Latest news with #culinaryExperience
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Khaleej Times
Restaurant Review: Baoli at J1 Beach is a chic, Cannes-style escape
One of the glittering jewels in J1's elegant and aspirational crown is the ever-chic Bâoli. The half-indoor, half-outdoor restaurant was filled to the brim with beautiful and glamorous diners, sipping blush, and enjoying sparkling conversation, creating an infectious buzz throughout the space. The views of the Arabian Gulf beyond the pristine infinity pool perfectly framed the restaurant's open-plan concept, immediately putting us at ease and creating an air of vacation. We were seated and instantly welcomed by our warm, French waiters, flown in from the Cannes establishment to mark the new opening. The seamless service added to the 'holiday' feel of the place, with the French waiters catering to our every whim before we even anticipated it ourselves. We had a refreshing aperitif and then, the meal began with a series of raw crudos, including salmon ceviche, tuna belly in ponzu, and hamachi topped with shaved truffle and crispy ginger. The hamachi was to die for. Following the raw selection, we enjoyed crispy kimchi gyoza and togarashi-topped squid — both utterly delectable. The standout, however, had to be the chicken karaage, coated in a sweet and spicy glaze, each bite delivering the perfect balance of crunch, tang, and juicy freshness. For mains, we opted for sharing plates, both of which sounded absolutely epic. The glazed half rack of lamb had hints of curry and a delightful char in all the right places. The hero dish of the lunch, without a shadow of a doubt, was the creamy, umami-packed lobster udon. Served tableside in a beautiful claypot, the udon was coated in an indulgent sauce, cut by fresh chunks of lobster tail, delicately shaved spring onions, and hints of sesame throughout. As one of the more extravagant lunches of my life, the indulgence didn't stop there. The meal concluded with a sesame chocolate fondant, cooked to perfection and topped with a delightfully sweet and savory sesame brittle. Alongside, it was the banana millefeuille — a perfectly rich and satisfying bite.
Arab News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Where We Are Going Today: ‘Cafe Boulud' – French restaurant in Riyadh
Riyadh's Cafe Boulud, a French restaurant founded by chef Daniel Boulud, offers a culinary performance as refined as its marble interiors and softly lit atmosphere. From the moment you're seated, you're in for a journey, not just a meal. The tasting menu is an elegant parade of flavors, beautifully plated and rich with French technique. Each course is executed with precision, but it's the taste that truly stuns. The raviolo, for example, with its herbaceous ricotta filling and a delicate touch of pine nut and parmesan, felt both comforting and complex. The wagyu striploin, served with panisse, salsify, and a black pepper jus, was a standout, tender and deeply flavorful. Even the lighter dishes, like the hamachi with horseradish and pistachio, were layered and bright. Of course, this level of dining comes with a high price tag. But when you consider the attention to detail, the ambiance, and the impeccable service, it feels justified. You're not just paying for food, you're paying for artistry. This is the kind of place you visit for a special occasion, or when you want to be reminded that food can be more than a meal, it can be an experience. For more information, check their Instagram @cafebouludriy.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
The 'immaculate' West London restaurant offering an escape for a 'downright steal' of £30 per head
Oh dear, I thought, as we stepped into the discreetly minimalist dining room of The Lavery. Here we go again. Because with its polished parquet floor and soaring South Kensington ceiling, its Georgian stucco detail, modernist light fittings, artfully aged mirrors and white – lots and lots of white – I expected fussy, fastidiously plated food served on strange and delicate porcelain, accompanied by pompous paeans about 'Chef's obsession' with sustainability, hyperseasonality and Somerset hand-crafted charcoal. I was, thank the lord, quite stupendously wrong. Because this is a place that gets everything right: the service, which purrs and glides, warm but well drilled. And the light, which today floods through the vast picture windows, holding the whole room in a mid-spring embrace. And the food, from head chef Yohei Furuhashi, who's done time at Toklas, Petersham Nurseries and, of course, The River Cafe. There's a charred slab of golden, buttery polenta with a great blob of mellow salt-cod brandade. Crisp winter tomatoes add sharpness and bite. Asparagus, pert and thrusting, sit atop a puddle of gently pongy fonduta. Roasted artichokes come with silken slices of excellent prosciutto. The dishes may be simple, but are immaculately done. Nettle tortelli are stuffed with ricotta and pine nuts, the pasta, a lushly verdant green, exquisitely delicate. It's like biting into something ephemeral, almost otherworldly: a breathy whisper of barely carbohydrate delight. Then a tranche of sea trout, a fraction overcooked – I crave a little translucence in the centre of my fish, but nobody else complains. With it, a tangle of spinach, the first of the season's peas and a dollop of wild garlic mayonnaise. For something a touch more robust, there's leg of rabbit, stuffed with Tuscan sausage, wrapped in pancetta and served with lentils studded with baby broad beans. A few sorrel leaves add acidic aplomb. You might expect the prices to be suitably stratospheric but while not exactly cheap, they offer serious value. You could come in for pasta and a glass of wine, and escape for under £30. For cooking this accomplished (and in this particularly gilded part of South Kensington) that's not so much a deal as a downright steal.
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Irish Times
Two classic shellfish dishes inspired by Donegal chefs at the top of their game
Today heralds the beginning of one of my favourite weekends of the working year. Since 2019 I have been travelling north to The Olde Glen Bar in the great county of Donegal to partner with former colleague and long time friend Ciaran Sweeney, who has been cooking some of the country's most delicious food for more than 15 years. Having trained in the UK and Dublin, he returned home in recent years to partner with Cormac Walsh and bring fine dining to one of the oldest and best pubs in the world. The combination of charming venue, affable host and hugely talented chef, twinned with stunning local ingredients, has put this area on the culinary map, it also helps that it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thankfully, the team still respond to my annual text to come up and cook for one weekend of the year. On Saturday night, we'll have a full house feasting on Mulroy Bay Scallops, Greencastle turbot, McBride crab, Ballyholey vegetables, the famous cabbage from Gortahork and Horn Head honey. Tomorrow evening, the same. It's also customary for the chefs to hydrate after service in the bar before rehydrating again the following morning in Sheephaven Bay. This is the weekend that reminds me why I love this work: cooking great ingredients for great people in a beautiful corner of this wonderful county. The Olde Glen Bar & Restaurant in Glen village, near Carrigart While we work away cooking for the crowds this weekend, I thought it appropriate to showcase some dishes from the area. First up is a very Irish dish using one of our greatest ingredients. Crab meat has to be the Atlantic's greatest export, tossed with a hint of mayonnaise and some herbs with plenty of salt and lemon juice – eating does not get any better. The McBride family have been fishing crab from Downings Pier for generations, and it's the best I've tasted. I've matched it with a take on potato bread that Ciaran has been cooking to great acclaim for years. It's a cross between a traditional potato farl and yeast white bread, with the comfort factor of a sour blini. It is delicious. He has never given me his actual recipe, but I think it's close. I can't imagine a better way to start a meal in the summer sunshine. READ MORE Crab mayo with charred potato bread. Photograph: Harry Weir I can imagine how to continue it, however. The Casey family have been running the acclaimed Rosapenna Hotel in Donegal for more than 50 years. Frank snr set standards that live true to this day, with the hotel now in the capable hands of sons John and Frank jnr. This is the sort of place that gets the important things right, every time. Hospitality, ingredients, service and warmth. Their lobster Thermidor is legendary; it only makes an appearance when local lobster is available and the price is right. It's cooked how Frank snr likes things: the classic way. The lobster is blanched and the meat cleaned out while retaining the shell. The sauce is made with cream, a dash of brandy, mustard and gratinated with a touch of cheese to stringy perfection. Served up in the grand diningroom overlooking the sunset and the sea, you're winning. Beat a path and make sure to request the Thermidor when you're booking. Recipe: Crab mayo with charred potato bread Recipe: Caseys' lobster Thermidor
News24
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Inside Ellerman House's Curate: An obsessively-local fine dining experience honouring SA's best
Ellerman House's fine-dining restaurant, Curate, offers an exclusive and immersive culinary experience that celebrates South African heritage, wine, art, and sustainability. Led by Chef Kieran Whyte, the hyperlocal menu recreates traditional South African dishes and features luxurious, locally sourced ingredients. Housed within the Wine Gallery, the restaurant enhances the sensory journey with bespoke wine pairings. On the hillside below Lion's Head, perched above the Atlantic Ocean in Bantry Bay, Ellerman House's fine-dining restaurant, Curate, offers an intimate culinary journey where South African heritage meets contemporary artistry in one of Cape Town's most exclusive settings. The inaugural sitting of the dining experience will take place on 16 May. Ellerman House CEO Carol Kohne describes Curate as the next chapter in the evolution of the almost 120-year-old Edwardian mansion's food journey. The boutique hotel, recently named #1 City Hotel in Africa by Condé Nast's Travel + Leisure, has transformed its Wine Gallery into a refined dining space where art and cuisine converge. Since its establishment in 1988, Ellerman House has drawn inspiration from South Africa by celebrating its indigenous gardens, art collections, local cuisine, and unique hospitality. A Relais & Châteaux member since the 1990s, the hotel prides itself on setting standards for luxury experiential hospitality in South Africa. 'This is a natural evolution of our commitment to innovation and excellence,' Kohne explains. 'With Curate, we reaffirm our dedication to providing multi-sensory experiences that reflect the soul of South Africa.' Art, wine, and local ingredients Curate is housed within the Wine Gallery, designed by South African sculptor Angus Taylor. The restaurant is surrounded by artistic elements celebrating the country's winemaking heritage, which dates back to 1659. Nell Harris and Natalie Haarhof, of Just Design, have blended natural textures with refined aesthetics to craft this immersive dining environment. Wine plays a pivotal role in the Curate experience. Expert wine stewards use Ellerman House's collection of 10 000 bottles to curate bespoke pairings that enhance Chef Kieran Whyte's culinary creations, ensuring every bite and sip tells a story of heritage and modern food fare. A refined African dream Each dish celebrates the land, its seasons, and the voices behind it, drawing inspiration from South African cultural traditions while incorporating refined techniques and presentations. 'Zanele, one of our chefs, recently bought a house. While watching the celebration video, I saw them making the umqobothi, and although I've never experienced it, I have known about it,' Whyte says. 'I asked if we make it? Let's see how it goes.' The result is a clarified pineapple umqombothi that honours traditional celebration rituals. Pineapple umqombothi. South African staples, such as pap, also receive unique reinterpretations on his menu. Whyte describes one dessert as 'a white chocolate pap served warm, styled like porridge, and finished with frozen raspberries and popping candy'. Local, luxurious, and sustainable Whyte's path to becoming Ellerman House's head chef began humbly. 'I grew up watching the Food Network when DSTV first introduced it,' he recalls. 'I started experimenting with recipes I'd see on TV, like making macaroni and cheese, and recipes from the box of Fatti's and Monies lasagne.' Whyte's journey led him to the Silwood School of Cookery, where he completed three years of training. He spent seven years working at Greenhouse under FYN's Peter Tempelhoof after his graduation. Whyte joined Ellerman House four years ago, overseeing its OneEighty restaurant. It is known for seasonal à la carte offerings served amid South African art or on ocean-view patios. Concepts of sustainability and provenance are not gimmicks or buzzwords on his menu; he believes this should be a general principle in fine dining. Dishes including Cape mushroom melktert, and amagwinya with caviar and snoek Studios He tells News24 Food that Curate's menu is committed to showcasing the continent's bounty of luxurious, high-end ingredients, such as caviar from Madagascar and truffles from Durban. 'We've set a rule - no soy sauce unless we make it ourselves and no imported products, except chocolate and coffee from Africa, since they're unavailable locally.' The menu includes creative reinterpretations of local delicacies, such as amagwinya or vetkoek paired with smoked snoek pâté, apricot from the braai, and caviar from Madagascar. With limited seating, Curate accepts reservations through Dineplan and its website. The restaurant operates from Wednesday to Saturday. The tasting experience is priced at R1 800 per person.
