Latest news with #JapaneseCuisine
Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Fantastic low and no-alcohol fizz
In April I took my 16-year-old stepdaughter south to see the cherry trees bloom. Not so far south — just to Mei Ume, the Japanese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in London. Handcrafted paper cherry blossoms sprouted from the light fixtures in the elegant, high-ceilinged room, with its Chinese and Japanese art on the walls to match the blend of those two countries' cuisines on the menu. For Cherry Blossom Season, the head chef Peter Ho had concocted a series of delicious small plates, matched to cocktails based on Saicho Sparkling Tea. Mine contained Saicho Hojicha (a green tea made smoky by roasting over charcoal), as well as Hennessy XO and Grand Marnier. Nora, being slightly younger, had a mocktail with Saicho Jasmine, green apple puree and vanilla. Mine was good but hers, with the bite of that apple and the perfumed NoLo fizz, was better — and I don't even much like vanilla. • This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue This was a revelation. I already knew I liked the Saicho drinks (£17.99, — adding bubbles to the delicate aromas and structured tannins of good tea is a brilliant idea. A recent dinner with the teens involved us all sharing a magnum of Fortnum & Mason's Sparkling Tea (£45, Its lemon-peel and thyme flavours were a great complement to one-pot Basque chicken and, especially, an orange, fennel and radish salad. And pouring a magnum for four is a lot more fun than sharing a bottle between two while the young people dissolve their teeth in sugar-loaded soda pop. I am not giving up alcohol any time soon. But there is, as Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger points out, a pleasure balance. She is the co-creator of French Bloom, one of the best non-alcoholic sparkling wines on the market. She has made canny use of fine chardonnay grapes from Limoux in the Languedoc and of the Champagne expertise available via her husband, Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger, who heads Champagne Frerejean Frères. There is even, now, a vintage French Bloom, La Cuvée 2022 (£95, Frerejean-Taittinger has made it her mission to create a sparkling no-alcohol drink from grape juice that is as pleasurable as a champagne. She doesn't think they are quite there yet. 'We hope, in five to seven years, to be able to share a bottle with as much complexity as a wine,' she said at Women in the World of Wine, a conference on the future of wine (alcoholic and otherwise), held last autumn at the sumptuous Royal Champagne & Spa hotel. I'm sure she will get there. But my assumption has always been that for real complexity, alcohol helps. That Saicho experience made me think again. I experimented with a mocktail of my own: a version of one of my favourite cocktails, the kir royale, champagne and crème de cassis. A slug of Jukes 6 — The Dark Red (£43 for 9x30ml bottles, a savoury black-fruit cordial that is part of the Jukes Cordialities range, topped up with French Bloom's Le Rosé. It was lovely, softly floral with just a touch of blackberry acidity. After all, the only necessary beverage is water. Everything else is a luxury, intended to elicit the same sensations of delight as gazing at the ephemeral loveliness of cherry blossom. Pleasure is meant to be temporary. It's the memory that lasts — or at least, it does when the drink is alcohol-free.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Two Palm Beach County spots named 'Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in U.S.' by OpenTable, Kayak
Hotel restaurants are no longer just for weary travelers. They're the destination. That's the message behind a new collaboration between OpenTable and Kayak, which produced a first-of-its-kind list of the Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in America featuring two local standouts. First up: Akira Back, a modern Japanese concept inside The Ray Hotel in Delray Beach. Influenced by celebrity chef Akira Back's Korean heritage, the eponymous restaurant draws locals and visitors alike with vibrant dishes, dramatic design and a multi-sensory dining experience. 'This award reflects our passion for pushing the boundaries of Japanese cuisine, paired with world-class hospitality and an unforgettable dining experience,' said Back via email. Hotel restaurants are a Back signature: his name is on more than a dozen of them, including the Michelin-starred Dosa at London's Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. , the stylish American bistro at Via Flagler by The Breakers, a few blocks from the resort, also scored a spot. Named after the resort's founder, Henry Morrison Flagler, the restaurant blends elevated comfort food with a touch of nostalgia in a setting that's both refined and welcoming. The rankings draw from more than 10 million verified diner reviews, travel search data, and national surveys to spotlight where travelers are dining once they arrive. Bragging rights in Florida With 21 winners, Florida boasts more top hotel restaurants than any other state on this list, including 10 in Miami and Orlando. There are no numerical positions on this ranking; every winner is listed alphabetically. Other Florida winners by city include: Fort Lauderdale: Steak 954 at the W Key West: Cafe Marquesa Miami: Gianni's at the Former Versace Mansion, Il Mulino New York, Lido Restaurant at The Surf Club, Limonada Bar + Brunch, Palace, The Roof at Esmé Naples: The Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples (the beach resort) Ocala: Stirrups at World Equestrian Center Orlando: A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek, BACÁN, Bull & Bear Steakhouse, Capa and Ravello at Four Seasons Orlando, Epilogue, Knife & Spoon, Nami Tampa: Lilac Culinary tourism is trending To uncover dining trends at U.S. hotel restaurants, OpenTable and Kayak analyzed over 10 million verified diner reviews, year-over-year travel search data and two national surveys of hotel diners. The list is rooted in diner insights and travel behavior, and it reflects a growing trend: travelers are planning trips around what and where they want to eat. According to OpenTable, 47% of Americans book a trip specifically to dine at a restaurant, and 38% have chosen a hotel because of its restaurant. Kayak reports a 51% year-over-year increase in the use of its 'restaurant' hotel filter, which they say is a clear sign that food is becoming a deciding factor in travel planning. Other survey findings: 73% of travelers say they'd return to a hotel because of a great on-site dining experience. 45% admit they post more about meals than monuments while traveling. 'Travelers aren't just asking, 'Where should I go?'' said Kate Williams, Kayak's chief communications officer. 'They're asking, 'What's on the menu when I get there?' Of note, Booking Holdings is the parent company of both OpenTable and Kayak. Only restaurants using the platforms were considered. If you go: Akira Back at The Ray Hotel Address: 233 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach Call: 561-739-1708 Web: Hours: Daily 5 to 10 p.m. If you go: Henry's Palm Beach at The Breakers Address: 229 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach; Via Flagler by The Breakers (just a few blocks from the resort) Call: 561-206-1896 Web: Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Daily brunch until 3 p.m. Etc.: Complimentary shuttle from The Breakers available for resort guests. Diana Biederman is The Palm Beach Post's new-ish food & restaurant writer. If you have any news tips about the local dining scene, please send them to dbiederman@ Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: OpenTable, Kayak name Palm Beach County hotel restaurants best in U.S. Solve the daily Crossword
Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Matsu Ramen, review: Sushi in a Kildare GAA club
St Kevin's GAA, Donadea, Staplestown, Co Kildare ★ 7/10 Five years ago we interviewed Takashi Miyazaki, the celebrated Japanese chef who clinched a Michelin star for his fine dining Japanese tasting menu restaurant Ichigo Ichie in Cork. During our chat we uncovered the incredibly surprising route that led Miyazaki to Ireland — driven by a deep love for U2 and passion for Irish music while cheffing at an Irish pub with little concept of Irish cuisine. Ireland is all the richer for tempting Miyazaki from one far-flung island to another. His leap from an Irish pub in Japan to his Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant in the PRC (that's the People's Republic of Cork) is one of our favourite stories, which came to mind again when driving through Staplestown in Kildare in search of one of the most unusual and unexpected places for Japanese food in Ireland: St Kevin's GAA club.
Wall Street Journal
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's Philosophy For Scaling a Business: Treating Teams Like Family
It took some time for Nobu Matsuhisa to trust Robert De Niro. When the actor, who was a regular at his first Los Angeles restaurant, first approached him in 1989 to open a new eatery together, the chef declined. 'I didn't know what he did,' Matsuhisa said. After several years, Matsuhisa agreed, and the pair opened Nobu's Tribeca location in 1994. The Japanese restaurant has since become a hot spot for A-listers, with over 50 restaurant locations and 20 luxury hotels spanning four continents.
CBS News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Midorie is an affordable hidden gem tucked in Coconut Grove
Exceptional food and top-notch hospitality are the name of the game at Midorie, a charming hidden gem tucked inside a cozy courtyard off Main Highway in Coconut Grove. Renowned restaurateur Alvaro Perez Miranda opened this price-friendly concept about two-and-a-half years ago, creating an intimate experience designed around kikubari, which is the Japanese art of caring for others. Inside, just 10 seats line the sleek sushi counter, while the outdoor terrace seats another 12. "It's a little place that is focused on quality over quantity. The sushi is amazing. We bring fish in from Japan. Our bowls are unbelievable. There's a sushi platter, and we do 'to-go', it's perfect for the community," Perez Miranda said, The name Midorie means "green" in Japanese, which is reflected in the vibrant main wall adorned with a 400-fish ceramic installation by local artist Jaudtani. A passionate art collector, Perez Miranda was born in Venezuela, lived in Tokyo for 15 years and has the distinct honor of being the first Latino in the U.S. appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for Japanese cuisine. "What I wanted to do here was bring people back to Japan," he said. "Everyone who comes says, 'Wow, the quality is just amazing,' and that is Japan." That commitment to quality, thoughtful service and fair pricing is what keeps local customers coming back. "This place stood out like a family. I've been coming here for years. My daughter, my wife, my extended parents, everyone loved it because the quality was there, but it's also at a really cost-effective rate," Zachary Cohen said. Natalie Pons echoed that sentiment. "I love everything about this place. Everything it represented. The community it built, and the people behind it. And of course, the fresh fish," she said. That fish is prepared with precision and passion by Chef Hiro Asano. A fan-favorite, the Midorie Bowl, features sushi rice, sesame seeds, braised shiitake mushrooms, cucumber, edamame, diced salmon, tuna and blue crab, finished with a creamy yuzu avocado purée. Perez Miranda, whose portfolio includes several standout Japanese spots in South Florida like the Michelin-starred Ogawa in Miami's Little River, delivers that same quality here with this price-friendly dishes. The Hamachi Bowl follows suit with yellowtail and soba noodles, instead of rice, topped with a tangy ginger dressing. On a crispy high note there is temaki sushi, or handroll in Japanese. Theirs comes stuffed with striped bass, scallions, and ginger. It must be eaten immediately to preserve the perfect crunch. You'll know you've found Midorie once you're inside the courtyard at Grove Village, right next to Avance Hair Salon. It's open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.
