about leisurely brunches (from 9am-5pm). Go à la carte or plump for a two hour bottomless extravaganza, all accompanied by One Canada Square’s own West End trained pianists on a white baby 200

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grand piano. The essential variety of egg dishes are given a lift with twists on classics like soft shell crab ‘Benedict’ with jalapeno hollandaise.

Avocado with chilli on toast with smoked bacon and fluffy blueberry buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and smoked streaky bacon set off a selection of more substantial dishes on the brunch menu which also includes salads, surf and turf and classics like fish and chips, chicken schnitzel and steak tartare.

David Collins Studio has created a timeless and elegant space that won One Canada Square Best Restaurant / Bar in a Retail Space in the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2014. Highlights of the 30-cover bar and 60-cover restaurant include a grand staircase and three imposing columns that separate the spaces whilst linking it to the 34-cover Mezzanine.

The seating is inspired by elements of vintage car design, adds to the artdeco-reminiscent style. Ribbed detail upholstery in ox-blood leather for the bar and British racing green for the dining room with contrast piping is teamed with herringbone-patterned table tops and oak timber flooring, creating a classic and comfortable space where you can socialize over drinks or sit down to dinner.

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INDIGO - MUMBAI

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Nitin Kulkarni Indigo is one of India’s premier restaurants. A “back-to-basics” address that serves up an eclectic European-Asian cuisine coupled with an expansive bar and banqueting facility, it opened its doors in April 1999. It was designed from day one, to embrace three basic principles of excellent food, warm hospitality and superior levels of service. It is housed in a restored turn-of-the-century bungalow off the busy Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai.

The main dining room on the ground floor, with its sky-lit, Shiva blue pond, off-sets a bustling bar with its blood-red colored wall and staircase.

Across the bar, the intimate, Yellow Dining Room is also available for private dining. The Indigo Black Lounge on the terrace is an exclusive adult hideaway with a great wine and single malt list, a fine selection of cigars and unhurried lounge style dining, while the terrace offers a magical al-fresco dining experience set against the backdrop of the city.

Minimalist restraint and fine detailing maintain a taut balance between stark walls, sandstone flooring, simple polished teak furniture and a few brightly colored frescoed surfaces. Everything is designed to make sure that the food is the star of the show.

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Saffron Poached Pears and Roasted Beets

Cochin Crab Ravioli with Green Mussels

The focus at Indigo will always be the food. Loosely modern European, it is expressed with a healthy dose of local Indian flavor using ingredients that are seasonal and very fresh. The menu evolves as the seasons change and the creative fare is balanced and augmented by one of the best wine lists in India with an exemplary service team that keeps customers coming back.

Nitin Kulkarni, the executive chef has been with Indigo since its outset in 1999 and has been instrumental in helping put Indigo on the world culinary map. Every menu at Indigo, under his expert supervision has been received with praise, winning the restaurant numerous local and international awards. Presently, as Executive Chef at deGustibus Hospitality, Nitin consistently maintains a high degree of quality food production standards in the kitchen and the restaurant’s F&B operations.

Nitin has worked in several international kitchens over the past 23 years.

His career started with the Ambassador Group’s flight kitchen in 1981 and went on to work at The Oberoi in Bombay (now known as Mumbai).

In 1986 he shifted base to Iraq and then the Carnival Cruise Lines in Miami, USA, where he earned his stripes and became an executive sous chef aboard their flagship Carnival Destiny.

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Corn Crepe Raviolo with Tofu and Bokchoy

Sesame Crusted Rare Tuna

Indigo is a labor of love for Rahul and Malini Akerkar who share a pure passion for food, a relaxed, embracing hospitality and an eye for detail.

It boasts a clientele of the who’s who from India and has played host to such international celebrities as Chelsea Clinton, the Sultan of Brunei, the Prince of Denmark, Jane Fonda, Marissa Tomei, Angelica Houston, The Rolling Stones, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, to name a few.

Indigo has won many awards. In most cases, it is the only restaurant from India to feature in these rarified portals of professional distinction.

Condé Nast Traveler in 2000 called Indigo one of the “World’s Hottest 60 Tables,” Travel & Leisure Magazine, said Indigo was one of the “Top Reasons to Visit Mumbai” and in January 2006, Indigo was named one of India’s best restaurants by Time Magazine.

In 2007, Indigo was ranked 75th in the world at The San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants Awards in London, recognized around the world as the most credible indicator of the best places to eat on Earth. In 2008, Indigo was ranked among the top five restaurants in India as part of San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants New Regional Recommendations and was ranked Number 28 by San Pellegrino Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for the Best Standalone Restaurant & Best European Restaurant from India.

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ROSA’S - LONDON

Saiphin Moore

born in the east raised in the east end...

Rosa’s Thai café was first born in the East and raised in the East End. A celebration of homeland and home, Rosa’s serves punchy Thai food with ingredients sourced as locally as possible: from mighty venison to softshell crab; seasonal curries to spring rolls.

From a humble street stall on Brick Lane over seven years ago to restaurants in Spitalfields, Carnaby, Soho and Stratford, Rosa’s offers honest, home-made helpings of Thai food with a modern twist, courtesy of British husband and Thai wife team, Alex and Saiphin Moore.

Today, discover the original Rosa’s, which has just re-opened following a total refurbishment. Reflecting the fact that Rosa’s is a marriage of two cultures and that the original Spitalfields restaurant was on the site of a typical British ‘ca.’, the new look combines the contemporary with the kitsch. On the first floor, warm oak panelling contrasts with scarlet red stools, white tiles and modern pendant lighting, whilst downstairs sees glossy black reclaimed teak, hot red tin lights and quirky pop art.

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ROSA’S - LONDON

Crab

This Thai heaven is created by Saiphin, family recipes have been updated and recreated using traditional Thai cooking techniques. Dishes are served on colorful trays in wonderfully noisy enamel tableware – the kind used by the monks of Thailand. The lucky ones (check the bottom of your bowl) are those that were owned by monks – given to Rosa’s in exchange for new ones.

Green Curry

to chargrilled specialities. Highlights include; Black Pepper Highland Venison - stir-fried with Thai herbs, onions, black pepper & chilli; Pumpkin Red Curry - sweet roasted pumpkin balanced in an aromatic red curry with coconut and sweet basil; mix it up with a Spicy Seafood Hotplate of squid, tiger prawns, mussels and scallops with mixed spices, chilli, black pepper and galangal; or Saiphin’s family favourite, Fresh Papaya Salad made the Signature starters such as; Soft Shell Crab - crispy Rosa’s way with dried shrimp, chilli, long beans, crab topped with Thai herbs, shallots and spicy cherry tomatoes and cashew nuts. chilli sauce; Soft Summer Rolls – fragrant herbs and vegetables, with a peanut sauce; and Pandan Sidekicks include another Rosa’s favourite; Stir Chicken - marinated chicken grilled in Pandan Fried Aubergine with yellow bean, chilli, garlic, soya sauce and sweet basil and, not forgetting leaves, help set the scene. the rice, choose from Rosas’s Fried Rice (Kow Pad Main courses meander through a host of Thai Rosa’s) of Thai sausage and egg fried with jasmine delights from stir-fries, curries, salads and noodles rice, spring onions and pepper or one of Saiphin’s 208

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Seafood

Pad Thai

bespoke creations, all the way from her home town in Phetehbun, Thailand – Pineapple Fried Rice (Khao Pad Pineapple) pineapple and seafood jasmine rice with raisins, cashew nuts and pepper, served in a large hand carved pineapple boat.

or equally enjoyed on the rocks, with soda or Coke.

A concise wine list boasts a handful of red, white and rosé wines, available by the glass and carafe, and have been carefully selected to complement the spicy flavors. For discerning drinkers, Mekong is the secret ingredient in Rosa’s very own Irish coffee,

Rosa’s is a restaurant with a lot of heart. A modern Thai café offering delicious and comforting food served with passion and a touch of free spirited fun, and in their own cockney rhyming slang it’s ever so Jasmine Rice.

Specially selected, handpicked teas are served in glass teapots and provide the perfect accompaniment to a meal at Rosa’s. From Thailand to Teasmith, every blend of tea has been For the sweet-toothed, a traditional dessert of carefully chosen to match each dish, with choices mango sticky rice is the perfect ending. Alternatively, that include lemongrass, imported directly from a selection of homemade ice creams including Thailand and exclusively sold at Rosa’s; ginger tea; coconut mixed with tapioca and jackfruit; green nokcha korean green tea and jasmine pearl tea. A tea; Thai tea and mango sorbet are the perfect selection of juices, freshly ground Monmouth coffee and fridges full of Chang beer are also on offer. palette cleansers.

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