Just Forking Around

Narisawa in Tokyo tops Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list

Narisawa has secured the top spot at the inaugural Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in Singapore, and has been named The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Asia. The restaurant has also been named The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Japan.

 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna and organised by William Reed Business Media, today announced the winners of the first ever list at a glittering awards ceremony at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. China, Singapore and Japan dominated the list with 16, 10 and 9 restaurants listed respectively.

 Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s unfettered imagination and sense of drama caught the attention of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants voting academy, earning his restaurant this prestigious award. Narisawa champions the theme of sustainability and gastronomy, taking environmental concern into consideration when creating his dishes in harmony with nature and the environment.

Commenting on the success of the inaugural awards, William Drew of William Reed Business Media said: “We launched Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants as part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants program to recognise the region’s growing restaurant industry and diverse gastronomic landscape. The list is a reflection of Asia’s culinary talent and showcases individuals that share a passion for excellence.

“It is exciting to see so many innovative and creative chefs pushing Asia’s culinary boundaries and supporting Asia’s growing influence on the global culinary stage.There is no doubt that Asia provides the ideal ingredients to foster a rich and diverse list of culinary excellence, and an impressive exploration ground for food lovers.”

Award winners also announced include:

 Janice Wong, Asia’s Best Pastry Chef

 Janice Wong, owner of 2am: Dessert Bar in Singapore, has gained this prestigious recognition due to her creation and delivery of a multi-sensory experience for those who taste her desserts combined with her experimentation with sweet and savoury flavours, inspired from her childhood in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.

 JAAN, ‘One To Watch’

JAAN is an intimate, 40-seat restaurant dedicated to showcasing the finest in modern French cuisine in Singapore. The view from the 70^th floor is jaw-dropping, matched only by the wittily presented and immaculately executed dishes emerging from the kitchen of Chef de Cuisine Julien Royer. ‘One To Watch’ is awarded to an establishment within the inaugural Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list that the organisers believe has made a significant impact in a relatively short period and that has the potential to rise further up the rankings.

 Seiji Yamamoto, Chefs’ Choice Award

Seiji Yamamoto has been recognised by his contemporaries in Asia’s restaurant industry for innovating Japanese cuisine through the fusion of traditional and modern techniques. Yamamoto creates dishes that push the boundaries of creativity, following his philosophy “to pursue every single possibility for Japanese cuisine in the future”, a theme carried out at his restaurant Nihonryori RyuGin in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, that has been ranked no. 2 of the list. 

Joining the list of winners is Paul Pairet of Mr & Mrs Bund (no. 7) and Ultraviolet (no. 8) in China, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Johnnie Walker Blue Label, and the Veuve Clicquot Asia’s Best Female Chef, Duangporn Songvisava of Bo.lan (no. 36) in Thailand.

China boasts 16 restaurants on the list for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants with Amber (no. 4) in Hong Kong named as The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in China.Chef de Cuisine Richard Ekkebus took Amber to new gastronomic heights with a place on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for two consecutive years. His creations represent Hong Kong’s cultural crossroads between east and west, with dishes all presented with extraordinary flair.

Following China closely is Singapore with 10 restaurants on the list with Restaurant Andre (no. 5) as the winner of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Singapore. Chiang’s Mediterranean-inspired menu exudes values synonymous with ‘octaphilosophy’, a term used by Chiang to characterise his culinary style: unique, texture, memory, pure, terroir, salt, south and artisan.

 Restaurants in India made their mark on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants with 7 making the list. Dum Pukht (no. 17) was named as The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in India. Dum Pukht, explores the tradition of cooking kebabs, stews and biryani in a sealed clay pot over a slow fire. Native to the 18th-century Awadh Kingdom from Lucknow, clay pot cooking reaches new heights here.

 Thailand continues to gain prominence in Asia’s dining landscape. Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava was the first recipient of the Veuve Clicquot Asia’s Best Female Chef award, and Chef David Thompson’s Nahm was named as The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Thailand, ranked at no. 3 on the list. At number 10 was the chef-driven restuarant, Gaggan, whose menu is inspired by Indian flavours.

Restaurants in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia also made their debut at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Nihonbashi in Colombo is ranked no. 38, followed by Don’s in Hanoi at no. 47, and Mozaic in Bali at no. 50.

Yoshihiro Narisawa, owner and head chef of the winning Tokyo restaurant, Narisawa, has been recognised by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, consecutively for four years and was the winner of Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Asia for three consecutive years.

Here is the complete list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants

1. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
2. Nihonryori Ryugin, Tokyo, Japan
3. Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
4. Amber, Hong Kong, China
5. Restaurant Andre, Singapore
6. 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong, China
7. Mr and Mrs Bund, Shanghai, China
8. Ultra Violet, Shanghai, China
9. Iggy's, Singapore
10. Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
11. Waku Ghin, Singapore
12. Caprice, Hong Kong, China
13. Lung King Heen, Hong Kong, China
14. Les Amis, Singapore
15. Bo Innovation, Hong Kong, China
16. Quintessence, Tokyo, Japan
17. Dum Pukht, New Delhi, India
18. The Chairman, Hong Kong, China
19. Eat Me, Bangkok, Thailand
20. Wasabi by Morimoto, Mumbai, India
21. Hajime Restaurant, Osaka, Japan
22. Jaan, Singapore
23. L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
24. L'atelier de Joel Robuchon Singapore, Singapore
25. 28 Hubin Road, Hangzhou, China
26. Bukhara, New Delhi, India
27. Sushi Mizutani, Tokyo, Japan
28. Indigo, Mumbai, India
29. Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, Bangkok, Thailand
30. Varq, New Delhi, India
31. Aronia de Takazawa, Tokyo, Japan
32. Shinji by Kanesaka, Singapore
33. Kahala, Osaka, Japan
34. Franck Bistro, Shanghai, China
35. Osteria Mozza, Singapore
36. Bo Lan, Bangkok, Thailand
37. Robuchon au Dome, Macau, China
38. Nihonbashi, Colombo, Sri Lanka
39. Sushi Saito, Tokyo, Japan
40. FU1015, Shanghai, China
41. Indian Accent, New Delhi, India
42. Ishikawa, Tokyo, Japan
43. Gunther's, Singapore
44. Karavalli, Bangalore, India
45. Jade on 36, Shanghai, China
46. Yardbird, Hong Kong, China
47. Don's, Hanoi, Vietnam
48. Fook Lam Moon, Hong Kong, China
49. Imperial Treasure, Singapore
50. Mozaic, Bali, Indonesia

The decadent joys of desserts

A confessed sweet tooth, I simply couldn’t ignore a book titled Decadence, a glorious
collection of 90 lush, and truly, decadent desserts by chef Philip Johnson of acclaimed Brisbane bistro e'cco. In 1997,  he won the Remy Martin Cognac/Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award.

This is confection in all its dreamy, creamy, chilled, chocolatey, hot, luscious glory; the striking colour photos in this are in itself enough satisfy your inner chocoholic. Some of the recipes include show-stoppers like French toast with cherries and mascarpone, burnt caramel ice-cream with pistachio baklava wafers and the mango tart with macadamia nut pastry.

 And just for the record my attempt at the Espresso & Cognac mousse with shortbread looked as good as it did within the pages, and friends seemed tongue-tied after sampling it.

Finding Balance and Harmony

World-renowned chef, food authority and media personality Neil Perry considers balance and harmony as the cornerstones of good Asian cooking, which is why his beautifully produced, silk-covered tribute to Asian food is labelled so. And while it is expansively titled Balance & Harmony: Asian Food, he confesses that much of it is inspired by Chinese cookery, though the flavours of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Korea also find their way in.

In his foreword, explaining his passion for the cuisines of this region, Perry says, “One of the things I love most about Asian food is that it is made for the shared table, and that is how I love to eat. A bowl of rice, a few dishes, some friends and family and a nice glass of wine or two and I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening.”

The book organised in the style of a cooking school progresses from the easiest steamed, stir-fried, braised and deep-fried dishes, to more challenging and intricate plates as you become more confident and competent. Celebrating the shared table ethos, the book is punctuated by a progression of banquet ideas, ranging from the simple to the memorable. Even you if you don’t cook, this one will look good on your shelf.

Thai Top Drop

If you are ever in Thailand, The Orient Syrah from the family-run Granmonte Vineyard and Winery is a great choice enjoy on its own or with a meal.

Winemaker Nikki Lohitnavy says the syrah for this wine is  picked from three oldest blocks of lower yielding vines in the vineyard. The grapes are hand harvested on cool February mornings before being hand sorted. The wine is then aged in new French and American oak barrels for 12 months. Full-bodied and concentrated, it displays layers of berries, blueberries and hints of vanilla and spice. Velvety tannins offer a complex, dry and generous mouthfeel that is rich in dark cherries, sweet plums and black currant. 

I like the spicy incense nose with finish that conjures up taste memories of Asian spice markets.

 

Oysters & Pearls

It's a legend that has enthralled gourmets and gourmands ever since its genesis in the 1990s. Deconstructed it is a warm, poached oyster served on a bed of warm sabayon of pearl tapioca topped with a scoop of caviar. A mere spoonful whose mysteries unfold on the palate. To taste it was to savour each component separately and together: the silky custard suspended with pearls giving it texture, the delightfully poached fine de Claire oyster and the white sturgeon caviar lording it over:  firm, nutty, and delightful like a breath of ocean air with a tantalising saltiness. But its creator top American toque Thomas Keller has never tasted it. 

"I was walking down the aisles of a grocery store and there’s a box of purple tapioca with the word 'pearl' on it. And I think pearls come from oysters, so why don’t I put it together and add cavaiar to it. And bang the dish has been around for 12 years. I have never tasted it. I know what each component taste like, and I have an idea what the finished dish tastes like. I don’t do that for all my dishes."

Perhaps he fears tasting it could mean being ‘forced’ to evolve it. Why mess with a classic!

 

 

NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong showcases innovative Donburi lunches

NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong takes the traditional Donburi, a Japanese rice bowl dish, to new and innovative heights with its selection of Donburi Lunches, available daily through the end of September.

Many of the Donburi dishes showcase NOBU's innovative new-style Japanese cuisine and incorporate South American influences. Of the five cold Donburi dishes, signature NOBU creations include the NOBU Style Sashimi Jalapeno Donburi and the Sashimi Donburi with Chilled Spicy Ochazuke. Signature Hot Domburi dishes include Wagyu Tataki Jalapeno Donburi, and the Duck Breast and Moro Miso Egglpant Donburi. For a European influenced creation, the "Loco Moco" Foie Gras and Wagyu Donburi is a delicious option. The Iwashi Donburi is a seasonal donburi. Meanwhile the Smoked Chicken Donburi featured house smoked chicken.

All Donburi lunches are served with Salad, Miso Soup and Oshinko, with prices ranging from HK$200 - HK$628. (There are also two traditional Donburi Lunches - the Oyako Donburi (HK$130) and the Unagi Domburi (HK$195)

NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong Second Floor, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Restaurant reservations: (852) 2313-2323 Reservations fax: (852) 2366-5205 E-mail: [email protected] www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com / www. NobuRestaurants.com

Mario Batali's Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic Confit & Mint

Last Christmas, this was the main course in the six-course dinner I made for friends. I served it with a side of lemon pasta and creamy mashed potato. It was also my first attempt at plating food, so it didn't turn out like I wanted it to, but it was easy to make and the friends loved it. I have reproduced the recipe below for those that want to try it. I didn't have sweet vermouth/Malvasia to add, so I subsitituted it with a sweetish wine I had at home. Enjoy! 

Step 1

Preheat the grill or broiler

 Step 2

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

30 cloves garlic (peeled)

2 cups dry white wine

1 cup sweet wine (such as Malvasia) or sweet vermouth

4 springs of mint (leaves only)

 In an 8-inch to 10-inch pan, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic cloves and sauté slowly, shaking pan to keep garlic moving, until brown on all sides (about 10 minutes).  Add the mint.  Add sweet wine and dry white wine, bring to a boil, cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup; the garlic should be very soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

 Step 3

1 8-rib rack of lamb (trimmed and cut into chops)

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon mint

1 tablespoon sugar

Squeeze of lemon juice

Drizzle of olive oil

Make the rub with sugar, salt, mint and lemon juice and put on the chops.  Drizzle with olive oil or vermouth.  Grill or broil, turning once, until medium rare (about 4 to 5 minutes per side).  Transfer to a platter.

 Step 4

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Season the garlic mixture with salt and pepper.  Spoon into the centre of four warmed plates, lean the chops against the garlic, and serve immediately.

 

 

Cocina Nueva: The New Spanish Kitchen

With Spain’s growing reputation as the new centre of innovative cuisine in Europe, author and chef Jane Lawson’s latest delicacy, Cocina Nueva: The New Spanish Kitchen, is a timely tome. In it she pays homage to her experiences on a recent gastronomic tour of that country and what she describes as “incredible, artistic, technically perfect, fascinating dishes that tasted of focused raw passion.” From tapas plates to authentic, rustic meals, Lawson ingeniously transforms the classics with a modern flair but keeping the traditional colours, flavours and textures. Each chapter – divided into Tasca (tapas), Cocina (main meals) and Postres (desserts), the way the Spaniards like to eat – offers a variety of simple-to-prepare dishes backed up by fabulous photography. Enjoy spiced sidra over a variety of tapas dishes like garlic prawns with chorizo or chicken albondigas with saffron almond sauce. Or spoil friends with sherry-poached veal with potato and anchovy gratin, crisp cumin chicken with red capsicum jam, or the txangurro (baked spider crab) ravioli. As a sweeteners, nothing like the sweet bunuelos with orange curd or café con leche jelly to top a great meal. Now if only I could manage to put it all together on a plate.

Renaissance Flavours

Three-star Michelin chef Annie Feolde of Restaurante Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and Grand Chef of Relais & Chateaux in Italy talks about the masterpieces she plates.

 It’s pretty ironic that the only three-star female Michelin chef from Italy is French. But Annie Feolde hasn’t added any Gallic airs to reach for these stars. Instead she has retained the essence of Tuscany, plating, as she puts it, “light and nice-looking dishes,
with roots in Tuscan cuisine” at Enoteca Pinchiorri, her restaurant in Florence named after her husband. The three Michelin stars, she believes, are a result of the top quality she has ensured in all aspects of her cooking.

I met her a couple of years ago, when she was invited to Le Normandie at The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok to offer foodies here a chance to experience her simple yet elegantly plated dishes. The focus at that time was on taste and the colours of Tuscany. Her amuse bouche was an indicator of things to come. A spoonful of couscous, tomato, celery, basil, drizzled with olive oil, it was light, refreshing with a slight crunch, an amalgam of basic Italian flavours

 

Noci Di Capessante Con Pomodoro Fresco E Crescione or scallop with fresh tomato and watercress

What is your food philosophy?

 

First of all, I want to be faithful to the style. I try to find traditional dishes, and we have deep-rooted traditions. What I have tried to do is not make these dishes modern but lighter. When I see an interesting recipe, I try to pick the main values, and then make them taste lighter. My menus are simple and they best reflect the Italian food. There is no need to be extremely fussy or cook Italian, French style (She’s French so she’s even more careful about this) Some people don’t understand my style. Sometimes I’m a bit angry when people criticise what I’m doing and I cannot argue them. Anyway, I don’t struggle with this because it usually ends up with compliments. They say my cooking style has a taste of French, which is not true. And though I am not denying my nationality, my food is Italian.   

Fusilli Al Ferretto Con Gamberi, Bottarga Di Tonno E Liquirizia or home-made fussilli with tiger prawns, tuna bottarga and liquorice powder

Tuscan chefs are known for never tampering with the traditional recipes. How do you develop the recipes?

 

 There was a revolution about 40 years ago in Italy which resulted in a modernised restaurant kitchen and cooking styles. However, I want to preserve the roots and Italian identity, as do some restaurants in the countryside. Meanwhile, chefs in town want to make it all more modern. I would not say I have modernised the dishes but just made them lighter.

Ravioli Siamesi Farciti Di Faraona Stufata E Burrata, Fonduta Di Parmigiano, Timo Fresco E Sugo D' Arrosto or Siamese ravioli filled with slowly braised guinea fowl and burrata cheese, parmesan fondue, fresh thyme and pan jus

How did it begin?

 

My husband had a wine bar... an enoteca. Then we added some food like appetisers and pasta to the menu. Once a French minister from the European Council visited and asked for Tuscan food, and when I said we didn’t serve any she closed the menu without ordering anything and continued talking to the other two gentlemen with her about politics. I was upset but realised I needed to learn more, do more. People from around the world come here expecting Tuscan. So I introduced Tuscan flavours to the menu and developed it from that. My food is very Tuscan now but it was not at first. I started to learn about ingredients from books but I couldn’t understand them completely, so I threw them away. When I decided to study again, I found that every recipe reflects the nation’s history and culture. As I knew more about the stories underneath recipes, I better developed them.

Have you ever felt like exploring French cuisine?

 Never. 

 Do you consider Italian cuisine the best?

I’ve never felt it’s the best. Food business is competitive but I tend to preserve my style. It’s nice that everyone tries his/her best, but I’m not in school any more so I don’t want to fight. My three Michelin stars mean a lot to me. We always look for quality not ambition without efforts.

Orata In Crosta Di Olive Nere Con Purea Di Patate All' Olio Extra Vergine Di Oliva, Scalogno E Timo or Sea bream coated with black olives, potato puree whisked with extra virgin olive oil, shallots and herbs

 What inspires you?

 

First I started cooking in order to please my husband and others. I love eating, and I wanted to make people feel good. Later on, I found I had a passion for this business. I love to be around people, I think the best way to get to know them is through the table.

 What is your favorite cuisine besides Italian?

I like the Japanese, Thai and Chinese cuisines because they have so much variety. 

 

Zuccotto Al Modo Nostro Con Frutta E Verdure Candite or Zuccotto with candied fruit and vegetable

 

Appetite For the Bizarre

From a restaurant in the sky to one beneath the ocean, or even one where guests eat in pitch darkness, there are no limits for the daring gourmand or restaurateurs catering to those hungry for a different taste. 

Under The Sea: Located at the Conrad Maldives, the Ithaa restaurant (www.conradhotels.com), which is “pearl” in the local Divehi lingo, sits five metres beneath sea level at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. The 12.5 cm thick transparent housing allows diners a sense of being surrounded by the ocean giving them an uninterrupted view of the colourful coral reef and its inhabitants. The kitchen that dishes Maldivian-Western fusion is located above water, while guests access the restaurant by a spiral staircase at the end of the jetty. The dining area only seats 12 and is booked well in advance. The restaurant is open for lunch as well as dinner, but during the day both guests and staff have to wear sunglasses to protect their eyes.

 The Sky’s the Limit: If you suffer from vertigo, this one is not for you. Bon vivants at Dinner In The Sky (www.dinnerinthesky.com) don’t know whether they should hold on to their forks or safety belts as they sit suspended 50 metres in the air. A specially designed table, which seats 22 people is hoisted up by a crane before on-board chefs and their assistants prepare and serve a meal. A second optional platform can be used to provide entertainment; think a jazz trio, or a classical quartet. The best part of this dining experience is that it can be organised anywhere, over an urban landscape, a pastoral vista, or even next to one of landmarks of the world. Dinner In The Sky took off two years and has since served up feast in places like London, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Johannesburg, Bangkok among others.

 Dining In The Dark: Is the décor of a restaurant a distraction? They say that if you take away one or more of your senses, the remaining ones become stronger. And the people behind the Dans Le Noir restaurants (www.danslenoir.com) located in London and Paris certainly seem to agree. Guests at the restaurants are asked to dine in the dark and to learn to enjoy tastes, smells, flavours and textures. Take away sight and the concept of taste is reborn, the perception of flavours become subtler and more intense. Guest are allowed to make food choices beforehand while sipping cocktails in the lighted bar. But they follow their blind waiter into the pitch-black dining area, they have to leave all illuminating devices like mobile phones and watches behind. The French-based cuisine includes a surprise to heighten the sensory tasting game.

Dining On The Top Deck: Chef Alexandre Saisson’s dream restaurant came about when a friend suggested refurbishing an old double-decker bus and fitting it with tables and a kitchen. After looking high and low in his own country, he finally foun
d one in England, where the authorities had decided to retire the majority of the red Routemaster double-decker buses. While renovating his new toy he also turned added a London phone booth into a toilet for guests to use. While the ground floor of the bus includes a American-style kitchen and dining area for six people, the top deck seats 28 guests comfortably, and the mobile eatery (www.contact.allexcellent.free.fr) is a big hit for promotional stunts and parties.

 Subterranean Delights: Built on a craggy promontory overlooking the Adriatic Sea, the enchanting Italian town of Polignano A Mare is home to one of the world’s most beautiful sea caves, the Grotta Palazzese (www.grottapalazzese.it). A karst formation (created by the dissolution of the limestone cliffs by sea water), the cave has been used as a banquet room since the 18^th century when a duke from the region dug tunnel a through the cliff and fitted a staircase that still serves the restaurant. Five decades since it opened as a fining dining establishment, it kitchen still delights guests with a menu made from fresh catch from the sea.

For Art’s Sake: Food designer Marje Vogelzang creates up edible art at her restaurant Proef (www.proefamsterdam.nl), serving brightly coloured weapons made from sugar, minced carrot necklaces, butterfly-shaped starters and edible bread. Guests, according to her viewpoint, shouldn’t remain passive, but partake in the eating process as test subjects. At her events expect the unexpected including hanging tablecloths so that guests are unable to see each other outward appearance, food cooked in clay sculptures that are then cracked open to reveal the delicacies inside.  The restaurant has two branches; the Rotterdam outlet dishes out traditional, slow food cuisine, while the one in Amsterdam is the Marje’s food design studio.

Mountain High: Perched high above Zighy Bay on Oman’s Musandam peninsula, Dining On The Edge (www.sixsenses.com), a part of Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay, delivers precisely what its name promises; a gourmet meal on the lip of the Hajar mountain range, a craggy-faced stone pile that cuts of the beautiful bay from the rest of the sultanate. The view notwithstanding, this edge-of-your-seat experience (it is a 1000-foot drop to the bay below) which is part of the offers modern cuisine along with an extensive wine list to complement the innovative menu that includes the Edge Experience, Tasters’ Menu and Gourmand Selection.