WG Magazine March 2017 Issue

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INDIAN CUISINE BROUGHT ALIVE Guided by Michelin-starred Chef Vineet Bhatia the award-winning Indego by Vineet, the textures, flavours and expressive range of Indian cuisine are sumptuously brought alive...

By Vineet

FOR RESERVATIONS CALL +97143176000 | GROSVENOR HOUSE DUBAI AL SUFOUH ROAD| WWW.INDEGOBYVINEET.COM - WG March 2017

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Contemporary Italian cuisine by

World Renowned Three Michelin Star Chef Heinz Beck

For reservations call +971 4 8182 155 | +971 4 818 2222 | Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah | www.waldorfastoria.com/Dubai

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MiaMi | OrlandO www.rOckawaypr.cOM WG March 2017 -

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P.T.A.

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Editor Lifestyle Editor Culinary Editor Feature Editor Contributing Editor

Fabian deCastro Doug Singer

Oilda Barreto Michael Hepworth

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 Claudia Ferreres

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Cover Image Credit: Rief Othman PLAY PLAY Restaurant and Lounge & The Experience Photo ©PLAY Restaurant and Lounge & The Experience

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MAGAZINES

Best Chefs, Best Restaurants - it’s that time of the year when nominations become a reality… Reif Othman is the Best Chef and the Best Restaurant in Dubai, Bangkok’s Gaggan Anand is No.1 in Asia’s 50 Best restaurants for the third consecutive year and Heston Blumenthal picks up the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reif Othman has not only earned a place on WG Magazine cover but has also been instrumental in transforming the culinary landscape of Dubai and the U.A.E. with The Experience and PLAY, and picking up the What’s On Chef Of The Year, The Pro Chef Most Innovative Chef, Time Out - Best Asian Restaurant, Time Out Restaurant Of The Year and the first Asian to be inducted into the Bord Bia Chef’s Irish Beef Club.

Like to take this opportunity to welcome Oscar Barrera Marengo, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Tastemaker on the editorial team of WG Magazine, his insight on America Is Already Great…

Restaurant Ikarus at Hangar7 makes room to welcome The Best of Vienna - Paul Ivic from Restaurant Tian, Heinz Reitbauer of Steirereck, Markus Mraz of Mraz und Sohn and Silvio Nickol from Palais Coburg.

We then head off to meet with the Italian Masterstrokes Alfredo Russo whose cuisine evokes a collective memory of taste, reinventing, amusing and surprising dishes where absolute purity of taste always stands out. While still in Europe, we meet up with Julien Poisot at Le Duèze, Château de Mercuès.

A stopover in Dubai to meet Jaime Pesaque - the ambassador of Peruvian food at Mayta and head off to Mythos to savor authentic Greek cuisine before heading off to Hong Kong to embark on a culinary journey with Gianni Caprioli and Juanjo Carrillo of Alzina Spanish Asador. Candolim, Goa at Izgara brings an end to a flavor filled journey!

Bon Appétit

FdeCastro

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MARCH 2017

CONTENTS 28

Best Of Vienna

38

Culinary Genius

54

Italian Masterstrokes

68

First Michelin Star

76

Italian Gourmet Cuisine

90

Authentic Peruvian Flavors

100 Lifetime Achievement Award 106 America is Already Great 112 Lavazza ¡Tierra!

114 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 216 Alzina Spanish Asador 224 Mythos - It’s Greek 226 Izagar

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Spaghetti Carbonara This is as unique and playful as PLAY itself. The dish is loaded with flavor, making each bite memorable from the rich, creamy sauce, to the lightly marinated fresh pancetta and herbs, topped over the fresh handmade pasta. The delicious summer dish is filled with Mediterasian touches and gastronomical flair that culminate into a flawless culinary experience...

Buon Appetito Dubai!

Spaghetti Carbonara Photo Š PLAY Restaurant and Lounge, Dubai

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‘ WOGOA FOUNDATION

Identifying underprivileged children with culinary ambitions...

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

Grant MacPherson

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

The Pearl Martin Benn Sepia, Sydney, Australia - WG March-2017

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partnered with SKD ACADEMY the culinary institute in the Philippines

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Albert Adrià

Heinz Beck

Andreas Caminada

Ferràn Adrià

Thank you Chefs for your support to Massimo Bottura

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Carme Ruscalleda

Duane Keller

Matt Moran

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Andoni Luis Aduriz

Georgianna & Nikos

José Avillez

Martin Benn

WO’GOA Foundation Tae Hwan Ryu

Umberto Bombana

Francesco Apreda

Grant MacPherson

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BEST OF VIENNA

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HEINZ REITBAUER, MARKUS MRAZ, PAUL IVIC AND SILVIO NICKOL

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PAUL BEST IVIC OF VIENNA HEINZ REITBAUER MARKUS MRAZ SILVIO NICKOL

Text Hangar-7 Photo © Helge Kirchberger / Red Bull Hangar-7

Restaurant Ikarus is making room to welcome no less than four guest chefs in March 2017 – and with7 Michelin stars and 14 Gault & Millau chef hats between them, they’re not coming emptyhanded! Anyone taking a journey through the haute cuisine of Vienna will not miss these four gentlemen: Paul Ivic from Restaurant Tian, Heinz Reitbauer of Steirereck, Markus Mraz of Mraz und Sohn and Silvio Nickol from Palais Coburg. Each of them has influenced and continues to influence Austrian cuisine with their own distinct signature.

Why not take a look at these signatures for yourself?

Experience the four luminaries cooking together in a single kitchen this March 2017 at Restaurant Ikarus.

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BEST OF VIENNA

Paul Ivic, Tian In China, ‘Tian’ means the heavens. In France, a vegetable stew. In Vienna, the only vegetarian restaurant to have earned a Michelin star. And the dishes served in Himmelpfortgasse are every bit as varied as the name. Tian promises ‘unique vegetarian cuisine’ – a promise upheld by head chef Paul Ivic and his team, who brings together obscure vegetables, fruits and cereals to create neverbefore-seen compositions. And true fine dining dishes such as Jerusalem artichokes with mountain hay and cinnamon are enough to have any diner up in the ‘heavens’. And that’s not all! Tian also offers an impressive selection of vegetarian and vegan patisserie. Thomas Scheiblhofer, who was recently crowned ‘Patissier of the Year 2016’ by Gault & Millau, has been creating his confectionery masterpieces at Tian since 2011.

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PAUL IVIC’S SIGNATURE DISH AT HANGAR 7

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BEST OF VIENNA

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HEINZ REITBAUER’S SIGNATURE DISH AT HANGAR 7

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Heinz Reitbauer, Steirereck It is almost as if Heinz Reitbauer had drawn up the blueprints for the restaurant himself: Steirereck lies in Vienna City Park, a sophisticated Viennese villa which collides with a modern, almost futuristic glass building in a juxtaposition that can also be identified in the dishes.

Traditional Austrian fare has been transported to the modern era by Heinz Reitbauer, without sacrificing any of its originality. The result is concoctions such as pheasant with lemon-salted onions, chard and strawberry ground cherries, or venison with spinach, coconut and yellow nutsedge. A fine balance which has already earned the restaurant its second Michelin star.

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BEST OF VIENNA

Markus Mraz, Mraz und Sohn Good taste is a family affair – or at least, it is at Mraz und Sohn restaurant.

It all began in the suburban tavern of the father, Karl-Heinz. It was there that his son – today the chef Markus Mraz – first began to think outside the box. That thinking grew to a vision of modern cookery – something that looked anything but Austrian at first glance. After his initial experiments, the creative son took over the restaurant and turned it into a showpiece of Viennese cuisine. His cooking is a feast for the eyes and plays on the taste buds, yet retains a satisfying simplicity. This is evident even from the menus, which the unconventional chef has done away with entirely. His guests are instead given just one choice: four, six or nine courses? For proof that this simple but daring concept really works, look no further than the customers who take the trip out to Vienna’s Brigittenau district and the restaurant’s two Michelin stars.

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MARKUS MRAZ’S SIGNATURE DISH AT HANGAR 7

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BEST OF VIENNA

Silvio Nickol, Palais Coburg The Viennese gourmet restaurant Palais Coburg has the motto: “indulge your curiosity”. In the stately atmosphere of the Palais dating from 1845, inquisitive guests are met with a chef whose creativity was allowed to run wild under culinary titans such as Harald Wohlfahrt and Heinz Winkler. Silvio Nickol draws from his own wealth of experience to enrapture his guests into joining him on a culinary journey, described in the Gault & Millau 2017 restaurant guide as: “a development which passes through perfection and continues on to another, better state. A kind of sensual perfection – sensuality perfected.” And credit is leant to these words by compositions such as foie gras, hibiscus, parsley root and cherries, making their way across the palates of the diners without a hint of pretension before coming together in a true explosion of flavour.

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SILVIO NICKOL – DUCK LIVER, MUSHROOM, FIR TREE AND CHOCOLATE

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REIF OTHMAN

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REIF OTHMAN CULINARY GENIUS

The talented Reif Othman has been incredibly instrumental in transforming the culinary landscape of Dubai and the U.A.E. An outstanding culinary career and is currently one of the most sought after chefs, and has gained global recognition and a celebrity status through his culinary genius and expertise.

Reif Othman and PLAY Restaurant and Lounge has already caused quite a stir in Dubai winning the What’s On Chef Of The Year, The Pro Chef Most Innovative Chef, Time Out - Best Asian Restaurant, Time Out Restaurant Of The Year and has been inducted into the Bord Bia Chef’s Irish Beef Club.

Reif adds “You know how the feeling is when you are young and learn to ride a bike, you have your mum or dad cheering you and the pride you have in learning to ride the bike after falling off the bike numerous times. That’s exactly how I feel. When I set out to do something, I pursue it diligently and after the end of the day when my hard work pays off that in itself is most rewarding. Most of all, winning all these awards is greatly accredited to my team. It is such a morale booster for all those long hours in the kitchen, not seeing daylight and the lack of a social life. They feel proud of where they work and who they work for. Their time and commitment, and I am very blessed to have a team that has lots of energy.

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REIF OTHMAN

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As an ambassador and being the first Asian to be inducted into the Bord Bia Chef’s Irish Beef Club was a wonderful surprise for Reif. On the other hand winning the Restaurant Of The Year was the icing on the cake. “PLAY has only been operational for 12 months and we bagged the most coveted award on the night. It is a great achievement and it goes to show that when you are focused at what you do and have got the best team (both front and back of house) any chef can work with you who shares the same vision as you, well you are already a winner. We have guests that come back again and again and every time they come back they expect the same level of consistency – taste, presentations and right up to the service” adds Reif.

Reif recounts his early experiences in the kitchen, “I first started cooking at the age of 14, helping my mom in the kitchen. I would cut and wash the vegetables, for lunch or dinner, I would make the pastry and do the baking. My first kitchen experience was with my mom, in her food stall, preparing our traditional Javanese cuisine (a mix of Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine).” Later he went on to learn with Violet Oon, a Singaporean chef doing Peranakan cuisine. Reif recalls Violet Oon mentoring him and saw the potential he had which gave him the drive to be where he is right now.

RISOTTO BARREL

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REIF OTHMAN

WHAT’S ON CHEF OF THE YEAR PRO CHEF MOST INNOVATIVE CHEF TIME OUT BEST ASIAN RESTAURANT TIME OUT RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Reif began gaining international recognition for his culinary talents in 2007 when working with One Rochester Group in Singapore as Group Executive Chef for some of the city’s top restaurants and hotels. In 2009, Reif joined the Zuma Dubai team as Executive Chef and quickly moved up the ladder as he displayed extensive talent being both creative and disciplined in the kitchen, finding inspiration in all types of cuisines. His culinary excellence helped establish Zuma as one of the most renowned restaurants in Dubai.

LADA NIVA NOODLE WUTH KING CRAB

Rief Othman is the first Asian to be inducted into the Bord Bia Chef ’s Irish Beef Club!

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Winning awards is not new for Reif, a disciplined kitchen and his creative inspirations, Reif stirred Zuma Dubai for four consecutive years on the San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants. “Then it was the biggest achievement for me, the hard work and my dedication to Zuma which paid off. Consistency was the key to this success” adds Reif.

In 2015, Reif moved on from this role as Regional Executive Chef at Zuma for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, for the opportunity to propel his culinary career to new heights as the Director of Culinary at R.A.W. Galadari Holdings & Absolute F&B Facilities Management.

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REIF OTHMAN

Experience the Haute Couture of Caviar with Chef Reif Othman The epicurean enclave that is The Experience, find its roots in the culinary ingenuity of Chef Reif and where he finds his inspiration for his ever-changing dishes, and ever evolving 10 course meals lies in his ingredients. The source of his passion and his impeccable flavor are the uniquely sourced ingredients like his very own Sturia Caviar, which is tailor made for him and used exclusively at The Experience.

“My cuisine is both gourmet and creative in the way that I combine multidisciplinary cooking techniques and European and Asian flavors. Moreover, in my kitchen I use products from all over the world; from Japan, from France and from Italy and so on, which requires me to work closely with high-end products and premium quality,” Chef Reif Othman explains, “This is what drew me to Sturia, as I find it is the Haute Couture of caviar. I have been working with Sturia for years and we have been able to create a beautiful collection of custom-made caviars that in my opinion are truly some of the most incredible caviars I have ever had the privilege of cooking with.”

Sturia is France’s main caviar producer, distributing its products worldwide for the past 20 years. Sturia’s attention to ecological balance and strict compliance with the highest quality standards allow them to offer impeccable and natural caviar. Thanks to a meticulous selection, and their handcraft ‘savoir-faire’, Sturia cultivates complete collections of custom-made caviars, which are recognized by top Michelin-starred chefs and restaurants throughout the world.

The Reif-Sturia Caviar is a custom-made collection of handselected caviar that is configured through confidential testing, criteria and tastings to curate caviar that is truly an extension of Reif. His caviar has evolved over the past six years to fulfill his creative and culinary needs, with the latest being specially designed, exclusively for The Experience. A representative from Sturia Caviar adds, “It is a real honor for us because we share Chef Reifs passion and the same values of innovation in the respect for the tradition and for the authenticity of the gastronomy.”

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Sturia Caviar cultivated exclusively for Dubai’s most sought after Chef ’s Table concept...

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REIF OTHMAN

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Winning The Chef Of The Year award is one I hold very close to my heart...

Reif Othman

Taking us through his artistically curated culinary vision and his innovative culinary concept at PLAY, Reif’s culinary creations are without limits, he takes his guest on a sensory expedition and gastronomic journey through a perfectly balanced one-of-akind cuisine. A concoction of exquisite flavours that fuse East and West - based on techniques, fine ingredients composed of the freshest produce with an impeccable balance with his Meditterasian concept.

Reif adds “When you dine there’s always some ginger, some lemon grass. Some people are doing French restaurants but with an Asian influence, so French Asian looks sounds funny, Japanese Asian sounds funny. Since I use a lot of seafood which comes from the Mediterranean and being Asian, and use a lot of Japanese and Asian products. So decided why not combine the two “Meditterasian”, it sounds a bit funny, kinky and question mark, so let’s make people wonder, taste the combination and the best is to come to PLAY and the food speaks for its self.”

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REIF OTHMAN

PLAY is a place for thinkers, dreamers, trendsetters and the mavericks, everyone who approaches life in a more playful way....

A unique atmosphere designed to stimulate all the senses. It’s not just dining venue – it’s a state of mind, an experience!

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REIF OTHMAN

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Reif’s team at PLAY has boundless energy which rubs on him. A self-motivator who pushes himself to achieve more. With a lot of competition in this region, where everyone wants a piece of the pie, Reif brings something more and different to the table, showing that he can do much more than just cook a piece of steak and plate it. His simplicity, passion and moving away from the conventional ways of doing things and reinventing the wheel.

Being creative and drawing inspirations from around the world‌ even if it is something as simple as an Indian flat bread.

SNAILS IN THE GARDEN

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REIF OTHMAN

When I set out to do something, I pursue it diligently and after the end of the day when my hard work pays off, that in itself is more rewarding...

Reif Othman With much success at PLAY, In 2016, Reif launched his most intimate creation – ‘The Experience’, he unleashed his captivating, and mindblowing culinary experience to Dubai’s elite. The revolutionary concept takes a fresh look on the traditional Chef’s table. The exclusive setting seats 12 and stepping into this space, one feels like they are transcended to someone’s magnificent living room. The bespoke menu is tailor made to suit the appetite, giving them an interactive experience with the Chef and the food; bringing forth an engaging atmosphere, which results in a one-of-a-kind dining extravaganza.

Reif has concocted a world of its own in ‘The Experience,’ full of culinary ingenuity, flavourful mystery, and magical tastes. Reif cooks and serves every dish himself, treating guests to a completely unique and customized dining experience. He guides you on an unforgettable journey, through endless delectable dishes, overflowing exceptional entrées and innovative ingredients fused to perfection through his unique cooking style.

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ALFREDO RUSSO

THE ITALIAN MASTERSTROKES Alfredo Russo’s cuisine is founded on absolute respect for the Italian and Piedmontese regional traditions, combined with a constant search and wish for innovation. The outcome is an original creative style – his dishes evoke a sort of collective memory of taste, reinventing, amusing and surprising dishes where absolute purity of taste always stands out, emerging from a play of textures and consistencies as well as unexpected interpretations.

ALFREDO RUSSO

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Born in Turin, Alfredo Russo found his passion for cuisine as early age, Alfredo started cooking when he was 13 years old, Alfredo adds “I was a very young boy and there is a funny story behind this because nobody in my family was involved in a restaurant or a hotel. My father was in Engineering and my mother was a teacher, completely different jobs. One day, I said, I want to become a chef and they asked me, “Chef? Why? Yes I like to be a chef, because there were three options which I had, to be a chef or a tailor or a carpenter. Three jobs with creativity, and in the end I chose to cook. It was strange because my family was not happy about this decision of mine. My parents agreed and told me go to the restaurant to clean and wash the pots and dishes because the goal was to just demoralize me.”

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PHOTO © ALISA CONNAN

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ALFREDO RUSSO

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The new Italian Style “Simple things are hard to do …”

Alfredo Russo

It wasn’t strange because when I went to this very busy restaurant, everyday there was a lot of plates to wash, but I saw how the kitchen works, how the chefs cook and for me this was what I wanted to do.

After this experience, they asked me if I had enough and wanted to leave as my father had a company that sells Engineering stuff, so they said it would be better to join my father and I said no. So I started, and after school, I worked for few restaurants and some of them are Michelin Star Restaurant. And when was 19 years old, I was a little bit confident, I said, now, I am ready to be chef. 19 years old and restaurant owners did not give me much responsibility or the opportunity, so since nobody will give me the opportunity, I will open my own restaurant. I opened my first restaurant when I was 20, my family said ok, but we don’t give you the money, this is yours so I said ok. I bought a space with a small kitchen and with no money, I started to cook and every night, there was a line outside coming to eat. Two years later, Michelin gave us our first star. And after this we moved in to another restaurant, bigger, we bought it out.

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ALFREDO RUSSO

Vivaldi Elegantly Simple Simply Elegant Alfredo Russo’s cuisine is founded on absolute respect for Italian tradition, combined with a constant search and wish for innovation. In 2014, the culinary master chef brought his highly renowned cuisine to the shores of Dubai Creek. Vivaldi by Alfredo Russo at the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers. Elegantly Simple, Simply Elegant Elegant 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 this Michelin-starred chef who spoils you for choice.

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ALFREDO RUSSO

Creativity, flavours are always authentic, each dish starts from ‘Da Idea’...

Alfredo Russo

In 2008, the government gave me the opportunity to work inside the Royal Palace. It is called Reggia di Venaria Reale (the Palace of Venaria) near Turin, it was unbelievable and we said ok, we went there and now it’s really an unbelievable place, it’s very fantastic, with a big kitchen, big staff and this is the part of job. In 2004, I started to work as a consultancy, a different branch of my business.

One is my own restaurant and the other one is the consultancy. Then I started to work especially in the Asia Pacific with Starwood, I opened with them several restaurants in Japan, Thailand, and other places. I have been a consultant for them for more or less 10 years for the Regional Office in Singapore for all the Italian restaurant concepts.

Starwood closed this Office and I started to work with other company. Now, I am in direct contact with each property, here in Dubai I started to work with Sheraton, but now we have some projects with Kempinski, with Intercontinental, and with some more properties. There are different concepts, some are gastronomic restaurants, for example the restaurant The Franklin by Alfredo Russo in London is very similar to my restaurant Dolce Stil Novo alla Reggia in Turin, Italy, other restaurants are casual or bistro. In Mexico, there is a bakery and Trattoria, we make some great bread and very nice concept.

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ALFREDO RUSSO

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Alfredo Russo’s cuisine evokes a sort of collective memory of taste, reinventing, amusing and surprising dishes where absolute purity of taste always stands out...

Just like he does with ‘pasta in bianco’ – a lasagna made of three sheets of pastry alternated with a mousse of Parmigiano reggiano cheese with three different ageing times – 12, 24 and 36 months.

Here the playful side is conveyed by the different degree of taste lightness and intensity of the three Parmesan creams, ‘a crescendo – says Russo – purposely created to taste the various shades of a product ‘tone on tone’.

However, besides creativity, flavours are always authentic: each dish is elaborated starting from an idea – ‘From an Idea’ is the title of the first book by the chef – on which he then works until he achieves his final result which is always the outcome of a subtraction rather than too many additions.

Indeed, the notion that ‘it is difficult to do easy things’ is precisely the leit motiv of Alfredo Russo’s philosophy, who explains that ‘what remains is style, not fashions. The Dolce Stil Novo’s cuisine reflects our way of being, of thinking. It is truthful, concrete, real, and vital’. Such vitality also reveals itself in Alfredo’s menu, based on the seasons of the year but also on a simultaneously ‘moving’ offer which changes and varies even on a daily basis, according to freshness of raw materials available.

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ALFREDO RUSSO

A concrete and simple cuisine aiming at the essence, an art of cooking which gives back to the guest dishes that are not artificial or too elaborated, but rather rich in noble flavours of our land. At Dolce Stil Novo’s, Italian and regional cuisines have a place of honor – with a predominance of the Piedmontese territory cuisine, that revives and renews its flavours and traditions in the recipe of veal with tuna sauce, presented by the chef inside a transparent plexiglas box, or in the recipes of stewed fassone or veal tongue with an emulsion of green sauce.

The continuous and unwearyingly search for purity of taste pursued by Alfredo Russo with absolute rigor, lives together with a playful spirit which is pointed out by a surprising mix of textures, shapes and consistencies of each single dish, and by a new tasting menu. Alfredo’s carte blanche is a gastronomic route of seven or nine courses which is made to measure and which is always different from the previous one. At Dolce Stil Novo’s the offer constantly varies, owing to the introduction of dishes that change on a daily basis depending on freshness and quality of produce.

Alfredo Russo’s adventure into the world that taught him high cuisine and that he learnt to revolutionize with his creations and dishes which qualified him as the best young cook in 2004 according to the Espresso Guide and over the last few years his professionalism has won him more and more acknowledgements at a national and international level, so much so that Italian and foreign food magazines and journals have started to write about him.

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ALFREDO RUSSO

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Alfredo Russo’s cuisine is founded on absolute respect for Italian and Piedmontese tradition...

Over the years Alfredo has taken care of various events – important soirees such as the one given for the International Olympic Committee for Turin’s candidacy as the seat of the Winter Olympic Games in 2006, and the one at the UNESCO seat in Paris for the presentation of Turin and Rome. Together with top Piedmontese chef colleagues he managed the whole gastronomic offer of food & wine, the hospitality area of the Piedmont Region during the Winter Olympic Games in Turin in 2006; and again together with these colleagues in 2007, he was also at the UN Glass Palace to introduce UN ambassadors and delegates to Piedmontese cooking and high cuisine.

Between 2007 and 2008 Alfredo was invited as a speaker to “Lo Mejor de la gastronomía” and “Madrid Fusion”, two among the world most important conventions devoted to high cuisine, and he played a leading role in the TV program ‘Krav Sakkinim’ (Knives Battle) on Channel 10, Israeli TV. Besides creativity, flavours are always authentic: each dish is elaborated starting from an idea – ‘Da Idea’ (From an Idea) is the title of the first book by Alfredo Russo – on which he then works until he achieves his final result which is always the outcome of a subtraction rather than too many additions.

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JULIEN POISOT

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His passion for terroir plus the talent for choosing the best produce and creating innovative dishes, Julien Poisot’s cuisine pays tribute to the worldfamous gastronomy of the Quercy region. Julien add “My cooking is instinctive. Above all I transform produce to allow it to express its quintessential nature and enhance it visually in a natural way.”

JULIEN POISOT

Julien began working as a chef at the age of 23 at La Manufacture, a restaurant created for Hôtel Le Colbert in Châteauroux. Then came six years with Bernard Loiseau, at Tante Louise in Paris and as the assistant to Patrick Bertron at the Relais Bernard Loiseau three Macarons Michelin at Saulieu in Burgundy. His refined cuisine is lauded in the major national and international guides, the 2nd prize at Toques d’Or Internationales in 2006 and best Young Chef (Chef Espoir) of the year from Chef Magazine in 2010. Above all in the Michelin guide 2017 with one star.

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WG Magazine speaks with Julien Poisot…

It’s interesting to learn how Chef’s find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Chef Julien Poisot tells us how he found his way into the culinary field to become one of the most innovative, and the most sought-after Chef in the world!

My father was a chef and my family owned a bakery in Burgundy, so it was from an early age where I was immersed into the industry. I learnt so much from my father and enjoyed working in the bakery, however I found my passion was cookery in the kitchens.

Chef Poisot’s cuisine at Le Duèze pays tribute to the famous gastronomy of the Occitanie region. A cuisine very creative with the finest produce, full of flavors, great textures which is complex and modest yet impeccably balanced and getting more out of the food and flavours – he tells us how he brings about this balance on a plate…

You must respect the produce. The produce is the star of every dish and working for Bernard Loiseau was a great inspiration and taught me how to balance the flavours of the cuisine in a simple way but with sensitivity and humility.

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Recipes always evolves and I’m constantly making adjustments to the dishes...

Chef Poisot’s describes philosophy…

his

your

culinary

The relationship with your producer is vital and they will guide me on my inspirational journey to create new dishes, based upon the seasons and the quality of the local produce.

Chef Poisot tells us what ingredients inspires him, his favourite ingredients he is unable to work with…

We have a herb garden at Chateau de Mercues and I enjoy experimenting with herbs, they are natural and can enhance a dish into another dimension.

I must admit my favourite ingredients are meat and vegetables, but I love using our black Lalbenque truffles, there is so much you can do – shave raw onto toasted bread with salted butter, use within a stuffing or simply garnish.

From a personal perspective, I don’t like using beef tongue, this stems from a bad experience when I was a child.

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Special cooking techniques behind Chef Poisot’s signature dishes…

It has to be simple using the best local produce. I love to smoke food using one of the oak barrels from our winery, salmon, dark chocolate, foie gras and beef smoked on the vines.

I have many favourite dishes, but I do like the Quercy Lamb, conchiglioni with mushrooms, black Lalbenque truffles and verbena Jus, it sums up the region together with the poached pear in Malbec.

Creativity, Technique or Produce… “First and foremost it has to be the best produce, no matter how creative or technical the dish may be, if the produce isn’t right then neither will the dish.”

Winning the first Michelin star this year - what was the feeling and what keeps you motivated…

I was ecstatic, not only for myself but for the team too and the owners Mr Vigouroux. It is recognition for all the hard work on a daily basis and it is something we have been working toward for the past three years. My motivation is simple – provide the best cuisine and showcase the fine produce available in Occitanie.

Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous profession, Chef Poisot’s advice to those entering the kitchen for the first time…

I’m am not sure glamourous is really how I would describe it sometimes, but the best advice I can offer is for an aspiring chef to find their true cooking passion and style, knowledge of produce is everything.

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GIANNI CAPRIOLI

GIANNI CAPRIOLI

Italian Gourmet Cuisine

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OYSTER

GIANNI’S FAVOURITE SPAGHETTI WITH SEA URCHIN, SCALLOP & SEAWEED

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BAKED ALASKAN KING CRAB LEG AND CRISPY SOFT CRAB

CRAB STRACCIATELLA SALAD

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LOBSTER BURRATA

Hailing from Potenza and a family of cooks, Gianni has been the private chef to one of Italy’s wealthiest families, the Agnelli – owners and pioneers of Italian Automobile (FIAT) manufacturing based in Turin.

Gianni cooked for the family during their travels and at home, as well as for catered banquets to prominent private guests representing a Who’s Who of Italy.

Gianni started his career in his brother’s restaurant and trained at a hotel school in San Marino while developing his skills in homemade pastas and Romagna-style cooking. He worked under Chef Gino Angelini at the Grand Hotel des Bains in Riccione then moved to manage and train staff for the famous Rex’s group of restaurants in the United States for venues in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. which earned him a reputation for providing professional consultancy.

On his return to Riccione in 1997, he worked with another of Italy’s most revered and innovative

chefs, Gianfranco Vissani at Ristorante Azzurra.

His association with Italy’s rich and famous was established in 1998 while cooking for exclusive resort hotels including Hotel Oberosler, Dolci Hotels and Castello di Montegridolfo.

In 2000, he left for Los Angeles to open the famous Osteria Angelini. It was here that his skills were discovered by the Agnelli family – who took him as their personal chef.

Gianni’s passion, creativity and desire to share his culture with the Italian Gourmet scene in Hong Kong have garnered him a strong reputation and following since 2004.

Giando Italian Restaurant & Bar established at Fenwick Pier in 2012, has been the first concept restaurant providing premium quality ingredients directly sourced from Italy’s local farms and boutique wineries, ensuring authenticity in every dish.

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LINGUINI WITH CLAMS, ARTICHOKE, PEPPERS, AND BOTTARGA TOPPED WITH PINE NUTS

WG Magazines catches up with Gianni Caprioli…

It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking and where they grew up. Gianni Caprioli tells us how you found your way into the culinary field to become one of the most innovative and gifted Italian chef!

I wouldn’t say I’m innovative or gifted, I’ve just worked and practiced for a long long time! It’s part of my duty as an Italian to share our food philosophy to as many people as I can!

the scraps from the butcher shops. I’d bring it home and carve out the meat from the fat and sell it back to the same butchers.

My eldest brother, Gino, had his rotisserie shop and I worked there during my summer holidays.

I was 13 but I could pass for 16. It was only in 1988 that I worked legally in San Marino. I was still a student in culinary school but I would find any job to learn and make money: 5 star hotels, restaurants,pizzeria…

By 19, I was partner with my brother Gino. We My late father inspired me. He was a mechanic, opened a rotisserie called Don Camillo. After one school secretary and farmer. He worked extremely year, I got a job offer in the U.S. It was my dream hard and I wanted to be like him. I grew up in family to leave Italy and work in the U.S. I didn’t know any of dedicate people who owned a farm and what we English and I’ve never left Italy until 20. It was an eating mostly came from our own cultivation. adventure.

From the day I could star to walk and talk, I started helping my father in the farm (my brothers and sisters were not as excited about the farm as I was).

I actually enjoyed my time there with my father. He would let me go sell the fruits and veggies I picked.

That was my first business at 8 years old. I started butchering by the age 10. When I would pick up

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So I’m still not sure how I found my way in the culinary world, I guess it found me? It was the only job I knew and I loved every part of it: the farming, traveling, cooking, cleaning, talking to guests, the long hours, the people from various cultures, the physical labor… After 30 years, I’m still in the same job!

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ITALIAN PORTER CHIANINA BEEF

DUO OF SUSTAINABLE COD- BACALAO (NORTH POLE) AND ROASTED TOOTH FISH

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FILLED CALAMARI, TOMATO SAUCE, ALMONDS AND TUNA BOTTARGA

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It’s a dining experience with Gianni Caprioli’s rustic Italian cuisine, focused and inspired by a combination of fresh and quality ingredients.

A cuisine very creative with the finest produce, creating a composition of flavours…

I don’t try to reinvent our food and I wouldn’t say I’m creative. They are the way they are because of history, geography. It has been developed by impeccable people, countless events in the past and we need to respect that. As a chef I cannot compete with that and should not disrespect it. My role as a chef is to bring forth the essence of Italian food - incredible ingredients gifted to us by mother nature. All I try to do is keep everything simple, letting the ingredients prove themselves, sharing how we have always done it in the past, but doing it a way that is comprehensible today. For example, our marinated pork is a combination of the respect of my view and great ingredients. I really don’t do much other than give a place...a stage for the ingredients to be respected. That’s all!

Gia Trattoria Italiana is all about staying truly Italian. Classics, historial, geography.

Giando is me. The way the food is made is reflective of my personal experiences. I pretty much have a story for every dish! It’s still Italian but I’ve put my own touches.

Fishsteria is a place I wouldn’t mind dining in every day. Kind of my dream restaurant. I love seafood!

Now I look back at it, I’ve always lived in places with great seafood (including Hong Kong, where I currently call home).

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Gianni Caprioli worked for Italy’s rich and famous and taking you back in 1997 when you worked under Gino Angelini at the Grand Hotel des Bains in Riccione, then worked for the famous Rex’s group of restaurants in the US. In 1998 you worked with Italy’s most innovative chef Gianfranco Vissani and then on in 2000 to open Osteria Angelini in Los Angeles… he tells us about the experiences Gino Angelini and Gianfranco Vissani…

ARTICHOKE SALAD, GREY MULLET BOTTARGA, PECORINO CHEESE AND CHIVES

You know...they really shaped me and wired my brain the way I work today. I needed the mentorship from them to be able to do what I do today. I wouldn’t have known how to articulate my work and philosophy for food and the restaurant industry.

Gino is a great great chef but he’s an extraordinary person. He brings a great vibe in the kitchen. When you are working in a confined space for 15+ hours a day, you need to have great personalities in there to keep up the energy and momentum; he does that. Team work. That’s another thing he’s big on because it shapes each of our individual characters.

He also taught me simplicity.

Gianfranco: the importance of ingredients and their origin. That’s my philosophy today and I’ve adapted it from him.

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FLAT ITALIAN PASTA WITH BASIC PESTO, TOASTED PINE NUTS AND GREEN BEANS

TRUFFLE ASPARAGUS

RISOTTO

BEEF CARPACCIO WITH ROCKET SALAD AND PARMESAN

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GIANNI CAPRIOLI

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LOBSTER BISQUE

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Gianni Caprioli’s process of creating a new dish…

“My past experiences. I have a pretty good memory from the things I read to the things I’ve done in the past. I’ll sit in one of our restaurants way after service hours or when everyone has left and I’ll start thinking and writing new menus. I never drink any alcohol during this process. Just water, tea or coffee. I don’t like losing control of my thoughts.”

Gianni Caprioli tells us what ingredients inspires him, his favorite ingredients and ingredient that he hasn’t been able to master…

SNOW CRAB TOPPED BURRATA AND TOMATOES

As I always have emphasized ingredients: seasonal ingredients, fresh ingredients…the most important part is the people. The people who grow them, take care of them, process them. People who have made it their lifetime work to produce great food and preserve the communities at the cost of profitability.

We need to support families, small producers and farmers who have sacrificed and committed to their work. They care and are passionate and their products are much better. Because the little things matter to them. Because they are there every day working with their team. Because they live in the same community they work in. Because they are proud of what they built as a community/family.

Because they eat what they produce. Because they want to make this world a better place in the way(s) they know how. This is why we open our Mercato

by Giando, a small humble grocery store.

Any product that is fresh and in season. Natural.

No pesticides or genetic modifications. Made and cared by people who are passionate about what they do.

Broad beans - also known as fava beans. I’m extremely allergic to it so I cannot work with it!

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HOT DARK CHOCOLATE STREGA LIQUEUR PUDDING WITH ICE CREAM AND WHIPPED CREAM

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CITRUS PANNA COTTA WITH RED BERRIES

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Gianni Caprioli special cooking techniques behind your signature dishes…

Last year Giando and Già Trattoria joined over 600 restaurants in Italy and across the world to fundraise for the earthquake in Amatrice… Gianni Caprioli Curiosity, care, consistency. Be constantly curious adds “Italy almost never had earthquakes. It’s scary. so it doesn’t stop me from learning every day. Care Our family has friends there and they lost a lot of about everything that it takes to make a dish, to beautiful historical buildings. I had the opportunity create the restaurant. to visit Amatrice a week after the earthquake. It was If our guests comes back for the same dish because very hard to see. People lost everything (homes for they loved it the 1st time, we need to be consistent generations, cars, pets, photos…). I was told by the to make them fall in love again the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, police chief that they still have no idea what to do, a lot of people are emotional, hurt, in pain, lost.

5th…

They were just going day by day. They have all the Gianni Caprioli tells us what keeps him motivated... immediate help needed at that moment but what People. It is crazy tiring every day. If I didn’t have they really need is the financial help after: to build our dedicated team, our passionate producers+ schools, homes, hospitals, etc.” suppliers and our loyal customers, I would not have Being a chef is perceived as a glamorous lasted this long. Their energy, curiosity, devotion, profession, Gianni Caprioli’s advice to chefs who smiles, appreciations keeps me going. are first entering the kitchen for the first time… “Be We have a mission to fulfill that is bigger than me, bigger than my team so we need a whole city to come together, I’m just a very small humble part in our shared mission: giving +sharing the best honest food we possibly can.”

humble and work hard. Being a chef is a lifelong journey of learning. You cannot think you are good enough and stop. That’s the day you should quit.

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JAIME PESAQUE

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JAIME PESAQUE

Authentic Peruvian Flavors

Growing up in Peru, every aspect of Jaime Pesaque’s life revolved around food. He was absorbed in cooking shows and would assist the family cook, Epifanía, in the kitchen every night while she was preparing dinner. Pesaque’s interest quickly turned into a passion. By the time he was in high school, he was taking weekly cooking classes with a French chef at a local culinary school.

Pesaque landed his first kitchen job at 17, getting his first introduction to Peruvian ceviches and tiraditos at a Lima seafood restaurant, Alfresco.

After a summer at the restaurant, Pesaque crossed an ocean to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, venturing to Italy to further his education at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners.

After graduation, Pesaque returned home to Peru to assume the executive chef position at Al Grano, where he worked for two years. When the opportunity to work at El Celler de Can Roca presented itself, Pesaque jumped at the opportunity and headed back to Europe. But Pesaque’s plan was never to stay far from home. With Michelin Star experience in tow, he bounced back to Peru to begin what would become a restaurant empire, opening Mayta in Lima in 2010.

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Today, he’s expanded his reach across borders, with Nuna in Uruguay, Suviche in Miami, Raymi in New York’s Flatiron District and a Calle del Medio in Cusco, Peru. With the growing success of Mayta, Lima, Pesaque went on to open a second location in Dubai in 2016. With South American cuisine on the rise in this UAE hotspot, it was quickly recognized for its authentic Peruvian flavors.

WG Magazine catches up with Jaime Pesaque…

It’s interesting to learn how chefs find their passion for cooking and where they grew up, Jaime Pesaque chef tells us how you found your way into the culinary field to become the most sought-after Chef in the world!

It began since I was around 10. In Peru we have the tradition to cook at home. I have a lady that was part of the family that cooked every day at my home and I use to help her, doing caked, moving the sofritos, cleaning vegetables, etc. and that was my first approach to the kitchens world. When I was in high school my mum had to ask the school for a special permission because a French chef had come to Lima and he was teaching and I joined his cooking classes, since that day in 1998 I didn’t take my foot out of the kitchen, I just fell in love.

Jaime Pesaque’s creative cuisine is recognized for its authentic Peruvian flavors…

As every responsible kitchen, it begins with the best seasonal products and then I will say it’s a mix between the memories, creativity, passion and team work. This sum of ingredients give us the best result for all our menu dishes. There is a thin line between creativity and confusion and that makes you a different cook or one more.

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Jaime Pesaque worked at Al Grano and then had the opportunity to work at El Celler de Can Roca – he tells us his experiences and how it helped him as a chef‌ El Celler was a unique and different experience because they are so professional, organize and use the avant-garde techniques in the world. They taught me how one must treat the products, you must even talk to them and I realized that there are no bad products. If they are fresh and in their season, you must study them and the product itself will tell you in which technique you have to cook it or even leave it raw. When I was there I realize and have a very deep reflexion of the immense quantity and quality of products Peru had because of the thousands of micro climes and also because we are one of the small quantity of countries that have coast, Andes and rain forest (Amazonas) so it was like a play park for a cook, and since I return to Peru after that experiences in Europe, I began a different career and live cause also besides of been a cook I had the commitment to found different products from Peru, traveling all around and make a different cuisine and make clients have a unique experience. And also having the commitment to give this experience not just in Peru, also around the world.

The ambassador of Peruvian food, with restaurants around the globe, several accolades and awards What keeps Jaime motivated?

They are many thing that motivate me but the most important one besides my family is my passion for Peru. I have the commitment to be part of a Peruvian food revolution that will help my country to be recognized not just for food, in culture in general.

We think each of our restaurants in foreign countries are not just restaurants or business, they are small embassies of our culture so we have a big responsibility behind with our country, compatriots and new generations of chefs...

Jaime Pesaque

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Jaime Pesaque describes your culinary philosophy…

“My philosophy is very simple, use the best seasonal products that the sole give you, respect what the ocean gave us without pushing for the same species every day, make each dish have a different story and technique and giving them the flavours of the memories to keep this millenarian gastronomic history of us.”

Ingredients that inspire Jaime Pesaque, his favourite ingredients and ingredients he has not able to master…

Now, are the chilies, I’m searching all around Peru and discover different ones that have unique flavours like, sweets, smokiness, spicy, acids, etc.

We use different techniques like fermentations, curds, dehydrations, pickles, etc. and very excited about the results.

My favourite ingredients are Chilies, Limes, Potatoes and grains – Quinoa.

Of course there is some ingredients I try to work with it, but with team work and investigations we get the right answers of how we must treat the product to give us the best of it. We don’t give up but sometimes the products aren’t the best for us or what we are looking in that moment (aromatic, flavourful, etc.) to inspire us for new challenges, but maybe inspire others and they see what we couldn’t, that’s the beautiful thing about the kitchen, the creativity and philosophies that make many cooks and restaurants unique from each other.

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Jaime tells us about the special cooking techniques…

Technology in general is helpful and amazing but sometimes they push us away from what you really are. At the moment I am returning back to basics, and searching for millenarian techniques from different cultures of Peru like Pachamanca’s, wood, smoke, curds, etc.

Now I understand that perfection is the enemy of goodness, perfection doesn’t exist and it makes me realize that what I’m really am is an artisan more than a laboratory person. This doesn’t mean that we don’t investigate or study, this means that we want to be closer to the product, from our soil and from our customs.

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MAYTA BY JAIME PESAQUE - DUBAI

MAYTA BY JAIME PESAQUE - DUBAI

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HESTON BLUMENTHAL

THE DINERS CLUB® LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

HESTON BLUMENTHAL

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Celebrated chef Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal has been awarded the 2017 Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award.

One of the culinary world’s most influential figures, Blumenthal, 50, is largely self-taught. Aside from a two-week stint at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in the UK, the London-born Blumenthal has no formal training. He developed his multi-sensory approach to cooking through investigation, experimentation and a singleminded vision to challenge culinary norms. In 1995, Blumenthal opened The Fat Duck, a 40-seat restaurant in the tiny UK village of Bray, where he earned plaudits for his playful, inventive multi-

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PHOTO © ALISA CONNAN

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course tasting menu and curious flavour combinations.

Blumenthal’s famed recipes for snail porridge and eggand-bacon ice cream revealed an appreciation for art and science and put him at the forefront of a gastronomic revolution. Using equal parts science, technical wizardry, imagination and a sense of humour, Blumenthal presented a hyper-experimental dining experience. He was awarded his first Michelin star in 1999, his second in 2002 and his coveted third in 2004. In 2005, The Fat Duck secured the No.1 spot on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

William Drew, Group Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “A pioneer, an entrepreneur and a creative force, throughout his distinguished career Heston Blumenthal has challenged the way we eat and inspired a generation of chefs. His passion, energy, imagination and thirst for change have enriched global gastronomy and make him a worthy winner of the prestigious Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Building on the success of The Fat Duck, in 2004 Blumenthal acquired The Hinds Head, a 15th-century pub in Bray serving traditional seasonal cuisine and historic British recipes. In 2011, he launched his first restaurant outside Bray, Dinner

by Heston Blumethal, at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London, to universal acclaim.

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COUNTING SHEEP

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Dinner’s menu mines historical British recipes from as far back as the 14th century and reworks them using contemporary cooking techniques. A year after opening, Dinner earned its first Michelin star and made its debut on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No.9, and it has maintained a position on the list ever since. His other renowned restaurants in England include The Crown pub, also in Bray, and The Perfectionists’ Café at London Heathrow.

In 2015, the maverick chef once again made headlines when he temporarily relocated The Fat Duck to Melbourne for six months while the flagship restaurant underwent a renovation. Once The Fat Duck returned to its original location, the Melbourne venue was relaunched as the second Dinner with Heston Blumenthal restaurant.

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PHOTO © ALISA CONNAN

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Over the last decade, Blumenthal has forged a hugely successful TV career with shows including Heston’s Feasts and Heston’s Fantastical Food, as well as working with premium British grocery chain Waitrose.

Among the world’s most revered chefs, Blumenthal has received multiple honorary degrees, a fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and an OBE for services to British gastronomy. As the 2017 recipient of The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement award, he joins an elite group of international chefs. Former honourees include France’s Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse, Alain Passard and Jöel Robuchon, as well as Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller.

Acknowledging this new honour, Blumenthal said “I am honoured, thrilled and really quite excited to be given The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award.

For me, this award is particularly special because it’s voted by my peers. After 20 years of The Fat Duck, I now feel like I’m just starting – and those 20 years were my apprenticeship. The future is very, very exciting.”

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DAMPING THROUGH THE BOROUGHGROVES

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AMERICA IS ALREADY GREAT Text Oscar Barrera Marengo The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Tastemaker

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D.O.M. - ALEX ATALA SMOKED MACKEREL, ONION CREAM AND BAROA POTATO PHOTO ©RUBENS KATO

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You just read America. You may have just thought about United States. That’s not it. America is a continent. A land full of flavors, ingredients, culinary tradition and forward looking, avant-garde gastronomy. With a wide variety of restaurants, the American continent offers an extremely contrasting range of dishes from Canada to Chile. A result of its history, the culture beyond food overcomes political barriers and probes to be weapon of union.

Millenary food tradition reigns throughout the continent, especially the Latin part. The diet of most indigenous tribes had the same core consistent of corn and potatoes. By addition of zone specific ingredients, the spectrum of dishes is wide and joyful to taste. Therefore, the gastronomic roots are consistent, rich and pluralist. This creates a sense of food commonwealth between the countries that does not follow politics. Cuisine as a weapon of unity. Empowerment through culture.

America was built by immigrants. Where the English made it to the northern part, the Spanish conquered most of the Latin zone, and with them came food. Thus, these countries influenced how gastronomy developed, by merging to the pre-existent and helping in the creation of new, intriguing elaborations. Continuous collaboration in search of better, tastier dishes that remains today and will do so in future days. There is no losing a country’s identity because of what outsiders bring, but enhancing local culture and an opportunity to improve. It does get better.

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Culinary tradition has been replaced by innovation based on ethnicity. While the French school used to rule every dining place, nowadays top restaurants offer an interpretation of a country’s roots. While in Chile there is Boragó, in Perú there is Central and DOM in Brazil, taking the true essence of their land to a plate. United States, land where cultures mix, then is properly represented by a French cooking their ingredients in Atelier Crenn and by Daniel Humm’s cosmopolitan savoring Eleven Madisson. What stands out is that all these great places are the result of cultural insight and self-knowledge, plus a celebration of merging. And they are on the top of the edgy new ways to cook, creating their own techniques and adapting ancient methods. By that, we can say that the American continent has its own flavor.

What does it mean to be great? To render honor to one’s culture. To empower its identity. To manage to make out of food more than just a dish, but a statement of opinion, of thought. A political manifesto of cooks in which they embrace the identity of their land and take it to the next level. America is the continent where chefs have gone to the deepest places of their cuisine and discovered what is in trend. Edgy flavors, defiant tastes. America, the whole, is great already.

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DANIEL HUMM - ELEVEN MADISSON EGGS BENEDICT, WITH HAM AND ASPARAGUS PHOTO © FRANCESCO TONELLI

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RODOLFO GUZMÁN - BORAGÓ

VIRGILIO MARTINEZ - CENTRAL PSEUDOCEREALS

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LAVAZZA ยกTIERRA! A selection of finest arabicas certified by Rainforest Alliance...

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Lavazza launches its latest innovative offering for 2017: ¡Tierra! Selection, exclusively available for the food service industry. This new premium Lavazza coffee blend with an intense taste is made with sustainable quality coffee from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, combining the excellence of the product with environmental and social sustainability. The blend is a concrete example of Lavazza’s commitment to sustainability and its painstaking search for the best coffee selections. Visitors of Gulfood 2017 are welcome to taste the unique blend during the five-day event.

For over 120 years, Lavazza has been working to create coffee blends, making them unique, perfectly combining the body, aromas and flavours recognized worldwide as Lavazza coffee. Lavazza’s Master Blenders, perform many tasting sessions in order to select more than 100 beans from different sources every year, bringing together unique tastes and the finest, most refined flavours to ensure that only the best end product reaches the coffee cup.

It is thanks to this excellent art of coffee blending that today the Lavazza ¡Tierra! range for the industry professionals has a new integrated, original offering of outstanding quality: ¡Tierra! Selection will be available on the market as of April. Coffee beans are selected and processed in compliance with the highest production standards. Their characteristics are enhanced through a slower roasting process that modulates the temperature level.

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ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2017

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PHOTO © ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2017

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GAGGAN ANAND

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CHARCOAL

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No. 1 The Best Restaurant in Thailand

Drawing on his memories of the amazing street food and the diversity of India’s different regional cuisines, Chef Gaggan Anand has used science and modern technology to create modernist and progressive re-interpretations of traditional recipes that have made his restaurant, ‘Gaggan’ one of the top culinary destinations in Bangkok. TIME magazine even dubbed him the “Captain Kirk of cuisine”.

As a young boy, studies were not a priority, music and cooking rocked his world. But when he announced his aspiration to be a chef, many people mocked the idea, and however he stuck to his guns.

He arrived in Bangkok in 2007 for a short consultancy and like a typical Indian never left.

“Gaggan”, the restaurant was the result of a drunken evening with friends, where my frustration at previous jobs initiated a proposal to my current partners. His dream was to put India on the global fine dining map, and the only way to do that was to take an audacious risk of doing the impossible: serving progressive Indian cuisine.

GAGGAN ANAND GAGGAN BANGKOK

PHOTO © ALLWECANDID

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ANDRÉ CHIANG

No. 2 The Best Restaurant in Singapore

ANDRÉ CHIANG

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André’s focus on using fresh artisan produce to create culinary art that reflects his roots in Southern French nouvelle cuisine. He has continued to research how our capacity to taste food is influenced by our memory banks, through the personal experiences we acquire over time. This has led him

to develop a culinary principle – Octaphilosophy™ – based on eight primary characteristics: Unique, Texture, Memory, Pure, Terroir, Salt, South and Artisan.

One is treated to myriad flavors and textures that engage the senses, a definitive holistic gourmet experience through the freshest produce, ideas that will gain a better understanding of André’s thoughts and the philosophy behind his cuisine.

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FROZEN WHITE TRUFFLE DISC

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RICHARD EKKEBUS

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KOREAN ABALONE, BLACK PEPPER & VINEGAR SEASONED TOMATO COMPOTE, BRAISED THEN CRISPED OXTAIL & ITS JUS

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With a strong desire to explore world cuisines, Richard Ekkebus embarked on a journey that saw him train in the conventions of classic French cuisine, much admired for his fresh ideas and innovative spirit. Thus Amber’s cuisine is built on a solid foundation of traditional French cooking,

nevertheless evinces a contemporary and light feel. Here the focus is on superior produce and ingredients in time-honoured dishes with a modern twist.

Richard takes particular pride in the superb quality of his ingredients. There is no compromise regarding quality, at Amber, they committed to using the finest and freshest ingredients sourced from all parts of the world.

No. 3 The Best Restaurant in China

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121

UMBERTO BOMBANA

No. 4 The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award

UMBERTO BOMBANA

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Hailed as “The King of White Truffles”, Chef BOMBANA Umberto has never forgotten his root as a chef with great respect for honest food, great produce and attention to customers. Always motivated to push the limits of traditional Italian cuisine with innovative and boundless creativity, he has successfully taken his three Michelin-starred Italian fine dining restaurant 8½ Otto e Mezzo

BOMBANA onto the world stage, elevating it to a must-go dining institution admired by Epicurean connoisseurs all over the world.

A native of Bergamo in Northern Italy, Chef BOMBANA began his most personal and distinctive project — 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA. The restaurant name, selected personally by the chef as a tribute to his favorite Italian film director Federico Fellini’s 1963 movie ”8½”, is a celebration of Italian lifestyle and art. Chef BOMBANA has never forgotten his roots with great respect for honest food, great produce and attention to customers.

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CONFIT ABALONE CARPACCIO

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DAVID THOMPSON

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MA HOR

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No. 5 An obsessive approach to authenticity, David Thompson’s outlook is both retrospective – studying century-old cookbooks of long departed Thai matriarchs and forward-thinking and passion for Thai cuisine.

David Thompson’s dishes demonstrate his keen understanding of the balance of salt, spice, sweet and sour, as well as the fermented and smoky notes in Thai cooking. David has developed such a passion for Thai cooking that he has not only made a life’s work of it, but made it his avocation - a passion that consumes his every day. David continues to partake, and share, everything possible about the cuisine that has so thoroughly enthralled him.

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YOSHIHIRO NARISAWA

No. 6 The Best Restaurant in Japan

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PHOTO © SERGIO COIMBRA

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“The Harmony of Sustainability and Gastronomy.” This is the theme of Yoshihiro Narisawa. He is a pioneer of cuisine connected to the preservation of the natural environment.

NARISAWA has established an original genre, “Innovative SATOYAMA Cuisine” which expresses, through his filter, his respect for the rich gastronomical culture of the Japanese Satoyama, and for the wisdom of our ancestors.

With this culture of the Japanese Satoyama, NARISAWA offers gastronomy “sustainable” towards the environment, and “beneficial” for mind and spirit, “Beneficial and Sustainable Gastronomy.” Taking this idea a step further is the theme, “Evolve with the Forest,” a calling towards the forests that compose the Japanese land. This theme captured the attention of chefs around the world, directing attention to their own countries’ natural lands, leading to Narisawa being named “Most Influential Chef” at Madrid Fusion.

BREAD OF THE FOREST - SUMMER

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SEJI YAMAMOTO

Born in the Kagawa Prefecture, Seiji Yamamoto’s cuisine is a symbol of the richness. Tasting Japan’s treasured ingredients in their very natural state is the “ultimate feast”. Yamamoto believes the delicious flavors that are subtle and yet at times powerful, can only flow from authentic ingredients and when experienced with the aroma and warmth of the meal, is a most joyful feeling. His techniques and hearts as chefs are present when he honestly and distinctly convey the ingredients that nature has fostered.

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No. 7

SEIJI YAMAMOTO

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PAUL PAIRET

No. 8

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Conceived by Paul Pairet and supported by his long-time back-up VOL Group, Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet is the first restaurant of its kind attempting to unite food with multisensorial technologies, in order to create a fully immersive dining experience.

Ultraviolet project was first presented to the world in 2010 Omnivore Food Festival in Deauville. A single table of 10, a 20-course avant-garde set menu, 5 senses, and a fully immersive dining experience.

Supported by the multi sensorial technologies, each course is enhanced with its own taste-tailored atmosphere, including visual, audio and olfactory compositions. Almost instantly, Ultraviolet wows Shanghai, and has been blessed with passionate reviews from the diners, trade and critics, and described as, simply, “the best dining experience ever�.

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CRUNCHY FIERCE SALAD PHOTO ©SCOTT WRIGHT

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JULIEN ROYER

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UNI

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No. 9

Award-winning chef Julien Royer is co-owner of Odette, this Modern French restaurant is constantly evolving and showcases globally sourced produce underpinned by classic French culinary techniques.

Odette is named in tribute to Royer’s grandmother, one of his greatest influences in life and in the kitchen, and reflects her belief in always ensuring that the fundamental pleasures of enjoying a meal are delivered in the most thoughtful, welcoming and hospitable manner.

Julien takes pride in offering guests a unique opportunity to taste these exceptional ingredients at their peak in his restaurant in the heart of a city that is itself at the crossroads of the world. The result of this devotion to sourcing is an inspired effort that celebrates and respects seasonality, terroir as well as the skills of some of the world’s top boutique producers.

Odette is ultimately a celebration of people…

JULIEN ROYER

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DAVE PYNT

No. 10

DAVE PYNT

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PHOTO © SIMON PYNT

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It seems most Australian guys are generally born with a tong in one hand, a tinny in the other and the love of BBQ’s, Burnt Ends Sg Owner/Head Chef Dave Pynt is no exception! Originally from Perth WA, Dave comes from a heavy weight culinary background, staging and working under legends such as Tetsuya Wakuda (Tetsuya’s and Waku Ghin), Rene Redzepi (Noma), Victor Arguinzoniz (Asador Etxebarri), Nuno Mendes (Viajante and The Loft Project) and Fergus Henderson (St John and St John Bread and Wine) to name but a few. Plus the much talked about filming with super chef Raymond Blanc, were Dave told Raymond “first we need to burn the shit out of the leek”

SMOKED PIGEON

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ZAIYU HASEGAWA

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GARDEN SALADA COMPRISING 20 DIFFERENT VEGETABLES

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No. 11 Art of Hospitality Award in Asia

Zaiyu Hasegawa interest in cooking was through the Bento which his mother would bring back from the ryōtei (high-end Japanese restaurant) where she worked as a geisha when he was a young.

After graduating high school, he received training at a ryōtei “Kagurazaka Uwoto ku” from age of 18 as living and working.

Acquired experience in the other various restaurants.

Became independent in 2007 at age of 29 and opened” Den” in Jimbocho, Tokyo. While appreciating the value of Japanese tradition to incorporate excellent ingredients, the four seasons and unique Japanese culture, as well as introducing a new form of Japanese cuisine that is different from the original Japanese style.

ZAIYU HASEGAWA DEN TOKYO

PHOTO © SHINICHIRO FUJII

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SHINOBU NAMAE

No. 12

SHINOBU NAMAE

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PHOTO © LUUVU HOANG

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L’Effervescence is all about flavors and is recognized as serving the finest high-end contemporary French cuisine in the city. Chef Shinobu Namae honed his craft working for Michel Bras at his eponymous restaurant in Hokkaido and then for Heston Blumenthal at the destination restaurant Fat Duck.

At L’Effervescence, you can see the influence of these chefs in Namae’s artful presentation, which often plays on multiple senses.

Never forgetting the diligence and patience of the farmer, picture the magic of the invisible microorganisms in a glass or on a plate that effervesce your body and mind.

NAVET

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THOMAS & MATHIAS SÃœHRING

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FRANKFURTER GRUNE SOSSE, POTATO, EGG

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German Twins Chefs Thomas & Mathias Sühring’s culinary journey began while spending their annual school summer breaks at their grandparent’s farm.

At that time, they got introduced to old-school cooking techniques like fermentation, pickling, smoking, drying and curing which are rooted in the German tradition. Then they worked throughout

Europe under Sven Elverfeld, Jonnie Boer, and Heinz Beck before moving to Thailand. Since March 2016, Sühring showcases the best of modern German fare inspired by childhood memories and family recipes. All elevated to the level of haute cuisine and combining the essence of traditional dishes with contemporary Central European influences. Sühring offers three dining ambiances where innovative food and personalized service are of equal importance. The cozy “Living Room”, which is the main dining area, provides a relaxed and homely eating experience. The more dynamic “Kitchen” is a very unique place.

No. 13

THOMAS & MATHIAS SÜHRING SÜHRING BANGKOK

PHOTO © TINNAPHOP TONITIWONG

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HIROYASU KAWATE

No. 14

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PHOTO © SHINICHIRO FUJII

Hiroyasu Kawate was born and raised in a cooksfamily that was composed of a chef of western style food, his father and other chefs, his uncles. So the restaurant of his father was is playground which he adored. When he faced choosing high school education, he decided to become a cook, he went to department of food science in Komaba-gakuen

high school that provided cooking license for its students. While in school, he trained at a restaurant and he decided to live his life as a chef of French cuisine. After graduating, he was trained at a few famous restaurants for about 10 years, went to France and gained experience at “Le Jardin des Sens” in Montpellier. Coming back to Japan in 2007 he worked as a sous-chef at Quintessence and in 2009 he opened his own restaurant “Florilege” in Minami-aoyama. Throughout his experience in his restaurant he cultivated his own style and found new values of his cuisine. So he closed the restaurant in February 2015 and opened the new “Florilege” in Jingumae

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SIGNATURE SUSTAINABILITY

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MINGOO KANG

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FOIE GRAS WHITE KIMCHI ROLL

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Mingoo Kang has built an impressive résumé outside of Korea. A native Korean chef with a sense of duty to bring his international experiences to the table is reflected in his cuisine. For Korean customers, Kang wanted to provide a fun experience; for foreigners, he wanted to provide a special meal that they can only have with him. He wanted people to discover newness in familiarity. And because of that, he put more emphasis on hansik (Korean cuisine). Of

course, stable food quality is another important aspect of a restaurant but he thinks identity is more important. If there’s one identity that Mingles can claim, it’s that of serving innovative hansik, using different Korean herbs and ingredients that are in season, as well as traditional sauces and fermented vinegar to create this food. The name Mingles doesn’t just reference the chef’s name, it also signifies a “harmonious mix of different things.”

This is a space where this young chef’s dreams, experiences and philosophy all come together. And in this atmosphere, you will be served a tasty meal no matter where you came from.

No. 15

MINGOO KANG

MINGLES SOUTH KOREA PHOTO © LA MAIN MAGAZINE

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SEBASTIEN LEPINOY

No. 16

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PHOTO © JOHN HENG

Born in France, the award-wining Executive Chef Sebastien Lepinoy has been in the culinary arena since 1990. Since joining the Les Amis family, Sebastien has made it his mission to further the restaurant’s philosophy – to deliver the ultimate fine-dining experience realized through attention to detail and dedication to sourcing and serving the

finest ingredients. Furthermore, his style of using classical French technique with modern aesthetics ties in perfectly with Les Amis. Instead of purely focusing on cooking trends, Sebastien makes it a point to always focus on the ingredients used.

One such ingredient added to Les Amis’ repertoire would be the artisanal Le Ponclet butter. Sebastien has also transformed Les Amis into an eco-friendly kitchen. From investing in state-of-the-art airpurifiers and dishwashing machines, to designing a one-of-a-kind Charvet stove-top island cooking suite, the team at Les Amis is determined to reduce their carbon footprint.

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LA LANGOUSTINE DE LOCTUDY

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CHAN YAN TAK

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BAKED WHOLE ABALONE PUFF WITH DICED CHICKEN

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Hong Kong born and bred, Chan Yan Tak started working in kitchens out of necessity, but he soon grew to love cooking. Which is just as well, as in 2008 he became the first Chinese chef in history to be awarded three Michelin stars, for Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. He has been amazed at the response from people around the world and just carries on doing what he does every day and what he enjoys, and that is

cooking good food for people. Having initially left The Regent Hong Kong (formerly a Four Seasons Hotel) to care for his youngest child following the passing of his wife, Chef Chan was lured back to the kitchen – as executive sous chef at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Initially he had no plans to come out of retirement but when he saw what we could do, he reconsidered. The opportunity to work with management that really believe in creativity and providing only the best experience possible was really what made the decision for him.

No. 17

CHAN YAN TAK

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SHUZO KISHIDA

No. 18

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FRESH GOAT MILK BAVAROIS

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Every plate offered by Shuzo Kishida at Quintessence respects the quality and potential of each product and ingredient. Kishida’s selected menu is based on fresh seasonal products that are available at the market. All efforts are placed only to serve guests the best dish of the day. Selected premium products and ingredients from various regions of the world, and take great care in how it is prepared. Respecting the maturity of each ingredient, and the amount of heat used in cooking such ingredients. A special aspect of Quintessence is in the “cuisson”, or the art of the fire used in our cooking process, which Kishida acquired in the now 3-star Michelin restaurant “L’Astrance” in Paris. For example, we use the unique process of low-temperature long-time roasting in order to extract the delicate flavor from the top quality meat.

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DUANGPORN SONGVISAVA AND DYLAN JONES

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RICE NOODLE WITH MANGOTEEN AND COCONUT CREAM

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No. 19

Bo.lan was founded on the belief that the best Thai Restaurants should be found In Thailand, with that in mind the two chefs Duangporn Songvisava and Dylan Jones started Bo.lan. The name Bo.lan comes from Chef Duangporn’s nickname Bo and the second half of Dylan’s name Lan. It is also a play on the Thai word for vintage or ancient, which sounds the same but is spelt slightly different.

Bo.lan Balance is the chef’s interpretation of Thai food by applying the inspiration from different discoveries throughout our contemporary journey, ancient cookbooks & tasty conversations with farmers, artisan producers, fishermen, foraging couples and food related professionals. Bo.lan Balance accentuates the essence of the charm of Thai food. The interplay of the contrast of flavours and texture is naturally complimentary; consequently a holistic balance.

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TETSUYA WAKUDA

No. 20

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Waku Ghin showcases the brilliance of Chef Tetsuya Wakuda in his only establishment outside of his worldfamous Sydney restaurant. From the restaurant name, which reflects the use of silver in the kitchen, to the small wall niches that hold his works of art, the chef’s personal imprint is found throughout Waku Ghin. The award-winning restaurant’s dining concept is based upon a multi-faceted use of space, where diners can move from room to room, luxuriating over a bespoke experience of refined cuisine and exemplary service.

Tetsuya Wakuda grew up in the Japanese town of Hamamatsu. At the age of 22, with only a very limited grasp of English, his adventurous spirit led him to Australia. In 1982, Tetsuya arrived in Sydney, with nothing more than a small suitcase and a love of food.

From his humble beginnings as a kitchen-hand, it did not take Tetsuya long to discover he had a flair for cooking.

MARINATED BOTAN SHRIMP WITH SEA URCHIN AND CAVIAR

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155

IAN KITTICHAI

Pongtawat “Ian” Chalermkittichai “Kittichai” is Thailand’s first international “celebrity chef”. An unlikely candidate, Ian came from humble roots pushing a food cart through his Bangkok neighborhood as a child. Hard work and fate guided him to a culinary school scholarship, a French finedining apprenticeship in Sydney’s legendary Claude’s, and then pushed him to become the first Thai national in the world to become the Executive Chef of a 5-star hotel, the legendary Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok.

Kittichai’s Thai cuisine and style with a relaxed atmosphere of dining and lounge with a hip garden party vibe – all in an historical 100-year-old Thai villa and its tropical gardens in central Bangkok. The concept and cuisine is certain to excite sensibilities that crave delicious Thai dishes, artful unique ambience, and exceptional experiences.

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No. 21

IAN KITTICHAI

ISSAYA SIAMESE CLUB BANGKOK YUM NUA (GRILLED TENDER BEEF WITH FRESH HERBS)

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RAY ADRIANSYAH

No. 22 The Best Restaurant in Indonesia

Ray Adriansyah and Eelke Plasmeijer’s ingredientdriven menu celebrates the farmers, fishers and food artisans of Indonesia. Through these ongoing relationships, they ensure the freshest of seasonal produce and ethically fed meat animals. And by working closely with local farmers, Locavore supports sustainability within its community. Over 95% of the kitchen’s ingredients are Indonesian.

Locavore’s own garden provides some seasonal

vegetables and herbs, further reducing the huge carbon footprint of imported foods.

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PHOTO © RUPERT SINGLETON

Eelke and Ray painstakingly source the animals they use in their kitchens, ensuring that they were free ranged, raised on wholesome natural foods and dispatched with respect. The chefs honour the animals they use with creative dishes in which very little is wasted. The marriage of fresh, local ingredients with the inspired dishes of these prizewinning chefs has proved enormously popular with international diners who love both the concept and the food.

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CRAB

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JASON TAN

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COCOA PEBBLES

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No. 23

Gastro-Botanica is the contemporary cuisine created by Jason Tan that emphasizes refinement and quality, and gives equivalent weight on the plate to protein and botanical elements. Jason works with fastidiously sourced meats, poultry and seafood, and botanicals ranging from tubers, roots and fungi, to vines, fruits and herbs. A key innovation of Gastro-Botanica is that plants are given fuller elaborations, and garnishing becomes a highlight in its own right.

Jason travels across the world in search of new ideas and inspirations for his kitchen. Wanderlust aside, the Suitcase Chef shares other qualities with E J H Corner, including an exploring mind, an interest in provenance, a passion for craft and quality, and a devotion to nature and terroir.

JASON TAN

CORNER HOUSE SINGAPORE PHOTO Š JOHN HENG

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ANDRÉ CHIANG - ALAIN HUANG - ZOR TAN

No. 24 The Best Restaurant in Taiwan

ANDRÉ CHIANG ALAIN HUANG ZOR TAN RAW TAIPEI

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A contemporary lifestyle restaurant in Taipei initiated by internationally celebrated Chef André Chiang, and co-chaired by two other head chefs Alain Huang and Zor Tan. RAW redefines the way cooking is experienced in Taiwan. It stands for more than just the best creative cooking; it is a complete lifestyle, independent, spontaneous, and characteristic.

It stands for great design and aesthetics, and a discerning curiosity in regards to tastes, flavors, and ambience. Drawing its inspiration from a new

wave of cooking, “Bistronomy”, with a focus on quality cooking and ingredients in a relaxed but refined atmosphere. RAW’s mission is to bring “The New Interpretation of Taiwanese Flavor” to your table through seasonal local ingredients and passionate execution. RAW’s mission is to bring “The New Interpretation of Taiwanese flavour” to the table through seasonal ingredients and passionate execution. The cuisine of RAW features local produce that the island has to offer, where all the ingredients used in the restaurant are carefully selected after observation of the twenty-four “microseasons” of Taiwan and gently paired creatively by three chefs.

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TARO, PEANUT & CORIANDER

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JUNGSIK YIM

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GUJEOLPAN

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No. 25

Jungsik Yim is cooking his dreams, a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. Jungsik reinvents Korean cuisine using traditional and familiar ingredients, creating a brand-new genre of food: New Korean Fine Dining. Being the first restaurant to apply molecular gastronomy to Korean ingredients, it has captured the imagination of Korean and international diners.

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TAKASHI SAITO

No. 26

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Sushi Saito is one of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo and hailed

by JoÍl Robuchon and a whole smattering of other very reliable voices as the best sushi restaurant in the world. It’s not easy to secure a seat at Sushi Saito, Dining at Sushi Saito is like watching a performance, Takashi Saito draws your attention when he is making sushi, his style of sushi craftsmanship involves some aged fish and precisely controlled temperature, adding a bit more salt and mild red vinegar to his rice, and the careful application of freshly grated wasabi, soy or lemon to select pieces as needed.

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RYAN CLIFT

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TONKA BEAN GANACHE

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No. 27

Born in Wiltshire, UK, Ryan Clift’s culinary career began at the early age of 14. He was drawn to the high energy and atmosphere for the kitchen from a young age and trained under some of the world’s greatest chefs including Marco-Pierre White, Peter Gordon, and Emmanuel Renaut. Ryan moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1999, where he served as Head Chef of Shannon Bennett’s critically acclaimed Vue de Monde.

In 2008, Ryan arrived in Singapore to set up his own venture, Tippling Club. Known for its progressive Modern European cuisine and equally inventive cocktails. At Tippling Club, Ryan seeks to subvert conventional dining by providing diners with an inimitable gastronomic experience. From using produce carefully sourced from Asia and around the world as well as herbs from his own farm, Tippling Club’s dishes reflect Ryan’s ingredientdriven approach to cooking, resulting in genuinely innovative permutations of flavour profiles and textures that are truly unique.

RYAN CLIFT

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LANSHU CHEN

No. 28

Born in Wiltshire, UK, Ryan Clift’s culinary career began at the early age of 14. He was drawn to the high energy and atmosphere for the kitchen from a young age and trained under some of the world’s greatest chefs including Marco-Pierre White, Peter Gordon, and Emmanuel Renaut. Ryan moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1999, where he served as Head Chef of Shannon Bennett’s critically acclaimed Vue de Monde.

In 2008, Ryan arrived in Singapore to set up his own venture, Tippling Club. Known for its progressive Modern European cuisine and equally inventive cocktails. At Tippling Club, Ryan seeks to subvert conventional dining by providing diners with an inimitable gastronomic experience. From using produce carefully sourced from Asia and around the world as well as herbs from his own farm, Tippling Club’s dishes reflect Ryan’s ingredientdriven approach to cooking, resulting in genuinely innovative permutations of flavour profiles and textures that are truly unique.

LANSHU CHEN

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AYU, GREEN SWEET CHILI

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DHARSHAN MUNIDASA

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PEPPER CRAB

WG MAGAZINE

No. 29 The Ministry of Crab: Sri Lanka’s first restaurant dedicated to serving export quality lagoon crabs is the brainchild of celebrated chef and restaurateur Dharshan Munidasa. Partnering with Sri Lankan Cricketing Legends Mahela Jayawardane and Kumar Sangakkara, the Ministry of Crab was launched on 12th December, 2011 and is housed in the renovated 400 year old Dutch Hospital, where it has proved to be a tremendous success.

Unique in its dedication to showcasing the best of Sri Lanka’s produce, Ministry of Crab has begun to change the face of Colombo’s culinary scene

The Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka

DHARSHAN MUNIDASA

MINISTRY OF CRAB COLOMBO PHOTO © SANDUN DE SILVA

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MANISH MEHROTRA

No. 30 The Best Restaurant in India

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IN THE MAKING BABY SQUID, CRISPY RICE, EVERYTHING CHUTNEY

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Manish Mehrotra is one of India’s best regarded chefs. He is credited with creating an innovative cuisine combining authentic Indian flavours with pan-Asian and Western techniques and ingredients. Indian Accent at The Manor New Delhi showcases inventive Indian cuisine by complementing the flavours and traditions of India with global ingredients and techniques.

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TIM BUTLER

Born in Portland, Maine, Tim Butler lived in New York City and Southern California before moving to Bangkok in 2009 and joining Eat Me in 2010 as executive chef, where he evolved the cuisine into the modern, Asian-influenced, international comfort food that has won the restaurant awards.

Tim’s industry experiences goes way back to his first job as a fourteen year-old as a dishwasher in a small Italian restaurant. A 1998 graduate of the esteemed Culinary Institute of America, in 2007 was named New York Rising Star Chef. Tim has been a chocolatier, written recipes for countless cookbooks, ran his own catering company, and continues to provide restaurant consultancy services when he’s not in the kitchen at Eat Me. Tim does not have a signature dish as such as he prefers to create dishes based on using the best sustainable products available and is always creating.

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CARABINERO PRAWN RISOTTO PORTRAIT

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No. 31

TIM BUTLER

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TAM KWOK FUNG

No. 32

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PHOTO Š DAVID HARTUNG

Jade Dragon showcases exquisite Cantonese specialties and innovative modern presentations

by Chef Tam Kwok Fung and his team. A perfect ambience for guests to experience the culinary delights created by Chef Tam. Jade Dragon is divided into five zones and each of them is designed and decorated corresponding to different seasons and color tones. Delicacies are served in an elegant ambience, and a professional open kitchen can be found in the main dining area.

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STEAMED SLICED GAROUPA WITH EGG WHITE CUSTARD AND CHINESE WINE

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HIDEAKI SATO

Born in Japan’s Nagano prefecture, Hideaki Sato began his culinary journey with French cuisine. Yet after over 10 years in a French kitchen, he found himself increasingly drawn towards his native Japan and decided to make a move. The change in direction landed him at Tokyo’s three Michelin-starred restaurant Nihonryori Ryugin, where he worked for three years under the careful guidance of Seiji Yamamoto.

“Ta Vie has a double meaning. In French, it means “Your Life”; in Japanese, it means “Journey”.

When discerning diners cross paths and interact with Ta Vie, they start a culinary journey to explore the bestquality seasonal produces across Asia with refined modern French cooking techniques, all orchestraed by Chef de Cuisine, Hideaki Sato. Three simple words, “Pure, Simple and Seasonal”, sum up the character of the cuisine – accentuating the purity and original taste of the seasonal ingredients through simple yet precise cooking, seasoning and presentation, allowing the ingredients to shine while diners can enjoy the best of the taste.

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CIVET BRAISED ABALONE WITH EDIBLE SHELL

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HIDEAKI SATO

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HAJIME YONEDA

No. 34

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FRAGRANCE OF SPACE

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The worldview of Hajime is the product of the aesthetics of Hajime Yoneda, and represents the beauty of order found within the balance and harmony of universe, the globe, and nature.

There are “chikyu” which expresses a planet, the earth, and circulation of the earth and ocean without cessation, and “destruction and assimilation” which represents human exists with eating living thing in his works. Electrifying works in taste and appearance fascinate guests. The timeless works show you origin and evolution of gastronomy and stay in your heart beautifully. Hajime continues to use each day as a new chance to express a unique aesthetic and worldview through the mediums of gastronomy, life science, biology, medical science, brain science and space science.

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CHELE GONZALEZ

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LAMBANOG

WG MAGAZINE

No. 35 The Best Restaurant in Philippines

Originally from Torrelavega, Spain, Chele Gonzalez found an affinity for cooking at a very early age.

After receiving a culinary degree from Arxanda, Bilbao he went on to work in some of the world’s most respected restaurants, including Andra Mari, Arzak, El Bulli, El Celler de Can Roca, NeruaGuggenheim, and Mugaritz where he developed his culinary philosophy.

Based in the Philippines and opened his restaurant Gallery VASK together with architect and artist Juan Carlo Calma. Gallery VASK is a constantly evolving, curated art space inspired by people, nature, memories, textures, techniques, travels and history.

It is a venue to discover, dream and explore limitless concepts inspired by Philippine art, architecture, food and culture. It is a space dedicated to Chef Chele Gonzalez’s Anthropologic cuisine, where cultures, history, traditions, and various other inspirations are translated into flavors.

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FAITH TUTAK

No. 36

FATIH TUTAK

THE DINING ROOM AT THE HOUSE ON SATHORN BANGKOK

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Born in Istanbul, Fatih Tutak’s 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. Fatih comes to The House on Sathorn after creating a unique dining experience at The Bellbrook Hong Kong, His other stints include the world-renowned restaurant NOMA in Copenhagen and 3 Michelin star Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo. Combining the finest, seasonal ingredients from Asia, each of Fatih’s dishes is inspired by his globetrotting experiences.

Fatih craftily curates his “fun dining” concept with perfect balance of technique, culinary sensibility and a sense of humor. His creations will be served at The House on Sathorn.

WG MAGAZINE

FROM MY MUM

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THITID TASSANAKAJOHN

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KHAO CHAE PORK&SHRIMP PATE, PICKLED RADISH AND JASMINE ICECREAM

WG MAGAZINE

Ton’s passion for cooking started from his youthful years growing up amid delicious home-cooked meals from his grandma. He journeyed to US to pursue his dream as a chef and graduated from The Culinary Institute of America with the highest scores in his class. Right after graduation, he worked in many Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City, including Eleven Madison Park, The Modern, and Jean Georges.

Le Du actually comes from a Thai word, a synonym for the word “season” in Thai. The name reflects an emphasis on our culinary creations out of seasonal produce. Le Du is a modern Thai-inspired eatery, with its menus featuring the extraordinary agricultural bounty of Thailand and on the centuries-old culinary cultures that have taken roots here. Thai ingredients have been underappreciated. At Le Du, we believe Thailand is one among the best places on earth for the finest ingredients. They source only quality ingredients from local farmers who grow their amazing produce with love and care, and this is combined with Ton’s modern cooking techniques.

No. 37

THITID TASSANAKAJOHN LE DU BANGKOK PHOTO ©SALIT CHAIROONGRUANG

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SUNG-IL KIM

No. 38

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The cuisine at La Yeon immerses diners in a true gastronomic experience, a sophistication of the dishes combined with the contemporary approach Kim Sung-il gives to Korean tradition. Kim Sung Il didn’t start his career the way many chefs these days do; becoming a chef had never been his career aspiration. Rather, his path to chefdom was paved

by sheer chance nearly three decades ago. At the time, Kim–two years into a career that didn’t involve any sort of cooking nor food for that matter–wanted to immigrate to Australia where a close aunt of his resided. In order to meet the visa requirements for Australian immigration, he needed to prove that he had an employable skill and learning how to cook seemed less daunting than learning how to code. So, he enrolled at a local culinary institute, completed the course and got his chef certification.

WG MAGAZINE

KOREAN BEEF RIBS BROTH WITH ABALONE

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GUILLAUME GALLIOT

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CRAB SALAD WITH TOMATO WATER JELLY, AVOCADO MOUSSE BLOODY MARY SORBET

WG MAGAZINE

Guillaume Galliot brings his Gallic flair to the contemporary French restaurant at City of Dreams in Macau. His cooking style is characterized by the use of only the season’s most delicious ingredients and cooking methods that preserve and accentuate their natural flavor. After graduating from SaintCyr-sur-Loire Culinary School in France, Guillaume worked for a variety of prestigious restaurants across the country, including the world famous two Michelin-starred “Le Jardin des Sens” by Jacques & Laurent Pourcel. In 2004, Guillaume commenced his culinary career in Asia and at the age of 23, appointed sous chef at the famous Raffles Grill in the historic Raffles Hotel in Singapore, making him the restaurant’s youngest sous chef. He later became Executive Sous-Chef at JAAN restaurant in Raffles Beijing Hotel.

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GUILLAUME GALLIOT

THE TASTING ROOM

BY GALLIOT MACAU PHOTO ©DAVID HARTUNG

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OLIVIER LIMOUSIN

No. 40

OLIVIER LIMOUSIN

L’ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON BANGKOK

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L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is a unique dining concept where chefs experiment and create, working on new ideas and fusing different concepts in front of customers who are seated around a high bar that surrounds the open kitchen.

Before joining L’Atelier - Bangkok, award-winning Olivier Limousi...n has been with L’Atelier - London since its launch in 2006, where he gained two Michelin stars. He previously opened La Table de Joël Robuchon in Paris in 2003 - two Michelin stars - and participated to the opening of L’Atelier - Paris.

Totally, Olivier has been working for Joël Robuchon for the last 12 years. Olivier started his career in Paris at the age of 18 at Le Bellecour followed by L’Amphycles where he entered as commis and made all his way up to the sous-chef position. He then moved to Le Taillevent before returning back to Le Bellecour as Chef de cuisine and where he gained his first Michelin star.

WG MAGAZINE

CAULIFLOWER JELLY

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DAVID ALVES

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L’ŒUF DE POULE

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No. 41

L’Atelier is designed with a circular bar enveloping an open kitchen, allowing customers to witness all aspects of cooking, from food preparation to the plating of dishes. The menu offers a variety of great French classics in innovative tapas-style portions. At the heart of Hong Kong Island lies, on the 3rd floor of one of the finest Asian institutions, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

Once arrived you are welcomed by a former Miss Hong Kong, and led through the windowed cellar with thousands of bottles, either at your counter place, or at your lounge table or in one of the many private rooms of Le Jardin de Joël Robuchon. ‘La Carte’ will also satisfy your innermost desires thanks to the talent of Joël Robuchon who knew how to adapt his recipes to exotic oriental flavours. Bento boxes are offered at lunch to hurried bankers and a more elaborated menu is proposed on evenings with a variety of traditional dishes revisited by the executive chef David Alves.

DAVID ALVES

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KIRK WESTAWAY

No. 42

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PHOTO ©EDMOND HO

Kirk Westaway presents nature’s finest through a harmonious interplay of quality ingredients at JAAN, an internationally celebrated gastronomic platform with a reputation for grooming global culinary talents. The pure simplicity of Kirk’s creations belie the many layered intricacies that go into crafting them. He adds a dramatic touch to the fine dining experience at JAAN with his bold

yet elegant combination of flavours and textures, as well as refined techniques and artful plating.

Though informed by his British heritage, he is profoundly influenced by the renowned chefs who have mentored him in the artistry of French cuisine.

This results in creations that articulate the familiar tastes of European cuisine, but are elevated and transformed into new classics which evoke a sense of nostalgia and awake long forgotten memories.

Kirk possesses a deep understanding of JAAN’s philosophy of produce-driven artisanal cuisine.

This appreciation for produce can also be traced back to his upbringing.

WG MAGAZINE

CONFIT NORWEGIAN HALIBUT WITH BABY SQUID

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KAI WARD - RICHIE LIN - LONG XIONG

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LOVAGE - BARLEY PORRIDGE, SHOW COOKED EGGS, SUNFOWER SEEDS, SWEET PEAS

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Hong Kong born Richie Lin start his career by moving to Australia to cook, where he met Australia born Chef Kai Ward at restaurant Quay when they both working under Peter Gilmore and they hit it off immediately. Following Quay, Richie headed north to Copenhagen where he met fellow NOMA stagier and future co head chef Long Xiong.

Post Noma, Richie was brought on as a consultant for an ambitious opening in Hong Kong and thought that Long having previously worked at Per Se, might have something to add to the conversation. After going through a difficult but educational opening in Hong Kong it was time for Richie to make his own dream a reality. The pieces were in place, he just had to assemble them.

He brought both chefs Kai and Long onboard by introducing them to the abundant, untapped and underrated local resources of Taiwan and applying modern European techniques to create the cuisine of this casual fine diner. MUME, name of the plum blossom, is the national flower of Taiwan, also shares the same Chinese characters of Richie’s mother first name.

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KAI WARD RICHIE LIN LONG XIONG

No. 43MUME TAIPEI

PHOTO Š SHINICHIRO FUJII

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KOICHIRO OSHINO

No. 44

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AJI (HORSE MACKERAL)

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Master Chef Koichiro Oshino is a visionary who has devoted his life to mastering his art. Oshino’s calling has led him from the prime streets of Ginza to the heart of the Netherlands where he spent three years as sushi chef at Yamazato in Hotel Okura Amsterdam.

Now in Singapore, Oshino is no stranger to his role as culinary ambassador and shares Kanesaka’s sushi-do philosophy – to stage their artistry beyond the shores of their native homeland while staying true to its origins.

At Shinji by Kanesaka, Oshino takes his stewardship very seriously and has cultivated a profound, poetic approach to what he does. Every encounter is greatly valued and cherished for the beauty of its transcience.

In harmony with his motto, it is Oshino and his team of seven native Japanese chefs who will bring the magic of the Kanesaka experience to the table.

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MATT ABERGEL

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FLOWER CRAB WITH HOKKAIDO UNI AND MITSUBA

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RŌNIN is an izakaya-style dining bar that focuses on fish, seafood, and a curated selection of Japanese spirits. RŌNIN offers a Market Tasting menu and an À La Carte menu, both of which vary day-to-day depending on the selection of fresh market products available. Both menus are created

by Matt Abergel and utilize Japanese cooking techniques for preparing fish and seafood that is locally and internationally sourced.

No. 45

RŌNIN also features a growing Whisky collection, all of which are only bottled in Japan. The whisky menu features over 100 varieties and many of the alcohol selections are exclusively available at RŌNIN. Each item on the beverage menu, including the various types of sake, shochu, umeshu, wine, beer, and cocktails, are stylistically unique from one another and serve a specific purpose – to compliment the food and to provide a memorable experience.

Owners Matt Abergel and Lindsay Jang created this intimate and casual space that celebrates the use of natural materials, including a Japanese Keyaki tree, which was specifically chosen for the dining bar.

MATT ABERGEL

RŌNIN HONG KONG PHOTO © JASON MICHAEL LANG AND SIU YAN FUNG

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AMIT CHOWDHURY

No. 46

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Wasabi by Morimoto offers its guests authentic Japanese culinary treasures from the repertoires of Iron Chef Morimoto. The ingredients, including seafood and Wasabi, are specially flown down from Japan. Besides, the ever popular signature dishes like White fish carpaccio, Black cod miso, Wasabi crème brulee, the already extensive menu keeps expanding and changing.

Amit Chowdhury has had the privilege of being trained by Chefs from The Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu. He has trained extensively with some of the best chefs in the world at iconic restaurants like The Connaught Grill and Chez Nico, Ménage à Trois, Langan’s Brasserie, as well as restaurants at The Dorchester, Claridge’s and The Ritz in London. He began his lustrous journey with the Taj as a Trainee Chef at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai and ever since has moved steadily up the proverbial ladder. Amit has been instrumental in opening the iconic restaurant Wasabi by Marimoto.

WG MAGAZINE

HIME KAKI CARPACCIO

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KWOK KEUNG TUNG

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SZECHUAN SPICY CRISPY LAMB BELLY

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No. 47

Kwok Keung Tung’s cuisine is light and delicate, and he strives to bring out the original flavours of the food. The foremost element of good food is the use of the finest and freshest ingredients. At The Chairman, they acquire the best and the freshest ingredients. With a small farm of their own in Sheung Shui which is used as the venue for curing preserved meat and making different kinds of pickles. Recently they have started growing organic vegetables. Sauces are created in their own kitchen - Shrimp oil, spicy oil, chicken oil and lemongrass oil are perfect for bringing out the authentic tastes and they are all produced through slow cooking.

Ingredients are fresh, the sauces are outstanding, simple cooking rule This is what Cantonese cuisine is all about.

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TONY LU

No. 48 Celebrated Shanghai chef Tony Lu was born and raised in Shanghai, and gained experience in several high - end Chinese restaurants before rising to international fame with his four signature restaurants Fu1039, Fu1088, Fu1015 and Fu He Hui.. Lu prepares authentic Jiang Nan dishes, celebrating the culinary diversity of Shanghai and its neighbouring provinces, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Lu’s cuisine ranges from traditional to experimental dishes like stir-fried lily bulb with asparagus with elm ear mushrooms, or seared king oyster mushroom with tofu skin on a mandarin pancake.

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WG MAGAZINE

GORGON FRUIT - BEHEADED METERS GOLDEN WHEAT, LETTUCE STEM, SOYBEAN, CABBAGE

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DHARSHAN MUNIDASA

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FOIE GRAS WITH RICE TERIYAKI

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No. 49

Known for being at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s culinary scene and for its dedication to serving fresh produce, Nihonbashi is a restaurant with an international mind set. Founded 21 years ago by Dharshan Munidasa who is of mixed Japanese and Sri Lankan heritage, the restaurant has not only served consistently excellent authentic Japanese food, but has continued to go from strength to strength. It is for these high standards, and its determination to push the envelope that Nihonbashi has garnered international attention over the past few years.

DHARSHAN MUNIDASA NIHONBASHI COLOMBO

PHOTO Š DHARSHAN MUNIDASA AND SANDUN DE SILVA

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YOSHIAKI TAKAZAWA

No. 50

YOSHIAKI TAKAZAWA TAKAZAWA TOKYO

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PHOTO © YUJI HONDA TENKU

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EBICHIRI - SHRIMP IN CHILI

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JUANJO CARRILLO

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ALZINA SPANISH ASADOR Embark on a culinary journey to Spain with the newly opened Alzina Spanish Asador in the electrifying and vibrant district of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Helmed by Spanish born Chef Juanjo Carrillo, the contemporary Spanish speakeasy Alzina Spanish Asador brings an “Authentic Taste of Spain”, to epicureans of Hong Kong.

JUANJO CARRILLO

Bearing a namesake with Catalan roots which translates to “Oak”, Alzina Spanish Asador pays homage to the acorns produced by the plant, which is an essential fruit in Spanish culture. Chef Carrillo builds an inspired menu featuring rustic dishes that truly offers a survey of Spain, focusing on Spanish grill delicacies, while showcasing the tapas culture, well-loved Spanish cold-cuts, the country’s signature paella, and a variety of main courses that allow diners to indulge in authentically lush Spanish fare.

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JUANJO CARRILLO

Alzina Spanish Asador’s main courses embody the rusticity of Spain with delectable and filling meats of the country’s tradition. “The Suckling Pig” is cooked to perfection, along with a wide range of Iberian Pork dishes, including “Pork Presa”, “Pork Pluma”, “Pork Secreto”, “Pork Ribs” and “Pork Cheeks”. Meanwhile the Charcoal Grilled Octopus Leg with chimichurri sauce brings an earthiness to the seafood favourite.

SPANISH BARNACLE

A comprehensive tapas menu include items for meat and seafood lovers, including quintessential Spanish “pintxos” such as “Gambas” - Garlic Chilli Prawns in EVO Oil, “Croquettas” - Red Lobster Croquettes with Green Spicy Mojo Sauce, “A Costa da Morte, Galicia” - Spanish Barnacle cooked in Cantabrico Sea Water, “Donosti Tortilla” - Spanish Omelette Filled with Codfish, Peppers and Confit Onion, “Bombeta” - Deep Fried Mash Potato Filled with Wagyu Beef Cheek Ragout and Couple Sauce, Braised Spicy Chorizo in Sherry Wine, Homemade “pate de fedge” Catalan Style - Pork Paté.

Handpicked from the best part of Spain, Alzina Spanish Asador presents an array of Spanish cold cuts and cheeses to complement the small bites, including the world-famous Hand-crafted 48-month cured Iberico ham, Serrano Ham, and Iberico Sobrasada from Menorca. Cheese lovers will revel in savouring Spanish favourite, Manchego - semi cured sheep’s and cow’s milk cheese and Smoked Idiazabal - cured “Latxa” sheep raw milk.

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CHARCOAL GRILLED OCTOPUS LEG WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS

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JUANJO CARRILLO

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THE BLACK ONE

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Bringing the authentic taste of Spain, Chef Carrillo’s paella collection in different colours. Diners may choose from “The Green One” with green pepper and mixed herbs with cod fish and clams, “The Traditional” Seafood Paella with mussels, prawns, clams, squids and pork), “The Black One” with Spanish baby cuttlefish with Iberico pluma and artichokes, “The Red One” with Mediterranean red prawns and their juice, and “Caldoso de Bogavante”, a juicy red lobster rice cooked with one whole lobster in a Spanish casserole, and “The Vegan” Paella with wild mushrooms and green asparagus.

SANGRIA

Delightful and healthy vegetarian dishes are also available, including highlights such as Deep Fried Eggplant with Molten Goat Cheese in “Andalussian Style” with a touch of honey, “Bravas”, potato wedges cooking in “All i Oli” and spicy sauce, and “Spanish Tortilla” with confit potatoes, peppers and onion.

Main courses are supplemented by a vast selection of sauces and sides, including “All i Oli” (garlic sauce) and “Romesco” (tomato, capsicums, garlic roast, olive oil and dried fruits sauce), and Tomato Bread - Spanish toast bread - Pan con tomate served with garlic and Tomato “sugar”, Portobello Mushrooms and other enticing options.

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JUANJO CARRILLO

ALZINA

Ending the tantalising meal are Spanish desserts that will satisfy any diners’ sweet tooth, including “El Flan” Caramel Pudding in Our Way, “La Torrija” caramelized with yogurt ice-cream, Catalan Cream Foam with Cinnamon Crumble and Lemon Sorbet and “Los Churros” with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.

Alzina Spanish Asador’s Asia-inspired sangria are specially curated using fresh fruits from the region to enhance the authentic Spanish dining experience, and is further complemented by a selection of Spanish wines and beers.

The charm of Spain is brought to life in the design of the restaurant, which bears a modern Spanish aesthetic with rustic touches that transport diners to the tranquil Mediterranean country. Patchwork tiles bursting with Spanish spirit line the interior of the space, stretching into the street facade, while traditional illustrations grace the walls. Wood, cultural stone, subway tiles, and metal enhance the casual atmosphere of the space.

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GREEN PAELLA

RED LOBSTER RICE

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MYTHOS KOUZINA & GRILL - DUBAI

Mythos Kouzina & Grill Authentic Greek Food!

Mythos echoes the details of a modern taverna - a classy upgrade to the traditional charm, without losing its fun spirit, warmth and vibrancy - reinvented for today. Bringing authentic Greek food to the table. The simple, yet appetizing menu is a compilation of traditional Greek recipes and dishes. As you feast on your favorite specialties, you›ll find that all the food is prepared with the freshest, hand-selected ingredients creating a style that’s pure, light and healthy.

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IZAGARA - GOA

a roof on top of the world...

Text Gigi Martin Photo © Arnold Noronha

when the Managing director Mr. Anand and his son Sahil, joint managing director of Acacia, who appreciate and experiment with different cuisines and love to travel were vising Turkey on holiday.

They wanted to introduce this fare to Goa as Turkish food is similar to the Indian grilled cuisine and moreover not being very spicy it also suites the international palette and for the health conscious.

Sahil Anand tells us “We felt the need to create a hangout space where one could enjoy the open air, cool sea breeze from a vantage point in Candolim, we wanted to bring the scrumptious Mediterranean This delightful restaurant, bar and grill set on the cuisine with a dash of Middle East & Turkish one of the highest points in Candolim boast view flavours, exotic cocktails & Sheesha to Candolim as of the entire Arabian Sea, the light of Candolim there were no roof top places in Goa at that time.” with Fort Aguda off in the distance. Izagara has two decks, but if you are looking for that view then The interiors are simple but chique, the colours the VIP lounge’s upper deck is the best place to are kept neutral so as to keep the focus on the be situated within these 100 seater, but mind you mesmerizing view and the food itself. Large lounge wherever you sit the view is still breath taking. The sofas allow one to just relax and easy into the concept of Izagar was born in November 2014, “Sunset Session” of live music every Sunday. The In this small state of sun sand and sea is the old village of Candolim. During the late 16th century, this became the first village to be entirely converted to Christianity by the Franciscans. The Portuguese invasion brought much more than religion of these monks of the spiritual disciplines of Saint Frances of Assisi but also cuisine from the Mediterranean.

And yet again in 2016 this little village in Goa has been invaded, but this time by a Turkish influence.

Set on the roof top of The Acacia Hotel and Sap, is Izagara – The Turkish name for “The Grill”

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quaint bar in the center of the restaurant caters to every sundowner one could want but the specialties of the house are fresh Watermelon Sangria, Fig Anza, smoked green Apple Martini, Drunken Ice Candy and the popular Izagar Colada to name but a few.

The open plan kitchen at Izgara allows one to see the chefs at work on the grill. They pride themselves on procuring fresh seafood and organically grown herbs from Goa. Other than the full Mediterranean menu with its well know dishes such as Hummus, Escalibada (Spanish Salad), Taziki Platter Izgara wanted to introduce more of the unique Turkish spices and flavours. Some of their signature dishes such as Tavuk Izgara, is a Turkish dessert (milk pudding) made with Chicken meat, has become one of the most famous delicacies served to the Ottoman Sultans in the Topkapı Palace. It is today considered a ‹signature› dish of Turkey but at this restaurant is served differently with a twist. Another GEMBARI KEBAB

Shish Taouk is a traditional marinated Chicken Shish kebab of Middle Eastern cuisine. It is widely eaten in Turkey along with Gembari Kebab (Grilled Prawns), Kebbeh Milki (Lamb kebabs) or Adane Kofte , Grilled minced lamb seasoned with parsley, red pepper and herbs on skewers to name of few of the other signature dishes. For the vegetarians, there is always the famous Muska Boregri or Mercimekli Kofte or Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplant.

Moving on to deserts there is the Izgara Choco Platter and Basbusa - a native Egyptian and traditional Middle Eastern sweet cake. It is made from cooked semolina or farina soaked in simple syrup. However, one must try the traditional Baklava a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and eaten everywhere in the Middle East and now available in Goa at Izgara with perfect views and a relaxed vibe.

TAVUK IZGARA

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MAGAZINES

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CHOCOLATE SOUP FUNKY GOURMET - ATHENS

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