DOTWNews August 2015 issue

August 2015

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One in a billion

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©2015 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

August 2015

ON THE COVER

56 Waltz this way Old-world glamour at Vienna’s Fête Impériale ball 66 On a wind and a prayer A slow journey through Spain’s idyllic Andalusia region 76 At home in Paris Discovering hidden secrets in the city’s arrondissements 92 The life acquatic Art, design and Bellinis in Italy’s beguiling city of Venice 102 24 hours in Brussels A weekend jaunt in the “Capital of Europe” 106 An insider’s guide to Hamburg Exclusive tips on how to enjoy Germany’s port city

76 There’s no denying the allure of Paris at night, especially when strolling past the gilded statues of the Pont Alexandre III

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Contents

contents

August 2015

In the news

26 Europe

Porto Montenegro’s incredible new yacht club; luxury ski chalet Pine Lodge Dolomites

28 Middle East & Africa Mall of Qatar’s many offerings; Fregate Island Private relaunch; Uganda gorilla safari

36 Asia & Oceania Thai golfing resorts; journeys through Iran; a luxe Bhutan cycling expedition

40 Americas Wellness at The Peninsula Beverly Hills; cruise the Amazon; St. Regis bridal couture

44 Debut Hot hotels, chic boutiques and exclusive new resorts

46 Diary This month’s pick of sporting, cultural and artistic events

48 VIP Mingle with the automobile elite at at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

50 Interview Actress-turned-entrepeneur Jessica Alba

130

spend It 128 Escape

The best one-of-a-kind travel experiences money can buy from private Med sailing to a one-off photography class at Angkor Wat

130 Essentials

140

This month’s pick of accessories to stay chic on your travels

134 Suite dreams A night at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

50

136 Ignition

44

Road testing the Range Rover Autobiography Sport

140 On the road Bentley’s latest Flying Spur V8; BMW Concept Path 22; Audi’s S3 exclusive edition

142 Set sail Benetti’s VICA; MUB Design Calibre 102M; Codecasa’s Gazzella

146 Out of this world Cuba and South America by private jet

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Contents

August 2015

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118

116

Gourmet 110 Restaurant news Global gourmet happenings and a spotlight on London

112 Taste of... Edinburgh Dine your way around Scotland’s buzzing city

116 Gourmet journey A chef’s guide to the best foodie experiences in Jakarta

118 Chef’s table Chef Heinz Beck on Italian cuisine and his latest ventures

122 Spirit of travel A journey through Barcelona through vermouth

124 Reservation A table at Michelin-starred Mistral on Italy’s Lake Como

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Alfred Dunhill Ltd

news

hoT EVEnTs, nEw hoTELs And gLoBAL JET sETTErs

26

DAZZLE BY DESIGN w i t h o u t - o f - t h e - b ox interiors, including this interactive art installation in the lobby, the reopening of w Istanbul is nothing short of dazzling

26 44 46 48 50

Luxury travel news from around the world This month’s best new hotels A guide to the top events in August VIP at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Interview: Jessica Alba

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destinations

T h e w o r l d ’ s m o s T d e s i r a b l e l o c aT i o n s

a grand time The sun melts into the Venetian lagoon behind santa maria della salute as a decadent day of art turns into an enticing evening of italian dining

Photo: getty images

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Glamour and imperial grandeur in Vienna a slow pedal through andalusia in spain at home among the arrondissements of Paris an art-fuelled stay in the italian city of Venice 24 hours in brussels an insider’s guide to hamburg

Photo: Getty images

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WALTZ THIS WAY

Michelle Wranik-Hicks has a ball in elegant Vienna, where old-world Imperial traditions have withstood the test of time

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t

he debutantes appear, trotting along in pairs to the rousing march of the Spanish Riding School. The girls, rosy-cheeked damsels, are angelic in white gowns and elbowlength gloves, their young partners handsome in black tails and bow ties. From my box overlooking the dance floor, I can see beads of perspiration forming on the forehead on one young man. His nerves are understandable. These young society ladies and gentlemen, some not a day over 17, have spent months perfecting this evening’s quadrille, training at Vienna’s most exclusive dance school for the honour of performing at Fête Impériale.

For anyone who has ever wanted a glimpse into the wondrous world of Vienna’s uppersociety echelons, going to a ball is one of the best chances you’ll have. The Habsburg monarchy may be long gone, abolished after World War I, but the Viennese have upheld the tradition of throwing lavish balls. Today, there are some 450 held every year in Vienna, from the Grand Ball, which opens the season on New Year’s Eve, followed by the delightful pomp and splendour of the Opera Ball and the Rudolfina Redoute, where ball-goers don eye masks similar to those in the operetta Die Fledermaus.

The summer ball, the Fête Impériale, is one of the most extravagant. Women wear beautiful

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“Women Wear beautiful fulllength goWns and gentlemen Wear White tie, tails or a tuxedo”

full-length gowns and gentlemen wear white tie, tails or a tuxedo. The dress code and etiquette is so strict, even a wristwatch can be taboo. “White tie is preferable at the bigger balls at the Hofburg Palace, Musikverein, the Opera House and also at some of the elegant smaller balls at one of the many palaces in Vienna,” explains Professor Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer, Austria’s most famous dancing master. “Black tie is the minimum requirement.

Ordinary ties are not permitted.”

Pomp and ceremony aside, many of the balls in Vienna are much more than an opportunity to get trussed up in your finest attire and waltz the night away. The Life Ball, one of the biggest charity events in Europe, raises money for HIV research, while the Fête Impériale, attended by 3,000 people, helps to support the historic Spanish Riding School.

With a history going back 450 years, the riding academy, home to Vienna’s famous Lipizzaner horses, is the only riding school in the world where the classical “Haute École” horsemanship continues today – unaltered since the Renaissance.

Led by their riders, these magnificent white stallions, descendants of a proud Spanish breed, mesmerise horse lovers from all around the world with their graceful choreography, demonstrating their most complex manoeuvres to the strains of classical music at evening gala performances, from

d e s t i n at i o n s v i e n n a

There are some 450 balls in Vienna each year including the Kaffeesieder (Coffeehouse owners) ball, held in the classically elegant Hofburg Palace (top) Young debutantes line up to dance the opening quadrille at the summer ball, Fête Impériale (opposite page) Fête Impériale attendees are treated to performances by Vienna State Opera greats, including mezzo-soprano Zoryana Kushpler (above), and dancers from the Ballet Academy (left)

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“these magnificent white stallions mesmerise horse lovers from all around the world with their graceful choreography�

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the Algarve

The Spanish Riding School Lippizzaner stallions execute breathtaking manoeuvres (left) Horses and riders in their full regalia at the Winter Riding School (above), where the Fête Impériale is also held

pirouettes and piaffes to the school’s quadrille. The 13-minute long performance, where six to eight Lipizzaner stallions move together in an elegant sequence, is one of the longest and most difficult in the world. You can also glimpse both horses and riders in action at morning exercises, which are open to the public at the Winter Riding School (Michaelerplatz 1; +43 1 533 90 31; www.srs.at).

The Lipizzaner training might be rigorous, but these dearly loved horses are by no means mistreated. Some of facilities at the Spanish Riding School stables, such as solariums, magnetic field blankets and energised water on tap, make it seem more like an equine spa. During the summer, the stallions even go on holiday, spending their summer days galloping around the green fields in western Styria or Lower Austria.

But before they leave, they thrill the crowds with their final performance of the year on the evening of the Fête Impériale.

For VIPs, the night then continues with a glamorous cocktail reception held under St.

Michael’s Cupola at the Hofburg Palace, and it’s a red-carpet affair on par with the Oscars.

Standing beneath the grandiose, domed ceiling in a ball gown, sipping sparkling Viennese wine, I am slack-jawed at the spectacle. Vienna’s who’s who, from diplomats, aristocrats and flâneurs to foreign blue bloods (Spain’s Princess Elena was in attendance of this year’s ball), make their grand entrance to a frenzy of photographers. Clad in voluminous gowns, jewels sparkling and hair coiffed into elaborate updos, some even arrive in fiaker, Vienna’s traditional horse-drawn carriages.

After several glasses of fizz, we make our way into the grand baroque hall of the Winter Riding School where the horses usually perform.

The sawdust is gone and the space has been transformed into a resplendent ballroom with a red-and-white checkerboard dance floor – the colours of the Austrian flag – glittering chandeliers and an orchestra set up on the stage.

For the first hour of the evening, we are glued to our seats watching the opening ceremony.

It begins with a marching band, followed by the debutantes and performances by world-renowned ballet dancers and singers from the Vienna Opera House. Everyone is waiting, however, for the call of “Alles Walzer!” (everyone waltz) which sends a sea of people surging to the dance floor. Soon, everyone from octogenarians and young debutantes to middle-aged women wearing tiaras are twirling gaily to Strauss and Mozart.

Some are surefooted and elegant, spinning impressively with their arms outstretched; others are less graceful, causing near-collisions at every turn. Within a few minutes, there’s scarcely any room to move. Anywhere else in the world, etiquette would fly out the window, but the Viennese wouldn’t dream of elbowing someone out of the way. According to Professor Elmayer,

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“The ciTy’s fashion hearTland is surrounded

by The flagship bouTiques of louis VuiTTon, prada and ValenTino”

they adore the energy of a crowded dance floor.

“Most dance floors are very crowded,” he says. “The Viennese love this atmosphere.”

Midway through the ball, I strike up a conversation with an elderly Viennese woman, the picture of elegance in a gold brocade gown and lavender shawl. How long has she waltzed? I ask.

“Since I was 14 years old,” she replies. “It’s part of our life, growing up in Austria. It’s a wonderful way to socialise.” She nods her head towards a pair of debutantes clasping hands nearby, a knowing smile touching the corners of her lips. “It’s also a wonderful way to meet people.”

Watching the young couple spin merrily on the dance floor, I marvel at the idea of a teenager willingly putting down their iPhone to waltz to Strauss, and what’s more, actually enjoying themselves. But the Viennese, both young and old, genuinely seem to enjoy their culture. National heritage is nurtured, culture is celebrated and time and tide has done little to diminish Viennese traditions, from the 450-yearold classical horsemanship at the Spanish Riding School to the city’s historic coffeehouses, where tuxedoed waiters serve coffee in an atmosphere that’s changed little over the centuries.

The exclusive, pedestrianized Goldenes Quartier area of Vienna is lined with fashionable boutiques including Valentino (left) and Mulberry (above) Views over the Goldenes Quartier towards Michaelerplatz and Hofburg Palace (top)

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Vienna, Austria

The Ring Hotel

Grand Hotel Wien

Hilton Vienna

Park Hyatt Vienna

Hotel Sacher Wien

InterContinental Vienna

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D e s t i n at i o n s v i e n n a Arany Spa’s swimming pool

Even a century-old bank headquarters reborn as a luxury hotel seems to be cherished by locals.

The Park Hyatt Vienna, which recently launched the country’s largest (820-sqm) Royal Penthouse Suite, opened last year to much fanfare after years of careful restoration to preserve elements of the building’s past. In the morning, I take my breakfast in one of the most spectacular spaces I’ve seen: a former art nouveau cashier’s hall on the ground floor, flanked by Greek marble columns and grand ceilings. In Arany Spa, where luxurious Sodashi treatments take place in the bank’s former vault, the depository’s original steel-armoured door with antique locks stands like a sentinel near the pool entrance. There’s even a 100-year-old clock (which still works) in the hotel’s woodpanelled cigar lounge. The sense of history is palpable – and that’s just how the Viennese like it. “For many Viennese, this was the place where they worked, or where they opened their first bank account,” the hotel’s general manager, Monique Dekker, tells me. “It’s a very well-known building and it has a lot of significance to the people. On our opening night, a former bank employee who had worked at the bank for 14 years came to stay here with her daughter. She wanted to stay in the suite that was her former office.”

The Viennese might cling to their heritage, but that doesn’t mean they don’t embrace modernity, particularly in the surrounding Goldenes Quartier (www.goldenesquartier.at), a luxury pedestrianized

shopping precinct where the soundtrack is the clippity-clop of horse-drawn fiaker offset by the pop of champagne at Fabio’s (Tuchlauben 4-6; +43 1 532 2222; www.fabios.at). On the day of Fête Impériale, I dine at the upscale lunch spot with a group of companions, surrounded by fashionable socialites and businessmen clinking glasses of local Riesling over Italian cuisine. “It’s the sort of place where ladies show off their Louboutins,” one of my companions whispers, winking conspiratorially.

The chic restaurant, in the city’s fashion heartland, is surrounded by the flagship boutiques of Louis Vuitton, Prada and Valentino, and the peoplewatching potential is superb.

Later that night, I’m still people watching at the Fête Impériale. I’m yet to waltz – my partner and I haven’t conjured up the nerve – but there’s plenty of time. After the midnight quadrille, where ballgoers dance in unison under the guidance of the dance master, the party continues. Even at dawn, Viennese clad in their ball gowns can be seen strolling through the old quarter’s cobbled streets towards coffeehouses or to one of the city’s many wurst stands.

As we hover timidly at the edge of the dance floor, I catch sight of the elderly Austrian woman with her husband, twirling with abandon. “Waltz!” she mouths, nodding with encouragement. So with a deep breath, we waltz, spinning among the debutantes, the octogenarians and the diplomats, giggling, giddy – and having a ball.

Stay Park Hyatt vienna +43 1 227 40 1234 www.vienna.park.hyatt.com

The Penthouse master bedroom at Park Hyatt Vienna

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Photo: Getty images

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On a wind and a

prayer Home to sultry flamenco, nightly tapeando rituals and rugged cordilleras, Becca Hensley explores the beauty of Spain’s Andalusia region with the wind in her hair

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Photo: Getty images

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O

Moorish castle ruins perch atop the highest point in Montefrío (previous page), a village in Granada The ruins (left) of a ninthcentury, Arab-built castillo in Zuheros, Córdoba Alhambra (below) sprawls across verdant woodland, housing Islamic palaces originally built for Spain’s Muslim emirs

n the dusty, sinuous La Vía Verde de la Subbética, a timeworn path in southern Spain, I trade my bicycle for a horse.

I feel a little guilty. On my VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations tour, the hybrid two-wheeler has been a loyal companion. So far, I’ve biked nearly 145 kilometres through Spain’s most sunbaked region, Andalusia. I’ve cruised through fields of sunflowers, orange orchards and neat files of towering corn. I’ve steered my way through bonewhite villages and in the shade cast by Moorish castles, I’ve caught my breath – more than once.

But today, halfway along this rural, recreational route formed from a former railroad line, and somewhere near the remote pueblo (village) of Zuheros, I stop biking. Inside a natural park profuse with olive trees, I abandon my bike beside a fragrant bush of oleander and clamber onto the bare back of a snow-white Andalusian horse – an equine breed recognised for its elegance since the 15th century. Princely, this creature dances rather than walks. On his sturdy back, I feel as though I should be wearing

a flamenco dress with cascading ruffles. “Olé,” I say, to nobody in particular.

These are the kind of magical encounters one tends to have along the cycling back roads of Spain.

For a moment, I consider continuing the journey on horseback, but I’m snapped back from my reverie by my fellow biking vacationers who roll past, pumping their legs with unmitigated relish. “You’ll be late for lunch,” they call, as they pedal past. Bidding farewell to the farmer and his horse, I decide to continue on my two-wheeled adventure. I have kilometres to zigzag, hills to climb, a monastery to visit and olive oil makers to meet before dusk.

With trekking and biking trips around the world, the US-based VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations (www.vbt.com; +1 800 245 3868) has led active holidaymakers on expeditions since 1971, maintaining long-term relationships with local vendors from South America to South Africa.

Believing that intrepid travellers like to root into the culture, the company tailors the expeditions to fit the landscape, bringing resident luminaries to the group as lecturers and offering language

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dining in the clouds

d eFrench stin atini an oelevated n s pa r i s Enjoy fine dining setting at L’Oiseau Blanc restaurant in The Peninsula Paris, which affords breathtaking views of the city’s most iconic monument.

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At home IN

PARIS Make yourself at home in two of Paris’ most upscale neighbourhoods – exploring haute-couture boutiques and historic monuments on foot, visiting former maisons and delving into the city’s storied relationship with all things scented Words and photography: sarah Freeman

F

rance’s charismatic capital may well be one of the most visited cities in the world, but it is also very much lived-in, with food markets, flats and playgrounds tucked behind historic façades and some of the city’s most famous boulevards. Playing at being a Parisian for a few days, while experiencing the best of the city’s haute couture, dining and cultural sights is entirely possible – you just need to know where to look and, crucially – where to stay. And with the city on course to go completely pedestrianized in the central districts by 2020, there has never been a better time to explore the City of Light, on foot.

The affluent 8th arrondissement is a good place to start. Home to Paris’s most famous boulevard – the Champs-Élysées and the iconic Arc de Triomphe, where you can take in sweeping city views, the district is loaded with tourist attractions, including the templelike Madeleine Church, Place de la Concorde and Grand Palais, and even the city’s oldest underground station. A can’t-miss olfactory destination is the flagship store of French perfume house, Guerlain, which stands pride of place at number 68 on the Champs-Élysées. The former family quarters, or “maison”, of Guerlain have been reimagined by American architect Peter Marino as a stunning super-boutique and spa. Not many cities can rival Paris’s fragrance history. As well as playing home to illustrious fragrance giants like Guerlain, the city is brimming with boutique Parisian perfumeries. One such treasure is Rose Desgranges, a family-run perfume shop lovingly restored to its former glory by the daughter and granddaughter of Rose, who together revived the brand’s vintage fragrance in 2014. Tucked in a leafy, private courtyard off the swanky Rue du Faubourg SaintHonoré, the entrance is bedecked with fresh blooms so you can literally follow your nose to find it. Starting at the Rue Royale and ending at the Place des Ternes, the

famed fashion street of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré runs through the 8th and 10th arrondissements and is most famous for being a mecca of haute couture, but also is a destination for art aficionados and culture vultures. One of the neighbourhood’s best-kept secrets is Musée Jacquemart-André, located just five minutes from L’Hotel du Collectionneur. A former 19th-century, lavish mansion, the museum is the love child of two prolific art connoisseurs – Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart, who spent years amassing a staggering 6,000 pieces of art, including world-class paintings, tapestries and sculptures.

Continuing on to the 1st arrondissement – the former home of kings – you will experience an altogether more regal vibe. Crammed with historic sights, including the Louvre Museum, Royal Palace, Tuileries Gardens and upscale Place Vendôme, a meander through its iconic landmarks makes for the ideal Parisian afternoon. As for that all-important 5-star crash pad in the heart of the 8th, you can’t go wrong with a stay in art deco-inspired L’Hotel du Collectionneur, which looks out over the eternally romantic Parc Monceau, or the city’s newest palace hotel, Le Royal Monceau - Paris Raffles. Behind its classic façade is a contemporary, chic space, filled with sparkling chandeliers, original art and French design flair. Acclaimed designer Philippe Starck has applied his own inimitable style, adding personal touches to the individually designed rooms, such as a writing desk decorated with scraps of paper, mixed with family photos and lights that are intentionally off kilter to make guests feel more “at home”.

Epicureans wanting to keep things local can take a stroll into neighbouring 16th arrondissement and drop into the magnificent Peninsula Paris for dinner – which also happens to be the same building where George Gershwin composed An American in Paris in 1928.

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Photo: Getty images

d e s t i n at i o n s V e n i C e

d e s t i n at i o n s V e n i C e

The lIfe

AQUATIC Steven Bond heads to Venice to discover art dividing the critics, new hotels complementing the city’s unique aesthetic and the timeless appeal of the “Queen of the Adriatic” after dusk

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d e s t i n at i o n s V e n i C e

“its abstract canal network is impossibly endearing. waterbuses and taxis rotate around san marco like a bulgari timepiece”

V

enice. The compact archipelago of 118 islands tucked under Italy’s right armpit is as iconic as the Italian nation itself, and sets itself apart as a uniquely landscaped bastion of art and architecture.

Divided by canals, sutured by bridges and hemmed in by the Lido di Venezia, a slender island that draws a line between the lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, in addition to being a Bowie-esque labyrinth, the city is an aquatic puzzle. Without the aid of a map, you can expect confounding culde-sacs, wrong turns and watery dead ends. But provided you’re not in a rush (heaven forbid), its abstract canal network is impossibly endearing.

Waterbuses and taxis rotate around San Marco like a Bulgari timepiece but you’ll have to navigate the cobbled city and its throngs, consistently gunning to arrive early, to ensure you literally don’t miss the boat.

Permeated by a network of 177 canals, the Venetian waterways were historically its lifeblood – and still are – but trade and commerce has long since been supplanted by tourism. Among the heaving crowds at Piazza San Marco, cafés spruik

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10-euro coffees with a six-euro cover charge, while peddlers vie for your attention with selfie sticks and garish, flashing gadgets. But this is Venice. It’s Disneyland for adults, and crowds of school trips and package tour groups traipsing around in a twoby-two formation are unavoidable. If it sounds grim – fear not. There’s a refuge from the madness.

Venice without the crowds Just a 15-minute water taxi from Piazza San Marco sits Isola delle Rose, an erstwhile hospital sanctuary that has undergone a Cinderella-like transformation into the immensely swanky JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa. After lying in disrepair for three-and-a-half decades, the former pulmonary treatment facility is now a five-star resort par excellence, exuding Venetian style on a lush and blissfully serene private island. Italy’s first JW Marriott is a well-groomed behemoth, spanning 40 acres in the Venetian lagoon, encompassing five accommodation buildings, a stunning Romanesque church and walkways and nooks lined with fragrant flora and chirping birds.

Stocky but elegant in its Rationalist 1930s style, corner suites boast their own balconies, while some of the rooftop variations have their own plunge pools for secluded soaking sessions.

The hotel is crowned with both a pool and Sagra Rooftop Restaurant, offering 360-degree views over the Venice skyline.

Many visitors will ferry across the lagoon to the 250-room resort for a fine dining experience

GOCO Spa Venice (above) provides ample serenity from the bustling city Rooms in the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa (below) are contemporary, providing a stunning contrast to the surrounding history Guests are treated to live music (opposite, top) at the JW Marriott’s opening gala event on Isola delle Rose Views from the rooftop of the JW Marriott (opposite, bottom) showcase the city’s storied skyline Venice’s Grand Canal (previous page) glows as the sun sets over slow-moving gondolas and al-fresco diners

courtesy of two-Michelin-starred chef Giancarlo Perbellini, or simply for a shot of espresso as an excuse to come and take it all in, but GOCO Spa Venice is also a top draw. The largest spa in Venice sits on the north-facing edge of the island, spanning 1,700 square metres with its own lagoon views, private treatment rooms and suites, and customised treatments using organic skincare products from Amala and QMS MediCosmetics.

Along with luxuriating in the spa and dining on gourmet cuisine, art lovers can coincide their visit with the 56th Venice Biennale. The hotel’s own pop-up, linked with non-profit Italian art collective, the Mazzoleni Foundation, will feature works by contemporary legends Salvador Dalì and Andy Warhol, alongside other carefully curated Italian artists. The hotel’s Sculptures in the Park exhibition also features an array of intriguing pieces that encourages island exploration.

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Sampling Scotland the storied streets of edinburgh surprise diners with contemporary culinary delights like this dedadent chocolate dessert from the Pompadour by galvin

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gourmet news from around the world uncovering edinburgh’s top tables a chef’s foodie guide to Jakarta ten minutes with chef Heinz Beck imbibing the spirit of Barcelona a table at italy’s michelin-starred mistral

gourmet journey

Jakarta cIty bItes

Chef Vindex Tengker takes us on a culinary tour of Indonesia’s javanese capital Kempi Deli

e&O

Jakarta restaurant

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Boralia

Kempi Deli

gourmet journey

Chef vindex Tengker

◗ BREAKFAST

◗ LUNCH

Monolog has the best poached egg and salmon benedict in town, and a great cappuccino with the perfect flavour and milk foam. It’s a good start to the day. For a sweet tooth, they also serve classic crepes with a combination of Nutella and caramelised banana.

Sana Sini has a delicious buffet and live cooking station that specialises in Japanese food and its many variations. Here you’ll find sushi, sashimi, teppan, assorted yakitori and tempura as well as a selection of Japanese appetisers and cold seafood.

Plaza Senayan, Gelora Tel: +62 21 572 5144 www.monolog-coffee.com

◗ COFFEE

Jakarta skyline

Sana Sini

STOP

Kempi Deli is a central location with great coffee and sandwiches – the pulled pork and beef sandwiches are served with fries and a homemade pickled cucumber. They also have wonderful bakery with seven-grain breads, bagels and pretzels.

Grand Indonesia, Jalan Teluk Betung Tel: +62 21 2358 3985 www.kempinski.com

◗ AUTHENTIC

INDONESIAN

Meradelima, in an old Batavia-style house, serves local cuisine with a mix of old Peranakan-style dishes. Tahu telur with petis sauce [omelette with cubed fried tofu], ayam goreng gandaria [fried chicken] and pare telur asin [sautéed bitter vegetables] should not be missed.

Jalan Adityawarman No. 47, Melawai Tel: +62 21 726 5112

Pullman Jakarta Indonesia, Menteng Tel: +62 21 390 6444 www.pullmanjakartaindonesia.com

◗ DINNER E&O offers redefined Thai and Asian food with great ambiance, along with unique and interesting mocktails and cocktails. The open steamed buns with Peking duck, the grilled beef and mango salad, the spicy jungle chicken curry, as well as the crispy pork belly with tamarillo and tamarind sauce are my must-try recommendations.

Menara Rajawali, Kuningan Timur Tel: +62 21 576 1645 www.eandojakarta.com

◗ NIGHT MOVES Loewy is my favourite – it’s got a retro-classic look and a casual bistro with an energetic bar serving the best mixed drinks in town.

Oakwood Premier Cozmo, Kuningan Timur Tel: +62 21 2554 2378 www.loewyjakarta.com

JAKARTA ReSTAuRANT AT The DhARMAwANGSA hOTel hAS The BeST INDONeSIAN SPeCIAlTy DISheS, fROM fAMOuS STReeT fOOD TO AuTheNTIC hOMeSTyle COOKING, IN A luxuRIOuS AND STylISh MODeRN INDONeSIAN ReSTAuRANT eNvIRONMeNT

don’t miss

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Photo: Mauro Fiorese

G O U R M E T C H E F S TA B L E

“People reduce Italian cooking to pasta and pizza but it’s much, much more.

Italian cooking is a philosophy of life” 118

July 2015 dotwnews.com

Heinz Beck A TAsTe oF

From Italy to Japan and now Dubai, German-born Heinz Beck has a sizeable portfolio of restaurants around the world and a taste for adventure and innovation. Here, the globally recognised threeMichelin-starred chef talks Italian cuisine, his take on Tokyo and his curious interest in human physiology Interview: Steven Bond

You’re launching a second restaurant in Dubai. How does it differ from Social

By Heinz Beck at Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah?

A Taste of Italy by Heinz Beck [at Jumeirah’s The Galleria] is a very casual dining and retail concept. I have a bakery inside with beautiful bread, I have a pizzeria, a chocolaterie, a gelateria and pastries. There’s also a nice restaurant inside, of course.

Are you changing direction, or are you just looking to diversify?

I’m diversifying a little bit. In Italy I only have fine-dining restaurants and in Tokyo it’s primarily casual, so when the opportunity came to have a second one in Dubai, I thought: I don’t want to have two fine-dining places – how about a casual-dining concept? The Galleria is in a neighbourhood surrounded by homes; it’s a place where you can pick up some fresh bread, go for a coffee in the morning or have a little sweet in the afternoon – and the kids can come for real Italian ice cream. It’s the real thing, not some kind of ice cream mix.

You also launched recently in Tokyo, which has more Michelin stars than any other city in the world. Do you find the Japanese have a discerning palate?

The Japanese have a very good food tradition and a great culture of producing fantastic raw materials. They’re very sophisticated, very precise and very seasonal. Like in Italy, they have a way of thinking about raw materials, a culture of attention to detail, and process things the proper way. I opened two restaurants in Tokyo on the same day. A top, fine-dining restaurant that carries my name [Heinz Beck] and a casual restaurant underneath, sensi by Heinz Beck.

Has spending time in Japan influenced your cooking?

I’m influenced by anyone and everything and most influenced by healthy cooking. Fifteen years ago, no one was talking about healthy food but I started to study the health effects of food and talk to people with medical experience. I’m not a doctor, nor do I want to be, but I’ll work with research to understand more and understand

blood pressure, diabetes and childhood obesity.

My new project is about botanic food and I’m working with Stefano Mancuso who is the biggest botanist in Italy. So I’m always interested in developing new things and I’m very curious about finding ways to create beautiful things.

What led you to start considering the health impacts of your cooking all those years ago?

I started as some fun when I was part of an Italian project called “Sensi Di Vini”, which I took part in with international researchers and brain surgeons. We looked at what happens in the human brain during the degustation of wine, in the brain of a professional sommelier and a nonprofessional. While they were drinking the wine, we were looking at what parts of the brain were stimulated. It was the first moment I became interested in medicine. It made me curious, so I tried to get other professors involved in similar projects. In 2006, I studied the oscillation of insulin after dinner.

with thousands of recipes. Italian food could be a beautiful couscous like my mother-in-law makes in Sicily, or a beautiful lasagne from the north of Italy. Cooking Italian is fantastic because there are no limits. Italy is a very long country with Austrian and French influences in the north, Arabic influence in the south, and then there were the conquerors: the Spanish, French and Greek. So there’s such a variety of cuisine, it would never be fair to nominate just one dish.

Surely you have a personal favourite?

Pasta con i tenerumi. But that won’t help you, because you won’t find it anywhere. It’s a traditional dish that my mother makes in Sicily. If you drive 50 kilometres from Palermo, you won’t find anyone who knows what it is. It’s made from a big, ripe zucchini – a beautiful soup with pasta and tomato. It’s fantastic. So when I am in Italy, I go to Sicily only to eat this.

You previously discussed the difficulties of sourcing produce in the Middle East.

How are you finding the challenge within your new Dubai opening?

We are trying to find good ingredients and are also bringing ingredients from Italy. We select the flour in Italy and we bake our own bread.

The vegetables and salads won’t all come from Italy, but most produce will – along with our 10 Italian chefs.

From an outsider’s perspective it seems Italian cooking has a very prescribed way of doing things, but you’re making it clear this isn’t the case?

A lot of people reduce Italian cooking to pasta and pizza but it’s much, much more. Italian cooking is a philosophy of life. It starts in the morning at the coffee bar. If you visit a coffee bar in Rome then you’ll understand what variety means. Each day the barman hears: “One espresso, one double espresso, one double espresso in a big cup, one café macchiato, one espresso with cold milk, one cold espresso, one double espresso in a short glass”. People don’t want to have an espresso, they want to have “My espresso”. And this is Italy. Italy has a variety of cooking styles and a variety of recipes and even when you have a traditional recipe in a tiny little town, if you go two kilometres down the road, it will be written completely differently.

You spend a lot of time in Rome at your restaurant La Pergola at Rome Cavalieri.

What is your quintessential Italian dish?

There’s so many, it wouldn’t be fair to nominate one [laughs]. The writer Montalbán said that Italian cooking is like Italy itself: it’s hundreds of cities with thousands of church towers. That’s like saying there are hundreds of cooking styles

What other destinations are you excited about when it comes to food?

There is Japan, but think about Brazil and the Amazon – there are so many ingredients you wouldn’t see anywhere else. It’s amazing. The world is so fantastic and so bright – there are still a lot of things to discover around the world, and I’ll keep trying everything to find something new.

Have these studies affected your ingredients and cooking methods?

It is affecting my cooking and my way of looking at food. I’m not making diets, simply producing high-quality food. I’m very concerned about what happens in the body during the process of eating.

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GOURMET REVIEW

Molecular magic

Lake Como might seem an unlikely place for cutting-edge culinary physics, but as Lisa Gerard-Sharp discovers, culinary wizardry abounds at Michelin-starred Mistral

M

istral, the sleekest of science labs, is cooking up a storm in postcard-perfect Bellagio. Set on Italy’s loveliest lake, the Michelin-starred restaurant at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni (an ideal base for those bound for Expo Milano) is a science lab of Italian molecular cuisine. The future of food is here, in this gloriously old-fashioned villa-hotel.

Mistral’s chef, Ettore Bocchia, is Italy’s guru of molecular cuisine. Being a big-hearted Italian, the chef does not blind you with science. Unlike many celebrity chefs, Bocchia believes that bedazzlement is trumped by personal taste. There are no scornful looks if you want a classic seabass with seasonal vegetables followed by the signature “smoke and mirrors” molecular ice cream. The wide-ranging menu lets diners merely dip into molecular dishes or go the whole hog.

Our meal begins with a peachy Bellini on the terrace, echoed by the peachy sunset. Few can resist the interplay between villa and lake, between shimmering light and chugging steamers.

John F. Kennedy supposedly romanced Marilyn Monroe on these shores but Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney is Lake Como’s contemporary poster boy. Discreet Carlo Pierato, awarded Italy’s Best Maitre D’, has served Clooney but is keener to wax lyrical about the fish tempura in a sweet-and-sour sauce.

Molecular cuisine plays upon all the senses. Comfort food such as aubergine parmigiana is deconstructed as coolly minimalist layers served in a retro cocktail glass. I have some initial trepidation over seemingly bizarre combinations of flavour, from sugar-fried turbot to gorgonzola ice cream, but I go with the flow and am rewarded by taste explosions of Sicilian red prawns with guacamole ice cream and cuttlefish ink wafers.

The celeriac dumplings with pea purée and caviar are more powerful than a palette cleanser.

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“COMFORT FOOD SUCH AS AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA IS DECONSTRUCTED AS COOLLY MINIMALIST LAYERS SERVED IN A RETRO COCKTAIL GLASS”

The seven-course molecular tasting menu includes double desserts. My dining companion prefers the mint meringue filled with wild berries, marinated strawberries and chocolate sauce.

For me, it’s the peach fondant with raspberry sauce, almonds and nitrogen-frozen ice cream. This is concocted at the table during 16 seconds of wizardry straight out of Harry Potter. Amid swirls of magic mist, the ice cream freezes before our eyes; the texture is satisfyingly cold but doesn’t chill the throat. Diners unversed in the dark arts of ice cream look on enviously.

Despite the liquid nitrogen used in flash freezing, chef Bocchia is no mad professor enslaved by his molecular powers.

You can also dine on Italian classics with a twist, such as ricotta- and beet-stuffed ravioli in a creamy Parmesan and black truffle sauce. The chef from Parma is at home with pasta. The after-dinner treats are friandises, dainty morsels made by Italy’s best pastry chef.

When the meal concludes, we walk off dinner along Bellagio’s bustling waterfront, a promenade of peaches-and-cream villas punctuated by lime trees. I remind myself to return in May when the azaleas are ablaze. Despite no sighting of Clooney, Villa Serbelloni’s views are seductive enough for an incurable romantic like me.

The important bit WHAT: Mistral WHERE: Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Via Roma 1, Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy PRICE: €155 (US $168) for a seven-course molecular menu (excluding drinks) TEL: +39 031 950216 www.villaserbelloni.com

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spend it motoring

the new Lamborghini Huracán Lp 610-4 is where fast and furious meets fun, but with a price tag upwards of $240,000, it’s not for everyone – so who’s it for?

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