WG Magazine June 2017 Issue

WG MAGAZINE JUNE 2017

THOMAS BÜHNER

AVANT-GARDE AROMAS

FRANCK GIOVANNINI B.VIOLIER

NORMAND LAPRISE

TOQUE! IN MONTRÉAL

GUY SAVOY

FRANCE’S MOST CELEBRATED CHEF www.wgmagazines.com

LUIGI TAGLIENTI

CLASSIC & CONTEMPORARY WG June 2017 -

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FOUR HANDS DINNER TWO CHEFS, FOUR HANDS, EIGHT SIGNATURE DISHES

ALFREDO RUSSO FROM MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANT DOLCE STIL NOVO, TURIN, ITALY

REIF OTHMAN CHEF OF THE YEAR - THE EXPERIENCE AND PLAY, DUBAI East Meets West - These two avant-garde styled chefs come together to take you on a culinary journey of flavours!

6.30 P.M. - WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017 THE FRANKLIN HOTEL

24 Egerton Gardens, London SW3 2DB T: +44 (0)20 7584 5533 E: thefranklin@starhotels.com W: www.thefranklinlondon.com

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MAGAZINES

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AN ELEGANT KNIGHTSBRIDGE ESCAPE

Set in an elegant Victorian building surrounded by the beauty and lushness of the private Egerton Gardens, as perfect counterpoint to bustling Knightsbridge, The Franklin hotel combines the warmth of a private home, the impeccable service of a luxury hotel and Anouska Hempel’s timeless, Italian-influenced design. Discover The Franklin Restaurant by Michelin Star Chef Alfredo Russo, showcasing the beautiful simplicity of Italian cuisine.

Explore more and book your stay

T: + 44 20 7584 5533 E: reservations.thefranklin@starhotels.com

24 Egerton Gardens, London SW3 2DB | www.thefranklinlondon.com |

@Hotel_Franklin WG June 2017 -

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"One of the most unique privileges in the world is to be able to participate in viticulture and the life cycle of the vines...

It teaches us humility and perspective and teaches us about the world and who we are.�

@BastianichWines @LaMozzaWines #FeelBastianich

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Bastianich / Cantina - Punto Vendita Via Darnazzacco, 44/2 Frazione Gagliano 33043 Cividale del Friuli (UD) T. +39 0432 - WG June 2017700 943 - winery@bastianich.com www.bastianich.com

Cantina - Vigneto Monte Civoli - Magliano in Toscana 58051 Grosseto www.LaMozza.com

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WGkonnect

AWARNESS IS FINE BUT ADVOCACY TAKES YOUR BRAND TO THE NEXT LEVEL info@wgkonnect.com www.wgkonnect.com

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where intrigue, surprise and adventure awaits... a cuisine inspired by Indian flavours shaped by the imagination and experience of award-winning chef restaurateur, Vineet Bhatia.

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10 Lincoln St, London SW2 3TS +44 20 7225 1881 â—? info@vineetbhatia.london â—? www.vineetbhatia.london

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ELEVATING BRANDS ABOVE THE CROWDS www.tallpr.com

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PR MARKETING & WINE EXPERIENCES 10 - WG June 2017

www.pedraconsul>ng.it

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winemakers in freedom

first class spumante wines made through the champenoise method

www.dorigowines.com

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mumbledesign.it / ph: m.crivellari

Michele Moschioni in his cellar.

Jewels need a caveau

Rare red wines, true terroir, passionate craftmanship. That’s all.

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www.michelemoschioni.it

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ARIA is an award winning, two hatted restaurant in Sydney located at Circular Quay, on the very edge of Sydney Harbour. This incredible restaurant provides a dining experience with striking Sydney harbour views, an award winning menu and extensive wine list, all served in an intimate and elegant dining room.

ARIA Restaurant 1 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 T +61 2 9240 2255 mail@ariarestaurant.com ariarestaurant.com

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Large kitchen, small kitchen, many meals, fewer meals, quick s whatever your challenge is, SelfCookingCenterÂŽ and CombiMa Find out more: rational-online.com and ConnectedCooking.com

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snacks, extensive dinner – aster® Plus have the answer.

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Editor Lifestyle Editor Culinary Editor

Fabian deCastro Doug Singer Claudia Ferreres

Feature Editor

Oilda Barreto

Contributors

Michael Hepworth

Photography

Majella O’Connell

FJMdesign Photography Consultant Creative Design Studio Publisher

IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

‘ WOGOA FOUNDATION

Identifying underprivileged children with culinary ambitions...

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Oscar Barrera Marengo

WG™ is an online digital publication published by: Izzy Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Unit 14, Agnelo Colony, Kerant, Caranzalem, 403002 Goa, India Tel: +91(832) 2463234 Fax: +91(832) 2464201 sales@wgmagazines.com Company Registration Number U22100GA2011PTC006731 Marketing & Advertising Call: +91 832 246 3234 E-mail: marketing@wgmagazines.com

WG™ New York Doug Singer - Head of Operations, North America 404 East 66 Street, Suite 2E New York, NY 10065 E-mail: doug@wgmagazines.com WG™ International Representative Point Select Leisure Management DMCC P.O.Box 333581, Dubai, U.A.E.

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©IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. Editorial material and opinions expressed in WG™ digital publication do not necessarily reflect the views of IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd. WG™ and IZZY Publishing Pvt. Ltd. cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or errors and do not accept responsibility for the advertising content.

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Cover Image Credit: PLAY Restaurant and Lounge

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MAGAZINES

We continue to highlight the best in the culinary world this June...

A showcase looking out on the Seine... Restaurant Guy Savoy is a dining experience that is a perfectly orchestrated symphony, The Best Chef in The World by La Liste and France’s Most Celebrated Chef Guy Savoy.

Together, we will journey around the world once again in search of the finest cuisine available. This issue will highlight a wide array of both old and new talent as we all journey to Crissier – Switzerland to speak with famed Chef Franck Giovannini at B. Violier, LUME is our next stop with Luigi Taglienti and his classically and contemporary cuisine, as well as a visit to Amelia – the new kid on the bock in San Sebastián with Paulo Airaudo.

Before heading off to the United Kingdom, we visit Hangar 7 to experience the perfectionist creations of Thomas Bühner at Restaurant Ikarus in Salzburg. Barry and Patricia Hilton bring the flavours of the Levant to London, a walk down the road to HKK to explore the relationship between classical European recipes and Chinese cuisine with Executive Pastry Chef Graham Hornigold. While still in the UK, we visit the most perfect town in England where The Old Downton Lodge which is located just minutes away from Ludlow and meet up Karl Martin who tells a story with his cuisine - from nature to plate...

Our journey takes us tp Libertine Social Restaurant at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas to meet with the James Beard award winning chef Shaun McClain who has partnered up with a famous mixologist/bartender in the shape of Tony Abou-Gannim, who wrote the definitive book on vodka called ‘Vodka Distilled.’ Next in Chicago to explore the world of cuisine with Jenner Tomaska at Next which was founded

by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas. Before heading to the East, a short ride to Restaurant TOQUÉ! in Montreal to meet Normand Laprise, the master of flavours.

A stop in South Korea to meet award-winning Chef Tae Hwan Ryu, Hong Kong T’ang Court is our next stop to meet Kwong Wai Keung, the veteran of traditional Cantonese cuisine, and we catch up with Fatih Tutak at The Dining Room at The House on Sathorn in Bangkok. Each of Fatih Tutak’s dishes are inspired by his globetrotting experiences and craftily curates his “fun dining” concept with his Modern Turkish Influenced Cuisine. Our culinary journey ends in Dubai as we catch up with Stuart Sage.

Bon Appétit

FdeCastro

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JUNE 2017

36FRANCE’S MOST CELEBRATED CHEF 52CULINARY EXCELLENCE 62VETERAN OF TRADITIONAL CANTONESE CUISINE

74 AVANT-GARDE AROMAS 82 TOQUE! DE MONTRÉAL 92 CLASSIC & CONTEMPORARY 104 BETWEEN NORMAL AND RYUNIQUE 112 MODERN TURKISH INFLUENCED CUISINE 22 - WG June 2017

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128 A CULINARY DECADE IN DUBAI...

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140 AMELIA - THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK 152 NEXT IN CHICAGO 164 EXCITING, EXPRESSIVE, EUROPEAN-INSPIRED CUISINE

170 FLAVOURS OF THE LEVANT

176 LIBERTINE SOCIAL 184 THE OLD DOWNTON LODGE 186 HKK PHOTO ©PLAY RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

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1. MSRP. Tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment extra. ©2016 General Motors. All Rights Reserved. Cadillac®

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BREAKFAST Daily 7:00 AM-11:00 AM LUNCH Monday-Friday 12:00 PM-2:30 PM BRUNCH Saturday-Sunday 11:00 AM-2:30 PM DINNER Monday-Sunday 5:30 PM-10:00 PM

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Café Boulud is a proud supporter of the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival.

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‘ WOGOA FOUNDATION

Identifying underprivileged children with culinary ambitions...

Culinary Arts can give new life to children... we make it our mission to identify talented, underprivileged children with culinary ambitions and provide opportunities that otherwise would have been beyond their reach…

Grant MacPherson

WO’GOA Foundation Ambassador An inspirer, innovator and perfectionist - Grant encompasses all the qualities that deserving children can glean from a role model!

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partnered with SKD ACADEMY the culinary institute in the Philippines

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FRESH FROM JAPAN IMPORTERS OF JAPANESE PRODUCE

Summit Trading Co., L.L.C. P.O. Box 2390, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971-26743100 Fax: +971-26743992 www.summit-trading.com

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GUY SAVOY

A showcase looking out on the Seine...

GUY SAVOY FRANCE’S MOST CELEBRATED CHEF

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Restaurant Guy Savoy is a dining experience that is perfectly orchestrated symphony of impeccable service, exquisite ambiance, remarkable wine cellar and incomparable cuisine. Its coveted three Michelin stars are widely recognized as the pinnacle in culinary achievement. In 1980, Guy Savoy opened his first restaurant Restaurant Guy Savoy, Rue Duret in Paris, where he quickly gained recognition of the most prominent gastronomic guides, winning his first Michelin star a year after opening. In 1987, Restaurant Guy Savoy moved to Rue Troyon, just a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe, where he quickly established himself and his restaurant as one of the world’s most valued culinary treasures; and In May 2015, Restaurant Guy Savoy moved to La Monnaie de Paris.

One day in November 2009, a friend brought Guy Savoy to visit La Monnaie de Paris (the Paris Mint), he did not expect to have his breath taken away! Taken away, indeed, by the thoroughgoing beauty of the place. Truly thoroughgoing, as it is both “inside and out”: “inside” for the remarkable quality of the architecture (by Jean-Denis Antoine), the materials and spaces, “out” for the exceptional view from the wide, towering windows that run the length of the five dining rooms facing the Seine, the Louvre, the Pont Neuf and the Institut de France.

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GUY SAVOY

SALON BELLES BACCHANTES PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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Guy Savoy has an enthusiastic nature and makes decisions rapidly. He drafted a proposal to set up his restaurant in this magnificent setting, the project was approved and as usual, Savoy relied on his friend, the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, to handle the remodeling of this architectural jewel.

But why Jean-Michel Wilmotte? Guy Savoy remembers his surprise at seeing Wilmotte one fine morning in 2000 at Rue Troyon, the start of their collaboration, simply to observe and observe so that he might better understand the ‘life’ of a restaurant, and all of its myriad facets.

Having already been seduced by Wilmotte’s formidable achievements, Guy Savoy was won over when he discovered his particular method of working and since then Jean-Michel Wilmotte has been the go to designer for all of Guy Savoy’s restaurants.

We are in an apartment within a private mansion; I wanted to retain the rhythm of the rooms, the ceiling heights and the arrangement of the various spaces.

I see the view from the windows is the highlight of this place and so I oriented this project around this view onto the Seine, the Louvre, the Pont Neuf, the Institut de France... I set about muting the rooms with a tonal harmony of warm slate greys while all of the light comes from outside, the landscape, the sky, the open space. The concept of darkened spaces affords one the luxury of highlighting the tables themselves, which are obviously the focal point of the décor. It is there that everything is played out. With their vast while tablecloths ornamented with crystal porcelain and steel, with cut glass and painted ceramic objects d’art, the tables are theatrical stages that deserve to be firmly in the spotlight.

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GUY SAVOY

SALON SCÈNES DE PARIS PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

As if he were in a gallery in front of a great canvas, Jean-Michel Wilmotte chooses to remain humble.

“It is the tables themselves and the exterior views which are the true works of art, the rest merely provides the framework.”

Guy Savoy is the 2017 world’s best chef

by La Liste

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The historical character of the building was respected, with mouldings enlivening the walls and wooden floors that functions as magnificent borders for discreetly patterned carpets. The ceilings have been embellished as well, with mirrors reflecting light and bringing the outside in, an immense Stillnovo chandelier from the fifties, discovered in New York by Wilmotte while he was antique hunting, even a Fabrice Hyber canvas “Effervescence”, commissioned by Guy Savoy, whose champagne or soap bubbles light up conversations around frivolous and profound around the tables. Just to gild the lily, a number of works have been generously loaned by François Pinault (the “Pinault Collection”).

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AUTOPORTRAIT À LA CIGARETTE - PIERRE ET GILLES PHOTO © MARC DOMAGE

SALON BELLES BACCHANTES PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

EFFERVESCENCE - FABRICE HYBER PHOTO ©MARC DOMAGE

SALON VERT GALANT PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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GUY SAVOY

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the kitchen...

“Guy Savoy now has the most beautiful kitchen of his life,” Jean-Michel enthuses, “a vast space, bathed in natural light, pleasant workspace, well organized, exceptional. Behind the scenes lies an impressive functionality.” He raises his voice, ardent, jubilantly describing the kitchen... Within this architect beats the heart of a gourmand.

And finally, the icing on the cake - the juxtaposition of the monumental staircase, preserved in its original form, with a quote from Guy Savoy written in red neon at the entrance “Cuisine is the art of instantly transforming produce rich with history into joy.” But, why in red neon in this historical building, Wilmotte says “we had to bring fire – the fire of modernity!”

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GUY SAVOY

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“I love my life, I love what I do, and stopping has just never entered my mind”

Guy Savoy

Guy Savoy was born into a world where food and its evolution into cuisine mattered, growing up in Bourgoin-Jallieu, near the gastronomic epicenter of Lyon, France, Savoy was surrounded by a culinary culture where seasonal food products were a part of everyday life and great food was the norm, not an exception. When he was a child, he immersed himself in gourmand sensations, and built his life as a chef around this.

was schooled in the art of perfection. This practice of the pastry chef making everything from A to Z, including all of his “pre-finished products”, laid the foundation of my training base, and it is the very base I still use in my work every day” adds Guy Savoy.

The second major stage in Savoy’s training was with the Troisgros brothers in Roanne, where Savoy discovered the beauty of a chef’s gestures in the The attention to the “perfect” product and the terroir kitchen. Guy Savoy says “When Jean Troisgros from which it comes from is the backbone of Guy plucked a copper pot from its hook on the wall, it Savoy’s cooking. He takes flawless, seasonal items was a true spectacle and yet he must have repeated and enhances and embellishes with unparalleled this same act hundreds of times a day, with his technique and artistry. The result: it is as if the food chefs and apprentices his only audience. It was the same when he salted a dish. I was never tired of comes alive on the plate. watching the stream of salt falling from his fingers, Guy Savoy’s professional journey started with the each grain landing equidistant from the next best and moved up from there. His auspicious almost like magic! The beauty of these gestures beginning as an apprentice with the legendary translates the quality of the dishes prepared, for Troisgros brothers set the tone for his culinary path. one cannot prepare bad food with such loving Recalling when he started his apprenticeship and care for the objects and ingredients being used. training with chocolate-maker Louis Marchand and Beauty was everywhere with them; at the end of the with the inventors of Nouvelle Cuisine the Troisgros service, I never saw a stain on their apron, a cut or brothers in Roanne. a burn on their fingers. These details of perfection shaped the second stage of this training foundation When Guy Savoy started his apprenticeship with I mentioned earlier.”

Louis Marchand, the pastry chef and chocolatemaker in his hometown of Bourgoin-Jallieu, he And then, something both his mentors shared was was amazed to discover that absolutely everything a true reverence for the ingredients. The products was made on the premises. For example a brioche that were delivered were the results of the hard with candied fruit, not only was the brioche made work of farmers, cattle breeders and fishermen.

by Louis Marchand and his pastry chefs, but so was “We are the final link in the chain and it is our duty the candied fruit. “I now know the extent to which I to glorify them in our cooking” adds Guy Savoy.

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GUY SAVOY

Guy Savoy’s cuisine is a combination of seasonality, with harmony, contrast, impeccably balanced and a true dining experience… “My sense of balance on the plate is without a doubt a reflection of the rigour of my childhood. A rigour I found in my gardener father who woke each morning at the crack of dawn to tend his garden and fruit trees in the best conditions, who showed such concern for a job well done that he lit fires in the early morning to keep the frost from damaging his newly sprouted plants.

A rigour I found in my mother who ran a little restaurant and who peeled all the vegetables for lunch each day so her guests could enjoy the freshest possible produce. (And peeling is a long and thankless task!) My parents’ rigorous work ethic nurtured in me a profound respect for the ingredients I use, and gives me a strong balance in my cooking.” Adds Guy Savoy.

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POMME DE TERRE-CAVIAR, L’ŒUF EN SABAYON FUMÉ PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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CAVIAR, L’ŒUF EN SABAYON FUMÉ PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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GUY SAVOY

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HUÎTRES EN NAGE GLACÉEE, HUÎTRES CONCASSÉES, GRANITÉ ALGUE ET CITRON PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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SOUPE D’ARTICHAUT À LA TRUFFE NOIRE, BRIOCHE FEUILLETÉE PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

“Produce, Creativity and Technique... all three are more than important, they are essential!

If one is missing, then the success won’t be there”

The Great Classics which Guy Savoy has created The source of his recipes is very simple: the desire for a flavour or an odour has always guided the dishes he creates. He has a flavour or an odour in mind and he works the ingredients until the reality corresponds to what he had imagined.

For example, with “Iced Poached Oysters” Savoy wanted to taste the juices of oysters, fully, perfectly, without losing a drop, which is impossible normally since half of this exquisitely salty seawater spills onto the plate. So, he got the idea of solidifying it where Savoy got his water and his recipe.

Always fond of artichoke’s since he was a baby according to Guy Savoy’s mother, which led to one of his signature classics the “Artichoke and black truffle soup, layered brioche with mushrooms and truffles”.

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GUY SAVOY

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Photo © Laurence Mouton

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a sweet symphony…

“My vanilla millefeuille is always made to order, not a moment before. Nothing is left to chance, right down to its amber hue of its pastry – too much colour and the pastry becomes bitter.

Millefeuille

It’s always the same, beginning with the ritual of layering. The same rolling technique performed each and every time, stretching it to bring out its crispness, layer by layer.

I revel in this two-step waltz between the pastry, which brings crunch, and the soft susurration of the cream. A peerless melody, a cleverly orchestrated score, a harmony of temperatures, a paradox of textures both crisp and creamy.

Each mouthful is its own mini millefeuille, punctuated by a silent pause.”

Guy Savoy

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GUY SAVOY

Delicately spiced grilled ‘giant’ langoustine, turnip ‘net’ Why giant? Because it weighs up to 300 grams. These particular prawns are notoriously difficult to catch, such prawns are rare, but their flesh has a peerless consistency and flavor.

Shelled and cooked on a griddle, small nicks are made in its tail to accommodate a preparation based on Espelette pepper. Now it has fallen prey to Guy Savoy’s net - a turnip cut into mesh of diamond shapes and cooked in a boiling langoustine reduction. Sadly for the fisherman, this net’s catch is destined for the plate.

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GUY SAVOY

Special cooking equipment… Guy Savoy says “I always have a carving fork with me because I find it is the kind of fork that can do anything, as well as a spoon for tasting (a must!). I don’t have any equipment in particular; I use a range cooker, like any good chef.”

Like fine cognac, Guy Savoy’s recipes expresses the essence of French cooking, his book “Simple French Recipes for the Home Cook” is the best of his personal repertoire of updated classic recipes from his childhood - the tasty dishes this great chef loves to cook at home. There are also a handful of special occasion recipes perfect for casual entertaining, all of the recipes are detailed both the cooking techniques and the delicious finished product.

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CONCASSÉE D’HUITRES, GRANITÉ ALGUES ET CITRON PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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SURPRISE DE HOMARD PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

AUTOUR DU VEAU, JUS CLASSIQUE SOUS LA CROÛTE PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

COQUILLAGES ET ASPERGES VERTES DANS L’ASSIETTE ET SUR LA PIERRE CHAUDE PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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GUY SAVOY

ASSIETTE PLATE - DESIGN BRUNO MORETTI PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

CLOCHE ET SON CONDUIT - DESIGN BRUNO MORETTI PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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ASSIETTE PLATE - DESIGN BRUNO MORETTI PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

TASSE - DESIGN BRUNO MORETTI PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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BRUNO MORETTI AND GUY SAVOY

Bringing life to the table…

Bruno Moretti was amazed to discover that chefs share the same concerns as designers – combining simplicity with harmony in their work, ceaselessly maintaining extreme precision, seeking out the very best raw materials, devoting oneself to the service of one’s client, understanding that in both these disciplines that there are no second chances. If a place setting is poorly conceived, it’s too late, the damage is done and the same is true for a poorly conceived dish.

Guy Savoy highlighted two core ideas which inform his work as a chef and which he wanted to serve as the guiding force in the designer’s work: Establishing a sense of continuity between the kitchen and the dining room by surrounding guests with objects usually found within a chef’s domain, where these twin worlds should blend into one.

Designing table accessories which complement individual dishes, dictated by their manner of preparation and presentation, and in addition, designing objects whose forms themselves facilitate the innovation of entirely new dishes. It is a reciprocal relationship.

While the designer and chef were enjoying a meal with a perfect paired wine, led Guy Savoy and Bruno Moretti to discuss the pairing of design and cuisine. They both shared the idea that tableware and table accessories are the link between the guest and the chef himself.

BRUNO MORETTI AND GUY SAVOY

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Guy Savoy works tirelessly to promote awareness and understanding and to pass on his own savoir-faire, he receives secondary school children for vocational training and introduced an idea of offering lunch to young diners accompanying their parents. Savoy trains apprentices all year round in his kitchens and dining room and opens up new horizons for students uncertain about their future career path. In the same spirit his Savoy stood on the committee in support of the inclusion of the French Gourmet Meal on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and in 2010, UNESCO ruled favor of the proposal.

“I love my life, I love what I do, and stopping has just never entered my mind.”

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COCO PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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LA FRAISE, RAFRAICHIE AU BASILIC SOUS UNE FINE COQUE MERINGUÉE PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

POIRE-CÈDRE PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

POMME PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

LE PAMPLEMOUSSE, EN SORBET VANILLÉ SUR UN MINI BABA, CRÈME LÉGÈRE AU CITRON VERT PHOTO © LAURENCE MOUTON

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FRANCK GIOVANNINI

CULINARY EXCELLENCE

FRANCK GIOVANNINI PHOTO © B VIOLIER

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The first Swiss national to climb the podium of the Bocuse d’Or. Passionate, meticulous and precise, he constantly strives to prove his ability to everyone.

A tireless perfectionist, he gives the best of himself every single day in order to progress still further.

With an impressive professional background, Franck Giovannini began at the Auberge de la Couronne in Apples where he completed his apprenticeship with Claude Joseph in 1992. Once he had obtained his Swiss Federal Certificate, he left for Vancouver where he worked in the kitchen of a gourmet caterer. Then went to New York where he worked with the Grey Kunz.

After a first stage as chef de partie at the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville with Frédy Girardet, Franck Giovannini went to Boston. In 2000, he came back to the famous Philippe Rochat’s Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, Benoît Violier convinced him to become the sous-chef de cuisine and later chef de cuisine when Rochat passed on the torch to Benoît Violier in 2012.

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PHOTO © HANS LAURENDEAU, SHOOT STUDIO

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FRANCK GIOVANNINI

TABLE - BENOÃŽT VIOLIER.

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BRIGITTE VIOLIER & FRANCK GIOVANNINI

After Benoît passed away in 2016, Franck Giovannini took over the kitchen at the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, a veritable institution of Swiss and worldwide gastronomy, where Brigitte Violier has taken over the reins. Franck Giovannini bears the responsibility for a brigade of more than twenty highly qualified, experienced staff members, all of whom he knows very well. After having shared twenty years of friendship and working with Benoît Violier in Crissier, he developed his culinary excellence, an now in charge of conceiving the restaurant’s menus according to the rhythms of the seasons, thus continuing the outstanding achievements of Frédy Girardet, Philippe Rochat and Benoît Violier.

WG Magazine catches up with Franck Giovannini…

WG Magazine: It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion…

Franck Giovannini: I was born in a family that always cooked for the pleasure of it. My father wanted to become a Chef, unfortunately, life has decided otherwise. I’ve always been interested by all catering profession. It is along my apprenticeship that the Passion with a capital “P” came to me.

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FRANCK GIOVANNINI

WG Magazine: Your cuisine is multifaceted and your menus are according to the changing of the seasons, building on the outstanding work of Frédy Girardet, Philippe Rochat and Benoît Violier. A homage to the palate, a balance between flavours and aromas sparkles delightfully on the tongue…

Franck Giovannini: I am working with outstanding products, so my team and I always respect the product giving it the right cooking. I don’t want to mix too many flavors. I prefer focusing on 2 or 3 flavors to reach the harmony in the dish. I feel it’s important to recognize what one is eating, as the different sense of taste in the plate. The products have to taste what they should taste!

WG Magazine: After finishing your apprenticeship with Claude Joseph in 1992, you went on to work with Gray Kunz, Frédy Girardet and Benoît Violier – how did it help you as a chef today?

Franck Giovannini: The three Chefs are extraordinary. They passed along their passion of cooking and taste of good work to me. I am extremely thankful to them and I think it was a great opportunity to start my career by their side. They all worked together so they had the same philosophy.

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

Franck Giovannini: My cuisine is seasonal with products from the nearby area. They all are extraordinary products without being luxury goods.

I love to sublimate them by giving them the right cooking and bringing flavors that can match together.

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MORILLE

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TURBOT

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SEARED LANGOUSTINE SERVED WITH CORAL SAUCE FLAMBÉ WITH “VIEUX MARC DE LAVAUX”

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PIGEON AUX FRUITS ROUGES

WG Magazine: What ingredients inspire you, your favourite ingredients and ingredients that you have not been able to master?

Franck Giovannini: Vegetables are my favorite, I use them in all dishes under all its forms. It brings freshness and texture in the plate. This is the best way to respect the seasons. We favor the best suppliers while remaining to the nearby region.

I teach by example in working with products that doesn’t come from the other side of the world.

VEAL FILLET FROM THE PRE-ALPS SERVED WITH FRIED POTATOES, MOREL MUSHROOMS AND PEAS

I like every type of products, for instance, I love to prepare a dish with tomatoes as much as a plate with caviar. The seasons are changing regularly and the products as well.

No, there is no product that my team and I are not able to work with. Currently at restaurant B. Violier, we do not want to work with insects.

WG Magazine: Special cooking techniques…

Franck Giovannini: I use all techniques and existing technologies. I particularly like to roast and base a beautiful piece of meat like it used to be done in the past.

WG Magazine: Produce, Creativity or Technique…

Franck Giovannini: The three are complementary and indissociable, to create a respectful cooking that always can improve.

LIEU JAUNE

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FRANCK GIOVANNINI

WG Magazine: In 2006 and 2010 you won Cuisinier d’Or, Prix du Poisson in 2011 and Bocuse de Bronze in 2007 - Take us through those moments of winning?

Franck Giovannini: Contest have been very important to me in my career. It was an exceptional way to improve my skills. It is an experience full of encounters that allowed me to perfect myself. All the rewards I received gave me a great satisfaction and the sense of duty accomplished. The most important thing to know is the previous work that has been done before the contest. We train a lot in order to become better.

WG Magazine: Three Michelin Stars, 19 GaultMillau, and in 2015 No.1 Top restaurant of the World by La Liste – what keeps you motivated at this point of your career?

Franck Giovannini: Everything! The pleasure to cook some nice products, the joy to train and manage a young highly motivated team and the customer satisfaction that we receive everyday with their feedbacks.

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

Franck Giovannini: It is now seen as a glamourous profession. Don’t forget that it requires hard work and that many challenges are faced. If I may provide an advice to the young chefs who are jumping into this amazing world: work with passion, make your customers happy, before you become a star.

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MENTHE-CHOCOLAT

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KWONG WAI KEUNG

KWONG WAI KEUNG A VETERAN OF TRADITIONAL CANTONESE CUISINE

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KWONG WAI KEUNG

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BAKED SEAFOOD, RICE, CREAM SAUCE, CRAB-SHELL

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SIGNATURE

Kwong Wai Keung first joined The Langham, Hong Kong in 1988 as a chef in the hotel’s well-established Cantonese restaurant, T’ang Court. By 1994, he had worked his way up to become the Executive Chef – Chinese Cuisine. He was then transferred in 2008 to Langham Hospitality Group, where he was appointed to standardize all the Chinese kitchens within the company. In this capacity, Chef Kwong developed and shaped the group’s signature Chinese restaurants, as well as banqueting worldwide.

He returned back to his humble beginnings at The Langham, Hong Kong, the award-winning chef with over 20 years’ experience, Chef Kwong oversees the kitchen operation of T’ang Court and Chinese banquets. Under his leadership, T’ang Court was a three-time gold medal winner in Hong Kong Tourism Board’s “Best of the Best Culinary Awards” in 2001 for his Sautéed Prawns and Crab Roe with Golden Fried Pork and Crab Meat Puffs, in 2002 with his Stir-fried Fresh Lobster with Spring Onions, Red Onions and Shallots and his Fish in Two Styles was a winner in 2013.

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A veteran of traditional Cantonese cuisine, Chef Kwong is an innovative chef always seeking changes within traditional Chinese cuisine without losing its essence. Speaking about his own cooking philosophy, Chef Kwong says, “As a professional chef, one must be rigorous regarding the food quality and the ability to be innovative is also a key factor to become successful. From the combination of ingredients to the plating of each dish, every detail must be taken into consideration in order to surprise and delight guests.”

In 2017, T’ang Court was once again honored to receive Three Michelin Stars by the Michelin Guide, Hong Kong and Macau for the second consecutive year. Retaining its title on gourmet excellence, T’ang Court is one of the only four Cantonese restaurants in the world to receive this accolade of Three Michelin Stars. Chef Kwong adds “We are so honored that our craft has been recognized on a global scale of the highest standard in the culinary world. Cooking is a labor of love and we look forward to welcoming our guests to taste the delicate intricacies of quality Cantonese cuisine.”

WG Magazine speaks with Chef Kwong Wai Keung It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking… Chef Kwong started his culinary career as a kitchen assistant 49 years ago at the age of 13. At first it was just a job for a steady income, but then his love for cooking continued to grow. He is proud that his life’s work has risen to the top of the food chain as Executive Chef – Chinese Cuisine at The Langham, Hong Kong.

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STEAMED BIRDS NEST AND CUSTARD WITH EGG YOLK

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STIR FRIED LOBSTER WITH SPRING ONIONS AND RED ONIONS

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BAKED OYSTER

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T’ANG COURT

WG Magazine: Your classic Cantonese culinary masterpieces are based on legendary flavors, created with the finest produce which is complex and modest yet impeccably balanced and getting more out of the food and flavours!

Chef Kwong: The quality of the ingredients always comes first. Over the years, I’ve studied different types of products and have mastered how to bring out the best flavours and textures for each dish.

WG Magazine: At 13 you started working at a hotel and then moved to working every kitchen section at the Langham Hotel in Hong Kong - Tell us about the experience!

Chef Kwong: In 1988, I joined The Langham, Hong Kong working in the Chinese kitchen and spent 5 years in the Dim Sum, Siu Mei (Chinese barbeque) and the main kitchen area.

Having been exposed to the three subsections of the kitchen, it allowed me to fully comprehend the complete operational needs and understand the mechanics of the different types of equipment as a whole unit.

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KWONG WAI KEUNG

WG Magazine: Could you describe your culinary philosophy, and what inspires a new dish…

Chef Kwong: My philosophy is to cook wholeheartedly and maintain the integrity of the ingredients. Every new culinary creation begins with your products and I believe in upholding and bringing out the best textures and flavours possible.

WG Magazine: What new ingredients inspire you right, your favourite ingredients and is there any ingredients that you have not been able to master?

Chef Kwong: I’m always inspired by the variety of imported or local ingredients available in Hong Kong. I carefully choose ingredients based on the origin, freshness and seasonality to determine the dish quality.

Favourite ingredients… It would definitely be seafood because I’m able to use a diverse range of cooking styles to create different types of dishes.

This has happened to me once or twice in the early days of my career due to food quality that I have not been able to master but over the years, I’ve mastered my choice of ingredients for specific dishes.

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SAUTEED PRAWNS CRAB ROE WITH GOLDEN FRIED PORK AND CRAB MEAT PUFFS

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CRAB SHELL

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PEKING DUCK

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

APPETISERS

Chef Kwong: Chinese cooking technique depends on the dish however a large iron wok is crucial to the cuisine. The “wok aroma” can only be created through the high heat in this unique kitchen tool which infuses a specific fragrance to the food, which a non-stick frying pan could never do.

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

Chef Kwong: Having proper cooking technique is the most important. No matter how fresh the ingredient is, a chef without having foundational knowledge would not know how to use the product.

WG Magazine: Three Michelin Stars making T’ang Court one of the only four Cantonese restaurants in the world to receive this accolade – what motivates you?

T’ANG COURT CULINARY TEAM

Chef Kwong: Of course I was ecstatic to receive this accolade however I was more excited that Cantonese cuisine had been recognised on such a global stage. Seeing guests appreciate Cantonese cuisine is what motivates me.

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?

Chef Kwong: My advice is to ask yourself why first because being a chef is a tough profession.

Working in high temperature kitchens for more than 12 hours a day is a true labour of love.

SAUTÉED COD FILLET WITH SOYA SAUCE AND COD FISH TARO PUFFS

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THOMAS BÜHNER

THOMAS BÜHNER

Avant-Garde Aromas Text Hangar-7 Photo © Helge Kirchberger Photography / Red Bull Hangar-7

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THOMAS BÜHNER

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IKARUS KITCHEN - MARTIN KLEIN AND THOMAS BÜHNER

IKARUS KITCHEN - THOMAS BÜHNER

“If I’m going to be a chef, then I’m going to have to be a good one.” This is the standard that Michelinstarred chef Thomas Bühner has held himself to since leaving school. Fortunately, he followed his careers advisor’s suggestion that he become either a chef, a baker or a farmer, and Bühner has now been regarded amongst the highest echelon of German chefs for more than 20 years, one of just ten master craftsmen to have been awarded three Michelin stars.

Situated in a classical, 18th century listed building in the heart of historic Osnabrück, Thomas Bühner has run the la vie restaurant since 2006. A simple, cosy and relaxing environment – so the diners can truly appreciate the culinary fireworks produced by the avant-garde aroma alchemist. Bühner works with the conviction that there is no more authentic and intense flavour than that of the pure and simple original taste of an individual ingredient. In this spirit, the Michelin-starred chef often spends weeks tinkering and tweaking to fine tune his perfectionist creations. When Thomas Bühner truly unleashes his creativity it is a feast for both the palate and the eyes, proving that the 19 points awarded to him in the Gault Millau are well deserved.

IKARUS KITCHEN - MARTIN KLEIN AND THOMAS BÜHNER

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THOMAS BÜHNER

“During my career what made the greatest impression on me was my time with Jörg Müller on Sylt and with Harald Wohlfahrt in the Restaurant Schwarzwaldstube. Even today Harald Wohlfahrt is a shining example for me with his discipline and his consistency”

IKARUS KITCHEN ECKART WITZIGMANN AND THOMAS BÜHNER

Thomas Bühner ECKART WITZIGMANN AND THOMAS BÜHNER

He finds inspiration in the largest kitchen garden in Germany at Ippenburg Castle, where he and his team head out early in the morning to harvest produce for his culinary creations. Rather than a procession of individual courses, Bühner’s explosions of flavour come together to form a symphony where sometimes the violin comes to the fore and at other times the oboe – that is to say, sometimes it is the pure flavour of the meat that sings out, while at other moments it is the combination of herbs which hits the highest notes – but the overall piece emerges from the entire orchestra playing in harmony. Dishes full of creativity, passion and technical precision await those who come to experience this celebration of the senses.

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IKARUS KITCHEN - THOMAS BÜHNER, MARTIN KLEIN, ECKART WITZIGMANN AND CHEFS OF IKARUS

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THOMAS BÜHNER

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“If I’m going to be a chef, then I’m going to have to be a good one” Thomas Bühner

Though a common concept elsewhere, Bühner’s second motto is rarely heard in kitchens: ‘foot off the pedal’. Here he is referring to the speed at which dishes are prepared, but also to the temperature: using gentle vacuum and low-temperature cooking techniques, the aromas of fish, meat and vegetables can be brought out to incredible effect. For proof, look no further than his dish ‘Pure Deer’: rather than using conventional methods to create a sauce, he has developed a pure gravy, using vacuum evaporation to capture the essence of a full flavour that requires no additional spices, roasted aromats or tannins.

Those wishing to experience these perfectionist creations for themselves will have the chance in June 2017, when Thomas Bühner graces Restaurant Ikarus in Salzburg’s Hangar-7 with his tenure as guest chef.

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NORMAND LAPRISE

Born in Kamouraska, a small Québec village on the South shore of the St. Lawrence River. Normand Laprise’s life on the farm followed the rhythm of the seasons and at an early age he developed his taste for products of absolute freshness.

NORMAND LAPRISE

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In 1978, Laprise enrolled at the Charlesbourg Hotel School in Québec City followed by a first job at Café de la Paix. But it is under the masterful guidance of Chef Jacques Le Pluart at the Marie-Clarisse Restaurant in Québec City that his inspiration and passion for cuisine du marché are confirmed. From 1984 to 1988 he developed his skills at the Lutetia Restaurant at Hôtel de la Montagne in Montreal.

By the end of the eighties, he spends some time and shares his skills with the students at the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec, but his taste for adventure has become irrestible. His first apprenticeship begins at the Relais & Château La Cloche d’Or in Dijon where Chef Jean-Pierre Billoux teaches him masterful skills, rigorous techniques and work with products of absolute quality. He brings back in his suitcase this savoirfaire and in 1989 he is hired as chef de cuisine at restaurant Citrus where he is very quickly noticed for his creativity. Trips to California and Italy follow and later to Japan.

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PHOTO © HANS LAURENDEAU, SHOOT STUDIO

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NORMAND LAPRISE

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TOQUÉ!

PHOTO © BÉNÉDICTE BROCARD

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CHRISTINE LAMARCHE AND NORMAND LAPRISE PHOTO © HANS LAURENDEAU, SHOOT STUDIO

The love affair between Normand Laprise and the world of gastronomy takes shape and grows over the years…

Toqué! took a leap to the International Quarter at the gate of Old Montreal in 2004, located on Place Jean-Paul Riopelle where culinary art and street art live in perfect harmony, a spectacular space was inaugurated in the no less grandiose glass building housing the Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec. It was in 2010, Normand and Christine Lamarche opened their second restaurant in the heart of Quartier des Spectacles of Montreal, BRASSERIE T!

In 2014, Normand Laprise was invited to join France’s elite circle of international chefs LES GRANDES TABLES DU MONDE and in 2015, the Grand Chef Laprise was selected to sit on the International Chef Advisory Board of Institut Paul In 1993, Laprise along with his associate Christine Bocuse, Lyon, France. He is the only Canadian Lamarche opened Restaurant TOQUÉ! on St. Denis chef ambassador in the group of twelve founding street in the heart of “Le Plateau” in Montreal. 1998 members chosen to represent French gastronomy May saw Normand Laprise demonstrate his full on all the continents and to perpetuate the innovative mastery of flavours as a consultant chef for CENA, spirit of Paul Bocuse - “Chef of the Century”. Chef a New York restaurant. After only a few months, Laprise was also selected to form the brigade of the restaurant receives a three-star accolade by “The Americas” for a celebration dinner honoring Bocuse in the Town Hall of Lyon.

Ruth Reichl of the New York Times.

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WG Magazines catches up with Normand Laprise…

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!

I grew up on a farm in the Kamouraska region. I was raised in a foster home. Ms Lavoie was a good cook but what has stayed with me after all those years is how she made everything herself. She made preserved and canned goods for the long winter months and otherwise everything was seasonal.

When I went to cooking school in Québec city, I realized that a lot of ingredients were imported and frozen. It did not taste the same to me. So I learned the techniques, mostly French cuisine, and eventually I decided to use fresh, local, seasonal ingredients.

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Your creative cuisine is based on market fresh produce which is full flavors brought in perfect harmony on each plate, a perfect balance - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Nature knows her business. What I mean by that is it’s easy to find complementary flavours in seasonal ingredients. For example, in the first days of spring we have dandelion buds and sprouts. It’s also time for snow crabs. They happen to be perfect companion for each other. In Fall we have crosnes, pigeon and barberry. I just work with what we have on hand.

PHOTO © HANS LAURENDEAU, SHOOT STUDIO

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“I don’t select the ingredients as much as my producers bring me their best and I work with that.

Top quality Produce prepared with the right technique begets creativity” Normand Laprise

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PHOTO © HANS LAURENDEAU, SHOOT STUDIO

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Chef Normand Laprise takes us through his culinary journey, shares the experience whiles working under the guidance of Jacques Le Pluart and later he how he perfected his culinary skills with JeanPierre Billoux…

Chef Jacques was one the first chef I worked with that used fresh ingredients. Back then, most chefs were from France and they offered a set menu that did not change much. Chef Jacques used what he received on any given day. It was very fresh and always changing. Le Pluart showed me it was possible to do it.

During my stage in Dijon in chef Billoux’s kitchen, I witnessed something truly new for me: his producers would stop by with their vegetable or meat and nobody would inspect them. The chef trusted them completely. Instead, they would go in the office and have a glass of wine and talk about family or harvest like close friends, which they were. This made a strong impression on me, I decided to do the same in Quebec.

Chef Norman Laprise describes his culinary philosophy, and take us through the process of creating a new dish…

My philosophy, as I’ve come to call it, is traceability. It sounds so simple but in reality, it takes a lot of work. I want to be able to know, from farm to table, where my products come from, where they have been, how they were grown or raised, their breed, under what conditions, how they affected the environment and who is responsible for this hard work so I can give credit where it is due. Building my network, actually, family is a better word, took a long time but it’s solid. From there, it’s easy to create spectacular food because the ingredients themselves are stellar.

Special cooking equipment…

Good, sharp knives will never go out if style. It’s what we use the most and we should not hold back on getting appropriate blades.

Chef Laprise’s greatest influence in the kitchen…

Teamwork, my brigade is always a big source of inspiration and Paul Bocuse who paved the way for all of us.

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NORMAND LAPRISE

Chef Laprise’s inspiration while writing his book “TOQUÉ! Creators of a New Quebec Gastronomy” I know I will sound like a broken record, but the inspiration was the family I was talking about earlier. I wanted to shine a light on those dedicated to giving their all for the sake of quality. Those responsible for the New Quebec Gastronomy, the creators in the title are the cultivators, growers, foragers, fishermen and cooks member of my network.

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PHOTO © BÉNÉDICTE BROCARD

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A successful chef and restaurateur, several awards and accolades - What keeps Chef Norman Laprise motivated?

Getting the new generation ready. I know I’ve (and other chefs from my generation) accomplished something good for Quebec gastronomy and it’s deeply gratifying to have our work acknowledged.

We were trailblazers in our domain, but the work is not done. There is so much potential and this potential resides in the new generation. They need guidance at first then support and encouragements.

I want to pass the torch to them and I want to prepare them as best as I can.

Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, Chef Laprise’s advice to chefs who are first entering the kitchen for the first time…

Don’t do it for the glamour. It’s awfully rare, incredibly overrated and short lived. If you have a passion for cooking, pursue it. Find a mentor with a philosophy that inspires you and learn everything you can, know that leaning TAKES TIME. Travel, if you can, discover what else is being done on the globe. Most of all: don’t go too fast. Build yourself, don’t copy and stick to what you know is good.

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LUIGI TAGLIENTI

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LUIGI TAGLIENTI

CLASSIC & CONTEMPORARY PHOTO ©LUME

Born in Savona, Luigi comes from Liguria, a wonderful Italian region with the best ingredients found on land and the sea. Since his childhood Luigi always had a passion for cooking was inspired by his mother and grandmother’s traditional Italian food. After graduating from culinary school, Luigi’s began his culinary career, working with “Maestro” Ezio Santin and later continued his experience working with world renowned chefs such as Christian Willer, Christian Sinicropi and Carlo Cracco who helped him form his professionalism and stimulate his creativity.

Through his talent and expertise, he has already been awarded “Best Young Chef of the Year” by the guide “I Ristoranti d’Italia” de L’Espresso, as well as received his first Michelin star and the “Tre Forchette del Gambero Rosso” status.

Under the leadership of Chef Taglienti, and after only a few months since opening, LUME was awarded its first Michelin Star by the Michelin Guide 2017. LUME was also awarded “News of the Year” by the “I Ristoranti d’Italia 2017” guide of L’Espresso, receiving a ‘3 Cappelli’ score. It has also received the award “Cucina D’autore” by the “Alberghi & Ristoranti d’Italia 2017” guide of the Italian Touring Club and was named “Restaurant News of the Year” by the “I Cento Milano 2017” guide.

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Luigi Taglienti creates a timeless kitchen, both classic and modern at the same time, inspired by the classic French and Italian recipes that has skillfully given his cuisine a modern twist. A continuous evolution through a deep knowledge of classical cuisine, continuous research of the raw materials and a strong connection with the territory.

At the Michelin starred restaurant Lume, Luidi takes you on a culinary journey through his innovative cuisine, that harmoniously combines elements of classic and contemporary cooking, with a strong connection to the territory and constant research of the raw materials. The 40 seat fine dining restaurant is spread over two dining rooms. The open kitchen takes center stage and serves as a focal point, offering you a front-row view of Luigi performing his culinary art.

WG Magazine catches up with Luigi Taglienti….

WG Magazine: Chef Luigi Taglienti tells us how he found his culinary passion…

Luigi Taglienti: My taste is predominantly driven by my Ligurian origins, where I spent a lot of my childhood in the kitchen with my grandmother and great grandmother who regularly cooked for the nobility in Tuscany. From a young age, I was therefore surrounded by masters of classical Italian cuisine and earned an appreciation for fresh ingredients of the utmost quality. My first foray into the culinary world was made some years later, when I worked at my mother’s beach lido. Soon after, I attended the Vocational School for Tourism and Hotel Management or Catering. After a year as a waiter following graduation, I realised that my real place was in the kitchen (as a chef and not as a waiter) and that my destiny was to become a chef. My experience after this, with some of the world’s leading chefs, helped me to become the chef that I am today

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TAGLIENTI STYLE OSSOBUCO

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WG Magazine: You express yourself by creating a unique cuisine based in the naturalness of gestures and thoughts, a perfect composition of taste and flavors…

Luigi Taglienti: You’re right, a huge amount of thought and consideration goes into every dish that I cook, to ensure that everything on the plate works together harmoniously. Something this is echoed in the design of the restaurant and the LUME dining experience in general, is the commitment to bringing heritage into evolution. In the design of the restaurant, for example, the classical lace-like box that encapsulates the kitchen, in the centre of the restaurant, contrasts with the more modern and minimalist layout of the room. In a similar vein, in my cooking I try to make sure that the tastes and scents that can take us back to our childhood memories are brought into the present. With certain techniques, these ingredients at the centre of Italian heritage can be evolved and turned into something that is both outward and forward-looking, while at the same time backward and inward-looking. How do I do this? In my kitchen instinct governs, we have to be energetic and flexible in order to take a dish or an ingredient and turn it into something new and totally different – something that will surprise LUME’s guests. At the same time, however, all of my cooking is based on research and extensive study – I believe that, in order to revitalise a dish, you have to know how it has evolved over the years.

Something that I rely on, in order to refresh and revitalise older recipes and tastes, is acidic notes and flavours. These are paramount to my cooking.

Traditional recipes that are central to the history of cooking can be developed with the right adjustments to their flavours. In one of my dishes, for example, I include a version of the classic (and rich) French albufera sauce, and turn it into something much lighter. In turn, these acidic and tangy flavours balance out other tastes such as salty and sweet flavours.

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

BORAGE RAVIOLO WITH ITALIAN RAGU

“My cuisine is based on the naturalness of gestures and thoughts and evolves depending on the need to express myself and the desire to create a unique taste. All the while maintaining the old-fashioned values of traditional cuisine that are not always easily recognizable.”

Luigi Taglienti

Luigi Taglienti: “Heritage meets Evolution” is how I would describe my cooking in a tagline. I’m committed to modernization but, at the same time, dedicated to those sensations that take me back to my past and the more classical recipes I was brought up on, and that make up Italy’s culinary heritage.

I love using raw materials in my cooking, and am always searching for more ways to develop their flavours into something extraordinary. I am more and more convinced that there is no such thing as a great cuisine without great sauces and it is the sauces that make the centrepiece of all my cooking.

Sauces are the cuisine’s DNA and they evolve at the same pace as one another. They link all of the ingredients on each plate back together. In fact, if I weren’t a chef, I would consider myself a full time saucier.

For me, creating a new dish is a mental flash: it is the translation of my thoughts into culinary technique.

Usually I try what I have in my mind twice but – if it does not work at the second test – I don’t persist testing it anymore, I just give up and make room for new ideas.

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a culinary journey that harmoniously combines elements of classic and contemporary cooking...

WG Magazine: What new ingredients inspires you, your favourite ingredients and ingredients you may not have been able to master?

Luigi Taglienti: All the ingredients I employ in my cooking are the outcome of years spent studying, researching, getting familiar with territories and people who are behind these micro-products. There’s not a particular ingredient I prefer, I’d rather respect and follow the rhythms of nature by seeking the best of the season in the territories.

I always keep my mind open and I do not have foreclosures or conditioning - I like to accept and work out what nature offers me.

Yes, definitely, it happened when I saw for the first time a sturgeon on a cutting board and I still can’t handle it. I am used to sectioning and boning every kind of meat but I have never managed to overcome the visual approach with that fish. With caviar it is different…

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

Luigi Taglienti: The technique and the equipment is important, of course, but it’s secondary to the chef’s relationship with the products he/she is using. I’ve learnt this through years of research and practice and, for me, my proximity to each ingredient makes each dish what it is at the end of the cooking process. Feeling the heat of the fire, listening to the slice of the knife, it is this that helps me to personalize my cooking and learn how to adapt all of the different ingredients in front of me.

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‘GARDEN’ + HIBISCUS

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“I express my cooking in a completely personal way and follow my personal inspirations” Luigi Taglienti

WG Magazine: Produce, Creativity or Technique…

Luigi Taglienti: All of them are equally important but, you only reach the perfect balance if you add to these the elements of gesture and knowledge.

WG Magazine: The Best Chef of the Year, a Michelin star in 2017, several accolades - What keeps you motivated at this point of your career?

Luigi Taglienti: I keep on pursuing self-improvement and what I’m strongly trying to achieve is to conceive a project of a restaurant that can arouse curiosity both in Italy and abroad.

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?

Luigi Taglienti: If someone approaches this profession attracted by its glamorous side, he/she is totally off track. Cooking is a way of expressing yourself and if you feel that this is the path, things are coming. First you have to learn a trade and do not look for the spotlights because they can easily move and end up illuminating somewhere else…

CRISPY CHOUDFROID WITH VANILLA CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE

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TAE HWAN RYU - SOUTH KOREA

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AWARD-WINNING CHEF TAE HWAN RYU TALKS NATURAL KOREAN INGREDIENTS, THE CHINESE YEAR OF THE ROOSTER, AND HIS NEW CASUAL BISTRO ‘NORMAL’ IN SEOUL

TAE HWAN RYU BETWEEN NORMAL AND RYUNIQUE

“I spend a lot of time travelling around the peninsula, sourcing locally-grown ingredients for my dishes,” says Chef Tae Hwan Ryu, owner-chef of the renowned French-Japanese fusion restaurant, Ryunique in Seoul. “Markets, farms, forests - I visit them all in person for tasting and research.”

The son of a marine biologist, Chef Ryu grew up surrounded by nature and with a deep understanding of Korea’s natural food ingredients.

After graduating from the Hattori Nutrition School in Japan, he trained for eight years at several global kitchens in Japan, Australia, and in the UK at restaurant Gordan Ramsay, before returning to Seoul to open Ryunique.

Since its launch in 2012, Ryunique has received acclaim from both the Asia’s 50 Best List, and the TEXT RHIANNON SHEPHERD Michelin Guide Seoul. Chef Ryu fuses French and Japanese cooking methods with Korean ingredients to create a unique and creative dining experience.

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TAE HWAN RYU - SOUTH KOREA

“I’m particularly passionate about finding the best seasonal ingredients,” says Chef Ryu, who provides each guest at his restaurant with an artist-drawn map of Korea explaining sourcing locations for each dish.

The succulent apple-fed pork in ‘Yeasan Inspiration’, explains the map, is from Yesan – an area well-known in South Korea for the sweetness of its apples. The langoustine in ‘Fresh Green’ is from the honeymoon island of Jeju. The quail in Chef Ryu’s signature dish is “garlic fed, from all the way down in Uiryeong country.”

“In Korea,” he explains, “There is a saying in summer that we must ‘fight fire with fire’. This is why we eat foods with lots of warmth in hot weather, such as steaming bowls of whole chicken soup, or ‘samgyetang’.”

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THE QUAIL

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With this in mind, Chef Ryu has created ‘The Quail 2’: a whole quail leg smothered in ginseng oil, wrapped in a green mustard leaf and smoked, and served with a fried quail egg in traditional Korean soup. It is an exquisite modern-take on an age-old local tradition.

“This year is also the Chinese Year of the Rooster,” explains Chef Ryu. “I wanted to create a dish that wished, luck, happiness, and positive energy to all customers.”

‘The Quail 1’ sees an Uiryeong county quail injected with high-grade olive oil, sprinkled with ten varieties of local grain, and slow roasted. It is served with quail sauce, beetroot paste, and a stunning, rooster-shaped potato puree with ginseng and edible gold shimmer.

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TAE HWAN RYU - SOUTH KOREA

THE QUAIL 2

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SPANISH MACKEREL

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Japanese and French techniques with Korean ingredients are combined to create Ryunique...

“I want each of my dishes to tell a story,” says the chef.

EGGS BENEDICT PHOTO © HEATHER ADAMSON

Not content with exploring only fine-dining, Chef Ryu last year also launched an intimate, 14-seater modern bistro around the corner from Ryunique, adjacent to the trendy street of Garosugil. “Normal,” says the chef, “offers dishes which encapsulate Ryunique’s DNA in a more casual and laid back atmosphere.” The simple, modern restaurant is the ideal spot for the young professionals of Gangnam; a district where higher-end eateries and Westernized dining options have increased exponentially over the past five years.

Dishes at Normal include beef tartare, duck and Jerusalem artichoke, and a stunningly plated yoghurt and vanilla mousse dessert.

But what’s next for the young chef, in this Year of the Rooster? “I’d like to go even more casual,” he says.

“I want to push the Ryunique DNA even further, to fast ‘diner’-style Korean dining.”

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TAE HWAN RYU - SOUTH KOREA

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BEEF TARTARE PHOTO © HEATHER ADAMSON

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Ryunique’s lunch menu offers 18 courses for KRW 120,000 and the 23-course dinner menu is priced at KRW 230,000. Normal offers a ‘Quick Ryunique’ or ‘Keep Ryunique’ series of mini-courses for KRW 60,000 / 80,000 at lunch or dinner.

For more information on Ryunique, visit www.ryunique.co.kr or on Instagram @ryunique_seoul or @normal_by_ryunique.

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FATIH TUTAK

FATIH TUTAK

Modern Turkish Influenced Cuisine

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FATIH TUTAK

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Born in Istanbul, where at a young age his culinary interest was inspired by his mother’s home cooking.

This interest became passion and developed into the dream of becoming a chef. He joined Turkey’s culinary school at Bolu Mengen.

After working in some of the top establishments in Istanbul’s luxury hotel and restaurant industry, Fatih had the opportunity to move overseas, with stopovers in Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, Denmark and Hong Kong. Stints at world-renowned restaurant NOMA in Copenhagen and three Michelin star Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo. He has also previously been in charge at the exciting Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, as the Executive Sous Chef.

FROM MY MUM...

MANTI / EGGPLANT / MINT BUTTER / KAYMAK

After creating a unique dining experience at The Bellbrook Hong Kong and recognized by Hong Kong-Macau Michelin Guide 2015, Fatih next culinary stop was The House on Sathorn. Since The House on Sathorn’s reinvention and debut in 2015, the passionate culinary team led by Fatih Tutak has worked hard and brought The Dining Room, the signature restaurant, into Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017.

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FATIH TUTAK

Combining the finest, seasonal ingredients from Asia, each of Fatih Tutak’s dishes are inspired by his globetrotting experiences. Fatih craftily curates his “fun dining” concept with perfect balance of technique, culinary sensibility and a sense of humor is served at The House on Sathorn.

The House on Sathorn has become Bangkok’s culinary experience destination. Built in 1889, the colonial mansion on Sathorn Road in the heart of Bangkok offers nostalgic, theatrical flair to the city’s old-and-new juxtaposing scene as it is transformed into a hot venue fueled with artisanal Asian-inspired cuisine, cocktails, and exceptional art and performance converge. The award-winning signature restaurant The Dining Room offers a complete sensory experience for gourmands where Chef Fatih Tutak blends technical and emotional aspects of cooking with art, sight and taste inspired from his memories from Istanbul and across Asia, Europe, and beyond.

His menu is curated with a fun-dining concept showing a perfect balance of technique, culinary sensibility and a sense of humor. The restaurant features Thai-inspired handcrafted tapestries as a backdrop which consist of an eclectic mix of custommade sequins that add a modern twist, as well as rich textures, as if the royal gowns were torn apart and delicately sewn back together. An open kitchen against the long wooden counter enticing diners to sit and interact with the chef in a comfortable and relaxed approach.

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THE DINING ROOM

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FATIH TUTAK

UMAMI OF ANATOLIA KYOTO FARM TOMATOES / POMEGRANATE / FETA DASHI / PARSLEY

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WG Magazine catches up Chef Fatih Tutak…

WG Magazine: Your fun dining concept where your cuisine is inspired by your globetrotting experiences - A cuisine very creative with the finest produce and seasonal ingredients from Asia. Creating a composition of flavours and a perfect balance of technique, culinary sensibility and a sense of humour - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Fatih Tutak: When I went to P.R. China 11 years ago, my cooking philosophy was very much Mediterranean with European influenced. I have always been interested in Asian cuisine, ingredients, cooking techniques and culture. When I left Istanbul I decided to go discover Asia and improved my skills as a chef, because I believe Culinary Culture and most basic cooking styles were first found in Asia.

UMAMI OF ANATOLIA KYOTO FARM TOMATOES / POMEGRANATE / FETA DASHI / PARSLEY

In the past years I have lived and worked in the following major cities; Qingdao, Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok. During this, I have travelled a lot and my cooking style was influenced a lot with Modern Asian-Inspired Cuisine as I like to use products from different regions of Asia. I prepare them in new way with influenced and based on the stories that I have experienced through my years there. However, it took me 6 months to reinvent my cuisine and it is pretty much inspired by where I came from, Istanbul/Turkey. I have changed my mind set and gone back to my origin focusing on Turkish Cuisine at The Dining Room. I will be cooking Turkish Cuisine with my own twists as I believe not many people know about Turkish cuisine and it is time have it recognized on a worldwide gastronomic level. The type of cuisine I will be presenting at The Dining Room is ‘Modern Turkish Influenced Cuisine’.

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FATIH TUTAK

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DEEP BLUE MEDITERRANEAN ALEXANDRIA BAY RED PRAWNS / WILD OBSIBLUE CAVIAR / BERGAMOT

“It was very fascinating smelling my mom’s dishes all the time from our kitchen.

Since then I decided to be involved in every part or moment inside the kitchen and decided that I should be a Chef”

Fatih Tutak

SEASON OF THE WHITE WHITE ASPARAGUS / TRUMPET MUSHROOMS / ICE CREAM

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FATIH TUTAK

WG Magazine: Tell us about your experiences with Nihonryori Ryugin and RenĂŠ Redzepi; and how did this help you are as a chef today?

Fatih Tutak: I can easily say where I am right now highly inspired because of Noma and Nihonryori Ryugin, even though their cuisine are completely different. Firstly working with them opened my mind and I learned about how important products are for creating unique dishes and how to come up with a concepts to creating my own cuisine. Like inventing new techniques or finding different ways of processing other ingredients.

I believe that simple techniques that can maintain the true flavors of the ingredients are the right techniques.

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

Fatih Tutak: Creating a new dish for me is like a flashback to my memories; I cook what comes to my mind without too much thought or consideration.

Each of my creations comes from my past experience, something that I tasted. Each of them has its own story. I offer a complete experimental experience for gourmands where I blend the technical and emotional aspects of cooking with art, sight and taste inspired from the memories and Turkish Roots. Dishes will make you think for a second wondering how? Wondering why?

The whole experience is feeling the moment more than just a dinner itself. It is like theatre showing culinary art.

For me cooking is not all about only using luxurious ingredients with complicated combination of the dish.

I believe that each of the produces/ingredients has its own unique flavour and it is challenge for the chefs to create the gourmet dishes from basic ingredients. For example, if you could create a dish using just potato and yoghurt and it comes out good and creative, it is more interesting than you create a dish with luxurious ingredients like oyster, foie-gras or caviar.

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DO NOT WASTE THE POT MILK FED LAMB / LICORICE / ANATOLIAN SAVORY JAM

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FATIH TUTAK

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WG Magazine: A favourite food memory…

Fatih Tutak: My most memorable food memory was the first time I tasted the dishes cooked by my mom.

WG Magazine: What ingredients are inspiring you right now, your favourite ingredients and ingredients that you weren’t able to master?

Fatih Tutak: I source the best ingredients around the world. They are usually rare but sustainable and seasonal and I like to play around with them.

Some processes like pickle, fermentation, freeze dry, cure or dehydration take up to 6 months until we could actually use them in dishes.

I do not have any particular or favourite ingredients to work with. It can be anything and I usually enjoying discovering new ingredients that I’ve never seen before.

I have never given up, always believe nothing is impossible and I never give up!

WG Magazine: Do you have any special cooking techniques?

Fatih Tutak: I use a lot of different cooking techniques. Sometimes I use the very traditional cooking methods. Sometimes it can be extremely modern way which could be changing atomic structure of the product and create something out of the box.

WG Magazine: Produce, Creativity or Technique...

SULTAN’ S MESSAGE CAN’T DELIVER ROYAL PIGEON / GAZIANTEP PISTACHIO / RED CURRANT / LEEK

Fatih Tutak: When you discover a way to combine these three elements together, it means you are able to achieve what you had dreamed of.

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

Fatih Tutak: Being Innovative and a mentor for my team WG Magazine: Number 36 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017 - What keeps you motivated at this point of your career?

Fatih Tutak: We are proud that our tasting menus and our creative service style have successfully delivered the unique culinary experience and allowed guests to travel through the journey of senses along the meal. It is also a motivational tool for myself and team to keep up with good and creative works as this is like an award for what we have been doing. I even think that my team deserves this achievement more than I do. Creating cuisine and passing on the experience to the guests take hard work and team work.

I am a very motivated person and I always cook with passion. And it is my job to keep my team motivated as well.

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?

Fatih Tutak: Be ready for difficulties of being a chef as it will take so much from your life, be aware about kitchen discipline and culture, be patient.

You need to decide what kind of Chef you want to be and from there - learn the basic first, about the products and lastly love what you do.

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FROZEN RED GRAPES / RED WINE / WOOD SORREL

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STUART SAGE

A CULINARY DECADE IN DUBAI...

STUART SAGE

Born in the United Kingdom, Stuart Sage culinary journey and his passion for cooking started at an early age, from helping his mum after football on a Saturday to beginning his apprenticeship at age of 16. Stuart just wanted to know and learn everything, he had goal, which was simply to master every section he worked on.

Always two hours before he could start his shift and just wanted to stay to watch the service. He never felt an atmosphere of energy like it before in his life – he was just hooked on to being a chef. Working through the ranks with the others in the kitchen side by side, building a trust, he started to begin to understand the meaning of family.

“Being a chef for me is simply a journey creation, meeting amazing people along the way, experiencing mind blowing food, paired with wines and cocktails that just take the experience to another level. I love how there are so many chefs in the world with their own styles of cuisine and identity through their restaurants. Like Marco Pierre White said, we are all commis we are learning every day” says Stuart.

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STUART SAGE

In 2003, Stuart started out as a sous chef for The Judges Manor House in Middleborough, UK and has since let his passion for food introduce new culinary concepts across Europe and the Middle East.

In 2007 with two suitcases in hand, Stuart landed in Dubai from Europe where he met his wife. A decade which started in the Marina to Down Town and to the Creek‌ his first job was at Tang Restaurant in Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, Dubai as Chef de Cuisine, Stuart then went on to become the development Head Chef at Le Meridien Dubai, the Executive Chef at the Address Montgomerie Dubai, the executive chef at Executive Chef At.mosphere Burj Khalifa Dubai and currently the Executive Chef at the Sheraton Creek Dubai.

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LINE CAUGHT SEABASS & CANNELONI OF SQUID AND KING PRAWN

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Stuart recalls working at Tang Restaurant with over 1400 different ingredients in the kitchen which certainly didn’t make it boring, every day he came to kitchen thinking about the next the dish. The competition has certainly increased by then, which he believes is healthy for the industry in a look term view. The cuisine has certainly changed adds Stuart “it’s healthier now than it’s ever been, people are more aware of what’s going into their bodies. This makes creating a menu more exciting, you have to really understand your market base, the ingredients for the season, and most of all the calorie count.” This is where he found his style of cuisine.

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STUART SAGE

MONKFISH TERIYAKI, OXTAIL, CEP DUMPLING, KETTLE CRISPS

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KING CRAB & MANGO TRANSPARENT RAVIOLI

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Gastronomic adventures with attention to detail‌ From a kitchen management experience Dubai has certainly matured Stuart to become a better chef all round. Working with the different nationalities from all over the world, has given him a larger insight of understanding the personal connection with each individual person who walks through his kitchen doors, he has been lucky to work with some fantastic young talented chefs through his ten years in Dubai, and ten years on seeing them run their own kitchens, saying the same words he said to them.

It has always been a dining experience with Stuart with bringing a perfect balance on a plate.

Ingredients and the finest produce is simply in his D&A, at the Sheraton Creek Dubai, Stuart maintains the quality constantly to its highest, making sure to have a great relationship with all suppliers and building a relationship with them, getting to know which are new items coming to the market, the origins of the ingredients in order to maximize the highest offering in quality every time. From his chef de cuisines in each restaurant to educating their teams, while he and his senior team keep an eye that the standards are followed and met every day, thus ensuring a reputation with guests.

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STUART SAGE

Vivaldi by Alfredo Russo is considered as one of Dubai’s premier Italian restaurant, with unparalleled views of the Creek and Dubai skyline. Vivaldi’s signature menu is composed by Michelin-starred Chef Alfredo Russo who spoils you for choice.

THE QUAIL 2

VIVALDI

At the Sheraton Creek Dubai, Stuart oversees all the newly renovated outlets - the Italian fine dining restaurant Vivaldi by Alfredo Russo; the award winning Indian restaurant Ashiana, Creekside that serves Japanese and Asian cuisine; Chelsea Arms and the lobby café. He is also responsible for in-room dining and catering for events in the hotel.

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ASHIANA

CREEKSIDE TERRACE

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STUART SAGE

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FRUITS DE MER

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Stuart’s culinary philosophy is very simply, which he has been teaching his chefs through the years “create the path don’t follow the trail” and the same goes with the inspirations of creating a dish. From seasonal produce to everything on the plate has to have a reason for being there, cooking techniques follow such as, sous vide to braising etc; and last of all to make sure that everything on the plate pairs in flavour once it’s in your mouth. The rest is trial and error until the dish comes to together naturally.

“A dish can come together overnight, to 6 months.

It’s simply all about that feeling of you and palate before its leaves your kitchen” adds Stuart.

SPICE BAKED CAMERBERT, WINTERS SALAD

It all about the finest produce for Stuart and says “it is what makes the dish consistent, and is the base of everything.” To appreciate the ingredients, creates the journey and foundation of every dish, sourcing ingredients from around the world, the best salt to the best piece of beef, it’s like a never ending supermarket of educating your palette. Stuart further goes on to saying “it is a job that takes you all around the world sourcing ingredients, while Stuart Sage earning a living and educating yourself while doing it.” Creativity and technique is also important, but that simple comes from the chef himself, what he is taught, to studying the market trends, to trial and error.

You are as only good as your last service…

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STUART SAGE

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“create the path don’t follow the trail”

Stuart Sage

Stuart’s advice to youngers chefs entering the kitchen for the first time… make sure you work in high end restaurants, with a known chef, simply listen and learn, and take information like a sponge, set personal goals every year to guide you, and simply want it every day. Be yourself, a kitchen is built on trust, loyalty, and most of respect the team around you.

Having worked in some of the iconic restaurants and hotels in Dubai, Stuart’s motivation is everything to do with cooking. Being fascinated with what’s going around the world, from Scandinavia to South America to Europe.

Stuart continues to keep it simple to keep, pushing the envelope to be as successful as possible and providing for his family. “You are as only good as your last service” adds Stuart.

AT.MOSPHERE “CRUNCH” SPHERE WITH PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE, TOFFEE BON BON, OREO COOKIE, BANANA DOUGHNUT SAUCE

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PAULO AIRAUDO

AMELIA

the new kid on the block in the heart of SAN SEBASTIÁN...

PAULO AIRAUDO

Born in Argentina to a family of Italian immigrants and, since Paulo was 18, he worked in several parts of the world; Mexico, Peru and many European countries. While in Europe, Paulo gained his experience at three Michelin starred in restaurants Arzak in San Sebastián, in London with three Michelin star restaurant at The Fat Duck and one Michelin star Magnolia in Italy. Together with Francesco Gasbarro he opened La Bottega – a forward thinking modern trattoria in the historic part of Geneva. Only four months later, in October 2015, the restaurant received its first Michelin star.

After 14 years of cooking and seeking culinary excellence all over the world, this nomad chef has Photo ©Alex Teuscher finally found his home – even naming the ambitious endeavor after his two year old daughter, Amelia, which means this time he’s here to stay, yes this time it’s personal.

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PAULO AIRAUDO

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CRAB SALAD WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER AND AVOCADO MOUSSE

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Paulo Airaudo creates his first solo restaurant in San Sebastián where his European adventure originally began. “My family loves San Sebastián.

I love San Sebastián. We’re happy here, and the main reason to build this restaurant. At the same time this magical town has the eye of chefs and foodies globally upon it, which in a way makes it possible for me to offer my food to the world” says Paulo.

62-HOUR SLOW COOKED PORK BELLY WITH HORSERADISHMASHED POTATOES

With impressive dedication, the Italo-Argentinean star Chef Paulo Airaudo has – in just two months – managed to transform an old timber shop into a full throttle two-story restaurant in the heart of Zona Romantica, the charming neighborhood of San Sebastián filled with fine Parisian style architecture.

The 50 seat restaurant, which includes 14 seats inside an open kitchen and features an inventive cuisine born of Airaudo’s innovative global outlook, created largely with local products from the luscious and mountainous Basque area of Northern Spain.

This combination results in a fairly priced, everchanging 14 course tasting menu blending the knowledge and skills developed during the – up till now – nomadic chef’s extensive culinary endeavors through Spain, England, Scotland, Italy and Switzerland, and before this various countries in the Latin American region of the world.

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PAULO AIRAUDO

CHARRED MACKEREL WITH LEEK PURÉ AND YOGURT/CHIVE SAUCE

Paulo Airaudo brings additional culinary expats to the Basque capital, including an accomplished London head chef, an Italian Maitre d’ and sommelier, the assistance of a Wales forager and that of a Danish culinary ambassador, mixed staff members of Basque, Spanish and French origin with experience from local restaurants such as Arzak and Rekondo.

WG Magazine catches up with Paulo Airaudo…

WG Magazine: It’s interesting to learn how chefs Paulo Airaudo entering San Sebastián is viewed with find their passion for cooking, tell us how you found equal wonder and surprise, as no expat chef has your way into the culinary field? opened a restaurant of this caliber in the globally Paulo Airaudo: Since I grew up in a kitchen, eating, praised food destination for decades; one of the enjoying moments with my grandparents, I had the most Michelin-accolade areas in the world per dream to travel and get to know the world. The capita, and filled with world-celebrated restaurants only thing that allowed me to do this was being a that draws global headlines; Mugaritz, Martin cook that without speaking the new language or Berasategui, Arzak and Akellare, to name a few. knowing the country, gave me the opportunity to But, typical of the Basque warmth, the local work, learn and integrate. community has welcomed Airaudo’s bold move as an interesting addition to the future culinary growth Over the years, food became my passion. I cook of the majestic town tucked into the lagoon shores because I love to eat and I really enjoy the moments that it offers me. of the Bay of Biscay.

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ASADO DE TIRA

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PAULO AIRAUDO

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WG Magazine: Your cuisine is a dining experience that is focused and inspired by your culinary translation of your experiences around the world - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Paulo Airaudo: My kitchen is in constant evolution; it’s a kitchen of adaptation that can be defined as “sensilla” but with much elaboration to detract. We take care of the product as it deserves it.

WARM MOSAIC TILES FROM VERONA DECORATES THE KITCHEN WALLS OF THE RESTAURANT

WG Magazine: Arzak, The Fat Duck and Magnolia… how did it help you as a chef today?

Paulo Airaudo: All the experiences of work, short or long, helped to form me. They all helped in a way that I today have a defined vision; in my business as in my philosophy of life and work. Having worked in great restaurants gave me an opportunity to meet wonderful people, listen to their life stories.

This has surely enriched me.

WG Magazine: Could you describe your culinary philosophy…

Paulo Airaudo: My philosophy of work and cuisine is focused on the product in its quality and freshness. I always start with the product; the taste, the scent, if it reminds me of something. After this comes technic, thoughts of how to cook it, and then starts testing various ideas. How things can be transformed.

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PAULO AIRAUDO

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

Paulo Airaudo: One is continually knowing ingredients and different ways of working them. I really like working with “poor” ingredients that you underestimate and make them shine; to show them in their maximum expression.

WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH COD’S ROE AND MOZZARELLA

Grapefruit is one of my favorite ingredients as it brings me many memories.

Ingredient not able to work with… I am fortunate to not having experience this yet, to leave an ingredient behind because I didn’t achieve what I was looking for. But I’m sure it’ll happen at some point.

WG Magazine: Special cooking techniques or equipment…

Paulo Airaudo: Wood. I love the smell and flavours of wood fire.

WG Magazine: Produce, Creativity or Technique…

Paulo Airaudo: Produce is by far the most important.

Without an amazing product it’s impossible to create some beautiful.

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GRILLED LOMO BAJO AND GREEN ASPARAGUS WITH ASPARAGUS PURE

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PAULO AIRAUDO

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CONFIT OF EGG YOLK WITH LARDO IBÉRICO AND BASQUE PEAS

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

Paulo Airaudo: Today it’s the freedom. The freedom of choice. I don’t have limits and use technics from around the world with the opportunity to choose what I’ve learned from traveling. To be able to introduce a particular flavor - even in the most subtle way, feels like magic to do.

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

Paulo Airaudo: It’s simple. I love my job; it’s my life and I enjoy every day and every moment. It also gives me the opportunity to discover, travel and learn. That’s is a big motivation for me…

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?

Paulo Airaudo: Be ready to make a choice. As a big man & chef once told me; “We exchange moments, we choose what to let go (family moments, friend’s moments, events, etc) to be in a kitchen”. It’s not easy, but it’s a necessary sacrifice.

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JENNER TOMASKA

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NEXT IN CHICAGO Jenner Tomaska grew up in the southern suburbs of Chicago; at 14, he began his professional culinary career as a cook and dishwasher at a local restaurant. He went on to attend Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating with degrees in both Culinary Arts and Food Service Management.

JENNER TOMASKA Photo ŠAlinea Group

After graduation, Jenner worked in Hilton Head before returning back to Chicago to explore the fine dining scene. He eventually landed in Chicago as a tournant at MK under chefs Michael Kornick and Erick Williams. After two years at MK, Jenner left to join the team at Next, where he was quickly promoted to Sous Chef and then Chef de Cuisine in May 2015.

Jenner was a finalist for the prestigious James Beard Rising Star Chef in 2016. He was promoted to Executive Chef in April 2016. While he favors classic French techniques, Jenner continually exhibits an enthusiasm to build his knowledge and skillset with the dynamic and ever-changing menus of Next.

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JENNER TOMASKA

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WG MAGAZINE

WG Magazine catches up with Jenner Tomaska…

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!

Jenner Tomaska: I don’t know if there was ever an a-ha moment for me. I began work in the hospitality field at 14, to make some extra money. The strict, methodical structure of the kitchen called to me, as did working with my hands. But what cemented me in this industry were the people. Restaurant people are a tight knit community. Over time the people I work with or have worked with in the past have become more than friends, they became family.

I actually met my wife when we both worked at MK Chicago. The restaurant has always been my home away from home, which only heightened my passion for cooking.

WG Magazine: It all about world cuisine - how do you bring about this balance on a plate?

Jenner Tomaska: Balancing acid, salinity, sweetness and fat are always at the forefront of creating a new dish. Each component should complement the next. Cohesiveness between these four elements will always lead to a balanced dish.

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WG Magazine: You worked alongside Grant Achatz, take us through this culinary journey and experience with Grant Achatz, and how did this help you are as a chef today?

Jenner Tomaska: Working with Chef Grant has been instrumental in my development as a chef.

Fundamentally and creatively Chef has shaped who I’ve become. From how the kitchen is run to how I look at food, his influence is present.

I like to tell the story of when I first started at Next, it was during the Childhood menu. I worked in the basement as a Commis, the hours were long and the work was difficult. You see, we worked and prepped the food for the chefs upstairs. We worked and worked and worked and never saw the finished product. One night, after a particularly grueling week, Chef walked into the basement and told me along with another cook to get changed.

He was sitting us down for dinner.

That meal was one of the best I’ve ever had. I remember thinking, “I want to be here, I want to do this.” I stood up from that table and knew I was going to work hard, and that in particular, I was going to work hard for Chef. And that’s what it’s like to work with him. He doesn’t believe in standing in the way. He will guide you, correct you and teach you but he will never hold you back.

If nothing else, this is what I will take with me. A true testament to greatness is who you’ve helped shape and encourage. It’s a legacy I cherish and am determined to pass on. I am very grateful for it.

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JENNER TOMASKA AND GRANT ACHATZ

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WG Magazine: Could you describe your culinary philosophy…

Jenner Tomaska: History of cuisine has always been a starting point for inspiration. Asking yourself where, why, and how food was prepared is a great jumping off point to creating a dish. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but refine and make it more efficient.

WG Magazine: What new ingredient or ingredients inspire you, your favourite ingredients you like to work with?

Jenner Tomaska: Currently two of my favourite ingredients to work with are white asparagus and green strawberries - bear in mind I’m answering this question in spring, come summer I’ll likely have a different answer. They’re versatility make them ideal when crafting a new dish. I also like that they showcase an ingredient that most guests are familiar with, yet have never seen before. I select my ingredients based on seasonality and the overall quality of the product. If it isn’t fresh and in season, we aren’t using it.

I’m drawn to the flavour of anise and it usually becomes a go-to component in my cooking. I’m also quite keen on fennel and tarragon, there just something about them that I love.

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

Jenner Tomaska: Had this question been asked 4 years ago, my answer would have been steadfast. Technique.

For many years, I treated technique as a crutch. Learn something, practice, perfect and execute. It’s like math 1+1=2. Do something repeatedly, understand why you’re doing it and with a certain amount of time and experience you’ve mastered it. This is fundamental, but it’s not everything. When Chef Achatz gave me full reign over menu ideation it made me uncomfortable. It’s as if the creative part of my brain wasn’t in synch with my skills. I had to change the way I look at the world. I had to practice working from emotion and allow myself to be inspired by what’s around me. I had to be ok with trying and failing, and then trying again until I got it right. 5 menus later and I feel like my brain is beginning to catch up. For someone like me, creativity is hard and a challenge. It’s fluid and malleable and can be fleeting. It’s become one the most important aspects of my job.

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

Jenner Tomaska: This is probably terrible to say, but my greatest motivation comes from never really, being satisfied. I constantly feel as if I not only need to be achieving more but that within that achievement I surpass what I’ve already done. This may come from working with the Alinea Group for so long. I’m surrounded by exceptionally talented people who are constantly pushing creative boundaries. It’s as if there’s always a voice in my head saying “do more, push harder”. It’s impossible not to be motivated when you’re regularly exposed to greatness.

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?

Jenner Tomaska: I’ve been asked this question a lot lately. Honestly, my advice to young chefs would be to be patient and push themselves. Being a chef is about cooking and cooking is about passion, without passion it becomes difficult to grow. There will be times when you want to be moving faster, doing more, but patience is what builds us. It’s what makes us great.

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HENDRIK OTTO

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HENDRIK OTTO EXCITING, EXPRESSIVE, EUROPEAN-INSPIRED CUISINE

Hendrik Otto takes his guests on a journey, through the world of flavours but also back to his early years.

All his culinary creations contain a very personal element: not only drawing from his inspiration from sensory impressions but also from old recipes passed onto to him by his family and friends. His childhood also plays a major role: his family used to grow vegetables and fruit - flavours that still motivate him to recapture them for his guests.

Many ideas originate within his ten-person team who are constantly working on the further development of the dishes. Influences from all over the world continually provide with new experiences and surprises, and with previously unknown adventures in flavours.

Recognised for his contemporary Europeaninspired cuisine and his interpretations of famous kitchen classics with two stars in the Guide Michelin.

As a result, for the fifth year in a row, the gourmet restaurant offers “excellent cooking”, which is “worth a detour”.

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dazzling interpretations of classic haute cuisine...

In addition, the Gault Millau awarded the kitchen team again with 18 out of a possible 20 points for the first time and therewith the restaurant received three chef’s hats. In 2012, Hendrik Otto was recognised as “Berliner Meisterkoch 2012” and “Cook of the Year 2013” by restaurant guide Gusto, which paid tribute to his skills, as well as his creativity and individuality.

And in the issue of 2016 Otto and the Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer were even recognized with the maximum rating of 10 pans.

Hendrik Otto began his career as an apprentice cook at “Kurhotel Lauterbad” in the town of Freudenstadt in the Federal State of BadenWuerttemberg. After successfully completing his apprenticeship, he worked as commis de cuisine at “Gourmetrestaurant Haerlin” at “Vier Jahreszeiten”. Later he spent time at the “Brenner’s Park Hotel” in Baden-Baden and the “Traube Tonbach” in Baiersbronn. He then relocated to Hamburg, where he took up a position as chef de cuisine at the restaurant “Landhaus Flottbek”.

FENCHEL TOMATE ZITRONE GRANATAPFEL SCHWEINEKINN ZITRONENTHYMIAN

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“My passion is to awake emotions with my recipes”

Hendrik Otto,

In 2002 he left to work at “La Vision” restaurant at “Hotel im Wasserturm”, one of Cologne’s luxury hotels. Only a few months later, he was awarded a Michelin star and held the culinary accolade for six consecutive years. In 2008, his career path took him to the German capital, where he worked for the restaurant “Vitrum” at “The Ritz Carlton” delighting guests and food critics alike.

In 2010, Hendrik Otto began working at Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer at the iconic Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin which is located in the very heart of Berlin, right next to the famous Brandenburg Gate. “Our main goal is to make our guests feel at home,” says Chef Otto. “We try to appeal to all the senses and make sure that our guests can enjoy our creations in a relaxed atmosphere. If we can provide them with a memorable experience at Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer and an evening they will enjoy looking back on for a long time to come – then we have achieved our goal.”

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SCHELLFISCH TOMATENAUSZUG AUBERGINE ZITRONE STAUDENSELLERIE APFEL KORIAN

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BARRY & PATRICA HILTON

BARRY & PATRICIA HILTON Barry and Patricia work together as the driving force behind CERU, overseeing every aspect of the restaurant management while constantly working to expand the brand. Opening CERU in January was the culmination of a long-term dream for husband and wife team Barry and Patricia Hilton. Before setting up permanently on Bute Street, the couple ran CERU as a highly successful string of pop-ups in Fitzrovia, Tower Bridge and Cannon Street, and at music festivals across the country.

Barry Hilton, creator and co-owner of CERU was born in Birkenhead, a small town on the bank of the River Mersey, Barry grew up at a time when the punk generation was taking over Liverpool and the music scene was exploding. He threw himself into music from an early age, first as a guitarist and later as a drummer. In the early eighties Barry started going to youth clubs, joined a number of bands and performed gigs across the country. As his music career grew Barry played for Armageddon Retribution Band and then Instant Agony, jumping a number of record labels and playing at 100 Club on Oxford Street.

Hertfordshire and Essex. In 2008 Barry returned to London and met the two owners of Black & Blue restaurant group; he decided to invest, and joined the company as operations consultant before becoming operations director for Yalla Yalla in 2012. After working for them for two years, Barry decided to venture out on his own and came up with the concept of CERU.

Patricia Hilton has an equally varied background.

Born in the Slovak republic, Patricia grew up in the medieval city of Košice, close to the Hungarian border. After leaving school she practiced as a nurse for five years before moving to Israel at the After graduating with a degree from business age of 22 to travel and learn the language. college, Barry has gone on to have an interesting and varied career - as part of the NHS fraud She travelled extensively before going to work squad, running one of the bars at the Royal Albert in a restaurant near Tel Aviv on the Eastern Hall during the Proms, as bar manager for a hotel Mediterranean coast, exposing her to a huge range group, and cycling all over London as a bicycle of Levantine cuisines and ingredients. Living in Tel courier – all the while playing gigs with various Aviv, with food influences from Lebanon, Egypt, bands. He then decided to get involved with the Jordan and Syria as well as further afield, whet business side of music, before setting up his own Patricia’s appetite for Levantine cooking. record company. It was during this time, when he She then moved to Prague and took a job in the was flying all over the world for work that Barry’s five-star Hilton Hotel, before venturing to London passion for food developed. to work for Black & Blue. It was at this point that He then gained experience in restaurant operations, Barry and Patricia met; the couple married in 2013 before starting his own gastropub business in near their home in Westminster, London.

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LAMB SHOULDER

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SPICE BATTERED SQUID

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MARKET PLATTER

CERU

FLAVOURS OF THE LEVANT In the heart of South Kensington, CERU restaurant brings the fresh and colorful flavours of the Levant to London, offering a contemporary take on gastronomy from the Eastern Mediterranean coast.

Inspired by produce from the Levant region – Israel, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus and Lebanon - the CERU experience captures the essence of these cuisines through the use of ingredients, flavours and bold design.

CERU

CERU is the pinnacle of the lifelong dream of husband and wife owners Barry and Patricia Hilton.

The entrepreneurial pair have drawn inspiration from their many years travelling around the Levant; which has become one of their favorite travel destinations. CERU takes its name from cerulean blue, the azure color of the Mediterranean Sea. The beautiful scenery, endless sunshine and welcoming people are just some of their reasons for Barry and Patricia returning year after year.

Harnessing the area’s vibrant array of ingredients and spices – while still producing unique and original recipes – guests of CERU can expect to be taken on a journey of authentic flavours which conjures up the Levant without being strictly traditional.

GRILLED HALLOUMI RED PEPPERS5

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The menu is designed to be shared and enjoyed by the whole table. Arriving as a selection of small plates to share, dishes represent the Hiltons’ dedication and research into the culinary heart and soul of the region. Favorites include the slow cooked lamb shoulder, spice battered squid, fresh cauliflower and pomegranate salad, as well as courgette and feta fritters. Desserts involve spiceroasted pears with orange blossom labneh, and cardamom ice cream with nut brittle and burnt honey caramel.

CRISP APPLE LINT AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

An all-day operation, CERU offers everything from breakfast through till dinner. Afternoon tea is also available, with a delectable selection of Levantine inspired treats, including carrot and cardamom cupcakes and rose scented lemon meringue tartlets. The afternoon tea menu also pays homage to British classics such as scones and iconic Coronation chicken sandwiches, with a CERU twist.

The restaurant interior is sunny and vibrant, with splashes of bright yellow and bold, tasteful textiles.

A long banqueting table allows for communal dining and large gatherings, reminiscent of the inclusive mealtime experiences of the Levant. Cozy nooks also make the perfect spot for business meetings or intimate lunches.

Open seven days a week, and just minutes from South Kensington station, CERU is perfectly situated for London’s museums, The Royal Albert Hall and Harrods; a hidden gem enjoyed by local residents and tourists alike.

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SHISH TAOUK

ZUCCHINI AND FETA FRITTERS

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LIBERTINE SOCIAL RESTAURANT AT THE MANDALAY BAY

Text Michael Hepworth

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BAR AREA

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DINING ROOM

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LATEST VENTURE FROM CHEF SHAUN McCLAIN Libertine at the swanky Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is the latest venture of Chef Shaun McClain, and since opening the doors in August 2016 they have made steady progress. At a private tasting of some of the new small bites on the menu we got the chance to chat with Detroit native McClain and his executive chef Jamaal Taherzadeh about the restaurant which is totally different from his marvelous Sage restaurant, also in Las Vegas.

VOYEUR LOUNGE WITH CHEFS TABLE

“Libertine Social is all about the food, the drinks and the party. We want this to be a playground for people to explore similar dishes and cocktails with edgy and unexpected flavors in an energetic environment that invites them to share those moments with others,’’ said McClain. Libertine Social is a high energy gastro pub fronted by a James Beard award winning chef who has partnered up with a famous mixologist/bartender in the shape of Tony Abou-Gannim, who wrote the definitive book on vodka called ‘Vodka Distilled.’

The space itself is wide open so people strolling by at the hotel can easily see the vibe at the restaurant which was designed by Alessandro Munge with a comparison to some of the spaces on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California. There is also an outdoor patio with a view of the beach at Mandalay Bay, and also a chef’s table with exposed grills and prep tables for the guests to feel like part of the action.

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PARMESAN CHURROS

When it comes to the food, I only tried a handful of the dishes on the menu but they included mainly small bites like the ‘Parmesan Churros’ with lightly fried dough is coated with parmesan, and of course the ‘Modern Fried Egg,’ summer corn topped with a whipped egg and American Sturgeon caviar in an eggshell, and served with a toasted brioche.

Needless to say I must go back and try the chef’s Sausage Board, where his homemade artisanal sausages are paired with creamy cheeses and other sides such as Tipperary cheddar, Rouge Creamery Smokey blue cheese and brillat savarin. Also tempting has to be the Duck Pastrami sandwich which is served on golden brown toast and topped with pickled radicchio, sauerkraut aioli and mustard seed.

This is just a sampling of the wonderful savory dishes on offer here and to top off any meal here you have to try his Margarita Donut and then close out the evening with the Hot Chocolate Martini which covers a warm chocolate ganache cake with a rich vanilla bean infused amaretto glaze.

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THE QUAIL 2

ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES

AHI TUNA CONES

SPANISH MACKEREL

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TONY ABOU-GANIM CREATING THE BOULEVARDIER COCKTAIL

BOULEVARDIER

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PINEAPPLE AND VANILLA BEAN INFUSED RUM SHOT

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The cocktail department of the restaurant is a whole story in itself, and while Tony A is well known for his vodka expertise, I was pleased to try one of his rum libations. The Summertime Swizzle is one of five that he has created based on the swizzle stick fashioned from a Quararibea turbinate tree. They all come in pitchers good for four or five drinks and I believe I tried the Queens Park Swizzle made with 15-year old El Dorado rum. We followed that with his version of the Mint Julep with Bourbon.

There are two drinking areas at Libertine Social with the Main bar and the Arcade Bar, the latter being a private area tucked away that features cocktails from the 19th and 20th centuries that have been forgotten. These will include the Daisy, the Smash and the Flip. These all come with a history lesson as well.

QUEEN’S PARK SWIZZLE PITCHER

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KARL MARTIN

Karl Martin The Old Downton Lodge

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Photo © Majella O’Connell

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AN ANT SNACK CREATED BY CHEF SEAMUS

From Nature To Plate...

Karl Martin started his culinary career at a small golf club in the heart of England and ever since he has not looked back, working with since he has worked with Perter Griffiths MBE, the award winning F&B Director Simon Haigh of the Eden Hotel Collection, the Adam Bateman Group and currently Chef Patron at the Old Downton Lodge.

ONIONS

From nature to plate - passionate about cooking and using new and modern cooking methods, Karl draws inspiration from local produce when he visits the Market and from his foraging expeditions in the Herefordshire countryside. His food style is natural and he never forces a dish, everything has a purpose. His emphasis on in ingredients and the marriage between them with a focus on flavour and treating ingredients with respect. He tells a story with his cuisine, where nature to plate is very important along with the traceability of the produce he uses. The dining room is a small intimate 20 cover restaurant where Karl creates a 6 or 9 course seasonal tasting menu that changes every day.

Described as “The most perfect town in England�, the Old Downton Lodge is located just minutes away from Ludlow, in the heart of country estate where there is a wide range of produce that Karl has at his disposal, from wild game to foraged fruits, nuts, herbs and mushrooms. Giving guests a unique dining experience where the quality of ingredients and simplicity of the dish shines through.

PORK LOIN AND PORK BELLY

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GRAHAM HORNIGOLD

HKK London Photo © Majella O’Connell

STRAWBERRY CEVICHE WITH WILD STRAWBERRIES

Executive Pastry Chef Graham Hornigold and his team led by Head Chef Melanie Nelson-Ström create desserts that explore the relationship between classical European recipes and Chinese cuisine.

With over 20 years of professional experience, Graham Hornigold attended Thames Valley University in 1997 and graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts Management.

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Graham worked across small boutiques, retail operations, world-renowned five-star hotels and restaurants across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, India and the United States.

Following Hakkasan Group›s expansion, Graham has set up new pastry kitchens in Mumbai, Dubai and New York and manages a team of over 130 in over 20 restaurants.

As Executive Pastry Chef of the Group, Graham is responsible for the global pastry production across the groups› restaurants. Based in London where he manages a strong team of 34 highly skilled chefs overseeing all dessert preparation for Sake no Hana, Hakkasan Hanway Place and Mayfair and HKK, plus the famed handcrafted petit-gateaux, macaron and pralines at Yauatcha and Yauatcha City.

PEAR ICE CREAM WITH A CHILLED CHAMPAGNE JUS

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