WG Magazine July 2017 Issue

WG MAGAZINE JULY 2017

ARNAUD DONCKELE

A TRUE ARTISAN

ALBERT ADRIÀ ENIGMA

MASSIMO BOTTURA

FOOD FOR SOUL

JONATHAN BERNTSENS CLOU CUISINE

DANIEL BOULUD

PASSION FOR NATURE www.wgmagazines.com

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Editor Lifestyle Editor Culinary Editor Feature Editor

Fabian deCastro Doug Singer Claudia Ferreres Oilda Barreto

Contributors

Michael Hepworth Rhiannon Shepherd

Photography

Majella O’Connell

FJMdesign Photography Consultant Creative Design Studio Publisher IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

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Cover Image Credit: REIF OTHMAN - Spicy Salmon and Avocado Maki PLAY Restaurant and Lounge, Dubai

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MAGAZINES

This July issue of WG will deliver a palate satisfying journey as we explore how these times inspired an array of chefs across the globe.

We start with a visit to Provence and meet up with a true artisan of taste and the youngest three Michelin-starred Chef Arnaud Donckele. Passionate about the region, he imagines a gastronomic cuisine inspired by the flavours of Provence and sculpts ingredient to extract their true essence. While still in the south of France we’re off in search of epicurean enlightenment at Odyssey at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo with three Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck. Joël Robuchon and Christophe Cussac, have invited Heinz Beck to create a pop-up restaurant at the hotel to showcase some of his signature dishes.

Next is Food for Soul with Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore, they work to raise awareness on food waste and hunger. Food for Soul aims to bring a sense of dignity back to the table by promoting the values of art and beauty, encouraging solidarity within local communities. While still in Europe, a visit to Hangar 7 and delve in to the flavors of July’s guest Chef Daniel Boulud creations.

From 41º to Enigma, it is simply the highest expression of Albert Adrià as he presents a new way of living the experience of a guest in a restaurant. Copenhagen is our next stop to meet up with Jonathan Berntsen at Clou and taste his classical Southern European cooking with a special twist.

Japanese fusion cuisine at the cosmopolitan as Michael Hepworth checks out the newly opened Zuma in Las Vegas.

As we head out to the Far East, our first stop is Seoul, Rhiannon Shepherd speaks with two Michelin-starred Chef Jungsik who is credited with putting New Korean Cuisine on the map. Rhiannon takes us on a luxury, gastronomical tour of Asia’s growing culinary capital – Gourmet Seoul. Hong Kong is our next stop at Marble, with two Michelinstarred Chef Mitsuru Konishi, as he introduces the Ozaki Wagyu Beef to Hong Kong for Kappo. We catch up with one of the leading faces of contemporary French gastronomy, Guillaume Galliot at the Caprice. We head off to Singapore for an unusual creative pairing with Pepe Moncayo at BAM! While still in the Far East, we take a look at Asia’s 50 Best Bars before heading to Dubai to experience Belgian Hops, Belgian Food and Belgian Attitude at Le Petit Belge.

Bon Appétit

FdeCastro

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JULY 2017

CONTENTS 26

Passion For Nature

42

A True Artisan

56

Food For Soul

70

Heinz Beck At The Odyssey

80 Enigma 94

Clou Cuisine

118 A New World Of Korean Cuisine 126 Perfect French Cuisine 140 Unusual Pairing 156 Mitsuru Konishi’s French Kappo 162 Gourmet Seoul 174 ZUMA LA 180 Hops, Food & Attitude 182 Asia’s 50 Best Bars

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MAGAZINES

Reif Othman has injected his culinary expertise into the innovative concept of PLAY by creating a zesty menu, introducing an original culinary concept to Dubai “Mediterrasian”, with a mission to take guests on an exceptional gastronomic journey.

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SPICY SALMON AND AVOCADO MAKI PHOTO © REIF OTHMAN - PLAY RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE, DUBAI

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DANIEL BOULUD

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DANIEL A FINE TIME FOR FINE DINING BOULUD Text Hangar-7 and WGkonnect Photo © Helge Kirchberger Photography / Red Bull Hangar-7

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DANIEL BOULUD

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A French chef in the land of opportunity?

There could hardly be a more mouthwatering prospect.

At his New York City properties Michelinstarred chef Daniel Boulud persuasively demonstrates the result of mixing Europe’s most influential cuisine with a country whose motto is ‘higher, faster, further’.

Today, Boulud’s restaurant empire extends to Palm Beach, Miami, Boston, Washington D.C., Montreal, Toronto, London and Singapore, as well as his six New York restaurants and three locations of his gourmet shop Epicerie Boulud. Yet of all these ventures, the best know is his flagship DANIEL, named one of the 10 best restaurants worldwide by the New York Times’ International Herald Tribune.

Diners can expect elegant ambience, welcoming service and last, but of course not least, a true culinary experience, which has played no small part in earning the restaurant its two Michelin stars.

Growing up on his family’s farm near Lyon in France, Boulud soon learnt the importance of fresh ingredients and the power of the seasons. It is this that influence that inspires him to this day, as well as memories of his grandmother’s home cooking.

“It is really important to me to use ingredients right when they are in season, when they are practically bursting with flavour,” the Michelin-starred chef notes.

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DANIEL BOULUD

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His career began at the age of 15, when he made it to the final round of a French competition to find the best ‘Apprentice-Chef’. He then worked in France and Denmark alongside three of France’s most legendary chefs: Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc and Michel Guérard. In 1982, he moved to America to take on the role of private chef to the European Commission in Washington D.C., subsequently making his name at New York City’s Polo Club and Le Cirque before launching his own ventures. Ever since his arrival in the U.S., Boulud’s reputation has continued to grow on a worldwide scale, in no small part due to his traditional yet imaginative ‘French export’ cuisine.

Boulud’s passion for nature plays an important role in his dishes – after all, these passions have accompanied him throughout his life. This is particularly plain to see in the use and utilisation of ingredients: “It is all about using the produce in the best possible way. I am constantly asking myself how every last bit of unused food can be made use of or recycled,” he explains.

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DANIEL BOULUD

IKARUS KITCHEN - MARTIN KLEIN AND DANIEL BOULUD

At any given time, the menu at Daniel pays homage to seasons, simultaneously featuring the finest foraged ingredients and wild game from across the country and overseas. With more than 20 years of history and a very loyal clientele, the restaurant has also become famous for such annual events as its autumn Wild Game dinner or the La Paulée celebration of Burgundy wines each spring.

WG Magazine had to chance to speak with Chef Boulud about all of his accomplishments.

That said, in France, great chefs have always existed, and at the time I was growing up, a number of the chefs who were making a great impact – like Paul Bocuse – were concentrated around Lyon. I knew I was joining in that tradition and that I could have become a charcutier or a patissier – but my ambition was to become a great Chef de Cuisine, because that was really the elite of the “food chain.”

I also saw that it was a career that had potential for international opportunities as well.

WG Magazine: Today you are considered one of the most sought after chefs in the world, but everyone starts somewhere - tells us how you found your way into the culinary field?

Of course, salary. Even was making education – Nandron.

Daniel Boulud: Contrary to today - where food and culinary professions are part of mainstream culture - in my day, the culinary field was not promoted as much. When I started at age 14, it was really about choosing a profession – and trying to find a very good mentor.

Every month and every season was a new adventure.

I remember in the fall, the owner at Nandron would drive up with a trunk full of wild game. I would spend days plucking the feathers from birds in the cellar. Those kinds of experiences, accumulating with every season, made me love this business.

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the initial appeal was not in the after three years of apprenticeship, I $3 a week, but I was continuing my going to school and apprenticing at

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IKARUS KITCHEN - MARTIN KLEIN AND DANIEL BOULUD

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DANIEL BOULUD

WG Magazine: You insightfully share that balance is not the same as simplicity, tell us more on your philosophy.

ways. I did a confit celery in lobster butter, a fine julienne of roasted celery, celery mousseline and celery chips. Yes, it could have been more simple, but that is the excitement of cooking. I wanted to Daniel Boulud: Balance is always the goal, but feature all the possible textures and tastes of celery, that is not the same thing as simplicity. Yes, you which provided contrast and complexity to the dish. can make a dish with two ingredients and it will have the perfect balance, but adding complexity, WG Magazine: You are revered for creating some layering flavor and textures, while maintaining that of the best food in the world; tell us more about how balance – that is the hard thing. you find your inspiration and where the creativity process starts.

(He gives us an example) I was working with celery and lobster – and even though it was just two Daniel Boulud: The process of creativity has many ingredients, I used the celery in several different sources. It depends – sometimes the inspiration is

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in the kitchen, working with an ingredient or a certain pairing of flavors and textures.

Other times it’s sketching with a piece of paper and a pen; or sitting down with the team to throw around ideas; or looking at the seasonal market. It’s sometimes about referring to French cuisine, but it’s also about expanding on it – creating new textures and layers of preparation. What it is not about is being eccentric. The key is that this is a kind of focused creativity, inspired by tradition, the seasons, the local terroir, and – of course – the team you work with.

I think the collaborative element of cooking is very important. I don’t know any chefs who can say their food is 100 percent theirs; there is such a complicity with the team, with the program you try to develop with your team. It’s like a designer or an architect – you want to surround yourself with individuals who are a source of inspiration and who can help you execute your vision on the highest level.

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DANIEL BOULUD

frog legs, poulet de bresse and other specialties that were really local. It wasn’t the sophisticated, urbane world of Lyon, but there was a very refined sense of terroir.

After two years, I asked Georges to go to south of France to work with Roger Verge. I could see that he was a chef who had travelled the world and decided to settle in Provence. He was making the most spectacular food – classic, yes, but he reinterpreted provencale cuisine with an amazing sense of perfection.

I then went to Denmark, and then came back to work in the southwest of France to work with Michel Guérard. Again, it was the discovery of a region and a sense of terroir – this time of the Pays WG Magazine: They say experience is the best Basque – and the perfection of that local cuisine. teacher, tell us a bit more about some of your The hospitality, the sense of service and the whole own experiences and how they helped guide your setting – it was such a magical place. beginning years as a chef.

Something that linked all of these experiences was Daniel Boulud: Starting with a good mentor is that each restaurant was a part of two associations: so important, as that person will help you along Relais & Chateaux and Les Grandes Tables du the way in your career. When I finished my Monde. That was my guiding compass, to always apprenticeship at Nandron, I told my chef I wanted work for restaurants found in both guides, because to go to Georges Blanc. He was a young chef who it signified the best chefs in France - and also the had just taken over a great restaurant from his rising great chefs of the world. mother. I was 17 and he was just 27 or 28. For me, it was also a dream to work in a very famous place Today, I am very proud that DANIEL belongs to in Lyon’s countryside – the heartland for crayfish, those associations as well.

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IKARUS KITCHEN - MARTIN KLEIN, ECKART WITZIGMANN AND DANIEL BOULUD

IKARUS KITCHEN - MARTIN KLEIN, ECKART WITZIGMANN AND DANIEL BOULUD

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DANIEL BOULUD

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DANIEL BOULUD AND MARTIN KLEIN

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WG Magazine: Speaking of teaching, your book “My Best” is part of a series with Alain Ducasse, Eric Ripert and Pierre Hermé – tell us a little more about the unique concept of this cookbook and why it is different from traditional household cookbooks.

Daniel Boulud: Alain Ducasse started the “My Best” series in France. The idea was that most cookbooks offer 100 recipes, but you really will only cook 10 of them – at most. So he wanted to make visual cookbooks where there were 10 recipes explained perfectly. It’s about having the confidence to cook everything in the book, rather than to have 50 recipes where you’re not exactly sure of how to execute it successfully.

The recipes I chose are of different levels, but they are all feasible to make at home with a little bit of equipment and the proper ingredients. Many of the dishes come from my restaurants – like the Thai Sausage from DBGB or the Sea Bass “en Paupiette” from Café Boulud.

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DANIEL BOULUD

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“When you reach a certain level of success, you are able to give back to the next generation, which I find very motivating.

Working with the team in all of my restaurants, maintaining the highest level of food and service – really, seeing what we can accomplish together – is very inspiring” Daniel Boulud WG Magazine: In 2008, Paul Bocuse asked you to establish a structure for better selecting and supporting the USA team to compete in the annual Bocuse d’Or competition. Today, that organization is called Ment’or, which you chair alongside Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse. Tell us what you have hoped to achieve with the creation of the Ment’or organization.

so much in your career that some might say you’ve accomplished it all. Awards aside, how do you stay motivated and inspired?

The second goal, of course, is to help mentor, train and support the American team for the Bocuse d’Or competition. One objective supports the other, because as we form relationships with these young chefs, we are helping to inspire them to maybe, one day, compete in the Bocuse d’Or.

Finally, I find it incredibly meaningful to be able to travel and share our style of cooking and service all over the world.

Daniel Boulud: When you reach a certain level of success, you are able to give back to the next generation, which I find very motivating. Working with the team in all of my restaurants, maintaining the highest level of food and service – really, seeing Daniel Boulud: The Ment’or organization has two what we can accomplish together – is very inspiring. main goals. The first is to support the next generation In turn, the loyalty of my team – the trust they have of young chefs by creating a structure for exchange in me and the senior management at The Dinex between great chefs and talented cooks, and to Group - motivates me, as well as the endless provide the opportunity for these emerging talents creativity that I see coming from their kitchens. to spend time in other kitchens and expand their There are always business challenges and the skillset. It opens doors and brings a very inspiring, teams may change, but learning to overcome each motivated group of chefs together. hurdle is a meaningful part of the process.

WG Magazine: Chef Boulud you have accomplished

Those who wish to delve into the flavours of Daniel Boulud’s creations can do so when he takes over the Restaurant Ikarus in Salzburg’s Hangar-7 as guest chef during the month of July.

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ARNAUD DONCKELE

A TRUE ARTISAN OF TASTE

ARNAUD DONCKELE

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Born in Rouen, Arnaud Donckele is the grandson of Normandy farmers and son of a gastronomyloving fine butcher and traiteur. Trained by famous chefs, with the one of the founders of Nouvelle Cuisine Michel Guérard and further honed his culinary skills with Alain Ducasse at Louis XV de Monaco and Plaza Athénée in Paris, Arnaud later went on to work at Lasserre in Paris with Jean-Louis Nomicos. With his masterful technique and creative imagination, in 2013 at only 35 Arnaud became the youngest three-Michelin-starred chef.

The cuisine of Arnaud Donckele is a rustic journey through the Mediterranean. Since his arrival in Provence, he has explored the richness of his natural surroundings. The infinite herbal palette of the region is the stepping stone for each of his creations. A true alchemist of colour and flavours, Arnaud imagines each dish as a natural canvas.

Arnaud adds “My cuisine is Mediterranean cooking before all. It is a bucolic journey that takes you through the province, flirting with subtle flavours of sun-drenched vegetables and the aromatic richness of regional herbs.”

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PHOTO © GIANNI VILLA

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L’HUITRE DE L’ÉTANG DE THAU_FENOUIL AU VINAIGRE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

TOMATE JAUNE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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LA CADE TOULONNAISE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

LIÈVRE A MA FAÇON FARCE À TAILLER AU COUTEAU PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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PHOTO © G.VILLA

Passionate about the region, he imagines a gastronomic cuisine inspired by the flavours of Provence. A true artisan of taste, Arnaud Donckele sculpts ingredient to extract their true essence. Each day, he works side by side with his brigade of 21 as well as Pastry Chef Guillaume Godin.

WG Magazine catches up with the youngest three Michelin-starred chef…

WG Magazine: Tell us how you found your way into the culinary field to become one of the most innovative and the most sought-after Chef in the world?

Arnaud Donckele: The passion I have for cooking stems from my father, as he was very interested in food when I was growing up. My childhood memories are being sat around the dinner table.

My father was a butcher and to spend time with him I worked with him during the school holidays from the age of 12.

The creativity and many of my dishes are inspired by new discoveries and Provence’s inspiring nature.

It’s also influenced by history and modern cooking techniques.

My main goal is to enchant and delight the guest.

PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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ARNAUD DONCKELE

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WG Magazine: Your cuisine is a rustic journey through the Mediterranean, a gastronomic cuisine inspired by the flavours of Provence. You imagine each dish as a natural canvas making it a true alchemist of colour and a balance between flavours and aromas sparkles delightfully on the palate, a true artisan of taste - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Arnaud Donckele: I was raised close from Giverny, the birthplace of Impressionism, and my dishes come together like one of Monet’s gardens: delicious, light, with playful textures and temperatures so that the palate undergoes a real sensory experience – brought together by the most important component – the sauce!

LA RENCONTRE D’UN JARDIN DE PRINTEMPS ET DU LIMONO MÉDICA PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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ARNAUD DONCKELE

L’AIGAU SAU PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

POT-AU-FEU DE TAUREAU DE CAMARGUE ET SEICHE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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LES RAVIOLES PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

FINES TRANCHES DE GROSSE GAMBERONI PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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WG Magazine: You trained with one of the founders of Nouvelle Cuisine Michel Guérard and Alain Ducasse. Tell us about your experiences and how did this help you are as a chef today Arnaud Donckele: For me, Michel Guérard embodies French cooking, elegance and the genius of a delicate hand. The man has a rare sensitivity and the time I have spent with him are memories that will last a lifetime.

Meeting Alain Ducasse was an exceptional experience, he teaches you that cooking is something that has to be continually worked on and that without exceptional products, you cannot cook exceptional dishes. He is a chef that has exceeded the standards of restaurants, he teaches you that to build on your skills, and you have to work on it, over and over again. He’s very important to me, a reference point, someone I go to for advice and a protector. I owe them both a lot. Michel is elegance and Alain, classiness!

POINTU OU MUREX PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

WG Magazine: Could you describe your culinary philosophy, and take us through the process you go through to creating a new dish?

Arnaud Donckele: When I create a dish, I would say that the first step is the desire to bring a vision to life and second step is working with the products.

We really listen to our guests, and the feedback and information they can give is so valuable, you must take it on board - create and recreate, taste and retaste. Finally, the moment arrives after months of testing, when the dish appears on the menu – I call this moment the birth of the dish!

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ARNAUD DONCKELE

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LA VOLAILLE DANS UNE VESSIE ARROSÉE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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WG Magazine: What new ingredients inspire you and what are your favourite ingredients you like working with?

Arnaud Donckele: At the moment, I like herbs and wild vegetables picked by my botanist Bodo. I’m like a child in front of Mother Nature.

I have several! Herbs (peppery and citrus), I’m mad about citrus fruit and addicted to vinegar!

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

Arnaud Donckele: The produce of course! The second thing that I think is important after produce is the love you dedicate to cooking. As cooking is above all an act of love and giving.

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ARNAUD DONCKELE

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From the wonders of the garden to the delicate fauna naturally brined from the sea breeze, to the rich orchards and treasures of the Massif des Maures mountains, each dish is a story of the extraordinary meeting of an ingredient, the earth and the men and women passionate about their region.

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ARNAUD DONCKELE

ASSEMBLAGE AUTOUR DE L’ABRICOT ET L’AMANDE FRAÎCHE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

MINI-TARTE TROPÉZIENNE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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LE NOUGAT MOELLEUX PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

POMME DE MANOSQUE ROULÉE EN ROSE OUVERTE PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

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WG Magazine: In 2013 you became the youngest Three Michelin Starred Chef, what keeps you motivated?

Arnaud Donckele: Being the youngest only lasts a certain time and there will be someone even younger than me and there have been younger chefs who have gained three stars. It’s important to stay humble…

Telling myself that I have a lot of progress to make!

Gastronomy is an infinite science.

GOURMANDE DE DIFFÉRENTES VARIÉTÉS DE FRAISES PHOTO © RICHARD HAUGHTON

WG Magazine: Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, what advice could you give to chefs who are entering the kitchen for the first time?

Arnaud Donckele: To do it with conviction and passion! To take time to really learn the theory, as cooking is like music: when you know the classics, you can play anything. To tell yourself that even if it’s very hard, very few jobs offer the possibility to paint, sculpt, to offer emotion and unforgettable memories, and with this job there is also the chemistry aspect using the products of the Earth.

You must give it your heart and soul every day and tell yourself that whatever happens, you can’t please everyone. Everyone has their ‘Proust madeliene moment’ and Mozart didn’t only compose masterpieces and yet they are still geniuses that dedicated their lives and their passions for our greatest pleasures.

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MASSIMO BOTTURA - FOOD FOR SOUL

FOOD for SOUL The non-profit organization, Food for Soul founded by Massimo Bottura to enable communities to fight food waste towards social inclusion. The organization began with the Refettorio Ambrosiano in Milan during Expo2015 with an aim to bring a sense of dignity back to the table by promoting the values of art and beauty, encouraging solidarity within local communities and recovering food, places and people.

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REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO Š ANGELO DALBO

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MASSIMO BOTTURA - FOOD FOR SOUL

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PHOTO © THE FELIX PROJECT

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CULTURE NOURISHMENT COMMUNITY

by recovering surplus food from the Expo pavilions, by welcoming those in need who go unnoticed in our everyday life, we wanted to make visible the invisible. At Refettorio Ambrosiano we converged the expertise of artists and designers to make the space inspiring and welcoming for everyone.

Massimo Bottura, together with Davide Rampello I personally launched a call to action to my chef and Caritas Ambrosiana, transformed an friends: more than 60 of them came not only to abandoned theater in a suburb of Milan into an cook a three courses menu for our guests, but also avant-garde soup kitchen. Inviting more than 65 to share their knowledge and expertise with the international chefs to cook with the waste of the kitchen team. pavilions and during the six months of Expo, 100 volunteers washed dishes, mopped the floors and More than 100 volunteers donated their time and served more than 10,000 healthy and tasty meals energy to mop the floors, welcome and serve our cooked from 15 tons of salvaged food. guests, assist the chefs, run the daily operations.

What we found out at Refettorio Ambrosiano is WG Magazine had the opportunity to catch up with that we were not just feeding people. We were Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore... promoting social inclusion and well being. We were WG Magazine: What inspired you to create recreating a sense of dignity around the table. We Refettorio Ambrosiano and what was the idea were empowering the local community. Lara and me decided to found Food for Soul to replicate this behind it in? model all over the world and to make the values Massimo Bottura: The Refettorio Ambrosiano of beauty, hospitality and inclusion accessible to project was an experiment, our answer to the theme many more communities. launched during the Universal Exposition in 2015: Feed the Planet. But it turned out to be so much For this reason, Refettorio Ambrosiano (as all the more for us – and the people who got involved: it other Food for Soul’s projects) is NOT a pop-up, turned out to be a platform for discussion, ideas, but a permanent point of reference for everyone. It and action. At that time, numbers were already was truly significant to me that on last June 5th, the speaking out loud: one third of food we produce is day we were launching Refettorio Felix in London thrown away every year. Almost one billion people (our third major project), Refettorio Ambrosiano is undernourished. It was clear to me that these two was celebrating its second operational year. These issues were two sides of the same coin, and Expo places are created thinking about the long term was a great moment to raise awareness on them. goals of improving neighbourhoods, rearing the next generation of chefs and activists as well as By converting an abandoned theatre in a peripheral building self-esteem through inclusion. Sharing a area of Milan into a beautiful community kitchen, meal together is what it is all about.

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MASSIMO BOTTURA - FOOD FOR SOUL

Lara Gilmore tells us what Food for Soul is about…

REFETTORIO AMBROSIANO PHOTO © CARITAS AMBROSIANA

Food for Soul works to raise awareness on food waste and hunger as two sides of the same coin.

Our contemporary society is living something that we can only define a paradox: on one hand, more than one third of foodstuffs goes directly into the trash bin; on the other hand, an insane amount of people around the world is starving. By addressing both issues (food waste and food insecurity) as one, we hope to spread a message throughout communities at large.

We don’t want to have an impact only on the guests we welcome in our Refettorios, which are homeless, people in need and in socially vulnerable conditions. We want to have an impact on volunteers, chefs, companies, institutions, all the people involved that will then spread the same message in their own words. We create and sustain community kitchens by bringing together both public and private organisations, as well as professionals from diverse fields including chefs, artisans, food suppliers, artists and designers.

REFETTORIO AMBROSIANO PHOTO © EMANUELE COLOMBO

REFETTORIO AMBROSIANO PHOTO © PAOLO SAGLIA

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We source fresh, quality and in-date ingredients, that are perfectly edible but would otherwise go to waste, then transform them into delicious and nutritious multi-course meals which both employed staff and a dedicated team of volunteers help us serve. We invite high-profile chefs to offer their skills and know-how, helping us to raise awareness of the value of the food.

Our guests count both the homeless and individuals and families in situations of food poverty, food insecurity and social vulnerability. By using quality tableware and restaurant-style service, we want to make each guest feel valued and bring a sense of dignity back to the table. Our projects are infused with art, design and beauty to engage our guests in a holistic approach to nourishment: feed the body and the soul. More importantly, our community kitchens are not pop-up projects but are designed to last sustainably.

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PHOTO © CARITAS AMBROSIANA

REFETTORIO AMBROSIANO PHOTO © EMANUELE COLOMBO ZUCCHINI AND FETA FRITTERS

PHOTO © CARITAS AMBROSIANA

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MASSIMO BOTTURA - FOOD FOR SOUL

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO STIR FRIED LOBSTER WITH SPRING ONIONS AND RED ONIONS

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

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REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA BAKED OYSTER PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

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REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

WG Magazine: You have redefined the traditional soup kitchen by launching Food for Soul which is a cultural project…

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

Lara Gilmore: The goal of Food for Soul is not only to feed the body but the soul. For this reason we always include in all our projects the collaboration with artists, designers and architects. Art brings beauty, life and culture to the table. This kind of nourishment is about creating inviting spaces that generate well-being. We created Food for Soul because we saw at the Refettorio Ambrosiano that food can be a bridge between rich and poor, hunger and waste. It can be a bridge for people to create new communities around Nourishment.

What we learnt in Milan is that we don’t more soup kitchens, but more places where people can feel welcomed, included, and part of the community.

And this doesn’t only concern our guests, but everyone involved. The purpose of these projects is to stimulate, inspire and teach the next generation of chefs, food activists and policy makers to think about nourishing people not only with food, but with culture - because everyone can be the voice for change.

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

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MASSIMO BOTTURA - FOOD FOR SOUL

All Food for Soul projects wouldn’t come true without the contribution of strong and trustworthy sponsors, the collaboration of public and private institutions and the involvement of individuals. Food for Soul is constantly looking for donors, volunteers and technical partners that would allow them to build and run these excellent projects. Food for Soul is a transparent organization and its accountability and financial reports can be accessed on their website (www.foodforsoul.it)

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

WG Magazine: You have project around the world in various countries, any plans to start projects in Asia and Africa?

Lara Gilmore: We are working on the opening of new Refettorios around the world. It doesn’t only take to find the right location, or sponsorships: it takes to find the right operational partner, to involve the community, launch the call to action for volunteers. And then, even once the Refettorio is open, we insure that it can (and will) run on its own. Moreover, we are dreaming of connecting all these Refettorios in a useful network to share ideas, experiences, so that each experience can empower and inform the next. The door is always open to a Refettorio in Asia or Africa. When the right opportunity presents itself, we will be there.

What we have learned is that if you can dream it, then you can do it. By reaching out to as many cities around the world as possible and sticking together, we can find a solution to the issue of food waste and hunger as one. Together we can make the difference.

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CRISTINA RENI_FOOD FOR SOUL PROJECT MANAGER PHOTO © SIMON OWEN RED PHOTOGRAPHIC

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

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REFETTORIO AMBROSIANO PHOTO © PAOLO SAGLIA

REFETTORIO GASTROMOTIVA PHOTO © ANGELO DALBO

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MASSIMO BOTTURA - FOOD FOR SOUL

FRANCESCO MAZZEI

Food for Soul partnered with London food waste/ food poverty charity The Felix Project to launch its second major international project.

Refettorio Felix opened on 5 June during the month-long festival - the London Food Month.

PHOTO © SIMON OWEN RED PHOTOGRAPHIC

DANIEL BOULUD

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NUNO MENDES & MAURO COLAGRECO

THE CLINK

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JAMIE OLIVER’S FIFTEEN

ENRICO CEREA

MARGOT HENDERSON

GIORGIO LOCATELLI

JOHNNY LAKE

MICHEL ROUX JR

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MASSIMO BOTTURA - FOOD FOR SOUL

BRUNO LOUBET

CLARE SMYTH

ALAIN DUCASSE

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JAMES LOWE

JEAN PHILIPPE BLONDET

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BRETT GRAHAM

ANGELA HARNETT

LEANDRO CARREIRA

ANNA HANSEN & JESS MURPHY

More than 30 leading British and international chefs have already accepted the call to action from Massimo Bottura to cook in the Refettorio. So far those confirmed include: Alain Ducasse (along with Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester executive chef Jean-Philippe Blondet), Alberto Crisci (from The Clink Charity), Angela Hartnett, Anna Hansen, Antonio Favuzzi, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Brett Graham, Bruno Loubet, Clare Smyth, Claude Bosi, Damian Clisby, Daniel Boulud, Douglas McMaster, Enrico and Roberto Cerea, Francesco Mazzei, Giorgio Locatelli, Isaac McHale, James Lowe, Jason Atherton, Jess Murphy, Jonny Lake (Executive Head Chef The Fat Duck), Leandro Carreira, Lee Tiernan, Margot Henderson, Michel Roux Jr., Monica Galetti, Nuno Mendes (chef of Chiltern Firehouse), Oliver Peyton, Sat Bains, Roberto Ortiz, (head chef of Lima) and Robbin Holmgren (head chef of Fifteen).

MONICA GALLETTI

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HEINZ BECK

HEINZ BECK ODYSSEY AT THE

This summer, every evening until 30 September, Heinz Beck will be the guest of honor at the restaurant Odyssey at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo. Joël Robuchon and Christophe Cussac, have invited him to create a pop-up restaurant at the hotel to showcase some of his signature dishes.

Since its opening in 2013, the Odyssey has always given pride of place to high-end gastronomy. Each year it opens its doors during summer for non-resident guests, the summer evening embellish the décor which seems more enveloping.

Based on fresh, high-quality and seasonal ingredients, dishes are prepared with exemplary precision to guarantee their authentic taste. Known for his Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, Heinz Beck creates an unforgettable gastronomic experience, synonymous with Odyssey’s culinary concept and in line with the backdrop of Karl Lagerfeld’s Grecian mural.

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CHRISTOPHE CUSSAC, HEINZ BECK AND JOËL ROBUCHON PHOTO © STUDIOPHENIX

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HEINZ BECK

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SANDWICH DI TRIGLIA PHOTO ©JANEZ PUKSIC

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Born in Friedrichshafen, Germany, Italy then became his second home. This three Michelin-starred chef is widely known throughout Italy and Europe as a noteworthy master of modern gastronomy. His unique interpretations of the modern kitchen, Heinz Beck thoughtfully curates ingredients and implements innovative techniques to convey simple components into highly evocative dishes. He is one of the most acclaimed and world renowned Italian chefs in the world of gastronomy.

Since 1994, Heinz Beck has been managing the famous restaurant ‘La Pergola’ which overlooks the city of Rome with it’s a breathtaking view of the eternal city. Heinz Beck became famous for the attention to detail and creativity in his choices of ingredients and combination of flavours. La Pergola has become a temple of international gastronomy, historically the first and, still today, the only threestar Michelin in Rome.

Heinz enjoys reworking the basic Italian ingredients such as homemade dough and artisanal bread, whilst staying true to the Mediterranean culinary tradition. Furthermore, he introduces unusual and unexpected flavor combinations, whilst always taking into account their nutritional values; in fact he is a recognized specialist in that area.

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HEINZ BECK

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TORTELLINI ALLA PAPPA AL POMODORO E SCAMPI SU SALSA ALL’AGLIO ORSINO PHOTO ©JANEZ PUKSIC

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Its one-of-a-kind cuisine, is a fusion of genius and creativity; from the absolute quality of simply unique ingredients, it continues to set forth new tastes and new emotions coaxed from the real flavours of Italian and Mediterranean tradition.

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HEINZ BECK

For over a decade and a half, Heinz Beck has had important collaborations with national and international scientists, as well as Italian universities, concerning the good balance between food and health. Today, Beck consults several businesses, offering the same attention to detail that his guests receive at his three Michelin-starred restaurant ‘La Pergola’ in Rome, as well as in all his restaurants worldwide, it is a testament to the genius of Heinz Beck.

A genius of our time in which different attitudes evolve into different arts… Since 2005, Heinz Beck has been widely awarded, the highest distinctions awarded by Bibenda, Gambero Rosso and Espresso. In 2013, he became the first Italian chef to win the ‘Six Star Diamond Award’ awarded by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences and the first in Italy to obtain such acknowledgement. The Gold Medal at the Foyer of Artists, an international prize awarded for the first and only time in 40 years to a chef, and the Knight of the Order of Merit from the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2014, he was given the title ‘Chef of the Year’ by the ‘Identita Golose’, the famous International congress of Gastronomy which is held annually in Milan.

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His profound understanding of the culinary culture is revealed in several of his books - ‘L’ingrediente Segreto’, ‘Finger Food’, ‘Arte e Scienza del Servizio’, ‘PASTA by Heinz Beck’. Always been fascinated by pasta, which is a complete food and basis of Mediterranean diet. It provides complex carbohydrates, energy to slower release, a low glycemic index, a good source of protein and, finally, low in fat. Apart from its nutritional aspects, pasta makes room for creativity: for this reason after his book, “Heinz Beck”, he decided that pasta was the perfect matter to write a book about.

SPAGHETTI ACQUA DI POMODORO E TARTUFI DI MARE PHOTO ©JANEZ PUKSIC

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HEINZ BECK

THE PRIVILEGE OF DINING BENEATH THE STARS AT THE ODYSSEY SUMMER EVENINGS FURTHER EMBELLISH THE DECOR, WHICH SUDDENLY SEEMS MORE ENVELOPING. EVEN THE DISHES SEEM TASTIER...

KARL LAGERFELD PHOTO © EMANUELE SCORCELLETTI

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While the Odyssey should certainly be experienced by day, it also comes alive at night with the arrival of spring and warmer temperatures. This experience, which attains its apotheosis in summer, can even be extended into the pursuit of an Indian summer. At nightfall, everything becomes denser, with sharper relief allowing for subtle plays of light. The pool water adds its shimmering sparkle. The characters in the large photographic wall fresco -the center piece of this concept imagined and created by Karl Lagerfeld- become almost real thanks to wonderful lighting. Encircled in gold, the lounge with its comfortable armchairs and generous bench seats invites guests to take a short pause before going out to the terrace and its tables, all in elegant black and white.

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ODYSSEY PHOTO © C.LARIT

ODYSSEY PHOTO © C.LARIT

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ALBERT ADRIÀ

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ENIGMA

“A combination of two factors, on the one hand the evolution of thinking about a new restaurant experience combined with the closure of the 41º and its fusion with this concept” adds Albert Adrià.

It all began when in January 2011, the same year that elBulli would close its doors forever, a cocktail bar opened on Avenida Paralelo, Barcelona named 41º, which would focus on a dialogue between the worlds of cocktails and snacks.

The 41º Experience was born as the year came to a close, the project evolved from its original intentions to be re-invented as a complete gastronomic experience; a full realization of the dialogue which was initiated earlier that year.

Two years later in 2013, 41º led by a team of 19 staff for 16 guests was awarded a Michelin star and the following year 41º was ranked among the 100 best restaurants in the world according to Restaurant Magazine.

PHOTO © PEPO SEGURA

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ALBERT ADRIÀ

the areas that make up Enigma...

The Cellar (La Cava) The Counter (La Barra) The Grill (La Plancha) Dinner and 41º

In August 2014, aware of the immense potential of the concept, the team and the identity that was built, Albert decided to close its doors due to a lack of space and facilities to properly execute the true vision of 41º at its fullest potential. The venue would be absorbed by Tickets and transformed into la Dolça, a space dedicated to desserts.

The future and potential of 41º would have to wait two more years before it could become a reality…

Enigma… After over two years of complex work and intensive planning, January 2017, finally saw Enigma open its doors. Just up the street from where the idea began its life as an embryo. Although the team, the philosophy and the vision originate from that small space on Avenida Paralelo, Enigma is not just an ad hoc evolution of the finger food and cocktails experience created in 41º. It’s entirely something else.

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KWONGADRIÀ ALBERT WAI KEUNG

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Enigma presents a new way of living the experience of a guest in a restaurant, guests begin a carefully curated journey that escalates throughout the night, in which a team of staff prepare, serve, and explain - or maybe not - nearly 40 elaborations.

Enigma is an evanescent landscape, profound and timeless, allowing guests to disconnect from the everyday life and be carried away by the creative world of Albert…

It does not seek to be the new elBulli nor does it intends to create a new gastronomic revolution.

It is simply the highest expression of Albert Adrià, not only as a chef but, perhaps more importantly, as a creative mind: the respect for produce, the versatility, the surprise and eye for details. Risktaking, bold and reckless. The constant evolution.

As in all his projects, Albert has always paid special attention to the Welcome Act… guest introduce the code which they were provided the moment their reservation was confirmed and, after being welcome by the hostess, guests are invited into a neutral space that introduces them to the colors and materials of the venue: steel, ceramic, and glass. In this first area, the intention is that the guest becomes comfortable and forgets about the outside world in order to be prepared for the experience ahead of them.

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OLIVER PEÑA - ENIGMA

WG Magazine catches up with Oliver Peña, Head Chef of Enigma...

OLIVER PEÑA PHOTO © PEPO SEGURA

Since an early age of 16, Oliver was already attracted to the culinary world because ‘I liked food and loved to eat’ adds Oliver. He began working as a waiter at the age of 17 and after five years of working as a helper in different restaurants and managing to do a one-year course at the Escuela de Hosteler Hofmann. Oliver then moved to Seville as he got the opportunity to work at Hacienda Benazuza (elBulliHotel, 2*) where he discovered a new world of understanding and organizing a kitchen.

Oliver recalls “For me to be part of Hacienda Benazuza was the big turning point of who I am and where I am today. There I met incredible cooks, everything was very intense and I learned a lifestyle where everything spins around the kitchen. I fell in love with that spirit and I understood that this was what I wanted to do professionally. On top of that I wasn’t bad at cooking either!”

After working in Tragabuches and Comerç 24 in 2014, Oliver joined the 41º team as a Head Chef.

Since then, everything has been work and work, which he hopes will never end.

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KWONGPEÑA OLIVER WAI KEUNG - ENIGMA

OLIVER PEÑA, ALBERT ADRIÀ, JORDI SAAVEDRA AND DIEGO GRIMBERG

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WG Magazine: Oliver Peña describes his culinary philosophy and takes us to creating a new dish at Enigma…

Oliver Peña: The premise at Enigma is the flavor… if we have to use a technique in order to enhance the flavor, or to help on the construction of a dish, then we use it, but one must be able to close their eyes when eating one of the dishes at Enigma and clearly be able to recognize what they are eating.

We usually start from the produce when creating a new dish… which means seasonal produce that don’t last much and that we push to use on their natural and best season, an example is the sea urchin, the white asparagus, peas, baby fava beans, black truffle…

WG Magazine: What are your favorite ingredients you like working with and what new ingredient inspires you?

Oliver Peña: There are a lot of ingredients which I like to work with, I couldn’t pick just one but it is true that I feel more comfortable working with seafood.

As new ingredients, I could highlight the abalone, which we’ve been working with for months and that now has been added into the menu at Enigma recently. In Asia is very common but we are not used to it in Catalunya. I think that the meaty texture that it has, accompanied by the liver sauce we add to it, it makes it a very special dish.

I still remember an abalone liver dish I tried 3 years ago in Japan, in a sushi place in Kyoto, I’ll never forget.

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OLIVER PEÑA - ENIGMA

WG Magazine: What is the most challenging ingredient to work with?

Oliver Peña: Any vegetable. They deserve the same respect which has any other ingredient, but in order to make it magical or to have people appreciating it is harder than any meat or sea product. But I think that is more like a general think we have in occident, which we are not paying respect to the vegetables as they deserve. In Japan and Korea, for instance, there is a different perception as per the vegetables world, there people really value them in any restaurant.

WG Magazine: What is your greatest influence in the kitchen?

Oliver Peña: All the places which I visit on my days off or the places I travel to on my holidays. From each trip we take ideas, inspirations, sensations which sooner or later we end up using when creating a new dish.

WG Magazine: Tell us about your special cooking techniques behind your signature dishes and innovative cuisine?

Oliver Peña: As I mentioned earlier, the techniques we’ve used during these years, mostly thank to Albert, Ferran and all the team from elBulli for sharing them with the rest of us. Nowadays we are so much integrated, that we don’t realize these are modern techniques. 10 years ago, to talk about spherification it was like talking about an unknown technique, and everybody tried to incorporate it in their dishes in a very rough way. Now I think we’ve reached a point where we applied techniques without the need of showing off, always giving priority to the flavor above all.

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OLIVER PEÑA, CRISTINA LOSADA, ALBERT ADRIÀ AND MARC ÁLVAREZ

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WG Magazine: Creativity, Technique or Produce, what’s most important?

Oliver Peña: Definitely a balance among the three of them, without any doubt. A good product, cooked with a wrong technique can be a big failure… As per creativity, I think it depends a lot on the venue where you cook and who you cook for.

Of course you can’t expect the same from everyone, as long as the product and the technique are being respected and respectful, it will always make the result something better.

WG Magazine: What keeps you motivated at this point in your career?

Oliver Peña: To wake up knowing I have a lot to learn although I am only 35, I’ve been cooking for the past 18 years and every day I am learning new things which are related to the world of gastronomy.

That is truly incredible and priceless. The comfort zone is nonexistent in our world. Luckily.

WG Magazine: Tell us about the experience working alongside the world’s best chef Albert Adrià at Enigma?

Oliver Peña: It’s a luck. The intensity which spreads (in a positive way), to know we are alive, the motivation which generates by seeing chef and his career, into each one of his six restaurants that he has in Barcelona, it makes us to spread this to the rest of the team in a very natural way. And all this, I think is reflected in the final result (the dishes, the service) that the client gets.

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

CLOU is a very personal restaurant of chef owner Jonathan Berntsen, opened in late 2012 when three small shops merged into a restaurant, back then brothers, Alexander and Jonathan Berntsen started out the restaurant with Alexander the sommelier and ran the front of the house, and Jonathan the chef.

JONATHAN BERNTSEN

Located in an concrete buildings inhabited by a slew of dry cleaners, laundromats, upholsters and shoemakers, supermarkets, roads that are mainly used for parking spaces and a big old fashioned gas station halfway down the street. This is how one could describe the street of Borgergade in the center of Copenhagen, a hop, skip and a jump from the historic D’Angleterre hotel.

This undisputed gem of the street is located in number 16. As you lean in towards the tinted windows, you can just barely look into the room inside. When you step in through the main door you immediately get a feeling of warmth and homeliness. The place is Clou – a highly popular restaurant that dazzles diners with its highly creative Photo © Thomas Hommelgaard approach towards cooking.

Jonathan’s culinary journey began at an early age, started at a young age, always knowing that he wanted to be a chef. His mother took him seriously when she noticed his keen interest in the kitchen, she started to share her culinary knowledge with Jonathan. Years later he honed his culinary skills with Jacob Mielke, Christoph Dufau and Rasmus Groenbech who helped him form as a chef today.

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PHOTO © HANS LAURENDEAU, SHOOT STUDIO

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

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Southern European Cuisine, classic with an unusual, extraordinary twist...

At CLOU, Jonathan does it differently from the way chefs in other restaurants do it, a menu that changes about once a month and sometimes more often when wine suppliers visit, Jonathan sits and taste the different wines, once he finds a good wine then he starts to think of the dish with seasonal ingredients. The food and wine combinations has been the key at the restaurant since the beginning.

In fact, it is what’s most important at CLOU. Having done his culinary education in France, he uses classic techniques and prides on the best Danish produce to create dishes and make it his own by adding his own special twist to it – a Southern European cuisine with an international twist. This makes CLOU unique.

One Michelin star is all about high quality cooking, using quality ingredients, and dishes with distinct flavors that are prepared to a consistently high standard. In 2013, CLOU received one star from the Guide Michelin. Jonathan adds “I believe you have to be the very best in a specific category, there are amazing restaurants in Copenhagen yet there weren’t really any restaurants like ours. We bring a classical Southern European cooking to Denmark and give it a special twist. That combined with the way we create our menus makes CLOU unique to be awarded a star”.

RAZOR CLAMS, OYSTER, SEA SALADE, CAVIAR & ICE COLD RAZOR CLAM BOULLION

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

WG Magazine catches up with Jonathan Berntsen…

WG Magazine: It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking, tell us how you found your way into the culinary field to become one of the most innovative and the most sought-after chef?

Jonathan Berntsen: I was extremely lucky to grow up in a family where gastronomy and wine were appreciated a great deal.

My mother used a lot of time every day to make a lovely dinner for us all and even when we travelled, my parents they would always found the best places to dine. I remember my first fine dining experience as a 5-6 year old at the “Auberge de Lille” as stunning. Already as a kid I knew that I would become a chef on day and have my own fish restaurant – the fish restaurant I haven’t got yet, but so far so good.

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CHIPIRONES EN SU TINTA MY WAY; SQUID, IBERICO PORK & INK.

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

PHOTO © JESPER RAIS

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WG Magazine: Creative, unique and delectable cuisine inspired by the Mediterranean… a fine dining experience in perfect harmony. A homage to the palate – a balance between flavors and aromas sparkles delightfully in the mouth - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Jonathan Berntsen: We spent a lot of time creating and testing our dishes. Our starting point is always “what would we love to have ourselves”. I love the South European cuisine and the great classics and I must say that they are an inspiration all the time.

WG Magazine: You honed your culinary skills and techniques in France – could you share your experiences and how did it help to form who you are as a chef today?

Jonathan Berntsen: I have always been intrigued with the French cuisine, and as a young cook I suddenly decided to pack up my knives and kissed my high school sweet heart goodbye and leave Denmark. In South France, in a mountain village called Tourettes sur Loup, I got a stage at “Les Bacchanales” - a one-starred restaurant with Christophe Dufau as Chef. We were only two in the very, very small kitchen with a set menu on 5 dishes and a cheese serving. The menu changed every week and the inspiration was found at the Nice-market every Thursday. It was the time of my life and very tough ended. I lived at the restaurants dry store and my pay was knowledge – a lot of it.

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

It’s one of the most famous and exclusive epicurean delicacies in the world. And yet, it is so simple.

Nothing but fish eggs and salt.

Neither one means much without the other, but together, the outcome is culinary alchemy.

Jonathan frequently plays with the creation of new dishes with the precious roe...

WG Magazine: Pairing is usually food matched with wine combination – it may sound unusual but at Clou the starting point is the wine and then you match the food… Tell us about this award winning pairings at Clou – a luxurious dining with a selection of the finest caviar and magnum champagnes; and the inspiration behind this luxurious pairing.

Jonathan Berntsen: We do a lot of wine tastings at CLOU and it has become our way of working, finding the wine before even thinking about a dish to make for it, acutely it has become our trademark.

First all nuances in the wine are noted and from there we start selecting produce. To make the perfect match, acidity, salt, sweetness, bitterness and umami is key. We test the dishes for the wines and adjust them to perfection.

When we started working like this it was very difficult, but now it’s the most natural thing in the world and we could never go back.

The inspiration behind our recently Caviar & Champagne dinner can be found in the classic norm for the two to go very well hand in hand. What made the evening very exiting was the many types of different caviar and champagnes – all very intense and complex and very interesting to make both starters, mains and desserts with.

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PHOTO © JESPER RAIS

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Eight Course Pairing...

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Oyster & Oscietra Selection

Magnum Dampierre CuvĂŠe de Ambassadeurs Oysters & Caviar goes hand in hand, no surprise there, and in this way the fresh cold oyster mixed with creamy Oscietra and olive oil really takes the combinations into new heights, in this case, served with dry champagne and even better

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Fresh Goat Milk & Baerii Prestige

Magnum Dampierre Cuvée de Ambassadeurs Fresh goat’s milk has a clean yet “animal” flavours that I believe goes even better for the Baerii Presige caviar than normal crème fraise.

PHOTO © JESPER RAIS

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

Danish Octopus, Celeriac, Yuzu, Dill & White Sturgeon Caviar

Magnum Taittinger Brut Reserve Magnum Pierre Peters Brut Cuvée de Reserve Danish octopus, celeriac, yuzu, dill combined is a fresh and ice cold start where the ladies favorite caviar, the mild White Sturgeon caviar, fits in perfectly.

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Razor Clam, Blue Poppy Seeds & Oscietra Selection

Magnum 2009 Taittinger Brut Vintage Magnum 2009 Louis Roederer Brut Vintage The razor clam royal has become somewhat of a signature dish at CLOU. The acidity of the Oscietra Caviar matches the gentle flavours from the seafood and the black net of dried, pressed and sweetened caviar gives the dish a third dimension.

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

Ox Tenderloin, Quail’s Egg Yolk & Sevruga Magnum Ruinart Brut Rosé Magnum 2006 Charles Heidsieck Rosé Vintage

Sevruga is a type of caviar you don’t come across all the time. When talking about farmed caviar, the Sevruga is extremely difficult to farm and it takes many years for the fish to be mature. The waiting time is worth it all though - a powerful caviar with a lot of depth and the perfect partner for mature meats.

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Monkfish, Lotus, Sauce Mousseline & Gold Selection

Magnum 2008 R&L Legras St-Vincent Vintage Magnum 2008 André Clouet Les Clos de Bouzy The Gold Selection is a caviar with great terroir - round, creamy deepearthy flavours. This type of fish eggs are very nice for heavy fish dishes - just like the monkfish.

PHOTO © JESPER RAIS

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

Lobster, Piment, Bisque, Baerii Prestige Magnum 2000 Comtes de Champagne Vintage Magnum 2006 Comtes de Champagne Vintage

Baerii Prestige is a Baerii caviar, special selected, matured longer and salted different. It’s powerful like no other and it can handle powerful dishes. To mix the Baerii Prestige with lobster bisque will even make the most talented chefs cry of pure happiness.

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Lime, Banan, Yoghurt & Baerii Prestige Salt can really lift up most desserts - so why not use caviar instead. A little Baerii Prestige on the fresh dessert makes all the difference.

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

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ROYALE OF SUN CHOKE TRUFFLE SALSA, RAW NORWIGIEN SCALLOP & 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRUFFLES

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WG Magazine: Could you describe your culinary philosophy, and what inspires the creation of a new dish?

Jonathan Berntsen: My cuisine is described as classic with an extra ordinary twist and it is absolutely true.

We don’t fire, smoke or powder all over the plate, but make real food that looks like food, but with a small surprise – a texture or flavor you wouldn’t expect.

As said, the wine is definitely the greatest inspiration to make a perfect dish – I really don’t like to look back on one specific – we planned from the start that every time we change the menu, we will make it better than the last – of course I have some signature combinations and if they enter the menu again it only if we can improve the dish.

WG Magazine: What new ingredients inspires you, your favorite ingredients and is there any ingredient that you have not been able to master?

Jonathan Berntsen: I love fish and seafood in general and the ocean inspires me a lot – but lately I have worked on vegetarian dishes – it’s more difficult for me and therefore very interesting. We have a vegetarian dish on the set menu now and it’s one of the guest’s favorites. I try to find the best produce in Denmark, organic if I can, but lemons from Denmark doesn’t taste the same as them from Amalfi Coast, so we’re not local in our selection.

I love the old school luxurious produce and caviar has become something we work with a lot.

As you may have already understood the CLOU cuisine is Mediterranean, but the tendency in Copenhagen is in general formed by the new Nordic cuisine. I’m not trained in this and there are many aspects of it that requires great knowledge and techniques.

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

WG Magazine: The techniques behind your innovative signature cuisine?

Jonathan Berntsen: When we make a new dish and its placed right there in front of us, we always look for something to make it even better. For example; our caviar and razor clam dish was flavor-wise perfect – I was asking my team “is there any way that we can make this lovely dish even better?” Somebody in the kitchen said “only way this can become more crazy is if you make a net of caviar”. This was meant as a joke but we did the net and our guests are shocked when they are told what the crispy, black net is made of.

WG Magazine: What keeps Jonathan Berntsen motivated?

Jonathan Berntsen: I started CLOU with my right hand and sous chef Martin – we really enjoy seeing our success with the restaurant and happy guests but what drives us is to see how far our talent reaches.

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AMUSE BOUCHE; OYSTER, PASSIONFRUIT & GINGER

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JONATHAN BERNTSEN

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WG Magazine: Your greatest influence in the kitchen…

Jonathan Berntsen: 2016 Danish Restaurant of the Year, one Michelin star and winning the famous Copa Jerez competition.

WG Magazine: So what was the feeling to be awarded the Michelin star and to win the Copa Jerez competition?

Jonathan Berntsen: Receiving the star blew my mind.

It came very early and a bit unexpected – it took some time to understand what had happened and it really gave us the eager to work even harder.

Winning the Copa Jerez was crazy. We entered an international competition as a “wild card” against restaurants with both 2 and 3 Michelin stars. The judges were idols like; Juli Soler, Josep Roca, José Carlos Capel, Doug Frost, Angel León and Ronan Sayburn. We did what we always do, and I remember telling my father before leaving for Spain, that “now it will really show if I can cook or not”. I won the title as “Best Chef” and we came in as overall winners of the whole competition.

WG Magazine: Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, what advice you could give chefs entering the kitchen for the first time…

Jonathan Berntsen: Let your personality show in your cuisine and don’t cook after what is popular just now – create what you wish yourself.

PHOTO © JESPER RAIS

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JUNGSIK YIM

WG talks to the chef credited with putting New Korean Cuisine on the map; Chef Jungsik of the two Michelinstarred NY restaurant, Jungsik!

JUNGSIK YIM A New World of Korean Cuisine...

It would not be unfair to credit Chef Jungsik Yim with instigating the rise of modern Korean dining.

When Yim first opened restaurant Jungsik in Seoul in 2009, New Korean Cuisine was not yet part of global culinary consciousness. While Korean barbecue and kimchi were beginning to make notable waves in Europe and the US, the concept of ‘Korean fine-dining’ was alien to most food critics and amateur foodies alike. Chef Yim aimed to change that.

“I wanted to show people a new side to Korean food,” he says. “That there’s so much more to Korean cooking than barbecue and kimchi. My TEXT RHIANNON SHEPHERD dream was to reinvent Korean cooking in a simple and modern way; to offer a contemporary version of traditional Korean cuisine that had never been seen before.”

And that he did.

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JUNGSIK YIM

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OCTOPUS AND GOCHUJANG AIOLI PHOTO ©JUNGSIK

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UNI RICE PHOTO © MATTY KIM

“I wanted to show people a new side to Korean food.

There is so much more to Korean cooking than barbecue and kimchi.”

Jungsik Yim

Chef Yim first discovered his talent for cooking while undergoing his mandatory South Korean military service in his early twenties. He was called into the barrack kitchens to cover for a sick chef, and never left. He did such a good job, he says, he ended up replacing the original cook.

“It was the first time in my life I felt I had found a talent,” says the chef. “It was the first time I thought to myself, ‘wow, I’m actually pretty good at this’.”

Chef Yim went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America, working in kitchens in both New York and Spain, before returning to Seoul to open restaurant Jungsik in 2009, on his birthday. “That was the proudest moment of my life,” says Yim, “Opening the doors to my first restaurant that day.”

Chef Yim’s choice to name the restaurant after himself has a deeper meaning than may first appear to non-Korean speakers: ‘Jungsik’ in Korean literally means ‘formal dinner’; an apt namesake for a world-class chef.

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JUNGSIK YIM

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“The chef aims to do-away with preconceived notions of what it means to ‘dine Korean.’”

Yim went on to open a sister restaurant in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood in 2011. The restaurant became the first Korean eatery in the world to be awarded a Michelin star in 2012, gaining yet another in 2014. Jungsik Seoul was awarded one Michelin Star upon the fine-dining guide’s inaugural publication in South Korea last year. A total of 24 restaurants in the country made the coveted list.

In 2014, Jungsik Seoul moved locations, and now occupies an impressive, specially-built four story building in Gangnam’s affluent Apgujeong neighborhood. The expansion represents what is the city’s increasing interest in and passion for different kind of higher-end Korean dining.

Although the ever-popular Korean pork belly (samgupsal) and fermented spicy cabbage (kimchi) do make appearances on Yim’s extensive tasting menu, the chef aims to do-away with preconceived notions of what it means to ‘dine Korean.’

From a beautifully presented gujeolpan, meaning ‘platter of nine delicacies’, to banchan (Korean side dishes) inspired amuse-bouche, and a memorable dessert in the shape of Jeju island’s dolhareubang fertility statues, Jungsik’s menu offers diners a dynamic culinary journey through Korean culture and history. Award-winning sommeliers curate impressive wine pairing lists, while guests can also choose from traditional Korean alcohol soju, and makkeoli (Korean rice wine) based cocktails.

GUJEOLPAN PHOTO ©JUNGSIK

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“North Korean food is something anyone is really yet to explore!”

On the first floor of Jungsik Seoul is Jungsik Bar, a relatively new addition to the Jungsik brand, opened in 2015. “The wine scene in South Korea is becoming very exciting,” says bar captain Hwangbo Woong, “We’re proud to offer one of the most extensive wine-by-the-glass lists in Seoul.”

In addition to a variety of natural and bio-dynamic wines, Jungsik Bar also serves a choice of tapasinspired bar foods and dishes from Jungsik’s tasting menu, aimed at walk-in diners unable to reserve a table at the notoriously popular restaurant upstairs.

Having conquered contemporary Korean dining and made a name in Seoul’s wine-scene, what’s next for the innovative chef? “I’d like to get creative with North Korean food,” says Yim. “It’s very different to South Korean food; very plain, very simple. North Korean food is something anyone is really yet to explore!”

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CHEONGDAM PIE PHOTO ©JUNGSIK

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GUILLAUME GALLIOT

No one would question that Guillaume Galliot is a French chef of the highest caliber of gastronomic tradition. If his expertise lies in his classical French technique, his talent is found among the myriad flavours brought in perfect harmony on each plate.

GUILLAUME GALLIOT

Born in the town of Chambray-Les-Tours in the Loire Valley, Galliot found his passion, and wanderlust, quite young. Working under the twin brothers Chef Jacques and Laurent Pourcel at three Michelin star Jardin des Sens, Galliot expanded on his culinary school training, sharpening his skills while exploring the lighter touch of the Mediterranean. While there, he worked for a time in pastry, an experience that left him with an appreciation of the precision of the pastry arts, and a deeper understanding of how dessert unifies with a full dĂŠgustation menu.

After stints consulting in New York and Saint BarthĂŠlemy in the Caribbean, the urge to see the world pulled Galliot east until he landed in Singapore, becoming, at the age of 23, the youngest sous chef in the history of the iconic Raffles Hotel.

The chance to keep exploring the tastes and techniques of Chinese cuisine eventually took Galliot to the Raffles Hotel Beijing, a fortuitous posting as it allowed him to be part of the 2008 Olympic festivities.

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GUILLAUME GALLIOT

CAPRICE

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In 2010 Galliot received the opportunity to bring his unique culinary vision to life. At The Tasting Room by Galliot in the City of Dreams, Macau, he drew on his personal culinary journey to craft a truly modern French fine dining experience. In the first year, the restaurant was recognized with one star in the Michelin Guide, an accolade he maintained for four consecutive years until achieving the coveted two Michelin star rating in 2016 and 2017, and was number 39 on S. Pellegrino’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

As one of the leading faces of contemporary French gastronomy, Guillaume Galliot joins of the most talented teams in one of the most breathtaking restaurants in Asia - the Caprice, a Michelin 2-Star restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Kong Kong, as Chef de Cuisine.

“Caprice has been one of my favorite French restaurants in Hong Kong. I have gone there often since I moved to Macau more than six years ago. It is a privilege to join the Caprice team and have the opportunity to continue what Chef Vincent Thierry started and Chef Fabrice Vulin contributed during their tenures,” says Chef Galliot. “The restaurant is beautiful, with a great open kitchen and an amazing harbour view from the dining room.

Great produce, wine list and some of the best cheese selection in town. I’m really looking forward to joining the dynamic team at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong.”

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GUILLAUME GALLIOT

Chef Guillaume Galliot, one of the leading faces of contemporary French gastronomy, is to join the team at Caprice, a Michelin 2-Star restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Kong Kong, as Chef de Cuisine.

WG Magazine catches up with Guillaume Galliot…

WG Magazine: It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Tell us how you found your way into the culinary field to become one of the most sought-after Chef in the world!

CAPRICE

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Guillaume Galliot: When I was 12 years old I already knew I want to be a chef, the school canteen served terrible food and I told my mother I want to cook my own lunch boxes, slowly followed by family dinners. At the age of 15, I started a one week training in my hometown restaurant, at 16, which is the legal age to work in France, I started a two year apprenticeship where exams were to be taken at the end to determine whether I had mastered the rudiments in a restaurant kitchen. Then, I moved on to work in a one Michelin starred restaurant and the three Michelin starred Jardin des Sens, Raffles Hotel Singapore, Raffles Hotel Beijing, The Tasting Room in Macau and eventually ended up in the beautiful Caprice.

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NAGE DE LANGOUSTINES, FRICASSÉE DE PETIT POIS ET FÈVES

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GUILLAUME GALLIOT

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WG Magazine: You bring contemporary French gastronomy to one of the most celebrated restaurants with your Classical French Cuisine, a composition of flavors brought in perfect harmony on each plate - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Guillaume Galliot: What I create is what I like to eat, I have culminated 20 years of experience on how to bring balance on a plate. Usually, it will never go wrong if you pair ingredients of the same season together. Same as wine and cheese pairing, if you pair the two from the same region, the flavour complements each other. Take winter ingredients as example, chestnut goes well with pumpkin, which also goes well with hazelnut.

WG Magazine: Tell us about your experiences with Chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel; and how did this help you are as a chef today?

Guillaume Galliot: Jardin des Sens is a family business and I spent four years with them and became part of the family, understanding their culinary philosophies and aligning goals. Apart from sticking to the roles of being a chef, the family did everything including valet, sourcing ingredients, cleaning up etc. Running a successful kitchen has many more elements than what meets the eye. I came from a city in France and having worked in South of France, I mastered how to cook lighter.

South of France cooks with olive oil while where I came from butter is added to everything.

PIGEON RÔTI, CUISSES CONFITES, VARIATION DE BETTERAVES ET SAUCE PORTO

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WG Magazine: Could you describe your culinary philosophy, and take us through the process you go through to creating a new dish and what inspired the best you have created?

Guillaume Galliot: To describe my culinary philosophy in simple words, I would say is purity, straight forwardness, product driven and honest. I do not put too many ingredients on a plate, each element in the dish has a reason of existence. I like to use fresh ingredients and enhance the natural flavours with techniques and spices.

Take the Crab Laksa with Confit Egg, Leeks, Coriander, Hazelnut and Sudachi Lime dish as example, I created it for the Michelin Gala last November and has swiftly became one of my signature dishes. When I create a dish, I go for what pleases my palate, I love Laksa, and my wife is from Singapore, I look at seasonal ingredients at that time, winter is great for crabs and that is where my inspiration came from. Me and my team tasted the dish, adjusted it and it took us three weeks to perfect it.

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LAKSA DE CRABE ET OEUF CONFIT, POIREAUX, CORIANDRE, NOISETTES ET CITRON SUDACHI

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TARTARE BOEUF-HUÃŽTRE ET CAVIAR

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WG Magazine: What new ingredients inspire you, your favourite ingredients and is there any ingredients that you weren’t able to master?

Guillaume Galliot: Summer is coming and I would want to bring tomatoes back into the menu.

Seasonal ingredients, lime, butter and salt are my obsessions. Take lime as an example, you can use the inside of the lime to make marmalade, the skin to bring the flavours out from lamb and fish. I like ingredients that are versatile and bring out the flavours of the dish.

I am not particularly fond of intestines, gizzards, brains, I do not know how to appreciate the flavours and the texture. Molecular cuisine is also something that I would gear towards as I am not trained to create molecular dishes.

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

Guillaume Galliot: I like to use cocotte, you can cook with or without the lid on, roast meat on the pan or cook a stew. Different from sous vide where you set the temperature and time and leave it there to do the magic, you need to give love to the dishes you cook in a cocotte, constantly checking the meat or to give it a stir.

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GUILLAUME GALLIOT

WG Magazine: Produce, Creativity or Technique‌ Guillaume Galliot: All of the above complements each other, any one of the factors contribute to a good dish and a discerning gourmand will definitely be able to taste if anything is missing.

WG Magazine: What keeps you motivated at this point of your career?

Guillaume Galliot: I am still young, still have a lot to prove myself for and a lot to learn. Like I recently went out for team dinner with my chefs and I discovered that I like razor clams with glass noodles, constantly exploring ingredients and flavours are what I like to do in this new city.

WG Magazine: Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, what advice could you give to chefs who are entering the kitchen for the first time?

Guillaume Galliot: Work hard, do not jump steps.

I learnt how to cook in school and went through apprenticeship, and got up the ladder step by step.

You will need the time and experience when you cook for 60 people, 356 days a year, with the same level of consistency and perfection.

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PEPE MONCAYO

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PEPE MONCAYO BAM! an unusual creative pairing...

Spanish influenced food and sake!

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PEPE MONCAYO

A Spanish chef through and through, Pepe Moncayo is not one to be pigeonholed by geography when it comes to food. Steeped in a rich Catalonian heritage, his cuisine is injected with a worldly culinary sensibility, driven by the finest ingredients of the season.

BAM! Spanish influenced food and sake… an unusual creative pairing, Pepe Moncayo’s gastronomic creativity proves a point at Singapore’s Tapas & Sake Gastro Bar – BAM. No stranger to Singapore and having spent a few years at the now-defunct Michelin-starred Santi as Chef de Cuisine adds “Culinary ethnicities aside, sake goes amazingly with food, it is that simple.”

Having worked in several Michelin-starred establishments, Pepe holds high regard to colors, flavours and textures when it comes to bringing about the ooh-so-irresistible heavenly indulgences.

Paying close attention to his every creation, each tapas dish is painstakingly plated to give you a visual appetizer; and each bite is carefully planned and paired to excite, surprise, warm and pleasure.

Despite his professional stature, the suave Spaniard is a sincere and humble soul. When lavished with praises by his satisfied diners, he brushes it off and modestly states that it is just ‘simple food’. Truly great food is not just about the best techniques, hard work, and freshest ingredients - it is also about cooking with heart. This is probably what makes an accomplished chef.

Pepe Moncayo explains “Tapas are the appetizers and snacks in Spanish cuisine but what makes BAM!’s dishes really stand out is the surprising culinary marriage of Catalonia and Japanese using only the freshest and season’s peak ingredients locally and overseas.”

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COLD CAPELLINI, SAKURA EBI, UNI, CITRON CONFIT, HAZELNUT OIL, NORI

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PEPE MONCAYO

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First introduced to the “Modern Shudo” way whilst visiting a brewery in Japan during his travels, Pepe was immediately drawn to how sake brings out the “umami” flavours of food, adding a divine dimension to cuisine from around the world. This discovery eventually set the stage for his culinary output at BAM!, where each of his desirable creations is paired with exceptionally complied libations from the cellar.

To many, however, we know the difference does not only stop here as Pepe Moncayo now writes the next chapter of BAM! by focusing on its well-loved omakase, which has gained a reputation through the years for its affordability and sake pairing dexterity.

Omakase (お任せ in Japanese), meaning ‘I entrust to you’, is an ever-evolving dining experience that consists of dishes selected and coursed entirely by the chef. At BAM! guests are taken through a gastronomic journey of chef Pepe’s life experiences, each meal designed to be unreservedly different from the next. “By focusing on our omakase offering, we are able to put our best efforts behind a single free-form menu that showcases the season’s peak ingredients at their freshest, without being bound by any pre-conceived notions of cuisine style or signature dishes,” explains Pepe.

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PEPE MONCAYO

At the 17th edition of San Sebastian Gastronomika in 2015, Pepe showcase his culinary skills with his inspired Singaporean dishes which gained international attention.

WG Magazine catches up with Pepe Moncayo… Pepe Moncayo: WG Magazine: It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Tell us how you found your way into the culinary field?

Pepe Moncayo: I started cooking at home when I was 13 as a means to survive. My mother had just passed away and none of us including my father had a clue about cooking. I found myself enjoying cooking and the shopping for ingredients as time went by. When the time came for me to choose my career five years later, I knew what I wanted to do.

WG Magazine: Creative and unique, a concept which you introduced ‘Modern Shudo’ pairing sake with Spanish influenced food and omakase – a balance between flavors and aromas that sparkles a delight on the palate - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Pepe Moncayo: We are the first ‘Modern Shudo’ restaurant in Singapore to introduce the local palate to the contemporary way of appreciating sake through food. I was first introduced to the idea while visiting a brewery in Japan during my travels, and was inspired to recreate a similar experience with cuisine from all around the world. Sake goes very well with food due to its low acidity and umami flavours and its gaining more recognition in Singapore; you can see a lot of “western” restaurants offering sake on their drinks lists.

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CARABINERO WITH PASTA -A LA PLANCHA-, TOMATOES & CHILI

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PEPE MONCAYO

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WG Magazine: You honed your culinary skills and techniques at Michelin-starred restaurants - Tell us about the experience which you had with Santi and how did this help to form who you are as a chef today?

CHEF SANTI AND PEPE MONCAYO

Pepe Moncayo: Working with Chef Santi was definitely a formative experience for me as a chef.

You get to work with his team of super talented people, and eventually when you get a chance to work directly under him and talk to him, you’ll be amazed. Santi was a genius who was advanced in his time; he was full of wisdom and could foresee what the industry would be in over a decade. Most importantly, he understood how crucial it was to be honest and an artisan. What he imparted to me 10 years ago feels more relevant than ever today. Get any of his books or manuscripts and you’ll feel as if it has been written today. You need a certain level of maturity to understand such a bright mind.

WG Magazine: Could you describe your culinary philosophy, and take us through the process you go through to creating a new dish…

Pepe Moncayo: The way I approach creation is very simple. It begins with the ingredient, only the best of the best. The biggest challenge is to source these amazing ingredients, after which the rest comes easily. With good ingredients, you just need to find the right match, measure the right amount, and apply the right techniques and texture to achieve a balance. I tend not to pre-think dishes; I let the ingredients in my hands inspire me.

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PEPE MONCAYO

WG Magazine: What are the ingredients that inspire you, your favorite ingredients you like working with and is there any ingredient that you were not able to master?

Pepe Moncayo: There are so many ingredients that keep me inspired all the time. Currently in season we have aori ika (squid), nameko mushrooms, a beautiful local vegetable di huang miao (帝皇苗), manjimup black truffles, Manjimup black truffles, Mediterranean tuna, momo (Japanese peach), Jimbee melons from spain, and so much more. I can keep going and going.

I don’t believe in playing favorites. I love all kind of ingredients with very little exceptions.

Hoya, otherwise known as sea pineapple; I really cannot make anything good out of them. It’s a shame and frustration for me.

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KAMPONG EGG WITH BABY SOTONG AND CHORIZO

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WG Magazine: Tell us about your special cooking techniques behind your signature dishes and innovative cuisine?

Pepe Moncayo: We live in an era where information is easily available and a quick google search away; cooking techniques can be easily accessed in a matter of minutes. When I first started out 20 years ago, if you wanted to learn something, say how to cook the best omelette - you needed to learn it hands on at work. These days, there are so many tutorials that you can find online that are up to par. I truly believe anyone with interest can replicate a recipe. What you cannot learn and has to be innate is the passion, consistency, self-disciple and eagerness to always keep learning and honing your craft. That is the mark of a special chef and it is not easy to find.

WG Magazine: Your greatest influence in the kitchen?

Pepe Moncayo: My cuisine and I are both the same - a reflection of all the people I have worked with, all the places I have been, and all the food I’ve eaten.

WG Magazine: What keeps you motivated at this point in your career?

Pepe Moncayo: I’ve loved my craft since I started out 20 years ago, and there is beauty in constant repetition, discovery, and mastery. I will never get to learn everything about cooking and cuisine, but the more I know, the more I love my craft, and the more I am motivated to learn.

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WG Magazine: Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, what advice could you give to chefs who are entering the kitchen for the first time?

Pepe Moncayo: I think the whole perception of what chefs do in pop culture makes it seem a lot more glamorous than it really is. It’s been portrayed that it is a really glamourous job, when in reality it’s hard labor. Recently I had the chance to collaborate with Paco Perez, who holds many awards and is a big name in the industry. Despite being 20 years my senior, the passion and honesty that he continues to put in his cooking is admirable, and I saw myself in him.

My advice to budding young chefs is to love your craft, master it well, never stop learning and never forget that you are an artisan. If you’re not constantly trying new things and experimenting with new ideas on food, you’re not really pushing yourself to become a better chef.

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DARK CHOCOLATE CREMEUX, STEAMED BROWNIE, HAZELNUT PRALINE AND CARAMEL ICE CREAM

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Two Michelin-Starred Chef Mitsuru Konishi introduces Marble Serving Japanese/ French Kappo cuisine at the Crowne Plaza Hotel showcasing exclusive Ozaki Wagyu Beef

MITSURU KONISHI

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Marble, a brand new Japanese French Kappo restaurant in Crowne Plaza Hotel in Causeway Bay, will exclusively introduce the Ozaki Wagyu Beef to Hong Kong for Kappo. Not only is it the only establishment in the city to offer the beef, all the dishes use selective seasonal ingredients flown in from Japan daily, prepared with the look of modern contemporary kaiseki cuisine using French-Japanese cooking techniques. This is the creative and culinary vision of Michelin star chef Mitsuru Konishi, delivering sophisticated dining with his contemporary perspective on traditional Japanese ingredients and produce.

Ozaki cattles are the products of 20 years of fine tuning in breeding and natural feed. The finest of Wagyu Beef - Ozaki Beef – has luscious, exquisitely marbled meat. Its a delectable savoury flavour is combined with a palate-coating richness. The fat of the 100 percent purebred Ozaki Waygu Beef is even more refined and evenly distributed than regular 5A Waygu Beef. Ozaki Waygu Beef is natural and fine, with a marble-like look to its texture, the inspiration for the restaurant’s name.

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Kappo refers to a traditional and sophisticated Japanese cooking method. Chef Konishi is interested in exploring this style as it allows him to interact creatively with diners while offering a sophisticated experience with traditional Japanese ingredients. Much of the cooking is done in front of guests, allowing conversation to flow between chef and diners. For patrons, it’s a five senses event, enjoying the food with the chef in an authentic and exclusive experience.

As a Michelin star chef, Mitsuru Konishi is very familiar with Ozaki Waygu Beef. Marble’s stellar interior and setting lets him articulate his Kappo cooking in the most ideal canvas, delighting guests with gourmet flavours amids tasteful design.

FOIE GRAS TERRINE

Born and raised in Okayama, in Western Japan, Hong Kong patrons know Chef Konishi for his masterful expertise in French cuisine with Japanese refinement. His passion for gastronomy began at the age of 18. After his first experience eating at a casual Italian restaurant in Japan, he decided to start his gourmet journey in European cuisine. In 2005, he relocated to France. Training under chef Michel Rostang in Paris, Chef Konishi was soon fluent in French, and within a few years, mastered most aspects of traditional French cooking.

This knowledge gave him a broader career path and wider perspective on gastronomic expressions, flavor profiles and customers’ tastes. He worked in France in renowned Michelin-starred restaurants and the two-Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo. At Taillevent in Paris, Chef Konishi broke a major barrier becoming the prestigious establishment’s first non-European Sous Chef in February 2010.

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In 2013, Chef Konishi landed in Hong Kong to open “Wagyu Takumi” in Wanchai. His excellence was awarded with two Michelin stars in 2014, 2015 and 2016 by the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau. According to him, change is the only constant so he always observes and notes new food trends and innovations, but solidifies his foundation with seasonal ingredients and his focus on customers. This is his approach to menu design and his benchmarks for success.

JAPANESE CORN SOUP WITH HAIRY CRAB

Miyazaki Ozaki beef are bred and raised with as high standard as all other Wagyu.

Feeding time: in general, the cattle is slaughtered after 28 months, but Mr. Ozaki after years of observation, found that feeding the cattle a little longer, the meat greatly improves, so his cattle will be raised to 28 to 36 months before slaughter.

Feeding: Fed twice a day, with 15 different produce in the servings, including fresh grass, barley malt, corn and barley, but without any preservatives or antibiotics.

Feeding period: the cows are fed slightly more feed than usual and the meat is even more taste and the meat is not more fatty. Try it just once and you’ll know there is more melt in your mouth flavor and the meat is easy to digest.

Marble is the only one Kappo restaurant outside of Japan to offer the Ozaki Wagyu (except for offal), whose supply is limited to only 30 cows a month.

The Ozaki farm and cattle are named after its farmer Muneharu Ozaki. Located in the Miyazaki Prefecture, it produces a very limited supply of only 30 cows per month.

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OZAKI BEEF SHABUSHABU

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Gourmet Seoul

A luxury, gastronomical tour of Asia’s growing culinary capital TEXT RHIANNON SHEPHERD

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KWONSOOKSOO - SOLO DINING

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The time is now for food lovers in Seoul. Never has the city seen such an explosion of diverse culinary talent, ranging from high-end, Michelin-worthy eateries, to more affordable dining options off-thebeaten track. The release of the city’s first Michelin Guide last year saw a total of 24 restaurants awarded stars, with just two establishments - Gaon and La Yeon - receiving the top, three-star rating.

With so many to choose from, deciding which restaurants to include in a trip to the capital can seem a daunting task. Which restaurants are a must visit during any fleeting visit to Seoul?

Koreans are proud of their locally produced beef, from the native breed of cattle known as hanwoo.

Known for its tenderness, hanwoo is significantly more expensive than imported equivalents, and has become somewhat of a premium product in recent years. One of the best places to enjoy hanwoo beef is at Daedo Sikdang. While one 200g portion of meat is not cheap, at around 40,000 KRW or 35 USD, a meal here is unmissable for anyone searching for a truly memorable Koreanbarbecue experience. The restaurant serves only the highest quality, mouthwatering Korean sirloin, along with traditional side dishes. We recommend soaking up the meaty juices left in the communal pan with a portion of their delicious fried rice.

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THE SHILLA SEOUL - LA YEON KOREAN BEEF RIBS BROTH WITH ABALONE

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JUNGSIK - FOIE GRAS MANDOO

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MINGLES - BEEF TARTAR(YUKHOE)

MINGLES - SCALLOP

There is a saying in Korea that the summer heat is best combated by consuming piping hot foods, such as traditional chicken soup, samgyetang.

While this may seem counter-intuitive to some, visitors to Seoul during the warmer months may welcome the excuse to indulge in this fantastic dish. Tosokchon Samgyetang is a rustic restaurant located just behind one of the city’s largest historical temples, Gyeongbokgung, and serving only the most delicious samgyetang. With more than one million ‘likes’ on social media, expect a long line of customers after 7pm waiting to enjoy Tosokchon Samgyetang’s specialty.

Seoul is also a haven for foodies looking to experience a more contemporary side to Korean dining, or hansik. Both Jungsik and Mingles are well-known for their revolutionary approaches to modern Korean cuisine. Jungsik was the first Korean restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin Star (its New York branch currently has two), and Mingles was last year ranked highest in the country on the Asia’s 50 Best List. A trip to either is a fullevening affair, with extensive tasting menus treating diners to beautifully plated dishes, inspired by local culinary history. Advance reservations are required for both.

MINGLES - FOIE GRAS WHITE KIMCHI ROLL

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To experience an intimate side to Korean cuisine, head to Kwonsooksoo. Kwonsooksoo takes the peninsula’s lesser-known tradition of ‘solo dining’ and gives it a modern twist, serving a stunning spread of seasonal Korean side dishes individually to each guest. A meal here brings a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘bite-size’. Our favorites include the charcoal-grilled sea eel with salted uni, and 40-day wet aged hanwoo steak with black sesame dubujang sauce.

NORMAL - TOMATO YUZU

Opened in 2013, TocToc has been steadily making a name for itself among fine-dining lovers in Seoul, receiving the Miele ‘One to Watch’ award in 2017. Chef Kim Dae Chun serves French and Italian inspired cuisine with a distinctly Korean flair.

Raw fish, or hoe, enthusiasts will be sure to find something they love on his seasonal menu.

For after-dinner drinks, head to the exquisite Charles H at Seoul’s Four Season Hotel. Named after the infamous American author Charles H. Baker, whose life pursuits included traveling the world in search of the perfect cocktail, this ambient speakeasy offers an ocean of calm for those wanting to wind down after a long day exploring the city. The bar is currently headed by the renowned Lorenzo Antinorini, previously Head Bartender at London’s The Mondrian Hotel.

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TOCTOC - BOWL DISHES

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JUNGSIK - GUJEOLPAN

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WOLHYANG - SWEET AND SOUR KIMCHI AND PORK ROLLS

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MINGLES - JANG TRIO DESSERT

For those looking for a more traditionally Korean drinking experience, Wolhyang offer a range of home-brewed Korean ricewines, or makgeolli, and high-quality side dishes. Credited in part with instigating the recent rise in popularity of the once rather unfashionable traditional Korean drink, the Wolhyang chain is a popular destination for diners in search of a refined yet relaxed afterwork meal. We recommend the restaurant’s freshwater snail rice makgeolli.

Seoul city is certainly not short on options for lighter, daytime bites. Just around the corner from Chef Tae Hwan Ryu’s eponymous restaurant Ryunique, is Normal by Ryunique; a casual yet contemporary bistro set in the heart of the shopping district, Sinsadong. For visitors wanting to indulge in high-end dining without the price tag, we recommend the ‘Quick Ryunique’ menu, a seven-course affair offering a taste of the award-winning chef’s creations.

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Alternatively, for a quick sushi lunch, head to Taewon Sushi; a hidden-gem in the back streets of the nearby neighborhood of Apgujeong. All items on the revolving sushi belt are priced at just 1,800 KRW or or 1.50 USD each, and come with udong noodle soup. Although not yet on the map for Seoul foodies not in-the-know, the line here which forms as soon as the surrounding offices wind up for the day is testament to both the restaurant’s value for money, and the high quality of its raw fish.

The Beastro is also a fantastic find for anyone craving good quality, American food during their trip to Seoul, and a perfect respite from the buzz of the surrounding student neighborhood, Hongdae.

Popular with local, in-the-know expats, the restaurant offers a casual lunch menu until 3pm which includes a smoked salmon board, chorizo rigatoni, and Piri Piri grilled chicken.

Masissge Deuseyo!

THE BEASTRO - SALMON

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PAULOLAS ZUMA AIRAUDO VEGAS

ZUMA

JAPANESE FUSION CUISINE AT THE COSMOPOLITAN A LATEST VENTURE FROM INTERNATIONAL GROUP TEXT MICHAEL HEPWORTH

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ZUMA LAS VEGAS

After checking out Zuma in London just over a year go I was extremely excited to learn about the recent opening at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas and to see how it compared. Well the report cards are in about the 11th Zuma worldwide, and as expected a degree of excellence can be found in a restaurant which is like being in a live theatre show that happens to serve outstanding food served izakaya style.

The atmosphere is outstanding and the curated music of funk, disco and dance rhythms is loud and nonstop but not overwhelming due to the acoustics helped by a low ceiling. Service is brisk and well co-ordinated from the young sharply dressed waiters, and what on the surface seems disorganized is in fact a tight and well rehearsed operation. The food is high end Japanese-fusion style and there are so many signature items on the menu, we can only highlight just a few.

The large 9,000 square foot space was designed by Noriyoshi Muramatsu from Tokyo. He has created a design that incorporates the four natural elementsearth, fire, water and air along with plenty of wood rusted iron, stone and glass. There is also a feature wall composed of natural stone from Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the reception desk, bar and sushi counter are all made of grand tree trunks from Thailand. Finally the patchwork wall in the main lounge is created from highly colored Japanese paper.

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Zuma was created by German chef Rainer Becker, and this is the third American operation following success in New York and Miami, and surely it is only a matter of time for more to follow. From the main kitchen you might want to try the signature dish of ‘suzuki no sashimi,’ an insanely fresh dish of sea bass sashimi with yuzu, truffle and salmon roe. The Tempura is wonderful here as is the ‘tori no tebasaki’ which is sake glazed chicken wings with sea salt and lime. All the sushi is some of the best you will ever try such as the ‘dynamite spider roll with crab and chili or the ‘spicy yellowtail roll’ with yellowtail, Serrano pepper avocado and wasabi mayo.

The cocktail program and wine selection is particularly impressive at Zuma highlighted by the cocktail known as the ‘Zuma Zacapa Live Solera,’ one of only 11 restaurants in the world to serve it.

Other highlights include the ‘rubabu,’ a rhubarb infused sake w/vodka, passion fruit and lemon.

The ‘geisha smash’ is a blend of Ketel One, shiso leaves, cucumber, elderflower and yuzu, and the ‘yuzu paloma’ has tequila blanco, yuzu Campari ; soda and green tea salt.

Other Zuma’s are located in Hong Kong, Dubai, Istanbul, Miami, Bangkok, Datca, Abu Dhabi, New York and Rome and all the chefs are trained in London before taking on their global posts. The choices of where to eat at the Cosmopolitan are vast and in Las Vegas, staggering. You will not go far wrong if you make Zuma one of your top choices.

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PAULO JENNER LE PETIT AIRAUDO BELGE TOMASKA

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TRULY BELGIAN EXPERIENCE...

HOPS, FOOD & ATTITUDE A unique concept of Belgian hops, Belgian food and Belgian attitude. Opening its first ever location at Pullman Hotel JLT, Le Petit Belge creates a unique drinking experiences by pairing the right hops with their typical traditional menu.

It’s unique, unpretentious spot, offers a friendly and vibrant destination where one can unwind in a truly Belgian setting. More than just a restaurant, Le Petit Belge is a real testament to the famous Belgian culture that fully embraces life.

Le Petit Belge serves authentic Belgian dishes, from mussels in various sauces or a flambé of mussels in Roquefort and cognac, Coq au vin, or the Croquettes or Charcuterie tasting platter and Belgian waffles, as well as those interpreted with local ingredients.

Serving a multitude of Belgian hops and grapes, the restaurant offers the ultimate pairing of food and beverages to compliment every palate, and pouring monthly speciality draught options.

A reinterpretation of the typical Belgian café, Le Petit Belge mixes and redevelops the many tastes of the traditional Belgian style of dining with new and contemporary offerings.

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JENNER50 ASIA’S TOMASKA BEST BARS

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ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS Singapore’s Manhattan claims the title of Best Bar in Asia for the first time, taking over from last year’s No.1, 28 Hongkong Street.

Led by Bar Manager Philip Bischoff, Manhattan has a meticulously crafted cocktail menu inspired by the golden age of fine drinking.

The striking interior is reminiscent of a grand hotel bar, where modern elements are combined with old New York glamour and sophistication. After climbing four places from last year, Manhattan cements its status as a heavyweight in Asia’s cocktail scene.

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No. 12

ASIA’S BEST BAR The Restaurant BEST Best IN SINGAPORE

in Singapore

No. 1

ALAIN PASSARD MANHATTAN

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Home to the world’s first in-hotel rickhouse, Manhattan at Regent Singapore, A Four Seasons Hotel, is a grand hotel bar inspired by the 19th century’s Golden Age of cocktails and fine drinking.

Delivering on its name with a glamorous yet modern space reminiscent of old New York, craft bartending meets artisanal spirits to pay homage to classic and forgotten cocktails that leap from the pages of history.

Philip Bischoff honed his skills at Le Lion – Bar de Paris, which was awarded the ‘Best New International Bar at Tales of the Cocktail’. His career then took him to Amano Bar as the Bar Manager and under his stewardship, the bar was awarded the ‘Best Hotel Bar and Bar Team’ at the Mixology Bar Awards in Berlin. Now leading the team at Manhattan, Philip is all about the experience; the food, the ambience, the people and the service.

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One of the many “speakeasies” that dots the Shanghai drinking landscape, this Shingo Gokanowned establishment is unique in that it has three distinct bars on three different floors. One the first: a small room for shots and beers; the second features an open and lively New York-style bar that serves up craft cocktails from New York’s best bars.

And the third floor is a Japanese-style cocktail bar hidden behind a sliding wall that offers a menu of delicious offerings thought up by Gokan and head bartender Atsushi Suzuki.

Since earning the title of 15th Best Bar in the World from Drinks International, it’s become the place to go for awesome drinks in Shanghai. If you manage to make it to the third floor, try the Moanin’ cocktail, which is made with Japanese whisky, sake, wasabi, and orange marmalade, or Mack the Knife, which is spiked with orange gin.

BEST IN CHINA

No. 2

SPEAK LOW SHANGHAI

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BEST IN JAPAN

Hidetsugu Ueno’ High Five has become one of the most respected and popular classic Ginza-style bars in Tokyo. With its new location, is still very much in and of Ginza, with almost doubled in size in its new basement setting. That doesn’t make it big, but the dark wood panelling and long counter facing a spectacular, gleaming selection of bottles - the top shelf is dedicated to scotch and whisky; it allows enough room for around ten bar seats.

Amazing cocktails, classics mostly but with surprising innovation. Don’t ask for a menu. There isn’t one.

Instead head bartender Kurakami Kurakami, or one bar staff will ask your tastes and suggest something. Trust them and you will be rewarded.

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Hidden behind an unassuming 1960’s shop house façade on Singapore’s HongKong Street, 28 HKS is a word-of-mouth venue for people who might appreciate the kind of venue that one can enjoy: relaxing at the beginning, growing a tad louder as the night goes on.

Zdenek “Zee” Kastanek is one of the most known and loved members of the global bar community and the drinks focus is on artisanal spirits and American-style craft cocktails, with normally around 25 drinks on the menu (plus o_-the-menu classics), split between 28’s versions of classics, our team’s own creations and experimental drinks from our workshop.

No. 4

28 HONGKONG STREET SINGAPORE

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No. 5 ALAIN INDULGE PASSARD EXPERIMENTAL

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HIGHEST NEW ENTRY BEST IN TAIWAN

Dimly lit interior, staffed by black suits, and found down a quiet street, Indulge Experimental Bistro is very ideal for a drink or even a late-night snack. The front is all-white and a bit bland which would make it easy to miss on a busy street; fortunately, this is not the case as the street is normally very tranquil.

The menu has a long list of drinks including beer, wine, and cocktails, the last of which is a must to explore; Indulge’s cocktails are the brain children of award-winning mixologist Aki Wang. Try specials such as Scent of a Woman, Blood of Don, or the fruity Guava Mule. This Taipei restaurant and bar surely lives up to the indulgence cited in its name.

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This underground ‘secret bar’ makes a great addition to Ann Siang’s vibrant nightlife scene.

Located behind an unmarked door and reached via the flight of stairs behind Oxwell & Co and across the laneway. The interior is visually very striking: raw concrete walls, clean and sleek furniture, and a dramatic art installation of a light fitting suspended over the bar and made up of thousands of overhanging bulbs, which looks a little bit at a cloud during an electrical storm.

Owner Luke Whearty, formerly of Oxwell & Co, is in charge of the cocktails. There are some seriously innovative drinks on a menu which makes use of house-made meads and house-infused spirits. The Egg is a mixture of salted egg yolk liqueur, vanilla, star anise and hay, while the Chocolate Mint ticks a number of our boxes, blending cold brew cacao, mezcal and house-made mint Amaro with distilled mint ice.

OPERATION DAGGER SINGAPORE

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No. 7 ALAIN PASSARD QUINARY HONG KONG ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 190 - WG July 2017

With Diageo World Class 2015 Hong Kong & Macau Champion Antonio Lai at the helm, expect the unexpected. The first multisensory cocktail bar brings flavours and aroma combinations together with different textures, appearances and even sounds will challenge every preconception held about cocktails - hence, a Multisensory experience.

Antonio Lai who pioneered the comprehensive Multisensory Mixology (MM) concept in Hong Kong – a drinking experience that engages all five senses.

The long bar extends to Antonio Lai’s lab showcasing the rotary evaporator and equipment’s redistilling and slow-cooking our own flavored spirits, and the caviar box for the signature Earl Grey Caviar Martini.

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Tucked away in down and dark alleyway off Wyndham Street, but don’t let the mysterious entrance deter you. Once you get inside, the place oozes with glamour. Replicating the feel of 1890’s London, it really does seem like you’re stepping into the past. Under the professional leadership of Suraj Gurung, his passion for bar tending and innovative cocktail mixing knowledge has risen to the top of the game as resident mixologist at this hidden gem Stockton.

One of the signature drinks at Stockton, The Ribston Apple is a rum based soothing drink with hints of cinnamon. This imbibe is easy to drink - but be careful as it might have you hooked. Stockton is also renowned for its collection of rare Whiskies that have inspired Suraj to develop innovative new cocktails that fuel the spirited outings of Hong Kong’s finest punters.

HIGHEST CLIMBER

No. 8

STOCKTON HONG KONG

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No. 9

ALAIN THE UNION PASSARD TRADING

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The name: “union” part refers to what the bar will become – a gathering of all kinds of people from different backgrounds. The “trading company” part pays homage to the mid-19th-century California Gold Rush, a time in US history when railroads had just opened and people set off in search of gold – Jerry Thomas, the father of American bartending, was one of them. Many of the railroad companies at the time called themselves ‘Trading Co.’ – so the name is inspired by that era.

This is not a speakeasy, it’s not a whisky bar, it’s not a cigar bar – it’s a simple American-style cocktail bar with great food. Chef and restaurateur Austin Hu of Madison and Yao Lu (formerly of Alchemist and The Public) combine forces for this cocktail lounge, as Yao Lu contributes a list of inventive original cocktails and old-timey classics. Expect lots of stiff drinks with liberal lashings of bourbon, brandy and homemade infusions.

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Housed at the Shangri-La Hotel, the Lobster Bar seems to take its interior décor cues from Captain Nemo’s drawing room, whiles elsewhere there’s a mix of chintz and Edwardian-style furnishings. The cocktail menu goes for a “more is more” approach with a selection of time-worn classics, but some characterful options among the sours, juleps, bishops, rickeys, fixes and daisys on offer. The Mexican Firing squad is a volatile mix of tequila, pomegranate juice and rhubarb tincture, while a Griottes Old Fashioned adds a soothing touch of cherry to the classic. Something a bit more refined than the usual Hong Kong bar scene.

No. 10 LOBSTER BAR HONG KONG

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No. 11 ALAIN PASSARD TIPPLING CLUB

SINGAPORE ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 194 - WG July 2017

Joe Schofield arrives in Asia for the first time in 2016 as the Head Bartender of Singapore’s multiple award-winning restaurant-bar, Tippling Club, led

by Chef-Owner Ryan Clift. Fresh off his stint as barman at London’s prestigious The Savoy, the 26-year old Briton celebrates his multi-continental career by adding a fifth major city to his growing portfolio.

At Tippling Club, Joe looks forward to experimenting with the extensive range of equipment at the Bin 38 R&D kitchen, located above the restaurantbar. He plans to use the tools as a way of creating conceptual and innovative drinks that can stand on their own but also complement the avant-garde dishes that Chef Ryan and Tippling Club is known for. Joe’s love for creating bespoke ingredients and playing up of the senses has recently taken root in a new flavor-forward cocktail programme.

Conceived for Tippling Club, the Sensorium Menu taps on the sense of smell to create an olfactory drinking experience that translates a plethora of carefully curated aromas.

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NEW ENTRY

A grand lobby and bar, ATLAS graces the ground floor of Singapore’s iconic building, Parkview Square, in the historic Bugis neighbourhood.

Completed in 2002, Parkview Square. A truly extraordinary selection of drinks inspired by the Arts Décoratifs. From a locally roasted espresso to a tulip of fine Champagne, to grand cocktails inspired by hallmarks of the era. Gin and Champagne were all the rage during the Gilded Age. These celebratory tipples that defined good living at the time, are now back in fashion in the grandest of ways. The ATLAS Collections feature two of the world’s most remarkable physical collections of these beverages.

A labor of love which took over two years to curate and assemble, it includes contributions from generous friends, distillers and vintners from the far corners of the globe. They feature a selection of rare and exceptional still wines and whiskies from the Parkview Family Cellar.

No. 12 ATLAS

SINGAPORE

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No. 13

THE BAMBOO ALAIN BAR AT PASSARD MANDARIN ARPÈGE ORIENTAL

PARIS, FRANCE BANGKOK 196 - WG July 2017

The Bamboo Bar is a landmark that personifies the passion, seductive elegance and spirit of both The Oriental Hotel and Bangkok’s rich history. From its humble beginnings in 1953 in what is now Khun Ankana’s Study in the heart of the hotel’s renowned Authors’ Wing, it has grown in status and reputation to become a renowned Bangkok institution frequented by jazz lovers and A-listers from around the world, as well as Thailand’s high society, who appreciate its distinguished décor and seductive glamour.

The beverage and liquor concept has been created

by Mandarin Oriental’s award winning mixologist team, with Bamboo Bar Originals retaining their Signature status on the cocktail list along with classics mixed according to their original recipes.

The bar’s new cocktail menu ‘a Capella’ – the term for singing without the use of background music or band. By using this name, the Bamboo Bar is seeking to introduce guests to the history of jazz legends not only through music but also through cocktails.

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Named after one of the classiest classics in the world, Gibson presents uncompromising quality on cocktails, hospitality and interior design. We cater to the mavericks, the non-conformists, the gentlemen (and ladies!) who know exactly what they want.

Like the Gibson cocktail, which is an unusual cocktail only selected by drinkers with serious but unique tastes, we take the same approach in every way; always serious about our craft, but we’ll never take ourselves too seriously!

No. 14 GIBSON SINGAPORE

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No. 12 The INBest Restaurant BEST SOUTH KOREA in Singapore

No. 15

ALICE CHEONGDAM SEOUL

ALAIN PASSARD ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 198 - WG July 2017

When Lewis Carroll’s Alice fell down the rabbit hole into Wonderland all she passed were pictures, maps, cupboards and bookshelves. But you’ll have more than a jar of orange marmalade to show after a session at this well-disguised Cheongdam speakeasy, hidden in an alleyway behind Louis Vuitton. Open the door, and it’s a playground for the urban socialite, with a range of booze and food so insanely creative you’ll be falling down a rabbit hole of your own making. Owner Terry Kim is quite the bar magician, as you’d expect, he deploys true sleight of hand when it comes to cocktails, with smokes, airs, foams and a myriad ways with liquid nitrogen. If you’ve ever wanted to drink a cocktail through an elephant’s trunk, or can’t look at a Tiki mug without thinking it needs a cloud of liquid nitrogen and possibly a fountain pen or two.

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The Pontiac is a collaboration between Beckaly Franks and the Roopchand Brothers (Rohit and Harsh), the team behind the successful Fatty Crab, Rummin’ Tings and Amalfitana.

Beckaly Franks, dubbed the First Lady of Mixology, Beckaly is the first female mixologist to win the prestigious 42 Below Cocktail World Cup. Prior to moving to Hong Kong to open The Pontiac, she was most recently lead bartender at celebrated restaurant Clyde Common in Portland, which boasts four-time James Beard nominated program, four Tales of the Cocktail World’s Best Hotel Bar nominations, and numerous accolades from the New York Times, Esquire, Playboy, and the Wall Street Journal. Beckaly is also a widely recognized expert in American whiskey.

No. 16 THE PONTIAC HONG KONG

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No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 17 ALAIN EMPLOYEES PASSARD ONLY

ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE SINGAPORE 200 - WG July 2017

NEW ENTRY

Employees Only opened its first international outpost in Singapore’s Amoy Street and the opening sees co-founder Igor Hadzismajlovic, principal bartender Steve Schneider and executive chef Julia Jaksic, moving from The Empire State to the sunny island of Singapore. Steve Schneider has earned a reputation as one of the most respected and successful bartenders in the industry. He strive to be the best and often represents Employees Only as well as the USA in cocktail competitions around the world. Perhaps dearest to his heart however is his passion for inspiring young bartenders and sharing his knowledge and experience of cocktail culture.

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NEW ENTRY

No. 18

This urban lounge & bar makes you feel as if you are sitting at the backstage of a theater. Located adjacent to the reception area, “Behind the Scene” Lounge & Bar offers an enchanting ambiance and a superb list of sophisticated drinks and spirits.

Specializes in superb cocktails and a carefully selected list of wines and spirits. Experienced bartenders showcase special seasonality cocktails and mocktails to complement the Bar’s relaxed and charming atmosphere.

BACKSTAGE COCKTAIL BAR BANGKOK

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201

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No. 12 The NEW BestENTRY Restaurant in Singapore

No. 19

ALAIN SOBER PASSARD COMPANY SHANGHAI ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 202 - WG July 2017

This impressive three-in-one concept from Shanghai’s Speak Low team encompasses a trio of drinking and dining dens. And stylish Sober Company’s motto? ‘If you’re still sober, don’t leave yet’!

Sober has been masterminded by mixology whizz Shingo Gokan, a Tokyo bartender who joined the

pioneering crew at Nippon-inspired NY bar Angel’s Share. After winning the Bacardi Legacy award for his speakeasy-esque drink Speak Low, he went on to open his first Shanghai bar of the same name in 2014, before launching brother bar/eatery Sober Company in 2016. He’s an expert at bringing Japanese cocktail skills to the West, and western drinking culture to the East.

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A first of its kind in Singapore, NATIVE is a cocktail bar that focuses on regional products, extending this principle to not just the spirits used in its cocktails, but also the artwork, music and furnishings around the bar. Founded and owned by Vijay Mudaliar, one of Singapore’s finest homegrown talents with over 10 years of experience under his belt.

At NATIVE, the pride for local roots and the region around us stand strong. As a true blue local boy, Vijay prefers to work with ingredients that he grew up with and understand, rather than looking west wards for the latest in truffle and fois gras development. A lot of usable plants and herbs can be found just in a 3 meter radius around NATIVE, and can be found on the cocktail’s bar succinct menu.

NEW ENTRY

No. 20

NATIVE

SINGAPORE

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203

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No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 21 ALAIN PASSARD JIGGER & PONY SINGAPORE ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 204 - WG July 2017

Classic cocktails, craftsmanship and precision, named after the double-coned measuring device used by bartenders to accurately pour out liquid. a tribute to the 19th-century, when cocktail recipes were listed in “jiggers” and “ponies”.

Jigger & Pony is especially great for groups, with crowd favorites like the Punch Bowl being absolutely ideal for a large party of friends. This is unquestionably a place where memories are made.

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No. 22

A laid back cocktail lounge and a charming spot which in part resembles a Japanese apothecary.

Dim lighting and low key, traditional music adds to the peaceful atmosphere here. With only 15 seats available, there is an air of exclusivity about the joint too. The expert bartender, Hirosuya Kayama, is trained in the art of mixology, and serves up tantalizing concoctions often incorporating very potent absinthe. The bar has an impressive whisky selection too, but Kayama’s apothecary style cocktails are the main attraction.

BAR BENFIDDICH TOKYO

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205

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No. 12

BESTBest IN PHILIPPINES The Restaurant in Singapore

No. 23

ALAIN THE CURATOR PASSARD COFFEE &

ARPÈGE COCKTAILS PARIS, FRANCE MANILA 206 - WG July 2017

Located in Makati, Metro Manila, The Curator Coffee and Cocktails is a specialty cafe known for delicious coffee and cocktail creations, friendly and personalized service, and cozy ambiance. It is a meeting place for people who wants to have mysterious hideous, bar and clubbing experience.

If you are looking to satisfy your coffee obsession and possibly make a new friend in the process, this is definitely the place to be.

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Joining ZUMA has given Arkadiusz Rybak the opportunity to introduce and incorporate his philosophy into the ZUMA Bar concept, bringing new and exciting flavours to the palates of all customers. Originally from Poland, Arkadiusz stumbled upon his passion for bartending during an industry replacement to Greece back in 2005.

Self-taught and inspired through travel, books, experimentation and exposure to celebrity chefs, Arkadiusz developed a sophisticated palate for different ingredients and flavours. His inspiration also comes from world-renowned chefs, including Heston Blumenthal, Adam Simmonds and Richard Phillips. It was they who mentored and taught him how to play around with flavours and kitchen techniques that can be applied behind the bar.

No. 24 ZUMA HONG KONG

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207

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No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 25 ALAIN PASSARD BAR ORCHARD ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 208 - WG July 2017

GINZA

TOKYO

Pick a seasonal fruit from the bar and husbandand-wife team Takuo and Sumire Miyanohara will create a bespoke cocktail just for you. Expect modern mixology, from liquid nitrogen and foams, combined with old school technique. So a concoction of watermelon, gin and elderflower liqueur is served in a miniature bath tub complete with salty foam and a little rubber ducky, but the couple are just as happy to make an Old Fashioned.

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NEW ENTRY

No. 26

8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA delivers everyday a world class mixology experience with Devender Kumar, where each of his lovingly crafted cocktails has a story, an identity and a delightful balance of flavors. Devender is one of India’s most wellknown bartenders and is recognized worldwide as one of the key people pushing the boundaries of India’s burgeoning cocktail revolution. At 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, it leads Devender to further refine his palate and understanding of the food and restaurant scene, while unleashing his creativity and providing a flavorsome experience to the audience in Chef Bombana’s vibrant bar.

8½ OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA HONG KONG

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209

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No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 27

ALAIN PASSARD CHARLES H ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 210 - WG July 2017

SEOUL

Named for Charles H. Baker, the legendary American cocktail writer, Charles H. takes heed from its namesake: behind every good drink is an unforgettable story. Exotic, glamorous and steeped in the romance of world travel, Charles H. features a cocktail menu that traces Baker’s epic travels in search of the perfect drink across eras and continents – from old-fashioned to craft cocktails – making it a cocktail aficionado’s dream come true.

As is to be expected from the signature bar of the new Four Seasons Seoul, Charles H. sets a luxurious tone, with the aforementioned seats and booths being made of black leather with colourful tiled walls, dark wood floors, and Tiffany-lamp inspired light fixtures adding classically elegant touches. The bar is hidden away in the basement, and inevitably brings to mind the mysterious world of speakeasies and secret bars upon entry.

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No. 28

For those who have matured and is in the prime of their life, Bar Trench proposes a new encounter with alcohol and a place where you restore your energy. Tucked away in the back-alley, in the near distance from Ebisu station. They take great pride in mixing drinks by getting caught up on the details, the way they serve and a sense of fun. You might be surprised at with their huge selection of world’s herb liqueurs and rare bottles. Especially, about bitters, they have the largest collection in Japan.

Experience their unique crafted cocktails mixed up and twisted with bitters and herbs.

BAR TRENCH TOKYO

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211

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 29 ALAIN PASSARD D.BESPOKE

SINGAPORE ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 212 - WG July 2017

Situated along the quaint Bukit Pasoh Road, D.Bespoke introduces the Ginza-style bar experience of immaculate, detail-oriented bespoke cocktails crafted to perfection. Helmed by owner and head bartender Daiki Kanetaka, Guests are treated to customized tipples complemented by warm Japanese hospitality in the heart of bustling Singapore. The “D” of D.Bespoke references Daiki’s name as he creates and mixes every drink with pride and precision. Similar to visiting a Savile Row boutiques, Kanetaka believes in tailoring each drink according to every individual’s preference, palate and mood. Expounding on his philosophy, he approaches his drinks with the spirit of a true craftsman, employing traditional bartending techniques that he has learnt over the past 17 years in the industry. Thus, meticulous care for detail is taken not only for beverages, but service and décor as well.

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NEW ENTRY Nutmeg & Clove is a cocktail bar that marries Singapore’s rich history with their cocktail offerings. Taking great pride in Singapore’s history and progression from colonial outpost to modern metropolis, Nutmeg & Clove reinterprets classic cocktails with a Singaporean inflection. With every sip, visitors will learn or re-visit different elements of Singapore. The menu is split into five sections: Trading Post, which recognizes Singapore’s beginnings as a trade outpost pre-colonial times; Crown Colony, inspired from Singapore’s time as a British crown jewel; Banana Republic from when Singapore was under Japanese Occupation; Sovereign State when independence was declared; and Metropolis in celebration of our first world status.

No. 30 NUTMEG & CLOVE SINGAPORE

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213

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 31 ALAIN PASSARD STAR BAR ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 214 - WG July 2017

TOKYO

Hidden away in poorly signposted basement room, Star Bar is not easy to find and it’s not the kind of place you can just saunter into on a Saturday night.

There is a small array of seats and no one new is admitted until one becomes available. There’s usually a cover charge too as punters are expected to spend a long time sipping and savoring their cocktails rather than knocking them back one after another. High Five’s celebrated Hidetsugo Ueno had his start here and there are few bars that take the business of cocktail making quite so seriously.

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Two of Korea’s finest bartenders teamed up to open this slick affair in 2014, they brought in Park Sungmin, another of the nation’s very best, to manage the place so they could shake up their stormy magic behind the bar. And Lim Jae-jin and Eom Do-hwan’s Cheongdam hotspot has won bags of accolades since then. Le Chamber is a speakeasy, natch, and a thoroughly classic speakeasy as that.

No Seoul speakeasy would be complete without a brain-aching list of whiskies, and Le Chamber

offers 200-odd, as well as a bottle storage facility for their most elite patrons. Yet the route to go down here is classic, or, rather, tweaked classic, for the chaps use a restrained hand in adapting and updating classic mixes to the modern world. They make their own ginger beer for Dark ‘n’ Stormies and the Moscow Mule, they barrel-age cocktails in cute little casks behind the bar.

No. 32

LE CHAMBER SEOUL

WG July 2017 -

215

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 33 ALAIN PASSARD JANES & HOOCH ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 216 - WG July 2017

BEIJING

Janes + Hooch is a modern take on a vintage dive bar in the heart of Sanlitun’s factory district of Beijing - brought to you by Warren Pang and Milan Sekulic. The aim was to create a unique nightlife experience bringing the best features from the good old days whilst adding modern urban culture.

From the unremarkable entrance to the superb witty cocktails and personal service team. The name coming from a little inside joke of ours. A tip of the hat to a lost era and ode to our two loves in life; Janes and Hooch. The menu is straight forward, quality driven and cheeky, offering a modern Asian inspired twists on classic themes using local, seasonal ingredients and applying them to core of what makes a classic a classic.

WG MAGAZINE

A Cocktail Journey 13 Formations of Sacred Geometry and 52 Chronological Conceptions Inspired by sacred principles, human preferences, technical masteries, cultural impressions, creative curiosities, and collective creations throughout past journeys and history of drinks that define the core identity of Q&A Bar, we interpreted principles of the origin of life, myth of creation, and fundamental

formation of all living elements revolved around 13 figurative patterns into 52 classic cocktails in chronological order with Q&A Bar’s expertise and creativity.

Most people always have doubts on what they are going to order when they are in such bar. This bar will give them an opportunity to investigate and finally find out what best drinks are for them in different occasions and feelings.

No. 34

Q&A BAR BANGKOK

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217

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The NEW BestENTRY Restaurant in Singapore

No. 35

ALAIN THE OTHER PASSARDROOM

SINGAPORE ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 218 - WG July 2017

Inspired by the darkness of the Prohibition Era, The Other Room is the shining result of what would happen if the Eighteenth Amendment was passed today. Dario Knox is an innovator that doesn’t want to take for granted the majority of the things surrounding him and that always questions and challenges himself to achieve new heights and to discover new ways. Multi-Award-Winning Dario Knox is none other than the Master Bartender of THE OTHER ROOM. With this playground to create a brand-new concept offering in-house cask finished & spice finished products together with a stunning range of extremely curated products, Knox is set to carve a milestone in the international cocktail & bar scene. The cocktail experience is definitely one of a kind: an astonishing number of choices, all unique creations by Multi-Award-Winning Master Bartender Dario Knox. Each cocktail marks a tribute to a classic from a bygone era: Pre-Prohibition, Prohibition, Post-Prohibition, The Other Classics, Solera System and Reserve Collection.

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NEW ENTRY

Owner and sole bartender Michito Kaneko was declared World Class Bartender of the year 2015.

The bar is cozy and moody with a counter for eight and two intimate booths. One wall is stacked with vintage luggage and the bar is dominated by a steampunk style copper still and hundreds of bottles of rare spirits. There is no menu, so be prepared to know what you want; Kaneko can make anything.

His original cocktails often involve unusual drinking vessels, mysterious spices or citrus fruits from his own trees. The service is discreet and impeccable and while not cheap, the prices are reasonable for a world class cocktail experience.

No. 36 LAMP BAR NARA

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219

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12

BEST IN INDIA The NEW BestENTRY Restaurant

in Singapore

No. 37

ALAIN AER BAR & PASSARD LOUNGE

ARPÈGE MUMBAI PARIS, FRANCE 220 - WG July 2017

A memorable experience at a new high… Covering the entire roof of Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, this 34th-floor open-air lounge creates an atmosphere of chic relaxation high above the bustling streets of Worli. AER welcomes guests year round including the famous monsoon season.

Soak in the cool glow of sunset views and Mumbai city enveloped in twilight with the Sundowner Collection (Happy Hour) menu, which offers guests “two for one” craft cocktails, champagnes by the glass, single malts and other popular spirits. The high-energy lounge, which is one of the highest in India, is kept abuzz by the resident DJ playing nightly sets of upbeat jazz, funk, house, club and a unique twist on classic hits from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

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Fun dining, fine cocktails and lots of rums...

They have got rum for days, and turning up the heat on their grills. From flame-kissed steaks to cheeky cocktails, we›ve got you covered for a party of any proportion. Mix all that in with some feel-good Jamaican reggae tunes.Sugarhall is a concept from the team behind the highly regarded Jigger & Pony.

The limited space presented by the typical long and narrow shop house profile has been well-utilized with an open and uncluttered layout that features.

Offering an impressive selection of over 50 labels of rum and cane spirit sourced from both famous distillers and artisan producers. Supplementing the rums are house-made spirit infusions, a wellcurated selection of other premium spirits, and a compact range of craft beers and wine by the glass.

A rum-focused cocktail list has drinks grouped under three categories of “Clear Spirits”; “Dark Spirits”; and the tiki-inflected “Tropical”.

No. 38 SUGARHALL SINGAPORE

WG July 2017 -

221

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12

NEW ENTRY

The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 39 ALAIN PASSARD EAST END ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 222 - WG July 2017

TAIPEI

One trip is all it takes to be enlightened on why East End has been skyrocketing its way toward the top of the Taipei bar rankings. Perched in an elevated locale in the posh Proverbs Hotel, this slick space features glass walls that look out to the dazzling city on one side and a facade full of intricately-sculpted grey tiles on the other, with wooden tiles on both the tabletops and floors below adding warmth to the room. Many have been borne from consultations with one of the world’s finest mixologists (Japan’s Hidetsugu Ueno), with all either possessing a seasonal twist or a timeless cocktail craftsmanship touch.

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The cocktails at Vesper are drawn from the bygone era of Europe, with added elements of ‘spirit forward drinks’, top-notch liqueur and precise bartending techniques. The current menu, ‘The Art Book’, celebrates the Modern Art movement of the 1860’s – 1970’s whereby artists like Picasso and Kandinsky broke away with traditions. The drinks created explore and reflect the underlying meaning of each painting like the way the artist intended to communicate to the audience.

No. 40 VESPER

BANGKOK

WG July 2017 -

223

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 41 ALAIN OMAKASE + PASSARD

APPRECIATE

ARPÈGE KUALA LUMPUR PARIS, FRANCE 224 - WG July 2017

BEST IN MALAYSIA

This stylish and attractive place is one of a growing number of speakeasy-style bars in Kuala Lumpur.

It has the requisite secretive entrance and location, make the experience of drinking here a little more interesting. Once you find the place, you can indulge in some superb cocktails served by awardwinning mixologists, Shawn Chong and Karl Too who creates a cocktail just for you, tailored to your tastes with the spirits you pick.

WG MAGAZINE

A perfect place to unwind and escape the city...

Named after the famous British artist George Chinnery, The Chinnery enjoys a relaxed club-like atmosphere with deep upholstered armchairs, green leather banquettes and warm wood panelling.

Offering a laid-back alternative to our fine dining restaurants, The Chinnery specialises in traditional British cuisine with classic dishes such as shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and pork pie available for lunch and dinner.

Home to one of the world’s largest collections of single malt whiskies, The Chinnery has over 109 varieties for guests to try. Chilled draft beers are served in custom-made silver tankards.

No. 42 THE CHINNERY HONG KONG

WG July 2017 -

225

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

BEST IN INDONESIA NEW ENTRY

No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 43 ALAIN POTATO HEAD PASSARD

BEACH CLUB

ARPĂˆGE PARIS, FRANCE 226 - WG July 2017

BALI

From exotic Indonesian fare at Kaum, from fresh and flavorful sharing plates to tropical cocktail libations, Potato Head Beach Club has an array of dining and drinking options, with all inspired by what our island home has to offer. Mixologists serve up a menu of award-winning, handcrafted cocktails featuring house-infused spirits, indigenous fruits, exotic spices and other regionally sourced ingredients. Paying homage to the garden to glass concept, our cocktail and mocktail creations have been carefully conceived to suit the tropical Bali climate. As well as their iconic cocktails, the bar stocks a wide range of premium spirits and liqueurs and curates an award-winning selection of wines, with some very rare bottles. Non-alcoholic offerings include fresh juices, sodas, mocktails and hot beverages.

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In the middle of the hustle-and-bustle surrounding Hongik University and its notorious party-hardy student population, Bar D.Still raises the bar with a sprinkling of seasonal ingredients throughout their extensive cocktail list, a subdued and stylish atmosphere, and a wide variety of whiskies. From the outside, Bar D.Still effortlessly blends into its surroundings, but once inside, the light woods and whites that color the interior of the bar present a welcoming and modern tone - a perfect match for their cocktails. Their always-evolving cocktail menu will probably provide a drink to satisfy you, guests are encouraged to ask the staff to mix up a custom drink just for them, and due to the seasonal nature of the ingredients stocked at Bar D.Still, some combinations only come around once a year. In addition to being at the forefront of Seoul’s mixology scene, Bar D.Still is also home to shelves of whisky from around the world - with a special emphasis on Scotland.

No. 44 BAR D.STILL SEOUL

WG July 2017 -

227

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

No. 45 ALAIN PASSARD ABV ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 228 - WG July 2017

MAKATI

Speakeasies, a 1920’s slang used to describe establishments that illegally sell alcohol during the Prohibition era, are the inspiration behind ABV or Alcohol by Volume. Behind the large wooden door inside Lazy Bastard is an antique elevator shaft that will take you back in time. When the maître d’ asks “What floor?” tell them the password “Drop a dime” to be let in. Inside is ABV, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar that’s reminiscent of the secret lounges in the 1920’s. Paying homage to the master craftsmen of yesteryear who fuelled a nation with classic cocktails inspired by the dangerous and excessive nature of Prohibition era-New York. From signature cocktails and forgotten classics, to a fine selection of absinthes. Don’t be fooled by the limited items on the menu. Ask for the “Bible” for a more extensive list of what their skilled bartenders can create. This is a place where each drink is carefully prepared with only the best ingredients and freshest produce, and ensures that we provide excellent service to everyone who enters our secret passage.

WG MAGAZINE

No. 46

Teens of Thailand actually serves up a low key and relaxing drinking experience. Mixologist whiz Niks Anuman-Rajadhon serves up a variety of creative gin mixes and infusions, led by crowd favourite Thai iced tea gin and tonic, combining two excellent thirst quenchers into one potent punch. Touted as the first gin-only bar in the capital, this watering hole in Chinatown holds an impressive stock of quality gin. Its charms lies in its interiors and a very social vibe with limited space between patrons and the few tables.

TEENS OF THAILAND BANGKOK

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229

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The NEW BestENTRY Restaurant in Singapore

No. 47

ALAIN PASSARD KEEPERS ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 230 - WG July 2017

SEOUL

Keepers, the new high-ceiling basement bar that specializes in cocktails. The drinks list is frequently refreshed One of this bar’s specialties is the frequency of guest-bartending sessions that they hold - recently seeing to the likes of Lewis Tsang from Hong Kong and Din Hassan from Singapore.

Since large tables have no extra cover charge, it’s a great place to go in a group.

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Doctor Fern is an eccentric physician who has dedicated his life to studying botanicals. His love for nature has led him to open a Gin Parlour where he treats his patients’ ailments, and stress related symptoms with his own concoctions of fresh, local herbs and botanicals - paired with gins from around the world that he has handpicked for his patients.

Doctor Fern sources local and organic ingredients whenever possible for his supply pantry; working with local organic farms across the city in order to bring a fresh experience to his Gin Parlour. Gerry Olino joins eccentric physician Dr. Robben Fern at Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour to shake up a storm for a diverse range of clientele in the heart of Central.

With access to high quality seasonal ingredients through regular trips to organic farms, Gerry’s creative process is showcased in his delectable gin cocktail creations.

NEW ENTRY

No. 48 DR. FERN’S GIN PARLOUR HONG KONG

WG July 2017 -

231

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS

No. 12 The NEW BestENTRY Restaurant in Singapore

No. 49

ALAIN CLUB BOYS PASSARD SALOON

ARPÈGE PARIS, FRANCE 232 - WG July 2017

TAIPEI

The most buzzed-about bar opening in a long while, this little bar attached to the Meowvelous restaurant, with champion bartender Victor Yang coming from his former post at Marquee to helm the bar, you can’t go wrong with any concoction he and his team whips up – and how photogenic they are, garnished with flowers, leaves and other bits & bobs.

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NEW ENTRY

‘Drink like a champ’ reads the neon sign that leads drinkers to this fun bar, part of Taipei’s hip Meowvelous Taipei Fan Club restaurant. Drinkers don’t need much more encouragement with a young, trendy crowd fully enjoying the bar’s wide range of craft beers and humorously named cocktails, such as the Lonely Coconut Sat on the Beach Watching Volleyball – salted caramel vodka, coconut water, fermented green tea and cacao bitters.

No. 50 THE NIGHT ROOSTER BALI

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