Latest news with #WolfgangPuck
Condé Nast Traveler
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Where the Chefs Eat: Nuno Mendes's favourite restaurants in Lisbon
Welcome to Where the Chefs Eat a column in which chefs share their go-to restaurants in their favorite cities. The Lisbon that Nuno Mendes grew up in during the 1980s was nothing like the city we know and love today. The City of Light was 'a very tough city,' Mendes says. 'Back then, there was no sense of national pride.' Mendes then traveled the world, exploring different ingredients and innovative global cooking techniques under the likes of Wolfgang Puck and Rocco di Spirito, before settling in East London where he has now lived for 20 years. While Hackney is home, the Lisbon that Mendes knows and loves today is thriving—so, he finally decided to open a restaurant there. Following the success of his highly acclaimed London restaurants Lisboeta, The Loft Project, Bacchus, and Viajante, Santa Joana opened in Lisbon last October to rave reviews, allowing him to split his time between London and his childhood home. 'It's a stunning, one-of-a-kind space,' Mendes says about Santa Joana. 'It's in an old convent with beautiful high ceilings, the kind of space you don't really find, so this is a dream come true for me. And what's critical is you can really feel the heartbeat of the city in that restaurant." He acknowledges that he's in good company cooking in the city, given the incredible chefs in Lisbon today: "The food culture is now much broader than it was when I was younger. The food we're cooking is traditional yet also reflects the current and contemporary aspects of Lisbon's culinary culture.' Part of the energy in kitchens and restaurants comes from the people in the city itself, he says. 'Lisbon is now a city full of vibrant, excited people, a lot of young people, a lot of Portuguese people who have traveled the world and then come back home again. And I love that I can use products, 99 per cent of which have come from only 300 meters away.' So, we asked Mendes to share his favorite restaurants in Lisbon—where he goes the minute he touches down in the city. 'I wanted to highlight the places that are my personal favorites, that have such an amazing atmosphere. [Where] you really feel like you're being welcomed into somebody's home.' And when you walk in, you'll know where you are: "Every single one of my recommendations could only exist in Lisbon.' Prado Tv. das Pedras Negras 2 (Baixa) 'The menu changes regularly at Prado, one of my favorite restaurants. The team works with a lot of excellent small producers, and there is a fantastic wine list. It's hyper-seasonal, but it's perfectly inspired by Portuguese products and by classic Portuguese cooking. It's a very different restaurant to St John in London, but it's got a similar approach and ethos of using the entire fish from nose to tail; not wasting anything. The people who visit Prado seek it out, so the clientele seems alive and on board with what they're doing. There's also a great little wine bar. The food is incredible in there if you want something quick and light.'
Gulf Weekly
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
Inspired flavours to savour
Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay presents a curated collection of luxurious dining experiences, indulgent spa rituals, and uplifting wellness sessions this July, all designed to capture the spirit of summer in the most exquisite way. At Bay View Lounge, discover a delightful twist on the classic éclair with their Gelato-Filled Éclairs. Each handcrafted creation is layered with gourmet flavours from Black Forest with cherry and fiore di latte to banoffee with dulcey mango and salted toffee. Perfect for a summer treat, available daily from 11:30am to midnight at BD7net. Also at Bay View Lounge, guests can enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired Tapas Style Experience with small plates ideal for sharing or a light pre-dinner bite. Highlights include Patatas Bravas and Chicken Croquettes (BD7 each), Calamari Sandwich with Lemon Jam and Grilled Octopus with Creamy Potato and Paprika Oil (BD8 each). Available daily until August 2, from 11:30am to midnight. Afternoons are best spent indulging in Afternoon Tea at Bay View Lounge, where delicate finger sandwiches, warm scones, and elegant pastries like caramelised pear canelé and ricotta cannoli are served with tea or coffee. Available daily from noon to 9pm, priced at BD22net for the regular set, or BD26net inclusive of sparkling apple juice. Elevated evenings await at re/ASIAN CUISINE, where bold Asian flavours meet Californian flair. From Korean Fried Chicken and Robata-grilled Bluefin Otoro to premium sushi and crafted cocktails, the sharing-style menu is served to a backdrop of DJ sets. Open Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7pm to 11pm, and Wednesday to Friday until 11:30pm. Closed Mondays. À la carte pricing applies. On Fridays, CUT by Wolfgang Puck hosts its renowned Bubbly Brunch — a midday celebration of flavour with signature dishes like Black Bass Ceviche, Beef Sliders, and premium steaks, all served alongside free-flow bubbly and DJ entertainment. From 12:30pm to 3:30pm, priced at BD70net. For muddled drink connoisseurs, Bar Omakase at Blue Moon Lounge offers a bespoke tasting experience. Begin with a trio of signature elixirs, followed by a golden fortune cookie revealing your next personalised concoction. Enjoy five expertly crafted drinks paired with thoughtful bites, available Tuesday to Saturday until 11:30pm for BD36net per person. Retreat to The Spa for a Celebration Massage, the perfect way to mark a special moment. This personalised aromatherapy massage includes a mocktail, a choice of cake or healthy treat, and a surprise gift from the spa team. Available daily from 10am to 10pm, priced between BD90 to BD120. Refresh your complexion with the VIP O2 Oxygenating Facial by Biologique Recherche. Designed to combat environmental stress, this revitalising treatment re-oxygenates and deeply hydrates for a radiant, balanced glow. Offered daily from 10am to 10pm with prices starting from BD70. Finally, restore your inner calm under the stars with Full Moon and New Moon Yoga sessions. These peaceful moonlit flows take place today, 10 July (Full Moon), and Thursday July 24 (New Moon), from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Priced at BD6net for hotel guests and members, or BD12net for outside guests. For more information, call 17115500, 17115045 or 17115046.
CNA
14-07-2025
- CNA
Marina Bay Sands marks SG60 with signature flavours that define Singapore
A person's palate is shaped over time. From school canteens to family meals, we develop our tastes and form deep attachments to the flavours we grow up with. In Singapore, this connection is especially pronounced. The country's multicultural makeup has long influenced its food landscape, producing cuisine that is inventive, layered and rooted in heritage. From Malay-Chinese satay bee hoon to colonial-era Hainanese pork chop, these dishes tell stories of migration, adaptation and creativity. More than just everyday staples, they are part of the national identity. As Singapore marks 60 years of independence, the culinary talents at Marina Bay Sands present their own takes on these enduring flavours – a homage to the past, served with a contemporary twist. While the menus at Spago Dining Room by Wolfgang Puck showcase bold, cosmopolitan flavours – a culinary tribute to California's globally influenced dining scene – executive sous chef Kevin Kwek adds a local touch with the Sea Bream Laksa (S$46). Finished tableside with the rich, spicy broth, the dish reflects the restaurant's East-meets-West finesse. 'Food is a universal language – it has the power to bridge cultures, spark conversations and create lasting memories,' said Kwek. 'I believe that people want to share something good, be it a warm, soulful meal or a great hospitality experience.' For dessert, executive pastry chef Sam Huang transforms savoury buah keluak – typically used in Peranakan stews – into luscious Buah Keluak Coffee and Chocolate Truffles. Earthy and umami-rich, the nut is layered with chocolate and coffee for a sophisticated end to the meal. Available with both the three-course set lunch (S$68) and set dinner (S$88) menus, it's a fitting finish to an experience that connects the familiar and the unexpected. Set against the skyline on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands, the experience combines panoramic views with a fresh appreciation for Singapore's food heritage – a fitting celebration of the nation's 60th year. TROPICAL ICONS, REIMAGINED Durian, often hailed as the king of fruits, is as divisive as it is distinctive. Its creamy flesh and pungent aroma have earned it both devoted fans and vocal detractors. At Maison Boulud by chef Daniel Boulud, durian appears in a surprising form. The light, airy Durian Souffle ($22), created by executive sous chef Vincent Yong, tempers the fruit's intensity to let its natural sweetness shine through. The result is refined and approachable, reflecting Yong's guiding ethos: 'Cook not to impress, but to connect. Curate not just meals, but moments to remember.' It's an elegant twist at the Riviera-inspired waterfront restaurant, where French classics like Duck Confit and Beef Rossini share the menu. Another tropical fruit gets the fine-dining treatment at Wakuda, the brainchild of chef Tetsuya Wakuda and restaurateur John Kunkel's 50 Eggs Hospitality Group. Instead of the familiar goreng pisang street snack, head pastry chef Soh Hui Shan – the youngest female lead pastry chef in Singapore – offers the Wakuda Mille-Feuille (S$24). Inspired by the textures of the fried fritter, the dessert layers French pastry technique with Japanese precision. Set among the restaurant's modern Japanese offerings, it's a nod to local tastes – and a tribute to Tetsuya. Banana, after all, is his favourite fruit. ESSENTIAL RITUALS, ELEVATED For many Singaporeans, a cup of coffee with kaya toast is a familiar ritual, whether to kick off the morning or take a mid-day pause. The pairing of sweet coconut jam and salted butter on toast, alongside a robust cup of kopi, is a quintessential local experience. Miracle Coffee, the specialty cafe concept founded by singer JJ Lin, pays tribute to this tradition with a playful twist. Known for its pour-overs and single-origin beans, the cafe offers the Kaya Cloud (S$11) – an iced Americano topped with a layer of salted kaya foam. Exclusive to Singapore, the drink is equal parts nostalgic and novel. 'It's a gentle introduction to our culture,' said general manager Ronald Tan. As Singapore marks six decades of independence, creations like these reflect the national spirit – shaped by history, yet unafraid to innovate. At Marina Bay Sands, they're served with both flair and familiarity, inviting guests to explore tradition from a new perspective.
Los Angeles Times
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
I like it when you call me Big Salad
Wax on all you want about your favorite cuisine — Italian, Thai, Middle Eastern, French — but I dare you to find any country, however charming, that makes a salad like we do here in California. And by salad I mean big salad. Yeah, the French do their small plates of tiny greens in a perfectly emulsified vinaigrette. Italians are maestros at dressing a pile of arugula in a coating of olive oil so ethereal that not even one precious leaf wilts. But I'm talking here about salads you can really dig into. Salads that are full of surprises and eat like a treasure hunt, hiding every flavor and texture you could dream of wanting with a leaf of lettuce. I'm talking here about salads that act as a meal. Los Angeles practically invented the genre, with the OG of meal salads, the Brown Derby's Cobb. The finely chopped La Scala Chopped Salad (from the now-shuttered Beverly Hills institution) was a city treasure. Then along came Wolfgang Puck's Chinois Chicken Salad, which followed in the footsteps of Madame Wu's Chinese Chicken Salad, the salad said to have started the whole sweet crunchy Chinese-ish salad ball rolling. (Chin Chin on the Sunset Strip, credited with popularizing the salad in the '80s and '90s, is closing at the end of this month.) Those are salads with names and distinct identities. But we Angelenos can (and do!) turn anything into a salad. A can of tuna has inspired endless salads including, it would be only fair to mention, salad Niçoise (the classic French salad composed of tuna, green beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies and olives). Shredded chicken has infinite possibilities in Salad City. And I once ordered a sushi salad at a Japanese restaurant (albeit in San Diego) that featured a platter of lightly dressed tender greens with edamame and pickled ginger thrown in and, yes, slices of sushi-grade raw fish. It was fresh. Easy. Original. And it was a salad! No time is fresh-and-easy deliciousness as important as it is in the summertime. Or should we say saladtime. A salad meal is often composed of leftovers, and dressing can be made in advance. Salads are cool and cooling and — whether you're planning a family meal, a Girl Dinner or a party — meal salads are often the answer. To put together a meal salad of your own, first, think about a theme. If I were making a hamburger salad, the first thing I'd do is think about a hamburger. I'd take it apart in my mind, up the veggie component — iceberg, tomato, raw or grilled onion — and think about what else I like on my burger, such as bacon and pickles. Toss all but the burger patty together with mustard vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing (because mustard and blue cheese are things I would love on any burger) and put the patty — any patty, leftover or prepared for the occasion — cut into quarters, on top. Are you getting the freewheeling, can't-go-wrong picture? I have a friend who takes the sweetest, richest, deep-fried Chinese favorite — like orange chicken or sweet-and-sour pork. Tosses mixed Asian greens with a light dressing of sesame oil and lime juice, and then adds the chunks of meat, transforming something decadent and heavy (deep fried and drenched in sweet sticky sauce) into a salad meal that you might even call refreshing! It's the Asian version of the more common (but not as common as it should be) fried chicken salad, wherein boneless fried chicken tenders or cubes are tossed with lettuce (I'd use frisée) and whatever dressing you want (I'd go with buttermilk dressing to reflect the buttermilk that the chicken is marinated in) and anything else you might like with fried chicken — such as potatoes, bacon or corn. Steak salad is a personal favorite because I like steak but in small portions, more as a condiment than a main event. To make one, first cook your perfect steak. Then decide on your 'greens,' which might not be green. (I like mine with radicchio.) Choose your dressing — sherry vinaigrette is my go-to for this. Slice the steak. Add anything you might like with steak, like roasted potatoes or a cubed baked potato, grilled onions, fresh or slow-roasted tomatoes, boiled potatoes and / or shaved Parmesan cheese. Toss and enjoy. I've made many Asian chicken salads. And really. They're all good. You almost can't go wrong with that winning combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy, all conveniently served under the guise of 'healthy' eating. But IYKYK: There's one that stands above the rest. Unless someone can persuade Joan McNamara to share her top-secret recipe for the Joan's on Third Chinese chicken salad — a mountain of shredded iceberg lettuce laced with crispy wonton strips, delicate thin fried rice noodles, sliced velveted chicken and sliced toasted almonds, all tossed together with a mysterious emulsified sweet dressing — we'll have to go out for that one. Joan? Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes to get our restaurant experts' insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they're dining right now. Twenty years after it was published, this combination of flavors — slightly sweet marinated salmon, crunchy cucumbers, and avocado — is still a winner. The only thing I'd do differently? I'd toss the vegetables together rather than composing them in sections as they are here, and then break the salmon into large chunks with my hands and gently mix them the time: 1 hour. Serves 4. What I love about this salad from the steakhouse Jar is just how unexpected the combination of ingredients is — cabbage, fennel, carrots and onion — laced with prosciutto, shredded chicken, olives and feta in a slightly sweet, herby vinaigrette made of champagne and rice wine vinegar — and how well they work together. The vegetables used are also available in winter, so if you fall in love with this salad, as I have, you can enjoy it all year the time: 30 minutes. Serves 2. There are seemingly endless versions of this L.A. classic. Until someone can convince Joan McNamara of Joan's on Third to share the recipe for hers, we'll have to 'settle' (wink, wink) on Wolfgang Puck' the time: 30 minutes. Serves 6.
Gulf Weekly
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
Explore Spain, one tapas at a time
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay has lined up an array of dazzling summer events designed to captivate guests this summer. From rejuvenating spa packages and delicious dining experiences, there is something to suit all tastes. Experience the vibrant spirit of Spain at Bay View Lounge with Mediterranean-inspired tapas. Perfect for sharing, the selection includes patatas bravas, chicken croquettes, calamari and more. Available until August 12, prices start from BD7. Savour the finest selection of beverages and dishes at CUT by Wolfgang Puck's Bubbly Brunch. Executive chef Brian Becher and his talented team have expertly prepared an array of bites – from black bass ceviche to beef sliders, premium steaks and more. Explore the menu every Friday, from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, at BD70 inclusive of free-flow bubbly beverages. Meanwhile, guests can indulge in robust flavours and relaxed evenings at re/Asian Cuisine, where signature dishes such as Korean fried chicken, bistek cheesesteak, chicken thigh, black tiger prawns and more will make for an unforgettable evening. It is available on Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, from 7pm to 11pm, and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 7pm to 11.30pm, priced a la carte. Enjoy savoury and sweet delicacies at Bay View Lounge. From salmon caviar brioche to tea sandwiches and freshly baked scones, the regal experience will not disappoint. Guests can head down to the lounge every day, from noon to 9pm. It costs BD22 for regular tea and BD26 for royal afternoon tea inclusive of sparkling apple juice. This summer, indulge in gelato-filled éclairs, each handcrafted with artisanal gelato and layered with gourmet ingredients. Bold flavours such as black forest with cherry, banoffee with mango and salted toffee, and chocolate bounty with coconut cream and fudge sauce are available every day from 11.30pm to midnight, for BD7. Rediscover your skin's vitality with the award-winning VIP O2 Oxygenating Facial by Biologique Recherche at The Spa. Your journey begins with an advanced skin analysis followed by a personalised treatment for your skin's unique needs. It is available every day from 10am to 10pm, and prices start from BD70. For more information, call 17115500, 17115045 or 17115046.
