Celebrity Life

Julien Royer's Odette in Singapore climbs to 18th spot on World's 50 Best List.

The post World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2019: The full list of winners appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Julien Royer's Odette in Singapore climbs to 18th spot on World's 50 Best List.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Head to these dialect restaurants for taste of nostalgia — or something new.

The post Chinese restaurants are bringing back old-school dishes for a new crowd appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Head to these dialect restaurants for taste of nostalgia — or something new.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Of the many revelations the local dining scene has experienced over the past two seasons, the number of high-profile openings in North County is worth noting.

The post Crosby Kitchen Heats Up North County appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.

New restaurants rarely open on time and within budget, but as with everything else about it, Bob Bob Cité took this time-honored tradition to the extreme. Determined in his vision to create something unique, owner Leonid Shutov bankrolled his ambitious project without so much as a second thought throughout its 16-month delay. He wanted everything... View Article

The post Bob Bob Cité Review – A Future London Icon appeared first on Elite Traveler.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most exciting culinary capitals, where good food is more than abundant. In that light, we’ve put together a few of our tastiest tidbits and most memorable morsels that are worth tracking down to try.

Red Shrimp Gratin at Roots

Chef-owner Stephanie Wong’s ever-evolving menu at Roots is put in place to highlight the season’s best produce. So for spring, she invented several new dishes that did just that. The red shrimp gratin that we enjoyed made use of whiskered velvet shrimps, which are only in season a few months at a time, and are baked and served with aromatic herb butter featuring chervil, tarragon and parsley. You can eat the shrimps whole, crispy shell and all, to get the full flavour of the seafood. Delicate and delicious, we can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve next season too.

Roots, 7 Sun Street, Wan Chai; +852 2623 9983

Braised Yoshihama Abalone at Ah Yung’s Kitchen

Abalone, with its Mandarin name resembling the same words for “guaranteed abundance”, has long held auspicious meaning in Chinese culture. This has also propelled it to become a highly valued seafood, especially in refined Cantonese cuisine. We headed to Ah Yung’s Kitchen, located in L’hotel and operated by abalone expert Yung Yeung Kwong, because of course, abalone is on the menu. We opted for the signature Yoshihama abalone and was not disappointed. Prepared for over 18 hours, the abalone is braised with chicken and pork belly ribs for flavour and results in meaty abalone which is meant to be eaten with a knife and fork. It’s smothered in a rich and luscious abalone sauce and best enjoyed steaming hot.

Ah Yung’s Kitchen, L'hotel Causeway Bay Harbour View, 18 King's Road, Causeway Bay; +852 3553 2633

“Pablo” A Coffee-cured Hamachi at Silencio

Touted Hong Kong’s first and only contemporary Japanese izakaya (which is usually found in informal settings) with live jazz and gold walls, there really is nothing casual about Silencio and our meal there began in a similar vein. The coffee-cured hamachi named “Pablo” was served as a new-style sashimi and comes with smoky theatrics to set the mood. Wrapped in kombu with sansho and coffee, the Japanese yellowtail is cured for 24 hours before it’s smoked with ground coffee to infuse a slight bitterness. It’s a well-balanced dish with thick slices of buttery hamachi complemented by wasabi yoghurt, fragrant chive oil and topped with watercress purée, pickled red onion and pomelo to cut through the omega-rich fish.

Silencio, 6/F LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central; +852 2480 6569

Seared Hokkaido Scallop on Truffle Mash at Trattoria del Pescatore

The seafood specialty Italian restaurant serves up the freshest catches from the coastline of Italy, Hong Kong and Japan. This May, Trattoria del Pescatore celebrates its first anniversary here in Hong Kong, with Head Chef Andrea Bortolotti of its Milan location in town for a special degustation menu. The star of the show that stole the spotlight from the six-course menu was the sashimi-grade scallops. The succulent meat was a bursting mix of sweetness and brininess and was delicately cooked to give it a slight char on the exterior while maintaining its juice and bouncy texture from within.

Trattoria del Pescatore, 11 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan; +852 2559 3339

Memphis Pork Ribs at Big Sur

It’s barbecue season and despite the rain, there’s nothing quite like getting stuck into a rack of baby back pork ribs. At barbecue and beer restaurant Big Sur, they recently launched a new all-day menu which features the impressive 21-ounce Memphis pork ribs. It’s a generous portion of ribs, spice-rubbed and smocked in hickory for a mildly sweet and bold savoury flavour. The ribs are juicy and packed with flavour already, but are then finished with a tangy BBQ sauce, which keeps you going back for more. You can also opt for the beef rips, but we think pork is the winner. It’s served with coleslaw or hand cut potatoes, but we recommend the sweet potato fries which are oven-baked for a slight caramelised exterior and fluffy interior.

Big Sur, G/F, 22 Staunton Street, Soho, Central; +852 2529 3001

The post The Top 5 Dishes We Ate in May 2019 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Weekends in Hong Kong are all about the brunches, especially the bottomless brunches -- those that not only top up your glass of bubbly but keep your plate and belly full. So whether you’re after a seafood feast, fine Italian cuisine or endless orders of dumplings, we’ve rounded up our picks for the best bottomless brunches to take your weekends to the next level.

Tosca

With chef Angelo Aglianó at the helm of Michelin-starred Tosca at the Ritz-Carlton, it’s no wonder that the new weekend lunch now spotlights seafood. His Sicilian background spent by the Mediterranean seaside translates to some exquisite frutti di mare dishes along with extravagant seasonal highlights to choose from. Veering away from the buffet-style brunches, Tosca offers guests a choice for each course -- from antipasti (starters) to primi piatti (pastas and risotto) and secondi piatti (main course) to dessert -- on top of free-flow champagne options. Make sure to try the Boston lobster salad with fresh burrata, mezzi paccheri pasta with Sicilian red shrimp, and seared line-caught sea bass, finished with a rich and smooth traditional tiramisu.

HK$838 + 10% per person; available Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00pm to 2:30pm
+ HK$100 free-flow NV Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne
+ HK$550 free-flow NV Ruinart Blanc de Blancs / Rosé
+ HK$2,050 free-flow 2008 Louis Roederer Cristal
+ HK$4,150 free-flow 2008 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé

Tosca, Level 102, International Commerce Centre (ICC), 1 Austin Road, West Kowloon; +852 2263 2270

Bostonian Seafood & Grill

As if brunch couldn’t get any more indulgent, the Bostonian Seafood & Grill at The Langham does one better by launching a four-hour version with continuous pours of Perrier-Jouët Champagne. The brunch not only features a Caesar salad station, an impressive ham and cheese table, and signature hot dishes brought to your table, but it also begins triumphantly with the restaurant’s signature seafood tower packed with fresh oysters, Alaskan crab legs, prawns and jade whelks. Other highlights include the Boston baked lobster, seafood paella, whole roasted suckling pig, Black Angus beef tenderloin and so much more. An added bonus is the attended play area for children with activities and toys while you toast to one of Hong Kong’s longest brunches.

HK$588 + 10% per person (includes free-flow soft drinks and orange juice); available Sunday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm
+ HK$100 free-flow Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut N.V. Champagne, red and white wine, soft drinks and orange juice
+ HK$200 free-flow alcoholic drinks including Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé N.V. Champagne, house white and red wine, soft drinks and orange juice

Bostonian Seafood & Grill, Lower Lobby Level, The Langham, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2132 7898

Duddell’s

If you wish to dim sum to your heart’s content, then you have to visit Duddell’s weekend salon brunch. Served fresh and boundless to your table, you can fill your bellies with limitless yum cha favourites including classic dumplings, spicy wontons, steamed barbecued Iberico pork buns and even hot mains such as Peking duck and Kung po prawns at the ready. There are also free-flow drink options so you can sip on a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, or mix it up with a bellini, mimosa, Aperol Spritz, bloody Mary, breakfast martini or espresso martini -- or all of them if you wish/can.

HK$550 + 10% per person (includes free-flow fresh juices and soft drinks); available Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 12:00pm to 3:00pm
+ HK$220 free-flow Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label, cocktails, red and white wine, Tsing Tao and Peroni beer

Duddell’s, Level 3 Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central; +852 2525 9191

Felix

Located on the 28th floor of The Peninsula, Felix’s Sunday brunch is a feast for the senses. Created by acclaimed Chef de Cuisine Juan Gomez, brunch comes with a stunning view and a live Latin band to boot. What’s more, the generous semi-buffet features live gourmet stations piled high with fresh seafood, cheeses, and desserts and offer breakfast egg specialities too. But it doesn’t stop there as the brunch also includes a main course of your choice. Think linguine marinara, seasonal mushroom risotto, a juicy Felix burger or even a beef Wellington to share. Those being good can enjoy the vegan or gluten-free options washed down with a fruit juice, while the rest of us indulge in some of the free-flow Champagne and cocktails.

HK$898 + 10% per person; available Sundays from 11:30am to 3:00pm
+ HK$152 free-flow juices and soft drinks
+ HK$172 free-flow signature cocktails, beer, red and white wine
+ HK$192 free-flow Peninsula Deutz Brut Champagne
+ HK$382 free-flow Ruinart Champagne Rosé / Blanc de Blancs

Felix, 28/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2696 6778

Bibo

At lively modern-French restaurant Bibo, brunch is served in steps: It’s as easy as choosing between a degustation of either 3 steps (1 entrée, 1 main dish and 1 dessert) or 5 steps (2 entrées, 1 main dish and 2 desserts). Start with the smoked scallops paired with cauliflower, haddock and coconut, pigeon with wild rice, mussels and peas and end with the sweet chocolate trio. This can also involve a wine pairing with your chosen steps or, of course, free-flow Champagne. So not only can you drink in the contemporary art with the likes of Banksy, Daniel Arsham and Jeff Koons on the wall, but you can also drink in unlimited glasses of bubbles to celebrate the weekend.

HK$438 for 3 Steps / HK$588 for 5 Steps + 10% per person; available Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 pm to 2:00pm
+ HK$198 for 3 Steps wine pairing
+ HK$388 for 5 Steps wine pairing
+ HK$388 for free-flow Champagne

Bibo, G/F, 163 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan; +852 2956 3188

The post The 5 Best Bottomless Brunches in Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

These outstanding restaurants are showcasing traditional flavours in novel ways.

The post Three modern Catalan restaurants to visit in Barcelona, Spain appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

These outstanding restaurants are showcasing traditional flavours in novel ways.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

It’s official: The highly-anticipated French restaurant Louise is set to open its doors on 18 June. And if you didn’t already know, it involves a talent trifecta of Hong Kong’s JIA Group, the people behind popular dining spots such as Old Bailey and Duddell’s; French chef Julian Royer of two-Michelin-starred Odette, which took the top spot in this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants; and acclaimed architect and designer André Fu,who left his mark at The Upper House and, more recently, The St. Regis Hong Kong.

The new restaurant commandeers the former Aberdeen Street Social space at PMQ and will invite guests to dine in a colonial-style interior which houses a Tropical Greenhouse lounge and Ivory Boudoir dining room. Louise promises to offer a fresh take on traditional French cuisine, in which casual lunch and dinner menus include nostalgic Gallic recipes that Royer was brought up on.

So, as one of Asia’s top chefs gears up for his Hong Kong opening, we took the chance to chat with the man himself about being an award-winning chef and what he has in store for his new venture, which will begin taking email reservations on Saturday, 1 June.

Has winning the title of Asia’s Best Restaurant changed your daily life?

Not really. It has been humbling to be recognised alongside many chefs that I admire and respect. All the awards we receive, as a result of our efforts to deliver the simple, genuine pleasures of enjoying a meal, are deeply appreciated and an affirmation of our hard work. 

You also took your cuisine to the sky (with Air France) -- how was that?

It was a real honour collaborating with my home country’s national carrier. It was very enlightening and inspiring to challenge myself to create quality dishes despite the operational limitations of an airplane. But at the end of the day, we reverted to our core values of serving beautiful produce prepared with honest cooking techniques and I am so glad that the menu has been well-received so far.

And yes, it’s true that everything tastes different up in the air! We had to play with salt, sugar and acidity levels.

[caption id="attachment_145487" align="alignnone" width="2210"] Dishes such as grilled scallops, carrot mousseline and saffron nage is served on flights from Singapore to Paris | Image courtesy of Air France[/caption]

What’s the meaning behind the name Louise?  

It’s a seemingly simple French name that exudes regality and elegance, which perfectly encompasses our direction for the French bistronomy program in the space.

At Odette, your cuisine is described as “French in its DNA but influenced by the Singapore surroundings for produce and ingredients”. Will Louise be similar in that sense for Hong Kong?

We are always open to discovering and incorporating local produce. I’m very excited to see what Hong Kong has to offer. 

Any examples of dishes that we can look forward to at Louise? 

We will be serving traditional French cuisine, reimagined. For example, la truffade is a beautiful dish from my hometown, simply done with roasted potatoes, garlic and young Cantal cheese. And joue de bœuf braisée au vin rouge, or red wine braised beef cheek, with confit carrots and baby onions is another hearty dish.

Is there a particular dish you feel nostalgic about?

My mum’s yoghurt cake -- it will be on the menu [smiles].

Are there any foods you dislike?

I was not a huge fan of the stinky tofu in Taiwan when I tried it.

[caption id="attachment_145468" align="alignnone" width="3189"] The rosemary smoked organic egg with smoked potato syphon, chorizo iberico and buckwheat is served at Odette.[/caption]

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Bread and cheese are my go-to comfort foods. 

What are your thoughts on fine dining?

I feel like fine dining’s come a long way: It’s no longer an extremely exclusive and stuffy experience. More and more people are into fine dining today. It’s less about that traditional opulence, and more about the connections that you make -- with your server whom you can enjoy conversation with, with your chef through the food that he or she has prepared. It even extends to the producers behind the ingredients, or the artisans behind the plateware. People are looking for sincerity and authenticity in their fine dining experiences now.

When did your love for food and cooking start?

Watching my grandmother cook and seeing the amount of joy derived from family coming together over a home-cooked meal.

Can you recall the last good restaurant you went to?

I had a truly awesome meal at VEA [Restaurant & Lounge] in Hong Kong recently. What [Chef] Vicky is doing is truly unique and exceptional.

[caption id="attachment_145466" align="alignnone" width="960"] Chef Royer working with his team at Odette in Singapore.[/caption]

You’ve accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. Do you put any pressure on yourself to keep pushing?

We’re incredibly grateful for all the success that the restaurant has enjoyed, and I couldn’t have done it without my team. While the awards and accolades are definitely encouraging, I still believe that at the end of the day, the success of the restaurant is judged by the indelible memories that we’ve created for our guests -- through sincere hospitality and honest cooking. That is what we continue to strive to achieve, each and every day.

How about family time? Are you able to balance it well with work?

I believe everyone who works in hospitality struggles with work-life balance because of the long hours, but I believe in spending quality time with my loved ones whenever I have the opportunity.

Do you cook at home?

Rarely as I’m not often home. But a good roast chicken with my wife and friends is always a good idea.

So Hong Kong is next, but is there anywhere else you have your eyes on yet?

We’re taking things one day at a time and being incredibly intentional with our expansion plans, so it’s too early to tell. 

Louise, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2866 0300

The post Celebrated Chef Julien Royer on New Restaurant Louise, Airplane Food and Stinky Tofu appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

On June 1, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., foodies and supporters will gather at the Old School Square Pavilion to benefit The Crossroads Club.

The post Third Annual Taste of Recovery Takes Over Delray Beach on June 1 appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.