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<strong>2016</strong><br />
AWARDS<br />
VOTE NOW<br />
AL AIN<br />
GARDEN OF THE GULF<br />
Annie Féolde<br />
The reluctant chef<br />
GARY<br />
RHODES<br />
The Carême Column<br />
Dolce Lecce<br />
Puglia’s<br />
food<br />
capital<br />
Christian Le Squer<br />
Pride of<br />
Paris<br />
CITY<br />
GUIDES<br />
Hamburg<br />
Osaka<br />
Sal<strong>com</strong>be<br />
Gary<br />
Rhodes<br />
The Carême<br />
Column<br />
DINING ALFRESCO<br />
Picnic h<strong>amp</strong>er heaven<br />
VOL 3 ISSUE 7/8 <strong>2016</strong><br />
Reviews Virgilio Martínez Peaches <strong>Travel</strong> News Phil Vickery Tried & Tasted
Editor’s<br />
letter<br />
Editor Anisa Al Hawaj<br />
Associate Editor Ali Ahmed<br />
Art Editor Joy Evangelista<br />
Consulting Editor Sudeshna Ghosh<br />
Review Editor Mona Mohammed<br />
Online Editor Husain Khaled<br />
Social Media Editor Mary Ann Parungao<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Editor Nick Baines<br />
Director of Features Francesca Jackson<br />
Publisher Salah Alhaiki<br />
Managing Editor Fawzi Alshehabi<br />
Account Director Ollie Williams<br />
Editorial Enquiries<br />
editor@foodandtravelarabia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Sales & Advertising<br />
info@foodandtravelarabia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Distribution Enquiries<br />
info@foodandtravelarabia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Communications & Design<br />
info@foodandtravelarabia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Email info@foodandtravelarabia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Twitter @foodtravelme<br />
Facebook @<strong>Food</strong><strong>Travel</strong>ME<br />
Web www.foodandtravel.me<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong>, UK<br />
Mark Sansom, editor<br />
mark.sansom@foodandtravel.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong>, Germany<br />
Stefanie Will, editor<br />
stefanie.will@foodandtravel.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong>, Mexico<br />
Cecilia Núñez, editor<br />
cecilia.nunez@lyrsa.<strong>com</strong>.mx<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong>, Turkey<br />
Mehmet Tel, editor<br />
mehmet.tel@foodandtravel.<strong>com</strong>.tr<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong>, Italy<br />
Marco Sutter, publisher<br />
publisher@foodandtravelitalia.<strong>com</strong><br />
WINNER<br />
PPA Independent Publishing<br />
Company of the Year<br />
WINNER<br />
PPA Publisher of the Year<br />
Contributors<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong> Magazine is published by Green Pea<br />
Publishing Ltd, Ingate Place, London, UK. <strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong><br />
& <strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Arabia</strong> are published under license from<br />
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Summer is here and whether you are travelling to some romantic<br />
atoll or perhaps trying the new vogue of a staycation, <strong>Food</strong> and<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> has something for everyone. This month we explore exotic<br />
destinations in Europe, the iconic Art Weekend at Brown’s in London, a<br />
gastronomic tour around Paris with Michelin-starred chef Thierry<br />
Marx from Mandarin Oriental Paris (p84) spend lazy days in Marbella,<br />
and enjoy the hidden delights of Hamburg (p73) and I tell you about<br />
Sophia’s in Munich (p46). We talk to legendary 3 Michelin starred chefs<br />
Annie Féolde (p19) and Christian Le Squer (p69) and find out what<br />
drives Andreas Mattmüller, the COO of Mövenpick here in the Middle<br />
East (p54). Michelin starred Phil Vickery shares some secrets of tasty<br />
gluten-free cooking (p34), Peruvian Michelin maestro Virgilio Martínez<br />
talks ceviche (p98), whilst Clarissa Hyman waxes lyrical about peaches<br />
and nectarines (p22). We take a little trip to Lecce the culinary engine<br />
room of Puglia (p58) and trek to the historic town of Al Ain (p30) whilst<br />
Louise Pickford throws down a rug for that most quintessentially<br />
summer of activities “a luxurious picnic” (p40). We wel<strong>com</strong>e our latest<br />
celebrity columnist superstar chef, Ambassador of British Cuisine and<br />
all around good egg, Gary Rhodes OBE, who tells us about his foray into<br />
Lyon (p86). Finally don’t forget to make your voice heard in the <strong>2016</strong>/7<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong> Awards (p16) and have your say as to who makes it to<br />
the final – because every vote counts.<br />
Bon voyage<br />
Anisa Al Hawaj Editor<br />
Stefanie Will<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong><br />
Germany<br />
is a proud<br />
Hamburger.<br />
She’s lived in the<br />
cosmopolitan and<br />
fast-changing<br />
German city<br />
most of her life,<br />
so made the<br />
perfect writer to<br />
<strong>com</strong>pile our city<br />
guide (p73). Join<br />
her on a tour of<br />
the city’s revived<br />
riverside district<br />
and explore<br />
the restaurants<br />
that are at the<br />
forefront of<br />
German cuisine.<br />
Sudeshna Ghosh<br />
An awardwinning<br />
editor,<br />
Sudeshna has<br />
been creating<br />
food, travel and<br />
lifestyle content<br />
for over ten<br />
years, From<br />
judging culinary<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitions<br />
and prestigious<br />
restaurant<br />
awards, to<br />
numerous<br />
appearances<br />
on TV and<br />
radio. In this<br />
issue, she<br />
discovers<br />
what’s new in<br />
Dubai & Beirut<br />
Clarrissa Hyman<br />
An award-winning<br />
writer, television<br />
producer, and<br />
vice-president<br />
of the UK Guild<br />
of <strong>Food</strong> Writers,<br />
Clarissa has<br />
written four<br />
food, travel and<br />
culture books,<br />
and is a longtime<br />
contributor<br />
to the magazine.<br />
This month<br />
she shares<br />
her passion<br />
for seasonal<br />
produce and the<br />
symbol of that<br />
summer peaches<br />
& nectarines (p22)
30<br />
July <strong>2016</strong><br />
RECIPE<br />
STARTS ON PAGE 88<br />
INDEX<br />
40<br />
76<br />
88 Tuna and nectarine salad with peach liqueur<br />
dressing<br />
88 Poached peaches<br />
89 Peach Melba<br />
89 Peach and rosewater galettes<br />
90 Nectarine flatbread with coconut fudge drizzle<br />
90 Chicory & pear salad with cambozola yogurt<br />
dressing<br />
91 Apple cheesecake<br />
91 Easy sweet & sour meatballs with ginger & lime<br />
92 Barbecued whole fish with avocado & banana<br />
92 Chickpea & cumin pancakes<br />
93 Red hot chilli popcorn<br />
93 Crab tart with lemony asparagus salad<br />
94 Beef, pickled red onion, horseradish sandwich<br />
94 Pint of prawns with chipotle aïoli and lime salt<br />
95 Pea falafels with pomegranate and tomato<br />
fattoush<br />
96 Meringues with rosewater raspberries<br />
96 Beef short ribs<br />
97 Yum Talay<br />
97 Balsamic-garlic grilled beef steak with rocket<br />
salad<br />
97 Pan fried salmon with black bean sauce<br />
97 Beef steak salad with thai herb dressing<br />
18<br />
81<br />
58<br />
40<br />
46<br />
4<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
VOL 3 ISSUE 7/8 <strong>2016</strong><br />
69<br />
34<br />
AL AIN<br />
GARDEN OF THE GULF<br />
Annie Féolde<br />
The reluctant chef<br />
GARY<br />
RHODES<br />
The Carême Column<br />
Dolce Lecce<br />
Puglia’s<br />
food<br />
capital<br />
Christian Le Squer<br />
Pride of<br />
Paris<br />
DINING ALFRESCO<br />
Picnic h<strong>amp</strong>er heaven<br />
<strong>2016</strong><br />
AWARDS<br />
VOTE NOW<br />
CITY<br />
GUIDES<br />
Hamburg<br />
Osaka<br />
Sal<strong>com</strong>be<br />
Gary<br />
Rhodes<br />
The Carême<br />
Column<br />
Reviews Virgilio Martínez Peaches <strong>Travel</strong> News Phil Vickery Tried & Tasted<br />
On the cover<br />
18 Annie Féolde<br />
30 Al Ain<br />
34 Phil Vickery<br />
58 Lecce<br />
69 Christian Le Squer<br />
73 City Guides<br />
86 Gary Rhodes<br />
INSIDE<br />
22<br />
86<br />
50<br />
<strong>Food</strong> cover: Angela Dukes<br />
ARRIVALS<br />
08 <strong>Travel</strong> news Freedive in Africa, eat<br />
your way around Japan and visit<br />
some of Europe’s top festivals<br />
10 Hotel news Openings in Australia<br />
and Paris, and fresh designs<br />
in Mauritius and Mexico<br />
12 News The latest news and views<br />
from around the region<br />
18 The Carême Interview Three<br />
Michelin starred Annie Féolde; the<br />
Reluctant Chef<br />
69 Christian Le Squer Three Michelin<br />
stars and still striving for more<br />
GOURMET TRAVELS<br />
46 Sophia’s choice Fine dining in<br />
Munich’s Charles Hotel<br />
58 Well heeled A gourmet tour of<br />
Puglia’s produce capital, Lecce<br />
TRIED AND TASTED<br />
81 Hotel heaven Beirut by night, we<br />
visit the Four Seasons<br />
82 Restaurants Designer Italian at<br />
Versace, Atherton in Dubai and<br />
Emirati style<br />
84 Places to stay Lazy days in<br />
Marbella, Fine Art in London,<br />
designer chic in Dubai and Ibiza cool<br />
86 The Carême Column Ambassador<br />
of Great British Cuisine Gary Rhodes<br />
joins the team<br />
TRAVEL<br />
30 Garden of the Gulf We discover<br />
the hidden treasure of the desert<br />
73 48 hours City breaks in Hamburg,<br />
Osaka and Sal<strong>com</strong>be<br />
FOOD<br />
22 In season Peach and nectarine<br />
recipes ripe for picking<br />
35 Full of flavour Phil Vickery shares<br />
the secret of tasty gluten-free dishes<br />
40 H<strong>amp</strong>ering situation Perfect your<br />
picnic game this season<br />
50 Good cook, great food Have fun<br />
whilst you cook - good food has no<br />
boundaries<br />
PLUS<br />
16 <strong>2016</strong> Awards The shortlists are<br />
here. Get voting, now!<br />
54 Andreas Mattmüller Mövenpick’s<br />
man of action<br />
88 The collection All your favourite<br />
recipes from this issue<br />
98 After hours Lima’s Virgilio Martínez<br />
on his top restaurants and where he<br />
finds inspiration
Arriva ls<br />
News and views from the worlds of food and travel<br />
WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE...<br />
The past 150 years have been a bumpy (donkey) ride for British<br />
beach resorts. In the Victorian glory days, fashionable ladies swept<br />
along the waterfront to the sound of oompah bands, while the new<br />
railways allowed thousands of men and women to see the sea for<br />
the first time. Even Queen Victoria enjoyed a little swimming without<br />
the indignity of being spotted in her cossie thanks to a ‘bathing<br />
machine’, essentially a mobile beach hut that wheeled right into the<br />
sea. As cheap flights became readily available, the British seaside<br />
was forgotten and suffered a sharp decline. However, since 2012,<br />
the government has invested more than £120million in a bid to<br />
reverse its fortunes and in May this year, it announced it will be<br />
adding a further £90million to this princely sum. So pack your rug,<br />
make up a picnic (see our excellent recipes on p44), dig out your old<br />
deck chair and spend a thoroughly nostalgic summer exploring all<br />
the beautiful beaches that Britain has to offer.<br />
CORNWALL, THE LIZARD This peninsula basks like its namesake<br />
in the warmth of the Gulf Stream and you can soak it up from any<br />
of its 20 beaches. Go rock-pooling at Kennack Sands, explore the<br />
tiny church at Gunwalloe Cove or dive the mysterious carcasses of<br />
long-floundered ships off Porthoustock.<br />
DEVON, THE ENGLISH RIVIERA A glorious stretch of coastline<br />
with the highest concentration of Blue Flag beaches in the country.<br />
The saltwater swimming pool at Shoalstone is just the thing for<br />
nervous swimmers while Broadsands is our pick for families. Bring<br />
your spade and attempt to dig all the way to Australia (a gauntlet<br />
thrown down by generations of eager children) or collect cowrie<br />
shells and smooth sea glass along the shore.<br />
KENT, FOLKESTONE With a smattering of south-facing sandy<br />
beaches to choose from, Folkestone is our pick in the south-east.<br />
The beach zigzags below the Lower Leas Coastal Path and on a<br />
clear day you can see France from the terrace of the Mermaids<br />
Café. The town itself has emerged as a creative hub in the past<br />
decade. The lanes off the Old High Street are lined with more than<br />
300 creative businesses, from recording studios to a public art<br />
collection featuring works by Tracey Emin and Richard Wentworth.<br />
WALES, MILFORD HAVEN This small stretch in Pembrokeshire<br />
became world-famous after a terrible oil spill in 1996. Today, you’ll<br />
see little evidence of the disaster. The quiet golden sands and<br />
crystalline waters of Musselwick Sands teem with seabirds and the<br />
beaches are wilder and more rugged than their English cousins.<br />
SCOTLAND, TIREE The beaches on this beautiful Hebridean<br />
island are so fabulous that they are regularly <strong>com</strong>pared to the<br />
Caribbean for their milk-white sand. Unfortunately we can’t to vouch<br />
for the weather, although it is one of the UK’s sunniest spots.<br />
Photo by Shutterstock
Arrivals<br />
TRAVEL<br />
FESTIVAL FRENZY<br />
Europe offers a regular menu of<br />
photogenic festivals but July claims<br />
a gold star for its historical pageants,<br />
great music and adrenaline-fuelled<br />
celebrations. In Italy, you can catch<br />
galloping hooves and waving flags at<br />
Siena’s Il Palio (2nd), in Switzerland<br />
you’ll find Montreux’s lakeside<br />
jazz festival (1-16), plus opera and<br />
classical concerts in Salzburg,<br />
Austria (starting 22nd). On 17 July,<br />
Venice’s Festa del Redentore sees<br />
pyrotechnics above a lagoon dotted<br />
with boats, while Germany’s Rhine<br />
In Flames (2nd) is a fireworks<br />
spectacular. The Germans are also<br />
hosting Wagner’s Bayreuth Festival<br />
operas from 25 July, while Finland<br />
sticks its tenors and sopranos in St<br />
Olaf’s Castle in Savonlinna from<br />
8-16 July. The Basel military tattoo<br />
(21-30) attracts 500,000 visitors,<br />
while P<strong>amp</strong>lona’s running of the<br />
bulls (6-14) will test, but hopefully<br />
not puncture, your cojoñes.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong>news<br />
Tillers AND TRACKS<br />
The Trans-Siberian Railway has been on all<br />
of our bucket lists at some point and given<br />
that it’s celebrating its 100th birthday this<br />
year, there’s never been a better time to<br />
climb aboard. In honour of the centenary,<br />
Abercrombie & Kent’s Golden Eagle Trans-<br />
Siberian Express tour on 26 July includes<br />
an extra night in the mountains at Lake<br />
Baikal. The deepest lake in the world, it is<br />
best enjoyed on a private cruise, followed<br />
by a traditional sauna overlooking the water.<br />
$14,565pp. abercrombiekent.co.uk<br />
ON THE MOVE<br />
Africa’s wildebeest migration is known as the<br />
greatest journey on Earth and the hair-raising<br />
dash across the great Mara River as they<br />
dodge the jaws of crocodiles is the most epic<br />
part. Late July is the best time to see it, and<br />
with Exsus’s 13-night Masai Mara Migration<br />
tour, you’ll be in the thick of it. The adventure<br />
also includes camel trekking with Masai<br />
warriors and six nights at Diani, where you<br />
can rinse off your dusty trousers in the Indian<br />
Ocean. $7,630pp, including flights. exsus.<strong>com</strong><br />
FREE WHEELING<br />
Things that begin with B seems to be the theme at World Expeditions this<br />
summer. The brand-new Bordeaux Bike and Barge tour ($1,740) is a leisurely<br />
amble through this fabulous wine region that includes a visit to the new La Cité<br />
du Vin museum, which opened in June, and plenty of opportunities for a tipple<br />
or two. Further afield, Québec’s Blueberry Bicycle Route bounds merrily around<br />
beautiful Saint-Jean Lake. The shady forests are flecked with wild blueberries<br />
and they make their way into everything from chocolate, bread and pastries to<br />
game stews. $930pp. worldexpeditions.co.uk<br />
8<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
Photos by Italian Tourist Board; Wildebeest by Murray Macdonald;<br />
Nathan Horton; annabellabetts.<strong>com</strong>; Colin Sinclair; Ryan Murray<br />
KHMER REVOLUTIONS<br />
Siem Reap is best known as the gateway to the temple <strong>com</strong>plex of<br />
Angkor Wat. Now it has another treat for visitors: a daily four-hour<br />
cycling tour nibbling wonderful (and sometimes weird) Khmer<br />
dishes. Pedalling off as the soupy heat relents and food stalls and<br />
cafés set up for the evening, the route lets you taste everything from<br />
barbecued beef and chargrilled giant snails to edible lotus flowers,<br />
along with traditional curries and soups. The 18km ride ends with<br />
dinner in a vegetable garden hosted by locals, all washed down with<br />
rice grape and ice-cold Angkor hops. $66. grasshopperadventures.<strong>com</strong><br />
GOINGGeisha<br />
Japan’s culture can be daunting<br />
but a new tour lets independent<br />
travellers delve into the country’s<br />
south-west. The 11-day itinerary<br />
includes a stay at Mount Koya and<br />
a peek at geisha culture. $3,925pp,<br />
including ac<strong>com</strong>modation, tours<br />
and seven-day rail pass (excludes<br />
flights). insiderjourneys.co.uk<br />
WHAT LIES BENEATH?<br />
What kind of aquatic creature would you like to rub noses<br />
with on your holiday? A Mexican jackfish or a Mozambique<br />
bottlenose dolphin? How about a South African fur seal or<br />
a Maldivian manta ray? It’s all possible thanks to a range of<br />
breaks launched by freediver Hanli Prinsloo. The week-long trips<br />
<strong>com</strong>bine tuition in the sport’s basic skills with yoga – a natural<br />
partner for freediving that breeds calmness, improved breathing<br />
and increased lung capacity – and the chance to dive alongside<br />
remarkable marine creatures. You’re in safe hands. Along with<br />
Prinsloo, who has established or broken 11 South African<br />
freediving records, the instructors include swimmer Peter<br />
Marshall, who set eight world backstroke records, and topnotch<br />
film-makers, so you return with proof of your adventure.<br />
Ten days from $4,190pp with full board, ac<strong>com</strong>modation and<br />
freediving (excludes flights). hanliprinsloo.<strong>com</strong><br />
Mumbai<br />
in six stops<br />
Ian Belcher sings the praises of the<br />
city’s king crabs, Bollywood star<br />
hangouts and incredible lunch boxes<br />
1<br />
Prepare for a dazzling riot of seafood. For more<br />
than 40 years, Trishna, on one of Kala Ghoda’s<br />
labyrinthine lanes, has served lobster 13 ways,<br />
22 different crab dishes – king crab in chilli garlic is<br />
epic – and 17 types of jumbo prawn. trishna.co.in<br />
2<br />
Head<br />
to the colonial city centre for excellent<br />
shopping. Bombay Electric bombayelectric.<br />
in on Best Marg (Mumbai’s answer to Bond<br />
Street) sells everything from vintage Bollywood<br />
posters to contemporary Indian fashion. For<br />
jewellery, try D Popli & Sons in nearby Battery Street.<br />
3<br />
With its sci-fi multitiered atrium, the Oberoi<br />
Hotel offers clean monochrome design on<br />
exclusive Marine Drive with memorable views<br />
of the ocean and Queen’s Necklace – the night-time<br />
golden crescent of light along the shoreline. The<br />
contemporary rooms are a stark contrast to the city’s<br />
teeming multicoloured streets. oberoihotels.<strong>com</strong><br />
4<br />
Fancy appearing in a Bollywood movie? The<br />
morning recruitment hot spot for European<br />
extras is outside the Salvation Army Red<br />
Shield hostel on Merewether Road in the Colaba<br />
district or nearby Leopold Café leopoldcafe.<strong>com</strong><br />
where scouts hunt for fresh celluloid meat.<br />
5<br />
As bright and light as a Mediterranean café,<br />
the Olive Bar & Kitchen is punctuated with<br />
pops of colour and leafy foliage in hip Bandra.<br />
A magnet for movers, shakers, sports stars and<br />
movie types, including Salman Khan, it has a serious<br />
cellar, nifty cocktails and a TGIT night every Thursday<br />
with cutting-edge music. olivebarandkitchen.<strong>com</strong><br />
6<br />
Head<br />
to the central office district just before<br />
lunchtime and witness an extraordinary daily<br />
ritual: the dabbawallas delivering (and later<br />
collecting) more than 150,000 home-made lunches<br />
for their clients. Remarkably, deliveries are said to be<br />
99.99 per cent accurate. mumbaidabbawala.in<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
9
Arrivals<br />
HOTELS<br />
Hotel<br />
news<br />
Words by Blossom Green<br />
Things are hotting up down under with the opening of the hip<br />
Alex Hotel in Perth’s arty Northbridge neighbourhood. It <strong>com</strong>es<br />
hot on the heels of the well-received launch of Sydney’s stylish<br />
The Old Clare and it would appear that Perth’s design-savvy<br />
crowd won’t be outdone by their east coast rivals. Mere moments<br />
from the CBD, the stylish hotel is the brainchild of the epicureans<br />
behind the city’s famed food haunts Bread In Common and<br />
Hippoc<strong>amp</strong>us Metropolitan Distillery. Designed with a mind to give<br />
travellers a sense of home <strong>com</strong>fort, there are 74 rooms swathed<br />
in fine Italian linens, adorned with local hand-crafted pottery and<br />
Sodashi amenities. Many also boast private balconies. A rich<br />
colour palette chosen by designers Arent & Pyke features gutsy<br />
turquoise and navy walls alongside dusty pink and mustard<br />
furnishings, all set against angular, industrial-style geometric light<br />
fittings and pale hardwood floors. Expect artisan coffee, craft beer<br />
and fresh local produce in the lobby’s café and Shadow Wine Bar<br />
& Dining Room – a nod to the owners’ gourmet roots. To get a<br />
sense of place, the roof terrace is a great spot to watch the bustle<br />
of the vibrant area, flush with its numerous cafés and bars. And<br />
sit-up-and-beg-style Lekker bikes are free for guests to borrow for<br />
jaunts further afield and around town. alexhotel.<strong>com</strong>.au<br />
Clockwise from<br />
top left: view of the<br />
beach at Shangri-La<br />
Le Touessrok; Villa<br />
One at One&Only<br />
Palmilla; interior<br />
of the Shangri-<br />
La villas; luxury<br />
design at Le Roch;<br />
the roof terrace at<br />
Alex Hotel; its chic<br />
reception; relaxing<br />
outside with a drink<br />
In the ever-chic style capital of Paris,<br />
Le Roch leroch-hotel.<strong>com</strong> – the latest<br />
addition to Design Hotel’s stable – is<br />
flinging open its doors. Saturated in<br />
elegance, the 37-room boutique hotel<br />
tickles the Louvre from its address in<br />
the first arrondissement. Matching the<br />
top-rate location, interiors by Parisian<br />
designer Sarah Lavoine celebrate<br />
feminine, pastel hues of sage, chartreuse<br />
and milky green. Plush sofas, Carrara<br />
marble and walnut flooring finish the<br />
look. It’s the Francophile’s ultimate<br />
pied-à-terre. Keep your eyes peeled for<br />
hotel chef Arnaud Faye, a rising star in<br />
the Saint-Honoré food scene. There’s<br />
reason to swoon in sunny Mauritius as<br />
the exclusive Shangri-La Le Touessrok<br />
shangri-la.<strong>com</strong> which saw a lauded<br />
relaunch a few months ago, has unveiled<br />
three new Mediterranean-inspired beach<br />
villas. Skirting the Indian Ocean, each of<br />
the 423sq m villas has three bedrooms,<br />
an infinity pool with outstanding coastal<br />
views and a private beach. Super-luxe<br />
Villa One at Mexico’s One&Only Palmilla<br />
oneandonlyresorts.<strong>com</strong> is also a top<br />
pick for the season. Bang on-trend, the<br />
two-storey, light-filled, four-bedroom<br />
villa, <strong>com</strong>plete with infinite vistas and<br />
glistening pool, is set in lush gardens.<br />
OPENINGS IN… AUSTRALIA FRANCE MAURITIUS MEXICO
Come explore the legendary world of gourmet Indian cuisine<br />
at Maharaja East by Vineet. Michelin star winner and patron<br />
chef Vineet Bhatia’s fusion of traditional ingredients with a<br />
fresh, contemporary presentation makes Maharaja East by<br />
Vineet deliciously innovative. Elegantly simple yet classic<br />
design, live cooking performances, exquisite service and a<br />
range of delightful dishes make this the ultimate destination<br />
for a culinary journey.<br />
Maharaja East by Vineet<br />
Tahlia Road, Prince Mohammed 5<br />
P.O. Box 8539, Riyadh 11492, K.S.A<br />
Phone +966 11 464 1111 | +966 11 464 6161<br />
www.maharajaeast.<strong>com</strong><br />
Maharaja East by Vineet and Saudi’s finest dining.
FOUR SEASONS ABU DHABI AT AL MARYAH ISLAND UAE<br />
One of the latest additions to Abu Dhabi’s luxury hotel scene, the<br />
Four Seasons Hotel at Al Maryah Island is located in a soaring<br />
34-storey steel and glass waterfront edifice that enjoys stunning<br />
views over the City Skyline and shimmering azure waters of the<br />
<strong>Arabia</strong>n Gulf. The hotel has six exciting restaurants and lounges,<br />
the Dahlia Spa, Lido two ballrooms to serve the 200 spacious<br />
rooms and suites that reflect Four Seasons’ renowned luxury,<br />
understated elegance and chic style.<br />
Whether you traveling from abroad or looking for a great place for<br />
your staycation Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi is offering a<br />
summer of entertainment, activities and surprises for the whole<br />
family. Let the kids enjoy cooking classes at Crust, the Four<br />
Seasons Abu Dhabi market-inspired neighbourhood restaurant,<br />
where they can bake warm breads, pastries and pizzas to treat<br />
their families in this relaxing waterside spot. Perhaps you could take<br />
advantage of the babysitting services while you indulge yourself at<br />
the Dahlia Spa or dine at one of the hotel’s speciality restaurants.<br />
Take in the Al Maryah Island social scene and try the Mixology<br />
Classes at Zsa Zsa the hotel’s sophisticated bar.<br />
The Summer Season Package - Stay 3 nights, receive the 4th<br />
night free; Parents travelling with children can enjoy 50% off the<br />
Best Available Rate of the second room; children up to 12 years old<br />
enjoy <strong>com</strong>plimentary meals when dining with their parents; and<br />
families are guaranteed early check in and late check out<br />
Kid’s Kitchen Cooking Classes (for children up to 12 years old)<br />
are offered at Crust on Saturday 16th July and Saturday 20th July<br />
from 2pm. Prior booking required<br />
Zsa Zsa Shake Up Mixology Classes are offered on<br />
Wednesday 13th July and Wednesday 17th August from 7pm.<br />
Prior booking required<br />
Available until Sunday 11th September <strong>2016</strong> to discover the full<br />
details visit www.fourseasons.<strong>com</strong>/Abudhabi<br />
Scape Restaurant & Bar BURJ AL ARAB DUBAI<br />
Offering innovative Californian fusion cuisine from chef Timur Fazilov (Zuma Dubai<br />
and Catch Abu Dhabi), Scape Restaurant & Bar found on the newly opened Burj Al<br />
Arab Terrace is an exciting addition to the Dubai restaurant scene. Open for lunch<br />
and dinner Scape offers both indoor and outdoor seating, shisha and an outdoor bar.<br />
Signature dishes include Hamachi Crudo, with ponzu, pistachio together with citrus<br />
zest, shallot rings and olives; Scallop Tiradito with tiger milk, apple and red radish;<br />
and Slow Roasted Wagyu Short Ribs with pomelo, candied peanut, Swiss chard and<br />
pave potato. FJ<br />
Scape Restaurant & Bar is open for lunch from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, dinner from 6pm<br />
to 11pm and Shisha from 12pm. The sharing style dishes start from $18. Booking is<br />
required for all guests including hotel guests, Burj Al Arab members, and non-hotel<br />
guests via Burj Al Arab Restaurants Reservations.<br />
Email BAARestaurants@jumeirah.<strong>com</strong> or call +971 4 301 7600.<br />
12<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
Arrivals<br />
NEWS<br />
RAFFLES SEYCHELLES<br />
Nestled in the Indian Ocean, the island of Praslin home to<br />
natural wonders such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site<br />
of Vallée de Mai, and Anse Lazio. Rated as one of the best<br />
beaches in the world, Anse Lazio is located just minutes<br />
from Raffles Seychelles. Featuring spacious villas, each with<br />
a private plunge pool and outdoor pavilion, and breathtaking<br />
views across the turquoise ocean waters, white sandy<br />
beaches and lush green hills, Raffles is the perfect destination<br />
for anyone looking for an idyllic getaway. Dining at Raffles<br />
Seychelles <strong>com</strong>bines the best of Seychellois culture and<br />
cuisine with dishes from around the world, and Raffles Spa,<br />
located steps away from the coastline of Anse Takamaka,<br />
offers ocean views from its treatment pavilions. NB<br />
Enjoy a special Eid getaway offer that includes 20% discount<br />
on the Villa rates, and includes breakfast each day in the<br />
Losean restaurant. Prices start from $490 per night after<br />
discount. Offer is valid for stays until September 30th <strong>2016</strong>.<br />
To find out more visit www.raffles.<strong>com</strong>/praslin or contact<br />
praslin@raffles.<strong>com</strong> +248 429 6000<br />
CIPRIANI DUBAI<br />
Since Giuseppe Cipriani founded the famed Harry’s<br />
Bar in Venice, Italy in 1931 Cipriani has be<strong>com</strong>e one<br />
of the most celebrated names on the lips of diners<br />
around the globe. Today Cipriani has locations in many<br />
of the great cities of the world, from London & New<br />
York to Hong Kong & Mexico City; and of course this<br />
year Dubai too.<br />
Located in the DIFC, Cipriani Dubai is a celebration<br />
of its traditional Venetian maritime heritage with large<br />
linen curtains and brown leather chairs designed by<br />
Florentine architect Michele Bonan. Whether you dine<br />
outside on the terrace or the classic dining room on<br />
the upper deck or just relax in the intimate bar on the<br />
lower floor with a Harry’s Bar Bellini before you savour<br />
the culinary standards such as Baked Tagliolini, Calf’s<br />
Liver alla Veneziana, Seppioline in Tecia, Carpaccio, or<br />
Torta Di Cioccolato, Cipriani Dubai certainly lives up to<br />
it’s illustrious name. NB<br />
www.cipriani.<strong>com</strong> dubai@cipriani.<strong>com</strong> +971 434<br />
70003 Open every day Noon till 2am<br />
HOTEL CAFÉ ROYAL LONDON<br />
Located in the heart of London, the Café Royal has been<br />
an iconic landmark on London’s social scene, for over<br />
a century, now reincarnated as a luxury hotel, Hotel<br />
Café Royal has fast be<strong>com</strong>e a firm favourite with both locals<br />
and visitors alike. This summer, Hotel Café Royal will launch<br />
an exclusive pop-up in collaboration with London’s illustrious<br />
Harrods.<br />
From the end of Ramadan, The Pompadour Ballroom will<br />
be transformed into an extension of the Mezzah Lounge at<br />
Harrods. Inspired by the food and culture of the Middle East;<br />
a setting reminiscent of a French palace, gilded in the style of<br />
Louis XVI, adorned with chaises-longues, sumptuous sofas and<br />
embroidered cushions.<br />
Hotel Café Royal’s Diwania Lounge will serve traditional<br />
Middle Eastern dishes such as hot and cold meze, grilled<br />
chicken skewers, marinated lamb cutlets and tagine, as<br />
well as delicious delicacies like baklava and Turkish delight;<br />
<strong>com</strong>plimented by a selection of international cuisine from the<br />
hotel’s own culinary team, under the guidance of Head Chef,<br />
Armand Sablon.<br />
You can spend your evening on the terrace, with panoramic<br />
views of Regents Street, whilst enjoying mint tea and shisha, in<br />
the stunning setting of Mayfair’s historic buildings and elegant<br />
architecture.<br />
This exceptional Middle Eastern lounge is available by<br />
confirmed reservation and invitation only or to guests of the<br />
hotel’s suites. Email diwania@hotelcaferoyal.<strong>com</strong> for further<br />
information. Open from 15th July until 31st August <strong>2016</strong>, until<br />
3am daily.<br />
For hotel reservations please contact +44 207 406 3322<br />
or via email reservations@hotelcaferoyal.<strong>com</strong> or visit www.<br />
hotelcaferoyal.<strong>com</strong><br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
13
Arrivals<br />
NEWS<br />
BAZXAR DUBAI<br />
Located at the DIFC, Bazxar is an exciting addition to<br />
the Dubai scene; ‘food-market-restaurant-wine-bar’<br />
Bazxar takes you on a no-nonsense culinary approach<br />
to fine food. The industrial interior space has an eclectic<br />
mix of contemporary art, natural materials, metals and<br />
designer leather furnishings, which is as varied as the<br />
cuisine.<br />
Experience steamed buns, aromatic soups and<br />
noodles at the Vietnamese station; burgers and hotdogs<br />
at the Meat District or grab an espresso and viennoiserie<br />
from the bakery and coffee counter, before you chill to<br />
the music in the lounge. Bazxar offers a warm wel<strong>com</strong>e<br />
and unique dining experience. FJ<br />
Visit www.bazxar.<strong>com</strong> or call +971 4 355 1111 to<br />
discover more<br />
105 BY LA CANTINE IBIZA<br />
An exciting new concept from the team at La Cantine du<br />
Faubourg has launched in the home to summer chic Ibiza in<br />
Spain’s Balearic islands 105 by La Cantine; a Riviera-style<br />
150-seat terrace, by the mega-yacht port with “105 Suites@<br />
MarinaMagna” above: offering 7 private designer apartments<br />
that enjoy every modern refinement and <strong>com</strong>fortable<br />
furnishings, at one of the most exclusive addresses on the<br />
island. Inspired by the nostalgia of the French Riviera and<br />
the elegance of the 60’s the décor of 105 by La Cantine is a<br />
classic mix of white facades, with large windows overlooking<br />
the blue-green waters of the Mediterranean and a long<br />
terrace punctuated with soaring palm trees; <strong>com</strong>fortable<br />
banquettes, marble tables and a large awning provide the<br />
perfect spot enjoy a an intimate meal or just relax with a glass<br />
of bubbly and a cigar. FJ<br />
Opening 7 days a week, from 8 am to 2 am Marina<br />
Magna – Dalt Vila – Port of Ibiza Tel + 34 971 098 897<br />
book@105bylacantine.<strong>com</strong> www.105bylacantine.<strong>com</strong><br />
PALAZZO PARIGI<br />
MILAN<br />
Located in the vibrant heart of Milan just steps away from the fashion district and<br />
the famed La Scala Opera House, Palazzo Parigi Hotel & Grand Spa is a celebration<br />
Italian style with its rich wood, marble, ornate décor and century-old garden. The<br />
Gourmet Restaurant offers an enchanting neoclassical space for a refined dinner<br />
and Caffè Parigi is open daily for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, the intimate<br />
historical garden is available for drinks; a relaxing setting and fresh oasis in the heart<br />
of Milan.<br />
Experience 5 Star luxury at Palazzo Parigi with their special Eid package, featuring<br />
special discounts on room rates and a host of other benefits. Enjoy discounts of<br />
up to 25% on room rates, early check-in and late check-out, 10% discount on spa<br />
treatments; with prices starting at $445 per night for a two-night stay in a classic<br />
room plus taxes – available until August 31st <strong>2016</strong>. www.palazzoparigi.<strong>com</strong><br />
14<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
It’s here! The shortlists for the GCC Awards. Be sure to have your say, by voting for your<br />
food and travel favourites at foodandtravel.<strong>com</strong>/vote<br />
Over the past two months, we’ve been asking you to<br />
nominate your favourites in the world of food and travel<br />
– and boy, did you deliver! From literally thousands of<br />
entries our expert panel has <strong>com</strong>piled the voting shortlist for the<br />
main categories for the <strong>2016</strong>/7 Awards, which you’ll find on our<br />
website, foodandtravel.me. Now <strong>com</strong>es the really fun part – voting<br />
to decide the finalists for the categories mentioned (the other<br />
categories will be decided by the expert panel from amongst the<br />
finalists you choose)<br />
Now it’s the voting round to decide who will go through to the<br />
final rounds to judged by the expert panel. Simply go online and<br />
choose your favourites from the shortlisted candidates.<br />
So whether it’s the tour operator that’s given you the experience<br />
of a lifetime, a hotel that’s gone the extra mile to make your<br />
stay special, or an unforgettable meal from that exciting new<br />
restaurant, visit foodandtravel.<strong>com</strong> now and get voting – because<br />
it’s you who decides their fate.<br />
The country winners will be announced in December <strong>2016</strong> and<br />
the overall GCC Winners will announced at a Gala Dinner at the<br />
end of January 2017<br />
So whether it is your favourite restaurant, hotel or café – you<br />
can vote in as many or as few categories as you wish – now is the<br />
time to make sure you register your vote.<br />
A big thanks for your initial nominations. And don’t forget, even<br />
if you didn’t get involved first time around, you can still make your<br />
voice heard, by helping to pick the finalists.<br />
HOW TO<br />
VOTE<br />
Visit<br />
www.gcctourismawards.<strong>com</strong><br />
or email<br />
info@foodandtravelarabia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Voting ends<br />
24 September <strong>2016</strong><br />
You may vote for one candidate<br />
in each category.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
17
18<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
THE INTERVIEW<br />
The RELUCTANT chef<br />
The first female chef in Italy to earn three Michelin stars, French-born Chef Annie Féolde<br />
fell into a career she had been long running away from. Here’s her story…<br />
You can’t escape destiny. No matter how much you run<br />
away from something, if you’re destined to do it, you<br />
will eventually be drawn to it. Annie Féolde is one such<br />
destiny’s child. She was born in Nice, France into a family of<br />
hoteliers. Having seen the impact of such a strenuous career on<br />
her family, she knew early on she would never follow this path.<br />
“My grandparents were both owners of hotels. And my parents<br />
worked at the Négresco Hotel in Nice. So I was surrounded<br />
by good food and grape. I liked it from the beginning, and<br />
gained good knowledge too. But I didn’t want to do take it up<br />
professionally because it was difficult as a job. You have to work<br />
long hours; you’re responsible for many people. And if you have<br />
to run a restaurant, you have the responsibility of good food too.<br />
These days, people are more delicate than they used to be, so<br />
you additionally have to worry about cooking to suit the many<br />
allergies they may have. Plus, there is no time for a private life. It<br />
was pure chance that I did it later in Florence,” shares Féolde.<br />
She first began working as a postwoman in a Parisian post<br />
office, but she quickly figured this wasn’t for her and set out<br />
to learn different languages in Europe. “I went to London to<br />
learn English for a year. Then I came to Florence in 1969 to<br />
learn Italian. I wanted to study both languages and improve my<br />
pronunciations and knowledge of them. I loved travelling, so I<br />
thought of doing something in the tourism sector,” she says.<br />
“But in Florence, I met Giorgio Pinchiorri (her husband) and fell<br />
in love. He was a sommelier, serving grape in an elegant way. I<br />
thought the food he served with the wine wasn’t a good match.<br />
So, I started cooking a few bite-sized dishes to <strong>com</strong>plement the<br />
vino. Soon, we became Enoteca Pinchiorri. I inevitably got into<br />
a career I had for long tried to avoid. Though I wouldn’t have<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e a chef had I not met Giorgio,” Féolde reveals.<br />
Annie’s journey from French cuisine to Italian was oddly<br />
amusing, scary and filled with surprises. “I didn’t know about<br />
Italian food at all. Initially, the choice to start cooking Italian food<br />
instead of French (which I knew well) was borne out of necessity.<br />
“Since I was cooking in Florence, we had several guests from<br />
different countries keen on trying Italian cuisine. I didn’t have a<br />
choice but to learn a new style of cooking; I had to accept where<br />
I was now. Once I opened up, I discovered that Italy is full of<br />
wonderful ingredients and traditions.”<br />
Her first bit of success in this new cuisine came when she<br />
had to cook for a group of chefs from France and journalists<br />
from Italy at an event. Understandably, it was a nerve-wracking<br />
experience. “I tried my best and created a menu featuring<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 19
THE INTERVIEW<br />
ANNIE FÉOLDE<br />
‘Receiving a Michelin star is so important; you feel you are<br />
at the top of your game with the acknowledgment of those<br />
who value good food’<br />
Previous page: Artisan<br />
restaurant interior; Capesante<br />
Alla Plancha Purea di Ceci al<br />
Rosmarino e Crema di<br />
Cipollotti. This page,<br />
clockwise, left to right:<br />
Chef Annie Féolde; Artisan<br />
restaurant dining area;<br />
Spaghetti alla Chitarra con<br />
Frutti di Mare; Gamberi Rossi<br />
Profumati al Basilico;<br />
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina e di<br />
Suoi Fagioli<br />
traditional Italian dishes. At the end of the evening, everyone<br />
said it was fantastic food and that it had been an unexpectedly<br />
surprising meal. I was ecstatic! It was a turning point for me.<br />
From that moment on, I felt a lot more <strong>com</strong>fortable with the<br />
cuisine,” Féolde explains.<br />
Enoteca soon became a raging success decked with a flurry<br />
of Michelin stars. It won its first in 1981, the second a year later<br />
and an elusive third in 1993. This made Féolde the first woman in<br />
Italy to receive three Michelin stars; a feat very few female chefs<br />
have achieved. “Receiving a Michelin star is so important; you<br />
feel you are at the top of your game with the acknowledgment<br />
of those who value good food.” But tragedy struck shortly after<br />
when a fire tore down a huge part of the restaurant and the<br />
cellar. Unfortunately, the fire also took with it their third Michelin<br />
star. Féolde recounts the incident, “It was devastating that we<br />
lost so much in that fire. It all happened due to the insurance<br />
fiasco. We had to fight for the insurance for two years because<br />
no one at the insurance <strong>com</strong>pany could figure out what had<br />
happened and how the fire originated. It seems the Michelin<br />
inspectors came to our restaurant while we weren’t present<br />
as we were running around aiming to resolve the insurance<br />
problem. We later found out that the people at Michelin felt we<br />
were too busy to attend to our restaurant since we had just<br />
opened one in Tokyo the same year. And so we lost the third<br />
star. We couldn’t do anything to explain because the Michelin<br />
inspections are always anonymous. They base their judgments<br />
on what they see. We were so upset; all our hard work had gone<br />
to waste. We began to condemn each other. But slowly we<br />
trudged forward and decided to keep doing better and better.<br />
Eventually, we got the star back after nine years because they<br />
took a long time to find out there was in fact an accident and we<br />
have improved our style. We are the only ones in Italy to get the<br />
star back, which is very unusual.”<br />
Much like her career, Féolde’s arrival in Dubai was also a<br />
matter of fate. Last month saw the opening of The Artisan,<br />
by Enoteca Pinchiorri at Dubai’s DIFC. An elegant space with<br />
minimalistic interiors, The Artisan features gourmet Italian food<br />
with an exhaustive collection of grape. “It was a surprise really.<br />
I did a food promotion in Abu Dhabi five years ago cooking<br />
at Mezzaluna at the Emirates Palace. There were many chefs<br />
from several different countries who were also a part of it. After<br />
I finished my job, I passed by Dubai. It was a very busy city.<br />
And that was it. I thought I’d never return seeing how hot it was.<br />
But then when we met Firaz and his brother Hassan Fawaz<br />
(the owners of The Artisan). They suggested the opening of<br />
The Artisan. It seemed like a good opportunity to help people<br />
understand Italian cuisine better. So I said, let’s do it. Let’s try.<br />
And I’m glad I did.”<br />
20<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
Enjoy European Peach!<br />
As an exclusively summer, cool, juicy, and full of<br />
flavor fruit, the peach is considered as the fruit of<br />
purity and immortality, according to some Eastern<br />
traditions.<br />
The peach is ideal for those watching their diet, since<br />
it is low in calories, and high in vitamins.<br />
<strong>Food</strong> safety is a top priority for Europe.<br />
¬ The Peach Growers Associations that take part in the implementation<br />
of this program perform tests in privately-owned laboratories, to<br />
ensure thus the safety and quality of the products sold to consumers<br />
in the international market.<br />
www.peachgarden.eu<br />
CAMPAIGN FINANCED WITH AID FROM<br />
THE EUROPEAN UNION AND GREECE
PEACHES<br />
& NECTARINES<br />
Plump and juicy, there’s<br />
something seductive<br />
about this stone fruit.<br />
Clarissa Hyman takes you<br />
through her first time<br />
experiencing its virtues<br />
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING: LINDA TUBBY.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY AND PROP STYLING:<br />
ANGELA DUKES<br />
22<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
TUNA AND NECTARINE SALAD WITH<br />
PEACH LIQUEUR DRESSING<br />
IN SEASON<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 23
POACHED PEACHES<br />
IN SEASON<br />
I<br />
tasted my first golden-pink nectarine on a<br />
trip to San Francisco more years ago than<br />
I care to admit. I was still an unadventurous<br />
food explorer: it was not that long since I<br />
realised tinned sliced peaches actually<br />
came from fruit-bearing trees.<br />
Velvety peaches were my Californian fruit<br />
of choice but was the nectarine a peach<br />
or a plum with attitude? They are, in fact,<br />
a smooth-skinned variety of peach of<br />
mysterious origin that first appeared in<br />
Britain in the early part of the 17th century.<br />
The name possibly <strong>com</strong>es from German<br />
and Dutch words meaning nectar-peach.<br />
So alike are peaches and nectarines that<br />
peach trees can sometimes spontaneously<br />
produce nectarines and vice versa.<br />
Peaches were born in the mountain<br />
‘So alike are<br />
peaches and<br />
nectarines that<br />
peach trees<br />
can sometimes<br />
produce<br />
nectarines<br />
and vice versa’<br />
valleys and upland forests of central Asia.<br />
They need both summer sunshine and<br />
winter cool. Their natural home is in a<br />
temperate climate; they fail to thrive in and,<br />
in fact, detest the tropics.<br />
Wild peaches were already cultivated<br />
in China around 2,000BC. On his travels,<br />
Marco Polo saw yellow and white peaches,<br />
‘great delicacies’, for sale<br />
24<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
CHERRY AND ROSE<br />
PETALJAM WITH SCONES<br />
F&T WINE MATCH<br />
Restrained, lingering but<br />
fresh, pear drop tinged<br />
South African chardonnay<br />
(eg 2012 The Agnes,<br />
PEACH MELBA<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 118<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 25
PEACH AND ROSEWATER GALETTES<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
Wit&<br />
wisdom<br />
Peach Melba was created by<br />
French chef Auguste Escoffier, who<br />
named it in honour of Australian<br />
soprano Dame Nellie Melba.<br />
In China, peaches symbolise a<br />
long and healthy life.<br />
The bellini (ch<strong>amp</strong>agne and puréed<br />
white peaches) was invented at<br />
Harry’s Bar in Venice in the Thirties.<br />
To peel a furry-skinned peach,<br />
drop into boiling water then plunge<br />
into cold water. Slip off the skins.<br />
Peach stones were found in<br />
a 2nd-century site near the old<br />
Billingsgate Fish Market.<br />
‘weighing fully two small pounds apiece.’<br />
They were also much prized, as a Chinese<br />
proverb suggests: ‘Rather one bite of a<br />
peach than eat a basketful of apricots’.<br />
Their Latin name, Prunus persica, traces<br />
their spread to Persia and Asia Minor and<br />
it’s likely they arrived in Greece during the<br />
4th century BC as a result of Alexander the<br />
Great’s Asian c<strong>amp</strong>aigns.<br />
In Britain, the peach was re-established<br />
in the 16th century after cultivation all but<br />
disappeared during the Dark Ages. In the<br />
same century, the Spaniards took the<br />
peach to America. Nowadays, California<br />
produces about half the American crop,<br />
followed by South Carolina, Georgia (The<br />
Peach State) and New Jersey.<br />
The ‘fuzz-less’ peach was first noted in<br />
France in medieval times. And by 1629,<br />
there were six varieties in England.<br />
Poet John Keats wrote of the sensual,<br />
self-indulgent pleasure of eating a nectarine<br />
– ‘It went down all pulpy, slushy, oozy – all<br />
its delicious embonpoint melted down my<br />
throat like a large, beatified strawberry.’<br />
However, both fruits were a luxury<br />
in northern Europe until canning and<br />
refrigerated transport brought them to the<br />
masses. Tinned peaches have a different<br />
flavour to fresh but they can still be good.<br />
Nectarines, curiously, lose their distinctive<br />
qualities when canned.<br />
In this country, according to gardening<br />
writer Sarah Raven, peaches are most<br />
successfully grown in East Anglia and the<br />
south-east. Nectarines are much trickier.<br />
There are two categories of peach:<br />
clingstone peaches have pulp that sticks<br />
to the stone; freestone varieties have<br />
flesh that pulls away easily. Each includes<br />
fruit with yellow and white flesh. There are<br />
many named cultivars, including Doughnut,<br />
which has a sunken middle and a sweet<br />
flavour with a hint of almond.<br />
Pêches de vigne are small red-fleshed<br />
fruits from the vineyards of the Rhône Valley<br />
and only only available for a few weeks.<br />
Spanish Calanda peaches are large, firm<br />
and sweet, hand-wrapped in waxed paper<br />
bags as the fruit matures on the tree.<br />
Fresh peaches and nectarines in their<br />
prime are so good that it seems a shame to<br />
cook them but you can poach them in wine<br />
or incorporate them into pies. Celebrated<br />
chef Michael Caines re<strong>com</strong>mends<br />
pancakes with roasted peaches, nectarines<br />
and lavender honey. But they need not be<br />
limited to sweet dishes. James Tanner has<br />
a recipe for seared scallops with nectarine<br />
and chilli, while Nick Nairn suggests<br />
luxurious sautéed pork with peaches, white<br />
wine, cream and herbs.<br />
Unfortunately, many supermarkets sell<br />
fruit that has been picked too early: the<br />
problem is that if too soft, the peach will<br />
spoil quickly. It makes finding the perfect<br />
peach even more of a prize.<br />
There is a Sino-Tibetan 16th-century<br />
altar cloth that depicts a goddess offering<br />
peaches to the buddhas of meditation. It<br />
reminds me of my fruit epiphany centuries<br />
and continents later – and the erotically<br />
charged moment of consumption.<br />
26<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
NECTARINE<br />
FLATBREAD WITH<br />
COCONUT FUDGE<br />
DRIZZLE AND<br />
SWEET LABNEH<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 27
Al Ain:<br />
Garden of the Gulf<br />
30 FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
WORLD TRAVELLER<br />
ABU DHABI<br />
Dubai has gleaming glass skyscrapers and Abu Dhabi<br />
has grand mosques and palaces, but the UAE has more<br />
to offer so <strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong> asked Joe Worthington to<br />
take a journey through the mesmerising tree-lined desert<br />
oasis and traditional <strong>Arabia</strong>n heritage of Al Ain, the garden<br />
of the Gulf.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
31
Imagine walking through the secluded desert as the hot midday<br />
sunbeams pinch at your face, and the deafening silence is broken<br />
only by the distant call of an Oryx shouting to its mate. As the<br />
rippling smoky heat rays drop down over the endless orange sands<br />
of the dunes, suddenly row after row of green date palm tree enter<br />
into sight. The splashing of water trickling through the 3,000 year<br />
old falaj irrigation channels echoes all around like a siren call luring<br />
weary travellers deep into the middle of the narrow winding<br />
walkways of the oasis. The towering yellow stone towers of the Al<br />
Jahili Fort cast shadows as the daylight turns to darkness. Come<br />
along on a journey into the history and nature of Al Ain, the Gulf’s<br />
rarest gem.<br />
Al Ain is one of the world’s oldest inhabited settlements; once<br />
home to Bedouin tribesmen who lived off their camels, miles from<br />
their coastal Khaleeji brothers, who traded with the outside world.<br />
The towering glass skyscrapers that line the coast of Dubai, and the<br />
gleaming white Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the national capital<br />
of Abu Dhabi are just afterthoughts when in Al Ain. Miles of endless<br />
sand dunes and arid desert plants that provide much needed<br />
shade for rare wildlife from the scorching midday sun separate the<br />
garden city from the usual tourist hotspots in the United Arab<br />
Emirates.<br />
This rare, and may I suggest, secluded town has developed a<br />
unique culture of its very own. Over the years, ancient ruins,<br />
medieval irrigation systems, and modern luxury hotels and<br />
attractions have <strong>com</strong>bined to create a haven in the middle of the<br />
desert, where both luxury seekers and history buffs will feel right at<br />
home.<br />
Al Ain Oasis<br />
Al Ain didn’t get its name the “Garden of the Gulf” for nothing. As<br />
you travel along the road from Dubai or Abu Dhabi the light of the<br />
day suddenly gets darker, and the chill of the shadows flows<br />
through your hair. Over 1,200 hectares of date palm trees gets<br />
closer and closer as you approach the town. The noise of cars and<br />
people talking gets gradually quieter, replaced by the sound of<br />
silence, only broken by the soothing calls of an eagle or two and an<br />
Oryx bleating, lost in the maze of 147,000 towering palms.<br />
The gentle splashing of water trickling through the 3,000 year old<br />
wooden irrigation channels (falaj) creates an atmosphere unlike<br />
anywhere else in the world. Follow these water channels to<br />
navigate your way around this confusing network of trees. Local<br />
farmers dressed from head to toe in gleaming white dishdasha<br />
(robe) and keffiyeh (headdress) can often be seen carrying basket<br />
after basket full of deep red dates that they have picked from the<br />
palms. Yellow stone walls, intricately carved with traditional <strong>Arabia</strong>n<br />
diamond and star shapes, protect the wealth of families who have<br />
lived in the middle of the oasis for thousands of years. The beautiful<br />
lush greenery of Al Ain oasis hides many of the Gulf’s hidden<br />
treasures.<br />
Al Jahili Fort<br />
Nowhere is more grand and luxurious than the picturesque castlelike<br />
Al Jahili Fort. This sandy orange fortress was built in 1891 by<br />
the British to defend the important date farms when Al Ain was<br />
under the British protectorate of the former Trucial States. As you<br />
walk through the domineering heavy wooden doors that guard the<br />
multi-layered towers of Al Jahili. As you climb up the many stone<br />
steps to the top of the 4-storey tower at the centre of this fortress,<br />
the ghosts of the past <strong>com</strong>e to life. Imagine the echoes of<br />
thousands of soldiers parading through the grounds surrounding<br />
the fort, their stomps and shouts ringing through the hot air.<br />
The triangular pointed reinforced walls of Al Jahili protect hidden<br />
rooms that once guarded gold and countless weapons worth<br />
millions of dollars. From atop the tower of the fortress you can see<br />
the endless rows of date palms over the horizon, and the luxury<br />
hotels and palaces that are scattered across Al Ain. This landmark<br />
of the <strong>Arabia</strong>n Desert now houses an exhibition detailing the travels<br />
of Sir Wilfred Thesiger (locally known as Mubarak Bin London), the<br />
first British adventurer to cross the deadly Rub Al Khali (Empty<br />
Quarter) desert.<br />
Picture the grand banquets that were once hosted in the grounds<br />
of the fortress when it was home to British Governors stationed in<br />
Al Ain to protect this vital settlement.<br />
32<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
WORLD TRAVELLER<br />
ABU DHABI<br />
Clockwise, left to right, top:<br />
Abu Dhabi dunes; sunset over<br />
Al Ain desert; camel market;<br />
date palm; colourful spices in<br />
Al Ain Souq; Abu Dhabi<br />
mosque; flamingos;<br />
Mubazarrah Mountain; Tower<br />
of Jahili Fort; Al Ain cliffs<br />
Qasr Al Muwaiji<br />
In 1946 the first President of a unified United Arab<br />
Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al<br />
Nahyan, established his diwan (governing council) in this,<br />
his family home since his birth. The smooth sand coloured<br />
walls of this palace, with its towering entrance and<br />
<strong>Arabia</strong>n style carvings truly are luxurious.<br />
The ancient walls surround a gleaming glass building,<br />
which houses an homage to the former President of the<br />
Federation. Black marble floors and water fountains give<br />
visitors a small insight into what it must be like to live in the<br />
Federal Palace in Abu Dhabi – the luxury and wealth is<br />
literally covering the walls in the form of priceless paintings<br />
and murals to the nation.<br />
Al Ain Camel Market<br />
Not exactly luxurious I hear you say, spending your day in<br />
a hot, smelly, dusty and hectic market at the edge of Al<br />
Ain. But this is where some of the richest and most<br />
powerful sheikhs from across the Arab world <strong>com</strong>e to buy<br />
racing camels that could make them even wealthier.<br />
Thousands of camels stand tightly packed into pens, both<br />
mature and babies, waiting to be snapped up by the<br />
wealthy buyers who think they might have found something<br />
special in one of these caravans of the desert.<br />
Haggling is all part of the fun, and typically <strong>Arabia</strong>n.<br />
Arrive in the morning and watch as buyers shout out<br />
numbers in Arabic, getting more vigorous as the day goes<br />
on. This is a great place to get an insight into traditional<br />
<strong>Arabia</strong>n culture, but if you don’t learn anything else, you<br />
will definitely leave with a newfound knowledge of Arabic<br />
numbers.<br />
This UNESCO town is at the heart of the United Arab<br />
Emirates, where ancient traditions meet the luxury of the<br />
modern day; to find out more visit visitabudhabi.ae<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 33
Acclaimed Michelin starred chef Phil Vickery shows us that Gluten-Free<br />
doesn’t mean flavour free<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
RED HOT CHILLI POPCORN<br />
This spicy popcorn isn’t for the fainthearted,<br />
but it is very moreish<br />
34<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
FOOD FOCUS<br />
CHICKPEA & CUMIN PANCAKES WITH<br />
TOMATOES, RED ONION & CORIANDER<br />
You can serve these pancakes with spicy mango<br />
chutney and thick yogurt, but they’re also good<br />
with tomato salsa.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 35
FOOD FOCUS<br />
BARBECUED WHOLE FISH WITH<br />
AVOCADO & BANANA<br />
The Brazilians love avocado, which<br />
they eat it with sugar and other sweet<br />
ac<strong>com</strong>paniments. Here is a dish I created<br />
using local fresh fish stuffed with banana,<br />
garlic and honey avocado<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
36<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
FOOD FOCUS<br />
EASY SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS<br />
WITH GINGER & LIME<br />
The mayonnaise in these meatballs<br />
helps to keep them juicy but not<br />
fatty, while the vegetables are<br />
seasoned with tamari, honey and<br />
pepper, with no additional salt. Enjoy<br />
them lightly chilled in a salad<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 37
FOOD FOCUS<br />
APPLE CHEESECAKE<br />
This is a very light cheesecake that’s<br />
easy to make. The apple really gives<br />
the dessert a lift. I use gluten-free<br />
shortbread, but any gluten-free<br />
biscuit or cookie will do<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
38<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
FOOD FOCUS<br />
CHICORY & PEAR SALAD WITH<br />
CAMBOZOLA YOGURT DRESSING<br />
The <strong>com</strong>bination of a few simple ingredients<br />
can sometimes make a lovely dish. This is a<br />
classic ex<strong>amp</strong>le.<br />
PHIL VICKERY’S ESSENTIAL GLUTEN-FREE IS<br />
PUBLISHED BY KYLE BOOKS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY<br />
KATE WHITAKER. AVAILABLE FROM KINOKUNIYA, CIEL,<br />
JASHANMAL OR LEVANT ONLINE<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 39
FOOD FOCUS<br />
Picnic season is<br />
officially here. These<br />
fresh takes on old<br />
favourites by Louise<br />
Pickford are easy to<br />
make and packed with<br />
flavours that will have<br />
family and friends<br />
begging you to throw<br />
down the rug<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY:<br />
IAN WALLACE<br />
PROP AND<br />
FOOD STYLING:<br />
LOUISE PICKFORD<br />
HAMPERING SITUATION<br />
40 FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
CRAB TART WITH LEMONY<br />
ASPARAGUS SALAD<br />
A true taste of British summer,<br />
asparagus is perfect with crabmeat.<br />
The lemon dressing sets it off.<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL FOOD & ARABIA<br />
TRAVEL<br />
41
FOOD FOCUS<br />
BEEF, PICKLED RED ONION<br />
AND WATERCRESS SANDWICH<br />
Make your own soda bread<br />
and pack with quality beef<br />
for this picnic crowd-pleaser.<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
42<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
FOOD FOCUS<br />
PINT OF PRAWNS WITH<br />
CHIPOTLE AIOLI<br />
A modern take on a pub<br />
favourite – juicy king prawns<br />
with a smoky<br />
mayonnaise and<br />
lime zest salt.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
43
FOOD FOCUS<br />
PEA FALAFEL WITH TOMATO FATTOUSH<br />
Fresh peas and couscous replace chickpeas in<br />
this falafel. Try it with yoghurt and pomegranate.<br />
48<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88
FOOD FOCUS<br />
MERINGUE WITH ROSEWATER<br />
RASPBERRIES AND WHITE<br />
CHOCOLATE CREAM<br />
Easy to make, pretty and<br />
delicious, these are the perfect<br />
way to round off a day in the sun.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 45
GOURMET TRAVELLER<br />
MUNICH<br />
SOPHIA’S<br />
CHOICE<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong>’s Anisa Al Hawaj enjoyed<br />
an evening of gastronomic delights at<br />
Munich’s Charles Hotel<br />
46 FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
GOURMET TRAVELLER<br />
EDINBURGH<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
47
GOURMET TRAVELLER<br />
MUNICH<br />
Previous page: spices;<br />
dining area. This page:<br />
Left to right, top:<br />
restaurant interior;<br />
Charles Hotel exterior at<br />
night. Left to right,<br />
bottom: Executive Chef<br />
Michael Hsken; garden<br />
dining; Bar Manager<br />
Roman Kern<br />
Having only recently savoured the delights of dining at the<br />
Michelin starred Number One restaurant located in Rocco<br />
Forte’s Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, I couldn’t resist a visit to<br />
Sophia’s restaurant in the Rocco Forte Charles Hotel during my<br />
recent stay in Munich.<br />
Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Old Botanical<br />
Gardens, and somehow reminiscent of New York’s Flatiron Building<br />
the Charles Hotel is ideally located; close to Königsplatz and just a<br />
short stroll from the designer stores of Maximilianstrasse.<br />
With a well-earned reputation, I was looking forward to<br />
experiencing the gastronomic treats from former Michelin starred<br />
chef Michael Hüsken, who leads the talented brigade in Sophia’s<br />
kitchen. From my arrival in the busy restaurant and bar I was<br />
immediately impressed; the level of service was both personable<br />
and friendly without being intrusive and the wel<strong>com</strong>e was warm and<br />
genuine, a tenet that permeated throughout my evening.<br />
The menu is a celebration of regional produce, exotic flavours<br />
offering a wide range of prime cuts of meat and the freshest of<br />
fish that are the basis for Chef Michael Hüsken’s botanical<br />
bistronomy cuisine.<br />
We decided to let chef re<strong>com</strong>mend our meal for the evening and<br />
we were not disappointed; the appetiser was a delicate plate of<br />
sweet and tender scallops, served with apple, fennel and lardo di<br />
Colonnata that gently tempted my taste buds as the contrast of<br />
textures and flavours gently unfolded on my tongue.<br />
The main course was an exceptional treat, the moist white meat<br />
of the Monkfish with light golden crust served with potato caper<br />
purée, white asparagus, thin shavings of courgette and a luxurious<br />
foam reduction that brought all the elements of the dish together.<br />
To <strong>com</strong>plete our culinary voyage of discovery we were treated to<br />
an indulgent plate of a velvety coffee ice cream, served with<br />
crumble biscuit, the lightest of meringues, the intense flavour of<br />
blueberry pastille and fresh blueberries, which provided just the<br />
right level of tartness to the sweet overtones of the coffee ice<br />
cream; a perfect balance of blueberry and coffee in this most<br />
enjoyable dessert.<br />
Make sure to add Sophia’s to your dining “must do” list next time<br />
you are in Munich.<br />
Sophia’s Restaurant & Bar, The Charles Hotel, Sophienstrasse<br />
28, 80333 Munich, Germany Tel: +49 89 544 5550<br />
www.roccofortehotels.<strong>com</strong><br />
48<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
great food<br />
Good cook,<br />
Pitaya Phanphensophon was born into the business, and 50 years on the<br />
dynastic rise of the family restaurant Coco in Bangkok has spawned a global<br />
empire of over 40 restaurants from London to Tokyo<br />
Have fun whilst you cook and learn that good food has no boundaries, as you<br />
discover the art of creating treasures from both Asian and Western cuisines<br />
BEEF SHORT RIBS<br />
Succulent and tender ribs<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
50<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
FOOD FOCUS<br />
BALSAMIC-GARLIC<br />
GRILLED BEEF STEAK<br />
Best served with a simple<br />
rocket salad<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 51
FOOD FOCUS<br />
PAN-FRIED SALMON WITH<br />
BLACK BEAN SAUCE<br />
A mouth-watering treat<br />
YUM TALAY<br />
A traditional Thai seafood salad<br />
RECIPES START ON PAGE 88<br />
52<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
FOOD FOCUS<br />
BEEF STEAK SALAD WITH<br />
THAI HERB DRESSING<br />
Quick and easy to prepare<br />
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS<br />
TAKEN FROM I’M NOT A CHEF<br />
BUT I SURE AM A GOOD COOK BY<br />
PITAYA PHANPHENSOPHON (BLEHO<br />
MEDIA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY MANOO<br />
MANOOKULKIT, SAN ARUN BERG<br />
FA CO, PITAYA PHANPHENSOPHON,<br />
STYLIST: KRAISRI PILAMANONT<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 53
Andreas<br />
Mattmüller<br />
<strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong> discovered what it takes to hold the<br />
tiller of a successful hotel chain from the Chief Operating<br />
Officer of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Middle East and<br />
Asia, Andreas Mattmüller<br />
54<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
THE INTERVIEW<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
55
THE INTERVIEW<br />
ANDREAS MATTMÜLLER<br />
Previous page:<br />
Mövenpick Hotel Ibn<br />
Battuta Gate Dubai.<br />
This page: Left to<br />
right: Mövenpick<br />
Hotel Al Khobar;<br />
Mövenpick Hotel<br />
Riyadh<br />
Since Andreas Mattmüller joined Mövenpick Hotels in 2001<br />
the chain has grown from a mere handful of hotels in the<br />
region to more than 30 today with the burgeoning growth<br />
of new openings in Asia too. So it <strong>com</strong>es as no surprise that he is<br />
both determined and passionate about his high-octane role whilst<br />
recognising the importance of teamwork in this most demanding<br />
of service driven industries; where the need to consistently deliver<br />
to the highest standards is a daily expectation.<br />
With a degree in hotel management from the renowned Swiss<br />
Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, and experience working at senior<br />
levels for prestigious hotels in 15 countries across five continents<br />
Mattmüller has a wealth of experience to share:<br />
How did you fall upon a career in hospitality?<br />
I was first introduced to the industry at a very early age and was<br />
quickly captivated by it. I would even say that I knew at 15 years<br />
old that working in the hospitality industry was what I wanted<br />
to do. Since then, my career has included working for such<br />
prestigious groups as Mandarin Oriental, Le Méridien & of course<br />
Mövenpick to name just a few.<br />
What was your first job, and what did you learn from<br />
it?<br />
The first job I ever had was as an intern in my uncle’s hotel in<br />
Switzerland, and I was lucky enough to work across all the<br />
departments, obtaining practical knowledge and a grounded<br />
understanding of the business. It sparked my passion for the<br />
hospitality industry and made me appreciate the importance of<br />
having experience in many departments. An hotelier must know<br />
every facet of the industry, especially if you want to be<strong>com</strong>e a<br />
strong leader.<br />
What has been the most rewarding moment in your<br />
career?<br />
The biggest achievement has been with Mövenpick Hotels &<br />
Resorts, which I joined in 2001 with a mission to build the brand<br />
here in the Middle East. Back then, our portfolio in the Middle East<br />
included our existing hotels in Egypt, where our regional office was<br />
based, and four hotels in Jordan. Our mission was to expand the<br />
brand regionally and ultimately in Asia – and it is rewarding to see<br />
us deliver on those objectives. Today, we manage 30 hotels in the<br />
Middle East with more than 12 key projects under development. I<br />
set out in this role with Mövenpick to build the brand and grow the<br />
<strong>com</strong>pany in conjunction with our highly professional team … are<br />
elements I really enjoy.<br />
In what ways has the hospitality industry changed &<br />
developed since you started?<br />
The digital world has made a significant impact, from the way<br />
guests choose and book their ac<strong>com</strong>modation, to the influence<br />
of social media, consumer-generated content and technological<br />
in-room features. Brand websites and OTAs are main generators<br />
of bookings, a development that has changed the traditional<br />
<strong>com</strong>mercial environment.<br />
Good technology in the hospitality industry is now fundamental,<br />
because our guests are used to having this in their own homes.<br />
As hoteliers, we need to match and exceed guest expectations<br />
with the technology we offer, whilst still keeping things functional,<br />
simple and easy to use. We endeavour to customise our<br />
technology services, so they deliver real value to our guests.<br />
What led you to join Mövenpick hotels? And what has<br />
kept you there for so many years?<br />
I joined Mövenpick 2001 with the goal to build the brand in the<br />
region, which in itself posed a great challenge and one that I<br />
looked forward to undertaking. I have grown with the brand over<br />
these years and have fully enjoyed the journey that it has taken<br />
me on.<br />
Mövenpick hotels have expanded considerably in the<br />
Middle East. What is the secret to your success?<br />
One of our key distinctions is our brand promise of “Natural<br />
Enjoyment”, which is about delivering a relaxed, un<strong>com</strong>plicated<br />
experience that makes our guests happy. This allows our guests<br />
to be themselves, have fun and feel <strong>com</strong>pletely at ease, with<br />
service elements that bring a smile to people’s faces. We aim to<br />
go the extra mile for our guests. … We place a lot of emphasis on<br />
guest recognition and on providing personalised and customised<br />
services to our guests on a property level.<br />
Hard work is important but what do you like doing in<br />
your spare time?<br />
As I travel a lot throughout the year, I enjoy spending time<br />
and relaxing at home with my family, either in Dubai or in<br />
Queensland along Australia’s Gold Coast. I normally try to<br />
unwind by skiing or playing golf when I am afforded the time,<br />
but I am fortunate enough to be the type of person who can<br />
easily unwind in any environment. I do love being somewhere<br />
natural, though.<br />
How do you create a good work-life balance?<br />
I have always found that the best way to have a good work-life<br />
balance is to ensure that you are strict on time allocation – be sure<br />
to make time for family, friends and yourself, and stick with it. The<br />
hospitality industry is one that never sleeps, and there is one thing<br />
I learned throughout the years – there will always be work to do.<br />
Make sure that you stick to the time that you have granted<br />
yourself off to meet with friends, or go out with your family. It is<br />
important to not always be in work mode, although I check emails<br />
every single day.<br />
You often say “A plan is only as good as its<br />
implementation”. What is the story behind this?<br />
This is an idea that I hold very close to my own heart and how I<br />
work. You can have a lot of good ideas and plans in your life, but<br />
the only time you will be able to see any added value from them<br />
is once they are implemented and when the results start to show.<br />
Planning and execution is paramount to achieving positive results.<br />
www.movenpick.<strong>com</strong><br />
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W E L L H E E L E D<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY LATHAM<br />
The stunning stiletto on Italy’s boot, Lecce is the engine room of Puglian produce. Nick Savage<br />
wonders at baroque architecture, sensual pasta and locals who strive to keep tradition alive<br />
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Left to right: produce<br />
from Masseria<br />
Trapanà’s gardens;<br />
the narrow streets<br />
of Lecce. Opposite,<br />
clockwise from top<br />
left: the Roman<br />
<strong>amp</strong>hitheatre; a<br />
pasticciotto pastry;<br />
strolling through the<br />
city’s shops; grape<br />
made with local<br />
grapes; buildings<br />
in straw-coloured<br />
stone; pasticciottoflavoured<br />
ice cream;<br />
aged buildings;<br />
shops boast<br />
fresh produce;<br />
narrow streets<br />
‘The cuisine in Lecce couldn’t be more diametrically opposed to its Spanish architecture,<br />
with a purity of flavour and simplicity of form that often veer into the emotional’<br />
After darkness falls in Lecce, the streets are eerily muted.<br />
Taking an after-dinner constitutional, well-fed and welllubricated<br />
with grape, you tend to happen across sites that<br />
shock you out of your postprandial fugue with prepossessing<br />
beauty. The Basilica di Santa Croce is one such landmark – a<br />
hallucinatory vision that would sit easily alongside the works of<br />
Hieronymus Bosch or Brueghel the Younger, swarming with details<br />
that rivet the attention and beguile the mind – a delirium of cherubs<br />
and caryatids, dogs and dragons, fruit and flora, goats and<br />
gargoyles, saints and satyrs. It’s a whirlwind of the sublunary and<br />
the sublime. It’s mesmerising. It’s a true assault on the senses.<br />
The church is carved from the ubiquitous Pietra Leccese, a local<br />
honey-hued stone known for its malleability. When it sets and<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> information<br />
Lecce is the capital of the province of Lecce in Italy’s Puglia region.<br />
Currency is the euro, and the time is one hour ahead of GMT. The<br />
average high temperature in July is 32C and the average low is 21C.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> time is 8 hours 50 minutes from Dubai – Salento Airport, which is<br />
approximately 40 minutes from Lecce by car.<br />
GETTING THERE<br />
Emirates flies daily from Dubai to Brindisi via Rome emirates.<strong>com</strong><br />
RESOURCES<br />
Puglia Promozione is the region’s tourist board and has information on<br />
the country’s history, culture and geography. viaggiareinpuglia.it<br />
FURTHER READING<br />
Puglia: A Culinary Memoir by Maria Pignatelli Ferrante (Oronzo Editions,<br />
$28) beautifully discusses the region, the people and its food.<br />
CARBON COUNTING<br />
To offset your carbon emissions when visiting Lecce, make a donation<br />
at climatecare.org and support environmental projects around the world.<br />
Return flights from Dubia to Brindisi produce 1.06 tonnes C0 2 , meaning<br />
a cost to offset of $10.92.<br />
hardens, it accrues a sodium-vapour yellow patina. The facade was<br />
carved from 1549 to 1695, when the city was the capital of the<br />
Puglian region under the reign of the Holy Roman Empire. Arguably<br />
more than any of the many other cultures that have occupied<br />
Lecce, it left the most dramatic architectural imprint: the baroque.<br />
The cuisine in Lecce and the Salento peninsula couldn’t be more<br />
diametrically opposed to its Spanish architecture, with a purity of<br />
flavour and simplicity of form that often veer into the emotional. Yet,<br />
like the Pietra Leccese, it was moulded by the many cultures it<br />
came into contact with.<br />
Salento is the stiletto heel of the Italian boot and the southernmost<br />
reach of greater Puglia, jutting between the Ionian and Adriatic<br />
seas. Largely flat and tremendously fertile, it has been a prized<br />
possession throughout history, occupied (or destroyed) by the<br />
Messapians, Romans, Ostrogoths, Saracens, Lombards,<br />
Hungarians, Slavs, Normans and Spaniards. But never tourists.<br />
The r<strong>amp</strong>arts were raised higher as huge armies passed through<br />
the fields, demanding food and water. Robust trade with sailors<br />
from the East Indies and <strong>Arabia</strong> brought in exotic foreign exports<br />
such as coffee, tomatoes, chickpeas and red aubergines, which<br />
sprouted vigorously and were readily adopted by farming families.<br />
Over 3,000 years a dichotomy grew between the cuisines of the<br />
peasant and ruling classes. The former, largely vegetarian as they<br />
weren’t afforded the luxury of meat, learned to make do with what<br />
they had, finding clever uses for pulses, beans and brassicas, not<br />
to mention the Mediterranean melange of wheat, olive oil and grape.<br />
Their cookery eventually took the name cucina povera (the food<br />
of the poor), which could more effectively be explained as making<br />
use of limited ingredients in ingenious ways, wasting little food in the<br />
kitchen, if any at all.<br />
Nobody knows more about this than Silvestro Silvestori, a native<br />
Leccese who, after spending years in northern Italy and the United<br />
States, returned to Salento to open The Awaiting Table – a cooking<br />
school underpinned by his rigorous academic study of local<br />
language and culture. We meet at the Piazza Sant’Oronzo<br />
in the centre of the city, in between the Column of Sant’Oronzo (the<br />
patron saint of Lecce) and the Roman <strong>amp</strong>hitheatre, built by Hadrian<br />
in the 2nd century AD as a divertissement for the locals.<br />
Over a cup of caffè con ghiaccio con latte di<br />
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Left to right: grand<br />
architecture; iced<br />
coffee with almond<br />
milk; plush interiors<br />
at Masseria Trapanà.<br />
Opposite, clockwise<br />
from top left:<br />
Silvestro Silvestori<br />
at The Awaiting<br />
Table cooking<br />
school; making<br />
cappelletti<br />
Messicani; fresh<br />
market produce;<br />
inside The Awaiting<br />
Table kitchen<br />
‘It’s just by dumb luck the cooking of the poor is what the healthy want to eat today. So if<br />
you ask a lawyer from Sydney how they want to live, they’d say less red meat, less sugar’<br />
mandorla (iced espresso with almond milk), Silvestro tells me that<br />
the further south you travel in Italy, the longer the coffee beans are<br />
roasted. Then he goes further to tell me that ‘if you avoid drinking<br />
coffee or grape in Italy you’re <strong>com</strong>mitting social suicide’. My social<br />
status is well and truly secure; I’ve been ping-ponging between the<br />
two ever since my flight touched down.<br />
As we peruse the stalls in the food market, Silvestro brandishes<br />
a cornucopia of local produce: wild chicory, broad beans, flour and<br />
pasta made from hard durum wheat or mixed with orzo (a darkhued<br />
barley flour). He lifts up a bag containing maccheroni and<br />
orecchiette. Named maritati (marriage), one form of the pasta is<br />
meant to resemble the penis and the other the vulva. The Pugliese<br />
revel in this saucy dish, particularly when it’s served with the slightly<br />
bitter local favourite cime di rapa (broccoli rabe).<br />
Where to eat<br />
Prices are for three courses with a half bottle of grape, unless otherwise stated.<br />
Local Restaurants<br />
Hosteria alle Bombarde Nestled within the city walls a stone’s throw from<br />
the Porta Napoli and boasting a beautiful courtyard with a grapevine,<br />
Hosteria alle Bombarde serves cucina povera at its best. From $32.<br />
Via Delle Bombarde, 00 39 0832 246 735, osteriaallebombarde.it<br />
La Fiermontina This is the eponymous restaurant in the elegant hotel to<br />
the north of Lecce. Young chef Simone Solido has toyed with traditional<br />
cucina povera to create a menu that includes a lovely red prawn carpaccio<br />
with basil and citrus-flavoured olive oil. From $62. Piazzetta Scipione De<br />
Summa, 00 39 0832 302 481, lafiermontina.<strong>com</strong><br />
Ristorante la Torre di Merlino Helmed by the inimitable Antonio Torre,<br />
both his restaurant and molecular gastronomy have a flair for the dramatic.<br />
Whether you’re after one of the finest pizzas in town or a seven-course<br />
tasting menu, you will be well-catered for here. From $55 for the tasting<br />
menu, $5.50 for pizza. Via Giambattista del Tufo, 00 39 0832 242 091,<br />
torredimerlino.it<br />
Trattoria le Zie Translating from Italian as ‘tavern of the aunts’, this small<br />
jewel box-sized restaurant serving rustic, traditional cuisine is another great<br />
spot to get a taste of cucina povera, however booking in advance is a<br />
must as it’s very difficult to reserve a table at short notice. From $32.<br />
Via Costadura, 00 39 0832 245 178, lezietrattoria.<strong>com</strong><br />
00 Doppiozero A prime spot from which to enjoy aperitivo hour, 00<br />
Doppiozero is a deli and restaurant in the shadow of the Lecce Cathedral.<br />
Diners can pitch up at rough-hewn tables and enjoy the finest artisanal<br />
bread, cheese, salumi and fresh produce. From $39. Via Guglielmo Paladini,<br />
00 39 0832 521 052, emporiodoppiozero.<strong>com</strong><br />
Silvestro is very much in his element, explaining: ‘It’s just by dumb<br />
luck the cooking of the poor is what the healthy want to eat today.<br />
So if you ask a lawyer from Sydney or a doctor from New York how<br />
they want to live, they’d say less red meat, less sugar, more grape,<br />
more time with the family. A calmer lifestyle.’<br />
After making our purchases, we return to the centre of Lecce,<br />
where Silvestro’s apartment is tucked away behind a moody little<br />
courtyard. The kitchens are a sight to behold. Formerly a stable, the<br />
flooring is still made of Chianche, deeply grooved flagstones<br />
designed to keep the horses from slipping. Above us there are<br />
pots, lanterns and lengths of wire festooned with bunches of dried<br />
herbs, strings of peppers and garlands of garlic.<br />
Wearing a simple hunter green chef’s jacket over a smart white<br />
collar, Silvestro has a donnish aspect; there is a whiff of<br />
Cafés/Gelaterias<br />
Caffè Alvino This pasticceria and gelateria offers prime frontage –<br />
a lovely little terrace in the shadow of the obelisk where the Leccese<br />
congregate for refreshment in the form of coffee and sweets.<br />
Piazza Sant’Oronzo, 00 39 0832 246 748, caffealvino.it<br />
Cin Cin Bar What this bar might lack in trappings it makes up for in<br />
history and location – it was founded more than a century ago and is<br />
about as central as you can get in Lecce. It’s a great stop for a coffee<br />
or an Aperol spritz. Piazza Sant’Oronzo, 00 39 0832 309 888<br />
Pasticceria Natale Located just around the corner from Piazza<br />
Sant’Oronzo, Pasticceria Natale also triples as cioccolateria and a<br />
gelateria. Don’t miss its famous pasticcioto gelato. Via Trinchese, 00 39<br />
0832 256 060, natalepasticceria.it<br />
Bars<br />
Mamma Elvira Enoteca Of all the grape bars visited in Lecce,<br />
Mamma Elvira Enoteca had the longest list of local grape available by<br />
the glass, with some fantastic specimens of fiano and greco, along with<br />
the omnipresent negroamaro, primitivo and malvasia nera. Via Umberto,<br />
00 39 0832 169 2011<br />
Shui Bar After a heavy meal, a strong cocktail can often prove a<br />
soothing balm, and Shui Bar mixes up some beautiful serves.<br />
Via Umberto, 00 39 3386 165 202<br />
Vineria Santa Cruz Just north of the Basilica di Santa Croce is a<br />
stretch of bars where fashionable young Italians descend in the<br />
evenings. Santa Cruz is a classic dive bar in typical Leccese fashion,<br />
with an abundance of local grapes and craft hops. Local colour can be<br />
found in spades here. Via Umberto, 00 3908 3252 0164<br />
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Left: Lemon cream<br />
pastry. Opposite,<br />
clockwise from top<br />
left: inspecting<br />
grape at Claudio<br />
Quarta’s grapery;<br />
Hosteria alle<br />
Bombarde<br />
restaurant; chef<br />
Alessio Gubello;<br />
dark alleyways;<br />
The Awaiting Table<br />
cooking school;<br />
antipasti at<br />
Masseria Trapanà;<br />
mussels at The<br />
Awaiting Table;<br />
Hosteria alle<br />
Bombarde chef<br />
Rosaria Tannisi<br />
‘The masseria produces more than 19 different types of produce which are put on the<br />
menu as they <strong>com</strong>e into season, including intoxicatingly fragrant citrus such as mandarins’<br />
the ivory tower about him. However, as we make cappelletti<br />
Messicani (Mexican hat pasta), he contradicts the notion.<br />
‘I love country pragmatism,’ he says. ‘I don’t have a ravioli maker but<br />
I do have a water glass. That will do.’<br />
The best place to experience that country pragmatism is at<br />
Masseria Trapanà. However, it’s a bit of a paradox, as it’s also one<br />
of the most luxurious hotels in the region. Located 10km north-west<br />
of Lecce, it was recently built by Australian transplant Rob Potter-<br />
Sanders. As with many labours of love, there’s a touch of the<br />
obsessive, and Rob quips that he’s had postnatal depression since<br />
he finished restoring the property.<br />
Masserias are fortified plantation houses that pepper the<br />
landscape of rural Puglia. Not only was there the threat of foreign<br />
invasion on the peninsula, there was much infighting, so having a<br />
defensible farmhouse was essential. Situated within 61 hectares of<br />
olive groves, Trapanà is built above an ancient olive oil press and<br />
subterranean stable, which guests can visit.<br />
Upon entering its striking straw-coloured courtyard, though,<br />
there’s little to betray its former agricultural existence. Surrounded by<br />
six manicured gardens and a swimming pool, Masseria Trapanà<br />
offers nine elegant suites that pay homage to the Salento with details<br />
from Morocco and Bali, including outdoor baths and showers.<br />
Most interesting to us, however, are its kitchens. The masseria<br />
produces more than 19 different types of produce which are put on<br />
the menu as they <strong>com</strong>e into season, including intoxicatingly fragrant<br />
citrus such as mandarins, oranges, red oranges and lemons, from<br />
which they produce their own marmalade, limoncello and<br />
mandarinetto. The latter, a tart mandarin liqueur served ice-cold<br />
after dinner, is a potent digestif. Trapanà also produces medlars,<br />
almonds and walnuts. Next year, Rob plans to use the green,<br />
unripe walnuts to make nocino, a sticky dark brown liqueur.<br />
During the evenings, chef Maria Carla Pennetta demonstrates<br />
how to prepare local favourites such as purè di fave e cicorielle<br />
(broad bean and wild chicory purée). It’s one of the most popular<br />
dishes in Puglia and each chef puts their own st<strong>amp</strong> on it. Maria<br />
Carla pads hers out with potatoes, which makes it easier to digest.<br />
Her dishes are best enjoyed in the gardens, perfumed with the<br />
heady scent of citrus flowers in bloom.<br />
Trapanà is also well-positioned for forays to local producers such<br />
as boutique olive oil press Masseria Melcarne in nearby Surbo. The<br />
role of olive oil in Puglia cannot be understated. It was formerly<br />
exported across the world as l<strong>amp</strong> oil, creating incredible wealth for<br />
a handful of Pugliese. Most of the arable land was planted with olive<br />
trees, of which there are currently an estimated 60 million, making<br />
up 40 per cent of Italy’s olive oil production. Peppery with a light<br />
acidity, it emphasises the character of the dish it’s added to but it’s<br />
better to be sparing with it at the stove and generous at the table,<br />
as olive oil loses the nuances of its flavour at high temperatures.<br />
Grape is another thing the residents of the province take a fierce<br />
pride in. At Claudio Quarta’s grapery in Guagnano, just next to<br />
Salice Salentino, he produces a beautiful negroamaro, the grape<br />
variety of choice. It offers both fruity and bitter notes that make it the<br />
perfect <strong>com</strong>panion to many of the local dishes.<br />
Back in the city, chef Alessio Gubello clinks glasses. He argues<br />
the primitivo grape is for Puglia’s north – Manduria and Gioia del<br />
Colle specifically. Alessio left home at 19 to work in London and<br />
formed a friendship with top chef Francesco Mazzei while rattling<br />
pans at The Dorchester. However, like many other Leccese, the call<br />
of his hometown was irresistible, and he returned to set up a pasta<br />
shop with his wife Emanuela, who makes the freshest tria, triddhri,<br />
orecchiette, maccheroni, tortelloni and ravioli at Pasta d’Elite.<br />
Over lunch at Hosteria alle Bombarde, a beautiful little restaurant in<br />
what was formerly an armoury nestled in the city walls, Alessio<br />
introduces me to Valeria Lucatello, who has been running restaurants<br />
for 30 years. Valeria explains that historically, when a girl in the<br />
province reached her teenage years, the mother would spend the<br />
day picking olives in the orchard and the daughter would cook for the<br />
family. Rosaria Tannisi, her head chef, experienced that in her youth<br />
and has now been cooking professionally for more than 40 years.<br />
Rosaria’s practice shows. Her food is so perfectly flavoured that<br />
it invokes a dopamine rush. Ciceri e tria is a staple pasta dish made<br />
with chickpeas, boiled tria (pasta made from semolina flour and<br />
water), crispy fried tria and a tomato sauce. Alessio tells me that<br />
mignolata is ciceri e tria on a good day, enhanced with freshly<br />
caught squid, mussels and clams. Alessio has his own version, with<br />
a presentation that would do well in The Dorchester,<br />
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Top to bottom: hidden<br />
courtyards; The Awaiting<br />
Table’s almond brittle;<br />
local sea bass; the pool<br />
at Masseria Trapanà.<br />
Opposite, clockwise<br />
from top left: olive<br />
groves; relaxing at<br />
Masseria Trapanà;<br />
freshly picked lemons;<br />
the alleyways of Lecce;<br />
fresh fish at the market<br />
Where to Stay<br />
La Fiermontina Tucked away in the<br />
northern corner of Lecce’s city walls,<br />
La Fiermontina is an urban resort par<br />
excellence, with its own sculpture garden,<br />
olive groves, swimming pool and dining<br />
room serving an international take on local<br />
specialities. Situated in a 17th-century<br />
house, it boasts just 16 guest rooms and<br />
suites. It is one of the most stylish and<br />
exclusive properties in the city. Doubles from<br />
$410. Piazzetta Scipione De Summa,<br />
00 39 0832 302 481, lafiermontina.<strong>com</strong><br />
Masseria Trapanà Ineffably elegant,<br />
Masseria Trapanà is a boutique hotel which<br />
opened in October 2015, approximately<br />
10km to the north of Lecce in the<br />
countryside. The 16th-century country<br />
farmhouse features a bijou chapel with<br />
original frescoes, a swimming pool with<br />
sunbeds, six walled gardens and nine<br />
private suites with four-poster beds.<br />
Doubles from $595. Strada Provinciale 236,<br />
00 39 0832 183 2101, trapana.<strong>com</strong><br />
Palazzo Rollo Situated just across from the<br />
Lecce Cathedral, guests enter Palazzo Rollo<br />
through an ivy-covered courtyard. There are<br />
three grand B&B suites upstairs and a<br />
number of studios below. Don’t miss<br />
aperitivo hour on the roof terrace. Doubles<br />
from $68. Via Vittorio Emanuele,<br />
00 39 0832 307 152, palazzorollo.it<br />
Patria Palace Hotel Set in the heart of<br />
historic Lecce in what was formerly an<br />
18th-century palazzo, the Patria Palace Hotel<br />
is located just opposite the Basilica di Santa<br />
Croce. The hotel offers old-world charm at<br />
its finest, with a leafy roof terrace and 67<br />
rooms in classic styling. Doubles from $99.<br />
Piazzetta Riccardi, 00 39 0832 245 111,<br />
patriapalace.<strong>com</strong><br />
Risorgimento Resort Easily one of the<br />
most modern properties in Lecce,<br />
Risorgimento is located just minutes away<br />
from the Chiesa di Santa Chiara and the<br />
Piazza Sant’Ortonzo. The five-star design<br />
hotel boasts the most enviable rooftop<br />
terrace in in the city, as well as chic,<br />
contemporary bedrooms, a restaurant,<br />
bar and wellness spa. Doubles from $110.<br />
Via Augusto Imperatore 19,<br />
00 39 0832 246 311, vestashotels.it<br />
prettified with rosemary flowers and leaves.<br />
After I misinterpret crema di peperoni as<br />
red bell pepper purèed with cream,<br />
Alessio admonishes: ‘In Lecce, if you see<br />
someone cooking with milk, they’re not a<br />
cook, they’re a killer.’ In many cases,<br />
neither are eggs invited to the party –<br />
Puglian pasta is traditionally made with<br />
only flour and water.<br />
The final dish is pezzetti di carne al<br />
pomodoro (slow-cooked horsemeat<br />
served with a piquant tomato sauce).<br />
While it may be a bit unorthodox to us<br />
Brits, it’s about as cucina povera as it<br />
gets: nothing goes to waste, even the<br />
trusty family steed.<br />
However, there are those who would<br />
like to break with local traditions, employing<br />
new techniques, foreign produce and<br />
molecular trickery in their cooking. Antonio<br />
Torre is one such person and he has met<br />
with a hard-headedness from locals (like<br />
Silvestro Silvestori) who are more<br />
concerned with ensuring cucina povera<br />
remains in rude health. Antonio’s restaurant,<br />
La Torre di Merlino, is particularly good if<br />
you’d like some variation – and his<br />
deconstructed spaghetti carbonara is a<br />
sight to see and taste.<br />
There’s nothing better than a long stroll<br />
after dinner to aid digestion, and Lecce is<br />
the perfect place to do it. Narrow streets<br />
and alleyways abruptly open into muscular<br />
boulevards hemmed in by luminous<br />
architecture. Nicknamed the ‘Florence of<br />
the south’, it perhaps has more in<br />
<strong>com</strong>mon with Venice: its quiet streets<br />
have the same timeless character.<br />
Lecce is yet to be discovered by<br />
tourists but it’s ripe in so many ways. The<br />
locals are fiercely loyal to an identity that’s<br />
taken thousands of years to construct<br />
and they fight not to let it go. It’s been<br />
gestating into its current state for three<br />
millennia, and when a recipe is perfect,<br />
you’re wary of interlopers sticking their<br />
fingers in the sauce and mucking it up.<br />
Nick Savage and Gary Latham travelled to<br />
Puglia with help from Italian National<br />
Tourist Board and Puglia Promozione, the<br />
regional tourist board<br />
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‘Narrow streets and alleyways abruptly open into muscular boulevards. Nicknamed<br />
the “Florence of the south”, it perhaps has more in <strong>com</strong>mon with Venice.’
LECCE<br />
<strong>Food</strong> glossary<br />
Burrata Invented in Andria, Puglia, by Lorenzo Bianchini Chieppa<br />
in the Twenties, burrata is an outer shell of mozzarella containing a<br />
mixture of both stringy curd and fresh cream.<br />
Baccalà Traditionally in the region, salt cod was eaten on Fridays as<br />
meat was forbidden to Catholics. Salt cod was often used in dishes<br />
further inland where it was impossible to procure fresh seafood.<br />
Cacioricotta Created with goat or sheep’s milk, the cacioricotta<br />
production method straddles techniques used for cheese and ricotta.<br />
It has an intense flavour and is often grated over pasta dishes.<br />
Canestrato Canestrato is a hard pecorino cheese made from a<br />
<strong>com</strong>bination of both goat and sheep’s milk.<br />
Cicoria Wild chicory is one of the most celebrated vegetables in the<br />
south. Puré di fave e cicorielle is an iconic Pugliese dish in which the<br />
bitter leaves are boiled and served with a broad bean purée.<br />
Cime di Rapa Known as broccoli rabe in English, this plant is part of<br />
the mustard family and is known for its nutty, bitter flavour. One of the<br />
most emblematic dishes of the region is orecchiette con cime di rapa.<br />
Negroamaro The preferred grape in the province of Lecce, it’s<br />
predominantly used to produce red grape but can also be found in<br />
rosato (rosé) and frizzante (sparkling) grape, including fantastic metodo<br />
classico (double fermentation, as in the méthode ch<strong>amp</strong>enoise).<br />
Orecchiette Translating as ‘small ears’, orecchiette is likely the most<br />
popular pasta in the region. In Lecce, the hard durum wheat flour is<br />
often mixed with orzo, a dark barley flour.<br />
Pane di Altamura This much-treasured hard bread is made from<br />
durum flour. It was given PDO status within Europe in 2003.<br />
Pasticciotto A favourite pastry amongst the Leccese, often eaten for<br />
breakfast with an espresso. Made with shortcrust, it’s traditionally filled<br />
with a lemon-flavoured egg custard or ricotta cheese.<br />
Rustico One of the region’s most savoured dishes for aperitivo hour,<br />
a rustico is a filling puff pastry encasing a molten centre of gooey<br />
mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce.<br />
Taralli These delicious crackers are shaped like miniature bagels that<br />
are boiled and then baked. The Leccese like to spike them with fennel<br />
seeds, poppy seeds and black pepper.<br />
Don’t Miss<br />
The Awaiting Table For any gastronome seeking to experience the<br />
heart and soul of the Salento peninsula, just one afternoon with<br />
Silvestro Silvestori will give you an in-depth look at cucina povera.<br />
The Awaiting Table holds day and week-long courses in Lecce,<br />
week-long courses in a castle 40 minutes south of Lecce, specialised<br />
courses in grape and extra virgin olive oil, and even a course in<br />
cycling, cooking and grape. Week-long courses start from £1,499.<br />
Via Idomeneo 41, 00 39 3347 676 970, awaitingtable.<strong>com</strong><br />
Pasta d’Elite It’s a bit out of town but if you have wheels and want<br />
to buy fresh handmade pasta, a visit to Alessio and Emanuela<br />
Gubello’s Pasta d’Elite shop is a must. While you’re here, pop across<br />
the street to Pasticceria Luca Capilungo for the best pastries outside<br />
of the historic centre. Via Bari, 00 39 0832 315 048
THE INTERVIEW<br />
Christian Le Squer<br />
Not a stranger to Michelin starred success, Chef Christian Le Squer once again earned<br />
the ultimate accolade from Michelin, as Le Cinq restaurant at the Georges V Hotel<br />
garnered 3 Michelin stars; <strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong>’s Francesca Jackson discovered a little more<br />
about this famous son of Brittany<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
69
THE INTERVIEW<br />
CHRISTIAN LE SQUER<br />
‘Good food should be emotional; it should induce<br />
feelings. We must fall in love with our plate and<br />
the dish served on it. ’<br />
Opposite page,<br />
clockwise, left to<br />
right: levure; FS<br />
Paris - Le Cinq<br />
dining;<br />
transparence<br />
banane; FS Paris -<br />
Le Cinq interior;<br />
entree<br />
Both charming & talented in equal measures, chef Christian<br />
Le Squer quickly demonstrated his passion for fine<br />
cuisine, and it is no wonder that as chef of Café de la Paix<br />
Restaurant Opéra, that he earned first one, then two Michelin<br />
stars; recognition and awards that have followed him througout his<br />
august career.<br />
This <strong>com</strong>poser of symphonies for the palate and masterpieces<br />
for the plate is now leading the talented brigade at the kitchens<br />
of Le Cinq retaurant in the Four Seaons Hotel George V in Paris;<br />
and as is only befiting one of the great hotels, the rich Louis XIVth<br />
décor and luxuirous Regency splendour is now home to one of the<br />
finest three Michelin staerred restaurents in Paris – an accoloade<br />
that is more than deserved.<br />
You recently received a third Michelin star for Le Cinq.<br />
But after receiving several of these previously, how<br />
much does a Michelin star still mean to you?<br />
My work at Four Seasons Hotel George V has been quite<br />
intense and we have consistently delivered results and exceeded<br />
expectations. Due to that, I have always seen myself in the threestar<br />
category.<br />
How much do awards such as these, as well as the 5th<br />
toque in the Galt et Millau for Le Cinq impact you and<br />
your work?<br />
Recognitions like these are quite important for my cuisine, which<br />
is rooted in modernity, packed with action and is movement-driven<br />
– and, as a matter of fact, quite rare in Paris.<br />
When you were younger, you wanted to be<strong>com</strong>e a<br />
sailor. Do you ever look back thinking you should have<br />
pursued that instead?<br />
No, since I often spend time boating in Brittany during my spare<br />
time.<br />
What inspires your cooking? Is there a story you aspire<br />
to tell with your food?<br />
I like to think of cooking as perfumery. Like a perfumer<br />
selecting his notes for a particular scent, we pick our raw<br />
materials and transform them into works of culinary arts that<br />
boast elegance and refinement. By that analogy, I am a creator of<br />
flavors.<br />
What does ‘good food’ mean to you?<br />
Good food should be emotional; it should induce feelings.<br />
We must fall in love with our plate and the dish served on it. The<br />
experience should be like a family lunch – where you can let your<br />
hair down without any inhibitions.<br />
As a chef, how do you deal with the pressure of<br />
delivering the best food at all times?<br />
It is important to be a part of the prevailing food movement and<br />
to try to restructure your approach in line with the atmosphere of<br />
the destination and the mood that surrounds it.<br />
Your signature dish has evolved over the years. Can<br />
you share with us details of the process?<br />
For my signature dish, I don’t play around with the basic, original<br />
flavors; however, I do experiment with the ways in which it can be<br />
enjoyed, which has mostly got to go with its visual presentation.<br />
So for instance, I will sometimes change the serving plate, the<br />
form or the texture – just like they do in the fashion industry with<br />
their collections.<br />
How would you define your cuisine? And how has it<br />
evolved since you first began cooking several decades<br />
ago?<br />
It’s a cuisine defined by elegant flavors that linger in your mouth<br />
long after you have tasted the dish – just like that one perfume<br />
whose scent you will not once forget.<br />
Is there anyone you would like to cook for but haven’t<br />
yet got the chance to?<br />
I would cook for any person who gave me love for gastronomy,<br />
someone who helped me grow up in this environment, who<br />
helped me understand elegance and gave me more value.<br />
What do you feel was a life-changing moment for you<br />
in your career?<br />
Receiving my third Michelin star at Pavillon Ledoyen in 2002.<br />
What is your day typical like?<br />
I <strong>com</strong>mute to my workplace on a bike, early in the morning and<br />
upon reaching there, the first thing I do is greet my teams. The<br />
first few hours in the morning are spent on briefing sessions with<br />
sous chefs to plan the day and discuss ways in which we can<br />
be more creative and improvise our offering for our guests. In the<br />
afternoon, I spend some time on guest relations followed by some<br />
leisure, sport or other relaxation activities in the evening hours and<br />
de-briefings with my teams before heading home.<br />
Are there any chefs you particular admire?<br />
I appreciate all the chefs, not any one in particular; in fact, I can<br />
appreciate a chef of Japanese food as much as I can appreciate<br />
a chef who cooks American food. I like a chef whose cuisine<br />
represents some kind of a movement and who demonstrates a<br />
certain sense of style in his approach to food. A chef is like an<br />
artist – the most important thing is to be exhibited in the Louvre<br />
and to have one’s own style.<br />
What does the future hold?<br />
The future does not look like yesterday. The needs of the<br />
culinary consumer are fast evolving. With the advent of social<br />
media and digital networks, guests are now increasingly seeking<br />
a preview of the restaurant and the experiences it can offer on<br />
websites before setting foot in the real, brick-and-mortar space. It<br />
is therefore imperative that chefs revisit their culinary methods and<br />
embrace an innovative approach to cooking in keeping up with this<br />
developing change in the modern world.<br />
70<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 71
CITY BREAKS<br />
48<br />
HOURS<br />
Hamburg<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> time 6.75 hours<br />
Osaka<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> time 9 hours<br />
Sal<strong>com</strong>be<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> time 11 hours<br />
After years of development Hamburg has unveiled a chic new look. Shiny districts such as HafenCity and Überseequartier<br />
look their best in July, when smart contemporary bars along the waterfront buzz long into balmy evenings and modernist<br />
buildings are juxtaposed against the historic port. Local favourites such as fischbrötchen (fish sandwiches) and a nice<br />
drink taste even better on one of the city’s many lakes and beaches but if you can drag yourself away from the waterfront<br />
you’ll find streets lined with Unesco-listed buildings and a vibrant café culture. On to Osaka, a stimulating Japanese city<br />
known as the ‘nation’s kitchen’. You’re guaranteed to <strong>com</strong>e across flavours you’ve never s<strong>amp</strong>led before at its Michelinstarred<br />
restaurants, while Kuromon Ichiba Market is a trove of street food stalls selling bite-sized baby octopus, oysters<br />
and sushi as intricate as works of art. Last stop is Sal<strong>com</strong>be, Devon’s sailing capital, where nostalgic seaside holidays<br />
<strong>com</strong>bine with a healthy dose of cosmopolitanism for an excellent British vacation. Spend the days with sand between<br />
your toes and the evenings feeling fabulous in one of the several hotels that have recently had glamorous makeovers.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA<br />
73
CITY BREAKS<br />
HAMBURG<br />
Clockwise from top left:<br />
Speicherstadt district;<br />
lunch by the Alster;<br />
Laeiszhalle; rowing on<br />
Alster Lake; shopping<br />
arcade by Alster Lake;<br />
view from Clouds; the<br />
town hall; Brüdigams<br />
restaurant; chef Frank<br />
Brüdigam; Clouds<br />
restaurant; Chilli Club<br />
Germany’s second-largest city is embracing its long-awaited and edgy new look with<br />
a swathe of über-cool bars, restaurants and boutique hotels, says Stefanie Will<br />
Why go? The sun is shining and this laid-back harbour city is now<br />
well and truly open for visitors. After years of development and<br />
building works, the cranes have rolled out and it is now back to its<br />
riverside best. The Hamburgers even voted against bidding to host<br />
the Olympics in 2024 to keep construction away; new waterfront<br />
districts such as HafenCity and Überseequartier are <strong>com</strong>ing to life<br />
and the locals want to keep them that way.<br />
What to do Hamburg is a city full of parks, lakes and beaches<br />
spreading along the Elbe. Start in the chic Eppendorf district and<br />
trawl through the sidestreets chock-full of boutiques and cafés<br />
before you head past the Alster Lake with a majestic fountain in<br />
the city centre, and take a tour of the neo-renaissance town hall.<br />
From there, it’s a short walk to the historic Speicherstadt and<br />
Kontorhausviertel and their rustic Unesco-listed red brick buildings.<br />
When the sun sets, head to the beach at Övelgönne and enjoy a<br />
sundowner while watching the ships go by. Later in the evening,<br />
drift along with the crowd on Reeperbahn, Hamburg’s liveliest spot<br />
jam-packed with cosy bars, cool clubs and great restaurants.<br />
Traditionally, a good night out here ends at the Fischmarkt down<br />
at the port, where fishermen peddle their catch as the sun rises.<br />
Where to stay? Hamburg has a great mix of classy high-end<br />
hotels and cool boutique options that suit any budget. At the top<br />
of the scale, the five-star Atlantic Kempinski 00 49 40 28 880,<br />
kempinski.<strong>com</strong> overlooks the Alster and is home to legendary<br />
German singer Udo Lindenberg. Another top location is Louis C<br />
Jacob 00 49 40 822 55 405, hotel-jacob.de on the Elbe. Its twostar<br />
Michelin restaurant is a favourite among locals. Another hotspot<br />
is the East design hotel 00 49 403 09 930, east-hamburg.de<br />
in a quiet street off Reeperbahn. Enjoy the in-house Uppereast club<br />
or relax in the East Mandarin Body & Soul spa. Smack in the middle<br />
of Überseequartier is the new 25Hours Hotel Altes Hafenamt<br />
00 49 40 555 57 50, 25hours-hotels.<strong>com</strong> which is also home to<br />
the Boilerman Bar that serves excellent highball cocktails.<br />
Where to eat and drink? You can’t <strong>com</strong>e to Hamburg and not<br />
have a traditional fischbrötchen – basically just a fish sandwich<br />
but held reverently by the locals, who celebrate the annual World<br />
Fischbrötchen Day in May each year. The best ones in town<br />
are served at Kleine Haie & Grosse Fische 00 49 176 103 37<br />
847, kleinehaie-grossefische.de near Hans-Albers-Platz, a plaza<br />
surrounded by bars and cafés. In the middle of the new HafenCity<br />
district sits the excellent Asian brasserie Chilli Club 00 49 40 357<br />
03 580, chilliclub.de with a lavish terrace overlooking the water.<br />
On the menu is an array of fantastic sushi dishes – go for the<br />
generously filled sushi and sashimi boat. At Brüdigams 00 49 40<br />
570 12 999, bruedigams.de guests are wel<strong>com</strong>ed with a warm<br />
living room feel. Think bookshelves filled to the top with cookbooks<br />
and a hotchpotch of chairs and tables. The food is locally grown<br />
and seasonal – try the salad with goat’s cheese and poached<br />
eggs. The best view over the port awaits in Clouds 00 49 40<br />
309 93 280, clouds-hamburg.de on the top floor of the Tanzende<br />
Türme (dancing towers) in the Sankt Pauli district. Make sure you<br />
reserve a table along the floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the<br />
spectacular vista. Afterwards, ask to be seated on the rooftop<br />
terrace for a postprandial cocktail. Another great option for evening<br />
drinks is the Alsterperle 00 40 227 48 273, alsterperle.<strong>com</strong> – a tiny,<br />
intimate and secretly located waterfront bar at the north side of the<br />
Alster with stunning views of the lake and skyline of the old town.<br />
Time running out? Off the beaten track and not at all touristy is<br />
the 2.5-hour Kiezküchen tour through hidden gems of local cuisine,<br />
where you will not only taste a great selection of different street<br />
food, but also learn a lot about the fascinating history of Hamburg.<br />
00 49 151 228 88 883, kiezkueche.<strong>com</strong><br />
Trip tip Follow the lead of the locals and relax. Look for a quiet<br />
spot on the beach or mix in with the crowd at Strand Pauli, a lovely<br />
beach bar overlooking the port with cool lounge music, bar snacks<br />
and drinks. 00 49 40 226 13 105, strandpauli.de<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> information<br />
Currency is the Euro. Time is one hour ahead of GMT. Flight time<br />
from Dubai is 6 hours 45 minutes. The cost to offset this trip is<br />
$14.95, for more details visit climatecare.org<br />
Getting there<br />
Emirates flies from Dubai to Hamburg daily emirates.<strong>com</strong><br />
AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL<br />
Resources<br />
Hamburg Tourismus is packed with information on attractions,<br />
event listings and places to eat and drink. hamburg-travel.<strong>com</strong><br />
Further reading<br />
Hamburg: A Cultural and Literary History by Matthew<br />
Jefferies (Signal Books Ltd, $18) gives a light-hearted account<br />
of the history, culture and character of Hamburg.<br />
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec<br />
Min C -1 -1 1 2 7 10 12 12 9 6 2 0<br />
Max C 3 3 7 11 16 19 21 21 17 12 7 4<br />
mm 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 2 2 2<br />
Photos by Hamburg Tourismus; GNTB; Carl Pendle<br />
74<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
CITY BREAKS<br />
OSAKA<br />
Clockwise, from top left:<br />
fresh sushi; neon-lit<br />
sidestreet of Dotonbori;<br />
preparing green tea; view<br />
from Ebisubashi bridge;<br />
grilled takoyaki (battered<br />
octopus); menu boards;<br />
Dotonbori river; seafood<br />
Blending bustling modern streets with traditional culture, the food and finance capital<br />
of Japan more than lives up to its name as the ‘nation’s kitchen’, says James Williams<br />
Why go? A culinary metropolis known for kuidaore (eating till you<br />
drop), Osaka holds 98 Michelin stars and a stellar array of street<br />
vendors and excellent backstreet finds. Friendlier and easier to<br />
navigate than Tokyo, this industrial powerhouse has everything<br />
from neon-lit shopping districts to ancient sights within its limits.<br />
July also marks the Tenjin Matsuri festival, a millennia-old ceremony<br />
that’s one of the biggest celebrations of local art in Japan.<br />
What to do A good place to get your bearings is at Osaka<br />
Castle. The beautiful, tiered edifice is protected by 12km of<br />
walls and a 70m-wide moat, and has gardens that fan out in all<br />
directions. Allow a good few hours to take in all the artworks and<br />
tapestries. From here, make a beeline to Kuromon Ichiba Market<br />
kuromon.<strong>com</strong> where chefs <strong>com</strong>e to buy their soft-shell crab, eels<br />
and oysters. This meat, fish and seafood cavern is also famed for<br />
its grazing stalls – don’t leave without trying glazed baby octopus on<br />
sticks or the takeaway sushi boxes. It’s a short stroll west from here<br />
to the Minami district, one of Osaka’s two city centres (the other is<br />
the business district Kita to the north). Here you can discover such<br />
gems as Amerikamura americamura.jp a quarter filled with thrift<br />
shops, cafés and cool kids showing off their cutting-edge clothes<br />
and haircuts; Den Den Town, an area notorious for electronics; and<br />
Dotonbori, a neon-strewn canal-side drag that never sleeps. Close<br />
to Dotonbori Bridge is the Hozenji Temple, a haven of calm where<br />
lanterns are lit every evening. Take the subway to Shinsaibashi<br />
to explore Tokyu Hands tokyu-hands.co.jp one of the most<br />
remarkable stores in all of the city. Here some 200,000 items jostle<br />
for space, including everything from bicycle saddles to bathroom<br />
kits. Be sure to pay a visit to Shochikuza Theater shochiku.<strong>com</strong><br />
which opened in 1923 and hosts excellent traditional kabuki<br />
(dance drama) performances.<br />
Where to stay If you want to drink tea on tatami (straw) mats<br />
and be provided with yukata night robes then Kaneyoshi Ryokan<br />
00 81 6 6211 6337, kaneyosi.jp on the Dotonbori waterside<br />
is your place. The traditional inn has cosy en suite rooms, a<br />
<strong>com</strong>munal hot tub and authentic breakfasts. The Ritz-Carlton<br />
Osaka 00 81 6 6343 7000, ritzcarlton.<strong>com</strong> in Kita is the cream<br />
of the Western-style hotels. From the chandelier-clad lobby to<br />
its sophisticated restaurants and range of opulent rooms and<br />
suites, it’s a first-class abode. Hotel Ichiei 00 81 6 6641 3135,<br />
hotel-ichiei.<strong>com</strong> is an affordable boutique base in Minami with<br />
spacious rooms and suites that have plenty of character. Be sure<br />
to book one with its own stone garden or tea ceremony room.<br />
Where to eat and drink South of Dotonbori’s canal, Hozenji<br />
Yokocho is an alley steeped in history, with some 60 restaurants<br />
and pub-style joints known as izakaya. At Houzenji San Pei 00 81 6<br />
6531 8225, choose your toppings then grill okonomiyaki (pancakes)<br />
at your table. Matsusakagyu Yakiniku 00 81 6 6214 5145,<br />
matsusaka-projects.<strong>com</strong> specialises in succulent Matsusaka beef<br />
(a type of Wagyu), barbecued and devoured at ‘digging seats’ on<br />
the floor. Take things up a notch at Nagahori 00 81 6 6768 0515,<br />
a Michelin-starred izakaya in Chuo-ku that excels in sake. To pair,<br />
chef Shigeo Nakamura serves up onigiri and sashimi of the highest<br />
quality. If it’s udon noodles you’re hankering for, Dotonbori Imai<br />
00 81 6 6776 0319 is arguably the best. Established in 1946, its<br />
kelp and bonito flake broths are instantly satisfying. Another stalwart<br />
is Kushikatsu Daruma 00 81 6 6645 7056, drawing locals and<br />
tourists alike for its moreish grilled skewers. Real bon vivants should<br />
head for the Dotonbori waterfront <strong>com</strong>e dusk, when any number of<br />
bars and vendors bid for your stomach late into the night.<br />
Time running out? For a break from all the culture, take a short<br />
train ride to Universal Studios Japan, a surreal world where Harry<br />
Potter meets Snoopy meets Hello Kitty. usj.co.jp<br />
Trip tip Take note of the best places to escape the heat in summer.<br />
One of these is Umeda Sky Building. At 173m tall, it features a<br />
Floating Garden Observatory and glass escalator that whizzes you<br />
scarily between the two towers. kuchu-teien.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>Travel</strong> information<br />
Currency is the yen. Time is nine hours ahead of GMT. Flight time<br />
from Dubai to Osaka is 9 hours. The cost to carbon-offset this<br />
trip is $23.21. For more details, see climatecare.org<br />
Getting there<br />
Emirates flies from Dubai to Osaka International Airport daily<br />
emirates.<strong>com</strong><br />
AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL<br />
Resources<br />
Osaka Info is the official local tourist board website, offering<br />
practical advice and tips for seeing the city. osaka-info.jp/en<br />
Further reading<br />
Nanban: Japanese Soul <strong>Food</strong> by Tim Anderson, a MasterChef<br />
winner and London restaurant owner, is the ideal cookbook for<br />
anyone craving a hit of umami at home.<br />
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Min C 3 1 3 9 13 18 23 24 20 13 7 2<br />
Max C 8 8 12 18 23 27 30 32 28 22 17 11<br />
mm 1 2 3 4 4 7 5 3 6 4 2 1<br />
Photos by Mark Parren Taylor; Charmaine Grieger<br />
76<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
CITY BREAKS<br />
SALCOMBE<br />
Clockwise from left:<br />
aerial view of Sal<strong>com</strong>be;<br />
families by the waterfront;<br />
Overbeck’s gardens;<br />
South Sands hotel;<br />
East Portlemouth beach;<br />
fresh crab; surfboards at<br />
the beach; Sal<strong>com</strong>be<br />
Dairy ice cream; view<br />
from the South Sands<br />
hotel; cream tea<br />
Seaside traditions meet elegant coastal style in this upmarket Devon town, where<br />
the seafood draws diners as much as the cream teas, says Imogen Lepere<br />
Why go? This <strong>com</strong>pact South Hams town has all the nostalgia<br />
of traditional seaside holidays teamed with a healthy dash of<br />
cosmopolitan flair. Although it has its fair share of high-profile<br />
visitors – Led Zeppelin, Mary Berry and former England rugby<br />
coach Sir Clive Woodward to name a few – understatement is<br />
the fashion, unlike less demure resorts in neighbouring Cornwall.<br />
Tanned yachties pad down Fore Street in bare feet, smart women<br />
sip coffee and order up cream teas outside cafés and Mini<br />
Boden-clad children congregate at Cranch’s sweet shop before<br />
going crabbing on the waterfront. Built slightly inland to protect it<br />
from piracy, the town meanders along the Sal<strong>com</strong>be Estuary and<br />
beautiful sandy coves can be reached by a rickety ferry. From<br />
30 July, the annual week-long regatta brings tourists, boat races,<br />
sandcastle-building <strong>com</strong>petitions and beach parties.<br />
What to do The coast is truly remarkable in the morning, so get up<br />
early and enjoy the walk to Bolt Head. The 6km clifftop path snakes<br />
through heathland speckled with sea c<strong>amp</strong>ion and scented by<br />
gorse and the jagged red cliffs create some of the most dramatic<br />
scenery on the South West Coast Path. Sal<strong>com</strong>be is the sailing<br />
capital of Devon and it even has a signature vessel, the Sal<strong>com</strong>be<br />
Yawl. Learn to sail one of these wooden boats (which are still<br />
handmade in town) and explore the coast with a local fisherman<br />
01548 561 619, sal<strong>com</strong>beinformation.co.uk. Visit Overbeck’s<br />
nationaltrust.org.uk, a fascinating house with a semi-tropical<br />
garden that once belonged to eccentric scientist Otto Overbeck.<br />
Catch the ferry across the river to East Portlemouth beach but be<br />
sure to return in time to explore the many modish boutiques. Bibi &<br />
Mac bibiandmac.co.uk on Fore Street sells a selection of designer<br />
labels, while Hope Cove Gallery hopecovegallery.<strong>com</strong> on Island<br />
Street showcases home-grown painting talent.<br />
Where to stay Until recently, most people chose to rent petite<br />
townhouses from <strong>com</strong>panies such as Toad Hall Cottages 01548<br />
202 020, toadhallcottages.co.uk as hotels were a bit tired.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> information<br />
Currency is the pound. Time zone is GMT. Flight to Sal<strong>com</strong>be<br />
from Dubai is 11 hours. The cost to carbon-offset this trip is<br />
$17.41. For more details, see climatecare.org<br />
Getting there<br />
Emirates flies to Exeter via Paris daily emirates.<strong>com</strong><br />
AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL<br />
However, in the past few years three have received the Farrow<br />
& Ball treatment and emerged as stylish boltholes. South Sands<br />
01548 845 900, southsands.<strong>com</strong> is a boutique option on a<br />
sheltered beach with just 22 bedrooms. We re<strong>com</strong>mend the J<br />
Class room, which has twin claw-foot bathtubs in a bay window<br />
and a large private balcony. On a hill overlooking the estuary,<br />
Sal<strong>com</strong>be Harbour Hotel 01548 844 444, sal<strong>com</strong>be-harbourhotel.co.uk<br />
is the most luxurious option. Binoculars and gin and<br />
tonic <strong>com</strong>e as standard and many of the 50 rooms have vintage<br />
touches such as art deco dressing tables. If you’re looking for a<br />
little p<strong>amp</strong>ering, the spa has a beautiful pool and offers treatments<br />
inspired by the sea, including hot shell massages and salt scrubs.<br />
Nostalgically named Sunny Cliff Hotel & Apartments 01548 842<br />
207, sunnycliff.co.uk is a collection of seven serviced suites and<br />
studios. Good value and cheerful, they’re ideal for families.<br />
Where to eat and drink The husband-and-wife team behind The<br />
Crab Factory on Fish Quay have been producing hand-picked<br />
crabmeat since 1995 and they have now opened an informal<br />
restaurant where you can try the best of their catch. Eating<br />
shellfish on The Crab Shed’s 01548 844 280, crabshed.<strong>com</strong><br />
waterfront terrace is the closest you can get to the sea without<br />
getting wet. Continuing the shellfish theme, The Jetty 01548 844<br />
444, sal<strong>com</strong>be-harbour-hotel.co.uk has an entire crustacean<br />
menu and an elegant dining room that works well for an occasion.<br />
The Winking Prawn 01548 842 326, winkingprawngroup.co.uk<br />
is a fantastic choice for a family meal. It specialises in enormous<br />
sandwiches and is practically on North Sands beach, so little ones<br />
can explore the rock pools while they wait. Make sure to finish with<br />
a cannonball-sized scoop of Sal<strong>com</strong>be Dairy ice cream.<br />
Time running out? Agatha Christie’s holiday home, Greenway, is<br />
a lush haven just 19km from Sal<strong>com</strong>be. nationaltrust.org.uk<br />
Trip tip The estuary tides are strong so be careful when swimming<br />
and be sure to buy a tide timetable from a local newsagent.<br />
Resources<br />
Sal<strong>com</strong>be Tourist Information is the local tourist board’s online<br />
resource and is packed full of ideas. sal<strong>com</strong>beinformation.co.uk<br />
Further reading<br />
Song of Sal<strong>com</strong>be by Virginia Murch (Upfront Publishing, $19)<br />
is a fascinating history of the town told through the true story of a<br />
local family.<br />
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec<br />
Min C 4 4 5 6 8 11 13 13 11 9 6 4<br />
Max C 9 9 11 13 16 19 21 21 19 15 12 10<br />
mm 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4<br />
Photos by Sal<strong>com</strong>be Tourist Information Centre; devonscenes.co.uk; Mark Parren Taylor<br />
78<br />
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Tried&Tasted<br />
COOKERY COURSES RESTAURANTS DELIS HOTELS<br />
Four Seasons Beirut<br />
There are few places you’ll be as primed to experience the<br />
best of Beirut, as at the stylish Four Seasons Hotel Beirut.<br />
Housed in a waterfront high-rise in the heart of downtown,<br />
the luxe, modern hotel boasts an unbeatable location – footsteps<br />
away from the designer shopping offerings of Beirut Souqs; across<br />
the road from the bustling marina and promenade of Zaytouna Bay;<br />
and a short drive from the CBD and nightlife districts.<br />
Oozing understated luxury – not in an in-your-face manner, but<br />
whispered rather – with fine furnishings, muted colour schemes,<br />
and clean, contemporary lines, the hotel feels like a serene haven<br />
the minute you walk in from the bustle of the city outside. Each of<br />
the plush Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed rooms feature generous<br />
terraces overlooking the ocean, touches of local art, and their<br />
signature beds, which guarantee a good night’s sleep. For the<br />
ultimate luxury, splash out on one of their spacious suites – with<br />
separate sitting and dining area - which can <strong>com</strong>pete with an<br />
average urban apartment for size! The marble-clad bathrooms are<br />
kitted out with premium French toiletries. These physical luxuries<br />
are <strong>com</strong>plemented by the typical Four Seasons service, of course,<br />
which is unmistakably warm and helpful, yet discreet.<br />
The hotel is home to a tranquil, earth-hued spa, which offers<br />
signature therapies inspired by its location, such as the<br />
Mediterranean Experience – a relaxing massage using fragrant<br />
cedar wood oil and expert strokes.<br />
On the culinary front, Four Seasons Beirut really stands out - not<br />
least for its daily breakfast. A lavish feast of Lebanese dips,<br />
cheeses, freshly baked breads, and homemade jams and relishes,<br />
alongside the usual international breakfast offerings of fruits, cereal,<br />
plus eggs prepared to your liking and served to the table (their<br />
shakshouka is not to be missed!)… it’s not without reason this is<br />
known as one of the best breakfasts in the city.<br />
The breakfast venue also doubles up (after a magical<br />
transformation) as The Grill Room at dinner-time, one of the city’s<br />
finest steakhouses, serving up perfectly cooked premium cuts of<br />
Australian Wagyu and Black Angus, plus seafood specialties. It’s<br />
a great idea to prefix a meal with an aperitif at the adjacent The<br />
Bar, an atmospheric boudoir-like enclave with stunning art,<br />
opulent décor, and an impressive beverage and cigar selection;<br />
this is also the ideal place to have an informal meeting or catch up<br />
with a friend.<br />
The hotel’s piece de resistance however is The Roof, one of the<br />
most stylish lounges in Beirut – and that’s no easy feat in a city<br />
with pulsating nightlife such as this. The open-air 26th floor<br />
poolside lounge (the highest in the city) offers a chic setting,<br />
paired with an Asian-style tapas menu and stunning, panoramic<br />
views of the glittering city, the mountains beyond, and the<br />
Mediterranean at its feet.<br />
Doubles from $510 www.fourseasons.<strong>com</strong>/beirut<br />
Words by Sudeshna Ghosh<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 81
Left to right: Vanitas dining;<br />
Köşebasi mezze; Köşebasi<br />
Bahrain restaurant<br />
estaurants<br />
This month, we enjoy Turkish delights in Bahrain and head to Dubai to savour elegant<br />
Italian dishes, contemporary Emirati cuisine and Jason Atherton’s small plate craft<br />
Vanitas Dubai<br />
Located in Palazzo Versace Dubai, Vanitas has introduced a sensational new menu<br />
from Chef de Cuisine Andrea Gala, featuring authentic flavours <strong>com</strong>bined with<br />
elegance and a world-class dining experience. The menu features stunningly handcrafted<br />
dishes to take you on a culinary journey through Italy, from Grilled Octopus<br />
served with Citrus Bavarese, to Seared Scallops Carpaccio, and pasta and risotto dishes.<br />
For Secondi Piatti, choose from Monkfish with Purple Artichoke and Multicolour<br />
Chard, or Seared Beef Sirloin cooked to perfection, served with Beetroot Steamed<br />
Lettuce and Red Jus.<br />
The charming and elegant renaissance-inspired interior of Vanitas offers the perfect<br />
showcase for Chef Andrea’s refined and authentic Italian cusine.<br />
For more information palazzoversace.ae +971 4556 8820<br />
Köşebasi Bahrain<br />
Although this fine Turkish restaurant is<br />
located at the entrance to Seef Mall<br />
Muharraq you still retain the feeling of a<br />
stand-alone dining experience. The deep red<br />
hues and turquoise decor has distinct modern<br />
Turkish feel with bright hanging glass l<strong>amp</strong>s<br />
and intimate alcoves giving the restaurant<br />
more personal ambiance, which is perfectly<br />
<strong>com</strong>plemented by attentive and wel<strong>com</strong>ing<br />
service. A tray of small dishes showcasing the<br />
extensive list of starters makes life so much<br />
easier and yet more difficult when trying to<br />
select an appetiser as everything looked so<br />
tempting. Whilst we were waiting we enjoyed<br />
a fresh carrot & orange juice and a refreshing<br />
mint & lemon, both of which had just the right<br />
balance of sweetness.<br />
The home made lentil soup, with just a hint<br />
of smokiness was almost a meal in itself was<br />
followed by a mezze of Pilaki - Borlotti beans<br />
in a tomato sauce with virgin olive oil,<br />
Mercimek Koftesi - a traditional vegetarian<br />
Kebbi, ac<strong>com</strong>panied by a bulgar and<br />
pomegranate salad and hummus. The<br />
delightful medley of starters was followed by<br />
a mixed kebab of lamb, chicken and beef<br />
served with (more-ish) crispy fries and bulgar<br />
wheat. To <strong>com</strong>plete the meal we had the<br />
most delicious Künefe, a crispy and creamy<br />
pastry package filled with soft melted cheese<br />
and syrup filling & Dondurmalı İrmik Helvası -<br />
a hot semolina pudding with an ice-cream<br />
filling, just like a Turkish baked Alaska; all<br />
washed down with a full-flavoured, but not<br />
bitter, Turkish tea.<br />
To discover more visit www.kosebasi.<strong>com</strong><br />
Words by Nick Baines; Francesca Jackson; Mark Sansom<br />
Photos by <strong>Food</strong> & <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Arabia</strong><br />
82<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
Left to right: Aseelah fennel<br />
orange salad; restaurant interior;<br />
chicken roulade. Below: Marina<br />
Social; potato gnocchi<br />
Tried&Tasted<br />
EAT<br />
Global<br />
gourmet<br />
Marina Social Dubai<br />
Dubai has been a retirement home for chefs in<br />
recent years: put your name to a spangly new<br />
hotel restaurant, don the slippers, spark the<br />
pipe, have the dog fetch the paper and watch<br />
the royalties roll in as you don’t have to lift so<br />
much as a milk pan. Though when it <strong>com</strong>es to<br />
applying Jason Atherton’s name and Social<br />
brand to a restaurant, it would never be that<br />
easy. He insists on installing his trusted London<br />
lieutenants and spot-checks nearly as frequently<br />
as he does his restaurants in town.<br />
At Marina Social, his touch really shows. It’s<br />
already one of the best restaurants in the city<br />
and is rightly winning plaudits from all who try it.<br />
With the same small-plate ethos as his other<br />
sites, holla ‘feed me’ to the waiting team and<br />
they’ll bring a selection of well-curated dishes.<br />
Make sure they send over goat’s cheese churros<br />
with truffle honey, puffed squid and rice crackers<br />
and beef tartare with horseradish cream. Be<br />
sure to save room for main: the smoked lobster<br />
<strong>com</strong>es served in a treasure chest; one of the<br />
finest pieces of restaurant theatre you’ll find.<br />
Whoever said Dubai was style over substance<br />
clearly hasn’t been here. MS. 00 971 4446 6664,<br />
marinasocialdubai.<strong>com</strong><br />
Something new<br />
Aseelah Dubai<br />
A<br />
brand new Emirati restaurant in the heart of old Dubai, Aseelah<br />
at the Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek, is the long-awaited<br />
realisation of veteran Dubai chef Uwe Micheel’s dreams. Paying<br />
homage to the region’s heritage, the modern, elegant space is done<br />
up in neutral sand-inspired colours, and natural elements – like a jutedraped<br />
‘ghaf tree’ in the room. The menu is divided into two sections,<br />
featuring both traditional classics (such as Lamb thareed, and Fish<br />
samak) as well as modern creations that reimagine local flavours with<br />
European cooking and presentation techniques, to great effect. Think:<br />
Pan roasted quail salad with pistachio, pumpkin puree, glazed beetroot<br />
and wild rocket; Seafood risotto with Arabic spices; and camel meat<br />
sliders. The dessert menu is similarly experimental, with dishes like<br />
Pumpkin mille feuille on offer, alongside traditional favourites such as<br />
Luqaimat.<br />
With an <strong>Arabia</strong>n-inspired cocktail menu – it is the only licensed<br />
Emirati venue in the UAE - and separate lounge area with sheesha,<br />
plus a fresh bakery and pastry counter in the making, this unique<br />
dining destination is definitely worth a visit.<br />
To find out more visit diningdubaicreek.<strong>com</strong><br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 83
FINCA CORTESIN MARBELLA<br />
Set in the undulating Andalucian countryside between Marbella<br />
and Cádiz, this charming luxury estate has style in spades.<br />
Exquisitely marrying Moorish, Grecian and 19th-century Asian<br />
design, the sprawling property delights at every turn. Green<br />
baize adorns the walls, Japanese silks hang alongside classical<br />
busts, rich kilim-covered furniture sits on farmhouse-style tiled<br />
floors, and patterned wallpapers are framed by rustic, antique<br />
doors. Modern accents finish the eclectic look – think glass<br />
specimen domes, an abundance of greenery and driftwood<br />
mirrors. It really shouldn’t work but it does.<br />
Guest rooms are in the desert-pink cloister, its central<br />
courtyard laden with strelizia (birds of paradise) and palms.<br />
Preempting your every need, the suites and villas are bedecked<br />
with <strong>com</strong>fortable furnishings and boast sizeable marble and<br />
black granite showers with Penhaligon’s products. Terraces offer<br />
knockout views across the vast, inky blue-green pool, the hotel’s<br />
world-famous golf course and the glistening ocean beyond.<br />
Within the grounds, 1,000-year-old olive trees stand proudly<br />
against manicured gardens and the heady, heavenly scent of<br />
jasmine, which crawls prettily along the length of the main<br />
Clockwise from<br />
left: lounge by<br />
the dark blue<br />
pool at FInca<br />
Cortesin; the<br />
central courtyard;<br />
there are three<br />
restaurants to<br />
choose from<br />
building, is a memorable snapshot of any stay here.<br />
The food offering is excellent, whether you opt for the relaxed El<br />
Jardín De Lutz with its quirky decor and deliciously fresh regional<br />
plates, Michelin-starred Kabuki Raw, which serves up authentic<br />
Japanese, or the classic Italian Don Giavanni.<br />
Be sure to spend your lunchtimes poolside at the Beach Club,<br />
a ten-minute drive away, where there’s a sparkling infinity pool, or<br />
at Pool 35 after whiling away the morning in the Romanesquestyle<br />
spa. For sundowners, the hotel’s Blue Bar will see you in<br />
good stead, with the dulcet tones of local musicians playing from<br />
the terrace making for a perfect backdrop. BG. Doubles from<br />
$499, 00 34 952 937 800, fincacortesin.<strong>com</strong><br />
Places<br />
This month, we enjoy eclectic luxury & style in<br />
tour of Paris, a weekend of fine art in London and<br />
ME Ibiza<br />
One of Ibiza’s best hotels draws a mature crowd who want to<br />
enjoy Ibiza’s glitz and glamour without the 5am bedtime. From<br />
its east coast location, in a secluded bay between the resorts<br />
of Santa Eulalia and Es Canar, it offers direct yacht access for<br />
those who are lucky enough and fantastic people-watching for<br />
those who aren’t. It’s a hotel that oozes genuine class.<br />
Cool details and a blue and white palette capture Ibiza’s<br />
audacious spirit in a stylish manner, while thoughtful bathroom<br />
extras include eye masks, facial kits and French manicure sets,<br />
along with cutting-edge sound systems. Book a Bali bed by<br />
the pool and soak up the island’s refined bohemianism.<br />
Service is a real strong point of all the hotels in the ME<br />
group but it’s particularly excellent here. Transfers from the<br />
airport are in white Range Rovers and you’ll find yourself being<br />
addressed by name by stunning staff throughout your stay. An<br />
‘aura manager’ acts as a personal concierge, whether it’s a<br />
day on neighbouring island Formentera, dinners at restaurants<br />
that claim to be fully booked or fast-track club entry.<br />
Spanish-inspired plates such as spaghetti with clams taste<br />
even better when enjoyed by the pool at the Salt & Sea<br />
restaurant but the rooftop cocktail bar is the real highlight. By<br />
day, enjoy a massage or facial with panoramic views courtesy<br />
of SkinC. After dark, enjoy tuna tartare in the restaurant and<br />
the atmosphere as ex-clubbers sip watermelon martinis and<br />
flutter to gentle lounge music provided by the resident DJ.<br />
MS. Doubles from $515, 00 34 971 330 051, melia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Words by Blossom Green; Sudeshna Ghosh;<br />
Mark Sansom; Francesca Jackson<br />
110<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL
Tried&Tasted<br />
SLEEP<br />
‘ROVE’ING EYE DUBAI<br />
Dubai’s newest hotel, the Rove Downtown Dubai, is a breath of fresh air in<br />
the region’s hospitality market with its modern, trendy, value-for-money<br />
offering. The hip, art-infused hotel fuses hi-tech facilities such as seamless<br />
Wi-Fi and in-room smart TVs, with cultural inspirations that emphatically<br />
reinforce its Dubai DNA. There’s art everywhere, from the lobby area to<br />
individual rooms, and even the funky, creative meeting areas - all of it<br />
curated from local artists. The design is suitably quirky, with exposed<br />
ceilings in the lobby, and the ‘wall of curiosities’ – a collection of random<br />
bric a brac that bring to life the hotel’s Zabeel home.<br />
Aimed at independent millennial travellers, the focus is on keeping things<br />
simple and cost-effective – from the self-service check-in to the 24-hour<br />
supermarket in the lobby. As far as F&B offerings go, The Daily is their take<br />
on a deli, with fresh, fast chalkboard-menu dishes from highly creative<br />
executive chef Spencer Lee Black, plus snacks and nibbles, on offer in a<br />
bright, sunlit space. SG<br />
to stay<br />
Marbella, hip art-infused chic in Dubai, a gourmet<br />
get to hang out with the beautiful people in Ibiza luxury<br />
Gourmet bolthole<br />
MANDARIN ORIENTAL PARIS<br />
Visit the Mandarin Oriental, Paris this summer and enjoy the<br />
Paris by Marx package and visit a selection of twelve artisan<br />
and speciality retailers re<strong>com</strong>mended by the hotel’s Michelin<br />
starred chef Thierry Marx.<br />
A native Parisian, Thierry Marx’s re<strong>com</strong>mendations<br />
include French and Japanese delicatessens, a chocolatier,<br />
an award-winning charcutier, teahouse, historical kitchen<br />
utensils shop, bakery, and an art gallery in St-Germain-des-<br />
Prés, amongst many other culinary related experiences.<br />
The culmination of this gastronomic Parisian adventure, is<br />
a gourmet dinner at two Michelin-starred Sur Mesure par<br />
Thierry Marx.<br />
The Paris by Marx package includes: Luxurious<br />
ac<strong>com</strong>modation for a minimum one night stay at Mandarin<br />
Oriental, Paris; breakfast at Camélia or in-room; a ninecourse<br />
dinner at Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx (drinks not<br />
included); a VIP wel<strong>com</strong>e in the twelve outlets selected by<br />
Thierry Marx. Prices start from $1,500 per night, based on<br />
two people sharing. www.mandarinoriental.<strong>com</strong><br />
BROWN’S HOTEL LONDON<br />
The third annual Brown’s London Art Weekend is taking place in Mayfair<br />
and St. James’s from July 1st to 3rd, <strong>2016</strong>. Experience the quality and<br />
diversity of this art market destination with free talks, walks, and over<br />
60 exhibitions to see, Brown’s London Art Weekend offers a unique<br />
opportunity for art lovers to explore the capital’s greatest private galleries.<br />
Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair London +44 20 7493 6020<br />
www.roccofortehotels.<strong>com</strong>
Carême column<br />
Gary Rhodes<br />
In his inaugural column for <strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong><br />
<strong>Arabia</strong> Michelin starred chef, restaurateur, and<br />
ambassador of British cuisine Gary Rhodes OBE<br />
shares his passion for food when he recently<br />
visited Lyon, the home of French Gastronomy.<br />
When thinking about a topic for my first column for <strong>Food</strong> &<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Arabia</strong>, I couldn’t help but focus on a recent holiday<br />
I went on to Lyon, with my wife Jenny and two dear<br />
friends - as it was literally one of the most memorable experiences<br />
I’ve ever had. It was my right-hand man Wayne Tapsfield’s 50th<br />
birthday, and together with his wife and mine, we decided – this is<br />
the time to go to Lyon.<br />
I’d never been there before, and as a chef, I’d always wanted to<br />
go, of course. Both of us were like excited schoolboys on this trip!<br />
We were staying in the old town, which was just beautiful –<br />
incredible architecture, history, and the smell of food everywhere.<br />
We walked everywhere on the cobblestone streets, and it was just<br />
a short walk across the river to the newer part of town. While it<br />
wasn’t anywhere near as modern and shiny as Dubai, I did draw<br />
parallels between the cities - just the way you cross the creek here<br />
and enter the old part of Dubai. I remember thinking how different it<br />
was, the first time I went to the Deira side…<br />
The highlight of our trip was a meal at Paul Bocuse, which we’d<br />
already booked, but there were several other restaurants we went<br />
to that were just unforgettable. There was a little place, about 20<br />
minutes from town, called Le Comptoir du Vin, run by an old man.<br />
It’s tiny, with just 14 seats; he’s got one little hatch with one stove;<br />
there’s no menu, just four dishes on the blackboard you choose<br />
from. We had braised veal, trotters, and a steaming bowl of<br />
mussels, plus bread and Lyonnaise potatoes – the food was basic<br />
and simple but had the best flavours.<br />
Just around the corner there was this lively bar, with a younger<br />
crowd, and it showed off the personality of the city, I really loved the<br />
extremes I saw here.<br />
The next day, on our way to Les Enfants Terrible, a restaurant I<br />
was looking forward to trying, we saw another tiny little joint with<br />
beautiful seafood on offer. We stopped there on the spur of the<br />
moment, and just ordered some fresh oysters and langoustines<br />
(with lemon, red wine vinegar and shallots) - it was just amazing. We<br />
did go on to Les Enfants Terrible for our meal as well, where I had<br />
some pan-fried veal with a classical Grenobloise garnish - again a<br />
really simple dish, but it was so lively in flavour.<br />
I have to say, if you want to eat really good French food,<br />
there’s no place like Lyon. And where better to see this than<br />
at three Michelin-star restaurant Paul Bocuse! It’s located on the<br />
outskirts of Lyon, and opens at 8pm – but when we got there a few<br />
minutes before 8, people were just queued up outside waiting. It’s<br />
a beautiful building, so we got some nice photos while waiting as<br />
well. I’d been worried that, as I’d been looking forward to it<br />
so much, in the end, the experience might be deflating.<br />
But no, it souffléd’!<br />
You almost feel like you’re walking into a culinary museum…<br />
there’s so much history, and the place is full of endless stories, that<br />
I felt very privileged to be dining there.<br />
We had the nine-course tasting menu; which included some of<br />
his most famous dishes - including his famed truffle soup; Bresse<br />
chicken cooked in a bladder à la Mère Fillioux; filet of sole ‘à la<br />
Fernand Point’; pan-cooked scallop of foie gras with passion fruit<br />
sauce. Without doubt, it was one of the greatest culinary<br />
experiences in my life. And I really don’t think that there’s any<br />
other restaurant that will hold its three Michelin stars for 50 years as<br />
this has done. (Well, maybe the Roux brothers are getting there…)<br />
Paul Bocuse is an inescapable part of Lyon’s soul. If we needed<br />
any further reminding, there is a huge indoor market in Lyon named<br />
after him, with a giant mural of his face painted on a building across<br />
the road from it. Going into that market was a chef’s dream, without<br />
a doubt. There’s every kind of ingredient imaginable.<br />
We took a pit-stop at this truffle place, one of a group of little<br />
eateries at the back specialising in everything from foie gras to<br />
desserts, where I s<strong>amp</strong>led a foie gras ravioli with finely grated<br />
Périgord truffle running through it. It was such an ordinary looking<br />
dish, but it tasted divine. My wife’s ravioli had a cream sauce, while<br />
mine had a chicken jus, and we couldn’t stop arguing over whose<br />
was better. We decided to agree that Wayne’s truffle salad with<br />
duck confit was the winner! There were also endless varieties of<br />
oysters, mussels; there were charcuterie items… just a sensational<br />
array of fresh, fantastic produce.<br />
Capping off our foodie explorations was a meal at Michelin star<br />
restaurant L’Auberge de l’île Barbe, located on a little island in the<br />
river. Another incredible operation, where one of the dishes I can<br />
still taste in my mouth is a pike mousse roulade with caramelised<br />
nuggets of frogs legs. It was one of those meals where I was so<br />
excited, I had to put my spoon down, just to take it all in!<br />
It was an unforgettable trip of good food, good friends and good<br />
memories. I have to say to any chef, go to Lyon. Just as<br />
I’d say, <strong>com</strong>e to Dubai. To experience something you never have<br />
before, to experience the magic.<br />
86<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
Opposite: L’Auberge<br />
du Pont de Collonges’<br />
grand dining room.<br />
This page, top to<br />
bottom: mural of Paul<br />
Bocuse; soupe aux<br />
truffes; Auberge de<br />
L’lle dining; Lyon old<br />
town; Auberge de L’lle<br />
exterior; Les Enfants<br />
Terrible<br />
Lyon town photo by: Marie Perrin<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 87
THE<br />
COLLECTION<br />
For better-tasting food and your own peace of mind, use sustainably and locally produced ingredients if possible. Eggs should always be free-range.<br />
1 teaspoon is 5ml; 1 tablespoon is 15ml<br />
In season – Peaches and nectarines<br />
pages 22-27<br />
Tuna and nectarine<br />
salad with peach<br />
liqueur dressing<br />
SERVES 4<br />
4 ripe nectarines<br />
2tsp olive oil<br />
1½tsp sea salt<br />
2tsp aleppo pepper flakes (from<br />
a Middle Eastern supermarket)<br />
400g-425g yellowfin tuna<br />
steaks, cut in 2 lengths<br />
For the dressing<br />
2tbsp peach schnapps<br />
pinch of sugar<br />
2tbsp olive oil<br />
3tbsp pine nuts, toasted<br />
buckler leaf sorrel leaves,<br />
ivy-leaved toadflax leaves and<br />
flowers, oregano, savory or<br />
thyme flowers, to serve<br />
Slice each nectarine into 10-12<br />
wedges, depending on size, and<br />
toss them in 1 teaspoon of the<br />
olive oil. Mix the salt and aleppo<br />
pepper flakes and dust on to a<br />
plate. Press the tuna into this<br />
mixture to coat evenly and spoon<br />
over the rest of the oil on both<br />
sides. Heat a griddle pan and<br />
cook the tuna for 1½ minutes<br />
per side. Place on a plate to rest.<br />
Clean out the pan and reheat.<br />
Griddle the nectarine wedges for<br />
about 1 minute per side or until<br />
nicely charred.<br />
Slice the tuna into 2½cm<br />
pieces and arrange on plates with<br />
the nectarines. When ready to<br />
eat, scatter over the green leaves<br />
and flowers and spoon over the<br />
dressing. Serve warm or cold.<br />
Poached peaches<br />
SERVES 4<br />
This basic recipe for poaching<br />
peaches is great for a simple<br />
dessert to serve with ice cream,<br />
Cornish clotted cream or the<br />
peach Melba recipe (right).<br />
3-4 yellow or white-fleshed<br />
peaches<br />
1 x 375ml bottle Muscat de<br />
Saint Jean de Minervois<br />
250ml cold water<br />
150g caster sugar<br />
1 vanilla pod, split<br />
Cut a shallow cross in the stalk<br />
end of the peaches and blanch in<br />
boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain<br />
and soak in cold water. Cut in half<br />
then twist the halves in opposite<br />
directions, removing the stones<br />
as you go, then slip off the skins.<br />
Meanwhile, put the wine, 250ml<br />
water, sugar and vanilla pod in a<br />
large saucepan over a low heat to<br />
dissolve the sugar. Increase the<br />
heat and add the peeled peach<br />
halves and cover with a circle of<br />
greaseproof paper and a lid and<br />
simmer for about 5 minutes.<br />
Remove the peaches with a<br />
slotted spoon and carefully put in<br />
a bowl. Quickly cool the liquid then<br />
add back to the peaches. Store in<br />
the fridge for up to 3 days.<br />
88<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
RECIPES<br />
Peach Melba<br />
SERVES 6<br />
This will make more than 6 scoops<br />
of ice cream so store what’s left<br />
in the freezer to serve another day<br />
with a redcurrant and raspberry<br />
<strong>com</strong>pote. This uses freeze-dried<br />
raspberries, available at Whole<br />
<strong>Food</strong>s Market, Waitrose and<br />
sous-chef.co.uk<br />
For the ice cream<br />
300ml double cream<br />
100g white vanilla-flavoured<br />
chocolate, broken into<br />
small pieces<br />
700g ripe peaches<br />
100g caster sugar<br />
juice of 1 lemon<br />
2tbsp peach schnapps<br />
For the raspberry brittle<br />
125g caster sugar<br />
1tsp freeze-dried raspberries,<br />
crushed a little more<br />
125g fresh raspberries<br />
2tsp icing sugar<br />
6 poached peach halves<br />
(see left)<br />
To make the ice cream, heat<br />
the cream in a small pan over a<br />
medium heat and when bubbles<br />
begin to appear around the<br />
edges, turn off the heat and add<br />
the broken chocolate. Stir well to<br />
melt and transfer to a small<br />
bowl to cool.<br />
Cut a cross in the base of each<br />
peach and put in a large bowl.<br />
Pour over enough boiling water<br />
to cover and leave for 6 minutes.<br />
Strain through a colander and put<br />
into cold water. The skins can then<br />
be removed easily.<br />
Put the sugar, lemon juice<br />
and 2 tablespoons of water into<br />
a medium pan over a low heat<br />
to dissolve the sugar. When the<br />
mixture be<strong>com</strong>es a clear syrup,<br />
slice the peaches from their<br />
stones, add to the syrup and<br />
gently simmer for 9 minutes until<br />
a froth forms. Tip them into a cold<br />
bowl and place in a larger bowl of<br />
cold water for about 10 minutes<br />
to help them cool down quickly<br />
so they don’t discolour. Put in a<br />
blender and process to a purée<br />
in two batches. Add the peach<br />
schnapps and chocolate and<br />
cream mixture to the purée. Churn<br />
in an ice cream machine following<br />
manufacturer’s instructions and<br />
then transfer to a freezer-proof<br />
container. Cover and freeze for a<br />
minimum of 6 hours.<br />
To make the brittle, line a baking<br />
tray with foil. Put the sugar in a<br />
medium pan with 5 tablespoons<br />
of boiling water and let it dissolve.<br />
Bring to a gentle boil until it turns a<br />
pale caramel colour. Scatter in the<br />
dried raspberry pieces and swirl to<br />
distribute them evenly. Pour on to<br />
the baking tray and tip the sheet<br />
so that it covers evenly and thinly.<br />
Leave to cool <strong>com</strong>pletely before<br />
breaking into shards.<br />
Roughly crush the raspberries<br />
and icing sugar together with a<br />
fork and chill until needed.<br />
If the ice cream is very hard,<br />
take off the lid and put in the<br />
fridge for about 10 minutes until<br />
it scoops easily. Scoop on to<br />
serving plates and arrange a<br />
poached peach half next to it<br />
and spoon over some crushed<br />
raspberry mixture and top with a<br />
few shards of brittle.<br />
Peach and rosewater<br />
galettes<br />
MAKES 6-8<br />
Make a 6.5cm cardboard circle to<br />
use as a guide to create perfect<br />
pastry galettes. Bear in mind that<br />
when these galettes are cold the<br />
pastry looses its golden colour.<br />
50g butter, softened at room<br />
temperature<br />
65g caster sugar<br />
1tbsp rosewater<br />
1 egg<br />
50g ground almonds<br />
2tsp plain flour<br />
500g ready-made puff pastry<br />
4 peaches<br />
icing sugar, sifted for dusting<br />
To make the frangipane, place the<br />
softened butter in a bowl and add<br />
the sugar and rosewater. With a<br />
wooden spoon, make a smooth<br />
paste and add the egg. Whisk<br />
vigorously to remove any lumps<br />
then stir in the ground almonds<br />
and flour until smooth. Place in the<br />
fridge to chill.<br />
Roll out the puff pastry on a<br />
clean work surface, cut around the<br />
cardboard template then press a<br />
5.5cm pastry cutter into the pastry<br />
(not quite all the way through).<br />
Put them on a large baking tray<br />
and place in the fridge to chill until<br />
ready to use.<br />
Preheat the oven to 220C/<br />
425F/Gas 7. Cut each peach<br />
into 8 wedges. Spoon about 2<br />
teaspoons of frangipane on to the<br />
inner circle of each piece of pastry<br />
and add 4 peach slices leaning<br />
against each other. Dust the<br />
tops with a little icing sugar and<br />
cook until the pastry is risen and<br />
golden, about 20-25 minutes.<br />
Serve warm or cold dusted<br />
with a little more icing sugar and<br />
whipped cream.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 89
RECIPES<br />
Full of flavour<br />
Pages 34-39<br />
Nectarine flatbread with<br />
coconut fudge drizzle and<br />
sweet labneh<br />
SERVES 4<br />
For the sweet labneh<br />
300ml natural yoghurt<br />
1tbsp icing sugar<br />
1tbsp peach schnapps<br />
For the flatbread<br />
125g plain flour<br />
1½tsp dry yeast<br />
½tsp caster sugar<br />
½tsp salt<br />
15g coconut oil, plus a little<br />
for brushing<br />
3 ripe nectarines, cut into<br />
wedges<br />
For the coconut caramel<br />
125g caster sugar<br />
75ml peach schnapps<br />
15g coconut oil<br />
Put the yoghurt in a fine muslinlined<br />
sieve set over a bowl to<br />
catch the liquid and place in the<br />
fridge overnight. Put the solids in<br />
a bowl and mix in the icing sugar<br />
and peach schnapps.<br />
Put the flour, yeast, sugar<br />
and the salt in a bowl and stir<br />
to <strong>com</strong>bine. Put the coconut oil<br />
in a measuring jug and pour in<br />
enough boiling water to melt it.<br />
Add enough cold water to bring<br />
up to 100ml then add to the<br />
flour mixture and bring the dough<br />
together. Make sure the sides of<br />
the bowl are clean before tipping<br />
on to a surface and knead for<br />
about 3 minutes until smooth and<br />
elastic. Put back in the bowl and<br />
cover with cling film and leave<br />
to prove in a warmish place for<br />
around 45 minutes to 1 hour, until<br />
it has doubled in size.<br />
Tip the dough on to a surface<br />
and knead for a minute. Press<br />
on to a baking sheet in a rough<br />
16x24cm rectangle. Cut the<br />
nectarines into eight wedges (no<br />
need to peel) and arrange on top<br />
of the dough, some skin side up<br />
and others cut side up, then cover<br />
with a clean cloth. Leave to prove<br />
again in a draft-free place for<br />
about 1 hour until the dough has<br />
puffed up around the fruit.<br />
Halfway through the proving<br />
process, preheat the oven to<br />
220C/425F/Gas 7. Once doubled<br />
in size, brush the dough between<br />
the nectarines with some coconut<br />
oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes.<br />
For the coconut fudge drizzle,<br />
put the sugar and 100ml water<br />
in a medium pan. Gently dissolve<br />
the sugar then increase the heat<br />
and boil the sugar to a golden<br />
caramel. Remove from the heat,<br />
add the schnapps and coconut oil<br />
and swirl to melt. Drizzle over the<br />
flatbread and serve with the<br />
sweet labneh.<br />
Chicory & pear salad<br />
with cambozola yogurt<br />
dressing<br />
SERVES 2<br />
For the salad<br />
1 head of Belgium chicory<br />
1 head of radicchio or red<br />
Belgian chicory<br />
2 ripe Williams pears, peeled,<br />
cored and finely sliced<br />
1 small orange, peeled,<br />
segmented and roughly<br />
chopped<br />
150g cambozola cheese, cut<br />
into 2cm pieces, or a semi- soft<br />
light blue-veined cheese<br />
50g lightly toasted pecans,<br />
roughly chopped<br />
For the dressing<br />
100g Greek yogurt<br />
2tbsps sherry vinegar<br />
1tsp GF Dijon mustard<br />
2tbsps extra virgin olive oil<br />
salt and ground black pepper<br />
In a bowl, whisk together all the<br />
ingredients for the salad dressing<br />
and season well with salt and<br />
pepper.<br />
Finely slice the chicory and<br />
radicchio on the diagonal and<br />
toss into a bowl. Add the pears,<br />
orange and cheese, and lightly<br />
mix. Drizzle over the dressing and<br />
mix well.<br />
Serve topped with the toasted<br />
pecans. It’s as easy as that.<br />
90<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
RECIPES<br />
Apple cheesecake<br />
SERVES 8-10<br />
Butter, for greasing<br />
2 medium Bramley or other<br />
cooking apples<br />
100g caster or granulated sugar<br />
100ml Calvados <br />
200g GF Shortbread, crushed<br />
with a rolling pin<br />
75g dark GF chocolate, melted<br />
400g tin condensed milk<br />
500g mascarpone cheese<br />
Juice of 3 large lemons (about<br />
100ml)<br />
Icing sugar, to dust whipped<br />
cream, to serve<br />
For the apple and lime syrup<br />
topping<br />
1 medium Bramley or other<br />
cooking apple, peeled and finely<br />
chopped<br />
225g caster or granulated sugar<br />
juice and finely grated zest of 3<br />
large limes<br />
Grease a 20cm spring-form cake<br />
tin and line the base with baking<br />
parchment.<br />
To make the sauce, place the<br />
apple and sugar in a pan with<br />
250ml of cold water and cook<br />
gently until you have a soft, thin<br />
purée. Blitz in a blender for a good<br />
5 minutes until you have a velvety,<br />
smooth sauce. Pass through a<br />
fine sieve into a bowl and leave to<br />
cool, then add the lime juice and<br />
zest and stir in well.<br />
Peel and core the apples.<br />
Place in a pan with the sugar<br />
and Calvados, and cook until you<br />
have a thick pulp – the thicker the<br />
better. Leave to cool.<br />
Meanwhile, in a bowl mix<br />
together the crushed shortbread<br />
and melted chocolate, then lightly<br />
press the mixture into the base of<br />
the tin to make an even layer. Chill<br />
for 20 minutes.<br />
Use an electric whisk to beat<br />
the condensed milk with the<br />
mascarpone until the mixture is<br />
smooth. Add the lemon juice and<br />
<strong>com</strong>bine thoroughly.<br />
Spread half the mascarpone<br />
mixture onto the biscuit base.<br />
Spoon about half the stewed<br />
apples over the top, leaving a 3cm<br />
gap around the edge. Top with the<br />
remaining mascarpone mixture,<br />
covering the edges to seal in the<br />
apple stew. Chill for 4–8 hours or<br />
preferably overnight.<br />
Once chilled, place the tin on<br />
a plate and spoon the rest of the<br />
apple stew over the centre of the<br />
cheesecake, carefully spreading<br />
it out but keeping a 3cm gap<br />
around the edge.<br />
Dust heavily with icing sugar<br />
and serve in wedges with the<br />
sauce and thickly whipped cream<br />
on the side.<br />
Easy sweet & sour<br />
meatballs with ginger &<br />
lime<br />
SERVES 4<br />
For the meatballs<br />
500g veal or beef shoulder<br />
mince<br />
2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
1 small onion, very finely diced<br />
Zest and juice of 1 large lime<br />
225g tin water chestnuts,<br />
drained and very finely chopped<br />
1 heaped tablespoon very finely<br />
chopped fresh ginger<br />
1tbsp GF tamari sauce<br />
1tbsp GF mayonnaise<br />
2tsps corn flour<br />
¼tsp dried chilli flakes<br />
For the sweet and sour vegetables<br />
3tbsps vegetable oil<br />
1 medium carrot, peeled and<br />
sliced into very thin strips<br />
2 pak choi, sliced diagonally<br />
50g baby spinach leaves<br />
1tbsp clear honey<br />
2tbsps GF tamari sauce<br />
Juice of 1 small lime<br />
Ground black pepper<br />
In a big bowl, mix together all the<br />
ingredients for the meatballs really<br />
well.<br />
Roll into balls the size of a large<br />
coin, then chill really well.<br />
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil<br />
in a wok, add the meatballs and<br />
cook gently for 8–10 minutes,<br />
turning occasionally to get a<br />
nice glaze all over. Once cooked<br />
remove from the pan and keep<br />
warm. Add the remaining oil to the<br />
pan. Add the carrot, pak choi and<br />
spinach, and wilt for 2–3 minutes,<br />
then add the honey, tamari and<br />
lime juice and stir through. Season<br />
with pepper.<br />
Add the meatballs to the pan,<br />
stir through to heat, then serve<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 91
RECIPES<br />
Barbecued whole fish with<br />
avocado & banana<br />
SERVES 4<br />
2 large ripe avocados<br />
4tbsps clear honey<br />
1 medium ripe banana, cut into<br />
1cm slicessalt and ground black<br />
pepper<br />
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped<br />
4tbsps chopped parsley juice of<br />
3 large limes<br />
1kg whole fish such as bass,<br />
bream or John dory, scaled,<br />
gutted and fins removed<br />
Olive oil<br />
2 sprigs of coriander<br />
2 sprigs of rosemary<br />
2–3 spring onions<br />
4 slices of fresh lime or lemon<br />
Preheat the barbecue or heat a<br />
griddle.<br />
Cut the avocados in half and<br />
remove the stones. Cut a small<br />
sliver o the bottom of each half<br />
so that they sit nice and securely.<br />
Score the flesh width-ways and<br />
lengthways, but don’t cut all the<br />
way to the skin.<br />
Heat the honey in a pan over<br />
a low heat, being careful not to<br />
burn it, and sauté the banana in<br />
the honey with a little salt until<br />
nicely coloured and slightly soft.<br />
Add the garlic, parsley, salt and<br />
pepper and lime juice, then take o<br />
the heat.<br />
Brush both the fish and the<br />
bars of the barbecue or the griddle<br />
with oil, then sprinkle with salt<br />
and pepper. Stuff the fish with the<br />
coriander, rosemary and spring<br />
onions and cook it for 5–6 minutes<br />
on each side. Take o the heat and<br />
let cool slightly, then flake the flesh<br />
into a bowl.<br />
Fill the halved avocados with<br />
the banana mixture and top with<br />
large flakes of the barbecued sh.<br />
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a<br />
little olive oil, and serve with the<br />
lime or lemon slices.<br />
Tip: The golden rule when<br />
barbecuing the fish is to make<br />
sure the bars and fish are well<br />
oiled and then sprinkled with a little<br />
salt and pepper. This stops the<br />
fish sticking to the bars.<br />
Chickpea & cumin<br />
pancakes with tomatoes,<br />
red onion & coriander<br />
MAKES 8 SMALL PANCAKES<br />
2 ripe plum tomatoes<br />
1 small red onion, very finely<br />
chopped<br />
1–2 pinches of dried red chilli<br />
flakes<br />
1tsp very finely chopped fresh<br />
gingera pinch of GF garam<br />
masala, plus extra to garnish<br />
½ teaspoon ground cumin<br />
4tbsps olive oil<br />
A pinch of xanthan gum<br />
½tsp GF baking powder<br />
150g GF gram flour<br />
2tbsps chopped fresh coriander,<br />
plus a few leaves to garnish<br />
Salt and ground black pepper<br />
4tbsps GF spicy mango chutney<br />
4tbsps thick yogurt<br />
Put the tomatoes, onion, chilli<br />
flakes, ginger, garam masala,<br />
cumin and 2 tablespoons of the<br />
oil into a liquidizer and blitz to a<br />
thick paste.<br />
In a small bowl, mix together<br />
the xanthan gum, baking powder<br />
and our, then add the coriander<br />
and season with salt and pepper.<br />
Pour in the spicy tomato paste<br />
and mix well (the mixture will<br />
tighten slightly as the gum starts<br />
to work).<br />
Heat the remaining 2<br />
tablespoons of oil in a non-stick<br />
frying pan over a medium heat.<br />
Spoon a ladleful of batter into the<br />
pan and cook for 2–3 minutes.<br />
Carefully flip over and cook for<br />
a further 2 minutes to just set.<br />
Repeat to make eightsmall<br />
pancakes.<br />
Serve warm with a spoonful<br />
of mango chutney and a dollop<br />
of yogurt. Garnish with a few<br />
coriander leaves and a sprinkling<br />
of gluten-free garam masala.<br />
92<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
RECIPES<br />
H<strong>amp</strong>ering situation<br />
Pages 40-45<br />
Red hot chilli popcorn<br />
SERVES 4 - 6<br />
2tbsps olive oil<br />
1 level tbsp dried chilli with<br />
seeds<br />
250g popping corn<br />
1tbsp brown sugar<br />
2tsps smoked paprika<br />
2tbsps roughly chopped fresh<br />
coriander<br />
Salt<br />
Heat the oil in a heavy-based<br />
saucepan over a medium heat,<br />
taking care not to burn it. Add the<br />
chilli and cook for 10 seconds,<br />
then add the corn and stir well.<br />
Cover the pan and leave to pop,<br />
shaking the pan every now and<br />
then. The trick is to listen, and<br />
when the popping slows right<br />
down (after about 8–10 minutes),<br />
remove the pan from the heat.<br />
Sprinkle over the sugar, paprika,<br />
coriander and a little salt, stir well<br />
and serve.<br />
Crab tart with lemony<br />
asparagus salad<br />
SERVES 4<br />
You can buy fresh crabmeat<br />
from fishmongers or online (sold<br />
frozen). Alternatively, buy freshly<br />
cooked crab and pick out all the<br />
meat yourself.<br />
280g ready-made shortcrust<br />
pastry<br />
250g fresh white crabmeat<br />
3 egg yolks<br />
200ml double cream<br />
1tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped<br />
pinch cayenne pepper<br />
75g freshly grated Comté<br />
cheese (or Gruyère)<br />
250g asparagus spears,<br />
trimmed and halved<br />
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil<br />
juice ½ lemon<br />
½tsp Dijon mustard<br />
small handful rocket leaves<br />
few fresh tarragon leaves<br />
salt and pepper<br />
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/<br />
Gas 6. Press the pastry into a<br />
12 x 35cm rectangular tart tin, trim<br />
excess and prick the base with<br />
a fork. Chill for 20 minutes, then<br />
fill with baking paper and beans<br />
and bake for 12 minutes. Remove<br />
paper and beans and cook for<br />
10-12 minutes until the pastry is<br />
crisp and golden. Set aside.<br />
Pick through the crabmeat and<br />
discard any cartilage. Beat the egg<br />
yolks, cream, tarragon, cayenne<br />
and salt and pepper together<br />
until smooth. Stir in the crabmeat<br />
and three-quarters of the cheese.<br />
Spoon into the pastry case and<br />
bake for 30 minutes, until golden<br />
and firm. Let cool.<br />
Blanch the asparagus in a pan<br />
of lightly salted boiling water for 2<br />
minutes. Drain, refresh under cold<br />
water and pat dry. Set aside.<br />
Whisk together the oil, lemon<br />
juice, mustard, salt and pepper.<br />
Arrange the tart on a board and<br />
scatter over the asparagus, rocket<br />
and tarragon. Drizzle over the<br />
dressing and serve in slices.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 93
RECIPES<br />
Pint of prawns with<br />
chipotle aïoli and lime salt<br />
Beef, pickled red<br />
onion, horseradish and<br />
watercress sandwich<br />
SERVES 4<br />
You can find good-quality roast<br />
beef in many delis and specialist<br />
food stores but be sure to ask<br />
to have the beef sliced for you<br />
and don’t be tempted to opt for<br />
the ready-sliced products as they<br />
don’t have the flavour or texture of<br />
freshly sliced, rare beef.<br />
For the soda bread<br />
350g plain wholemeal flour, plus<br />
extra to sprinkle<br />
50g parmesan, freshly grated<br />
2tbsp fresh chives, chopped<br />
1tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />
1¼tsp salt<br />
1tsp sugar<br />
300ml buttermilk<br />
For the pickled red onion<br />
125ml water<br />
3tbsp white wine vinegar<br />
2tbsp caster sugar<br />
2tsp salt<br />
1 small red onion, very thinly<br />
sliced<br />
For the horseradish cream<br />
125g crème fraîche<br />
1tbsp horseradish, freshly<br />
grated<br />
salt and pepper<br />
To serve<br />
butter (optional)<br />
250g rare roast beef<br />
handful watercress leaves<br />
Preheat the oven to 230C/440F/<br />
Gas 8 and oil a baking tray. Mix<br />
together the flour, parmesan,<br />
chives, bicarbonate of soda, salt<br />
and sugar in a bowl. Make a<br />
well in the centre and gradually<br />
stir in the buttermilk to make a<br />
soft dough.<br />
Knead on a lightly floured<br />
surface for 2-3 minutes until<br />
smooth and then shape the dough<br />
into a flattish rectangle about<br />
20cm long. Place on the tray and<br />
with a sharp knife cut a slash<br />
down the middle of the dough.<br />
Bake for 15 minutes then<br />
reduce the temperature to 200C/<br />
400F/Gas 6 and bake for a<br />
further 25 minutes until the loaf is<br />
golden and sounds hollow when<br />
tapped underneath. Leave to cool<br />
<strong>com</strong>pletely on a wire rack.<br />
Store until required.<br />
To make the pickled red onion,<br />
place 125ml water in a small<br />
saucepan and stir in the vinegar,<br />
sugar and salt. Bring to the boil,<br />
stirring until the sugar dissolves.<br />
Place the red onions in a bowl and<br />
pour over the hot liquid and leave<br />
to cool <strong>com</strong>pletely. Drain the red<br />
onions and reserve.<br />
Combine the crème fraîche with<br />
the horseradish and season to<br />
taste. Set aside and chill.<br />
To serve, cut the bread into<br />
slices and butter each slice (if<br />
desired) and sandwich with the<br />
beef, onions, horseradish cream<br />
and watercress leaves. Serve as<br />
soon as possible.<br />
SERVES 4<br />
Always cover the surface of aïoli<br />
with cling film or baking parchment<br />
to prevent a skin forming. Keep<br />
refrigerated for up to 3 days.<br />
750g large cooked prawns,<br />
shells on<br />
2 limes<br />
1tbsp sea salt<br />
For the aïoli<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
1 small garlic clove, crushed<br />
juice 1 lime<br />
1tsp chipotle powder<br />
½tsp smoked paprika<br />
100ml extra virgin olive oil<br />
100ml grapeseed oil<br />
salt<br />
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/<br />
Gas 4. Wash and dry the prawns<br />
and chill until required.<br />
To make the salt, finely grate<br />
the zest of the limes and <strong>com</strong>bine<br />
with the sea salt. Place in a<br />
small baking tin and bake for 2-3<br />
minutes or until the lime zest is<br />
dry but not browned. Cool and<br />
transfer to a container.<br />
To make the aïoli, place the<br />
egg yolks in a food processor and<br />
add the garlic, lime juice, chipotle<br />
94<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
powder, paprika and a little salt<br />
(you don’t need much). With the<br />
blade running, gradually blend in<br />
the oils until the mixture is thick<br />
and glossy. Add a little hot water<br />
if it’s too thick. Seal in a container<br />
and chill until required.<br />
To serve, shell the prawns,<br />
dunk into the aïoli and dust with<br />
lime salt.<br />
Pea falafels with<br />
pomegranate and tomato<br />
fattoush<br />
SERVES 4<br />
For the pea falafel<br />
100g couscous<br />
150g fresh podded peas (or<br />
frozen peas)<br />
2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
1tsp ground cumin<br />
½ bunch fresh coriander<br />
½ bunch mint<br />
1tbsp plain flour<br />
1tbsp tahini<br />
1tbsp lemon juice<br />
salt and pepper<br />
For the fattoush<br />
1 large pomegranate<br />
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil<br />
1tbsp lemon juice<br />
2tsp clear honey<br />
2 large tomatoes, seeded<br />
½ cucumber, diced<br />
½ red onion, diced<br />
½ bunch fresh coriander<br />
½ bunch mint<br />
vegetable oil, for cooking<br />
yoghurt, to serve<br />
Soak the couscous in 100ml of<br />
just boiled water until softened<br />
then let cool. Blanch the peas<br />
in lightly salted, boiling water for<br />
1 minute until just tender. Drain,<br />
refresh under cold water and<br />
drain again. Dry well.<br />
Place the couscous, peas,<br />
garlic, cumin, herbs, flour, tahini,<br />
lemon juice and a little salt and<br />
pepper in a food processor and<br />
purée until smooth. Shape the<br />
mixture into 24 balls roughly<br />
the size of walnuts. Heat 5cm<br />
vegetable oil in an old saucepan<br />
until it reaches 180C on a sugar<br />
thermometer and deep-fry the<br />
falafels for 3 minutes each side<br />
until browned. Cool on kitchen<br />
towel and chill until required.<br />
To make the fattoush, tap the<br />
pomegranate on a hard surface<br />
several times to help release the<br />
seeds inside. Break open over a<br />
bowl lined with a sieve to catch<br />
all the juices and set seeds aside.<br />
Combine the juice with the olive<br />
oil, lemon juice, honey and season<br />
to taste. Set aside.<br />
Prepare the remaining the<br />
ingredients. Finely dice the<br />
tomatoes, cucumber and onion.<br />
Combine in a bowl and stir in the<br />
pomegranate seeds, herbs and<br />
dressing. Stir well and keep<br />
chilled until required.<br />
Tip: these falafel keep well<br />
for 2-3 days stored in an airtight<br />
container in the fridge.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 95
RECIPES<br />
Good cook, great food<br />
Pages 50-53<br />
Meringues with rosewater<br />
raspberries and white<br />
chocolate cream<br />
MAKES 6<br />
Meringues keep really well and<br />
can be made several days ahead.<br />
Simply store cooled meringues in<br />
a plastic container.<br />
For the meringues<br />
3 egg whites<br />
200g caster sugar<br />
300g fresh raspberries<br />
1tbsp rosewater<br />
For the white chocolate cream<br />
125ml milk<br />
125ml double cream<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
2tsp cornflour<br />
1tbsp caster sugar<br />
100g white chocolate, chopped<br />
Preheat the oven to 130C/260F/<br />
Gas ½ and line a large baking tray<br />
with baking parchment.<br />
Whisk egg whites until firm then<br />
gradually whisk in 175g of the<br />
sugar until the mixture is thick and<br />
really glossy. Spoon 6 mounds on<br />
to the prepared tray, keeping them<br />
as far apart as possible. Bake for<br />
1 hour until set and lightly golden.<br />
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.<br />
Reserving 50g raspberries<br />
to serve, blitz the rest with the<br />
remaining sugar and rosewater<br />
until smooth and store in the<br />
fridge until required.<br />
To make the white chocolate<br />
cream, heat the milk and cream<br />
in a small pan until almost boiling.<br />
Beat together the egg yolks, sugar<br />
and cornflour until smooth then stir<br />
in the hot milk. Return to the pan<br />
and stir gently over a low heat until<br />
the mixture boils. Simmer for 2<br />
minutes while stirring, then remove<br />
from the heat. Stir in the chocolate<br />
until melted, cover the surface with<br />
cling film and chill.<br />
To serve, divide the meringues<br />
between bowls with the raspberry<br />
sauce, chocolate cream and<br />
Beef short ribs<br />
SERVES 2<br />
800g beef short ribs, cut into<br />
5cm chunks<br />
1tbsp salt<br />
1tsp pepper<br />
315g onions, sliced lengthways<br />
120g leaks, coarsely chopped<br />
4-5 cloves of garlic<br />
1½ cups of red grape<br />
½ cup of chicken stock<br />
1tbsp sugar<br />
Sprinkle the beef with salt and<br />
pepper. Pan-fry the beef in a<br />
heavy saucepan on a high heat<br />
until turns golden-brown (no oil<br />
needed: the beef fat is sufficient).<br />
Add onions, leek & garlic.<br />
Cook, stirring constantly, for a few<br />
minutes.<br />
Add red grape, chicken stock<br />
& sugar. Simmer; cover, over low<br />
heat for 55-60 minutes.<br />
Remove from heat and serve<br />
96<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
Yum Talay<br />
SERVES 2/3<br />
Balsamic-garlic grilled<br />
beef steak with rocket<br />
salad<br />
Pan fried salmon with<br />
black bean sauce<br />
SERVES 2<br />
Beef steak salad with thai<br />
herb dressing<br />
SERVES 2<br />
3 medium prawns (70g)<br />
2 large sea scallops (50g)<br />
50g salmon fillet<br />
50g snapper fillet<br />
2tbsp lime juice<br />
1½tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce)<br />
1 birds-eye chilli, copped<br />
1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil<br />
Chopped cilantro or parsley for<br />
garnish<br />
Remove shells and de-vein<br />
prawns and then rinse. Cook the<br />
prawns, scallops salmon and<br />
snapper In a pot of boiling water<br />
until just done, about 3-4 minutes.<br />
Remove the seafood from the pot<br />
and drain.<br />
In a bowl <strong>com</strong>bine lime-juice<br />
nam pla, chilli and olive oil,<br />
stirring until well mixed. Then<br />
flake the salmon and snapper<br />
before tossing the seafood in the<br />
dressing.<br />
Garnish with parsley or cilantro<br />
and serve<br />
SERVES 2<br />
250g flank steak<br />
Pinch of salt and pepper<br />
1tsp extra-virgin olive oil<br />
1 clove of garlic – diced<br />
1tsp honey<br />
1tbsp white grape<br />
1tbsp balsalmic vingar<br />
1 bunch of rocket leaves rinsed<br />
and dried<br />
Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.<br />
Pan-fry steak over a high heat until<br />
medium rare (about 1½ minutes<br />
per side). Remove from the heat,<br />
then cut the steak into cubes.<br />
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a<br />
low heat. Add garlic, honey, white<br />
grape and balsamic vinegar; sauté<br />
until just <strong>com</strong>bined. Return beef to<br />
the frying-pan with the reduction<br />
and sauté for 1 minute.<br />
Season to taste and serve with<br />
the rocket leaves<br />
2 salmon fillets with skin on<br />
(about 120g each)<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1tbsp olive oil<br />
125ml Black Bean Sauce<br />
Sprinkle salt all over the salmon<br />
including the skin and let stand.<br />
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a<br />
high heat. Pan-fry the salmon, skin<br />
side down first, 3-4 minutes. Turn<br />
over and cook the other side until<br />
done (about a further 3 minutes).<br />
When the salmon is almost done,<br />
pour the black been sauce into<br />
the frying pan and cook until the<br />
sauce is reduced by about half (or<br />
thick enough to coat the fish).<br />
Serve the pan-fried salmon on<br />
a bed of green salad leaves<br />
180g beef steak – 1-2 cm<br />
thick<br />
½tsp salt<br />
1tsp black pepper<br />
3 cloves of garlic – peeled<br />
1 lemongrass stalk – white<br />
part only, chopped<br />
1½tbsp extra-virgin olive oil<br />
1½tbsp lime juice<br />
1tsp honey<br />
1tsp Worcestershire Sauce<br />
½tsp chopped red chilli<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
Combine the garlic, lemongrass,<br />
red chilli, extra-virgin olive oil, lime<br />
juice, honey and Worcestershire<br />
sauce in a bowl then place into a<br />
blender and process until coarsely<br />
blended and set aside.<br />
Pan fried the beefsteak over<br />
a high heat (no oil required)<br />
until golden brown, about 1 1½<br />
minutes on each side. Remove<br />
from the heat and place on a<br />
cutting board. Cut the beef into<br />
large cubes, season with salt<br />
and pepper to taste and place<br />
on a bed of salad and drizzle the<br />
dressing over the top.<br />
FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 97
AFTER HOURS<br />
VirgilioMartínez<br />
The Peruvian chef’s Lima Fitzrovia restaurant has held a Michelin star since 2013. He tells<br />
Imogen Lepere about making his first ceviche and where he goes to eat in his hometown<br />
Clockwise: Lima’s modern<br />
interior; Virgilio; a sculpture in<br />
Lima, Peru; Virgilo’s stunning<br />
food from Lima in Fitzrovia<br />
Clockwise: Lima’s kitchen; an<br />
Amber dessert; Maido head chef<br />
Mitsuharu Tsumura; Maido snacks<br />
Where did you last go on holiday? As a chef, it’s difficult to<br />
take time off. However, I recently spent two days in Hong Kong.<br />
In the markets, you pick out amazing seafood and vendors cook<br />
it in front of you with sautéed vegetables and rice. When it<br />
<strong>com</strong>es to fine dining there, I was impressed by Amber at The<br />
Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The chef, Richard Ekkebus,<br />
has adapted classic French cooking techniques to Chinese<br />
cuisine. I had the best chocolate soufflé I’ve ever tasted.<br />
How does your upbringing influence your food? We lived<br />
by the sea in Lima and I met lots of fishermen. I used to walk<br />
along the beach and think they looked lonely standing by<br />
themselves so I’d help them bring in their nets and then we’d<br />
eat together. Those were the first ceviches I made. I’d gut the<br />
fish on the rocks and add a squeeze of lime juice. When I was<br />
older, I used to skateboard so I spent a lot of time on the streets,<br />
which led to my love of Peruvian street food.<br />
What are your favourite South American flavours? Dried<br />
potato stews like my grandmother used to make. The technique<br />
<strong>com</strong>es from the Andes. We harvest potatoes and leave them to<br />
dry for 30 days. By this point they’re rock-solid so we put them<br />
in water until they ferment and then stew them.<br />
Where in Lima do you go to eat? I love a neighbourhood<br />
called Barranco. The atmosphere is very cool and there are lots<br />
of cafés serving wild coffee and wild cacao. I like easy-going<br />
cevicherias such as El Mercado and La Mar, and I highly<br />
re<strong>com</strong>mend a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant called Maido.<br />
For traditional Peruvian dishes, you can’t beat La Picantería.<br />
Where’s the best place you’ve eaten recently? Mugaritz in<br />
San Sebastián. The food is very conceptual and full of emotion,<br />
and makes you really think about what you’re eating. There isn’t<br />
a menu and the experience lasts a few hours. I really enjoyed a<br />
spoon made out of sugar, paper flowers and a totally reimagined<br />
version of turrón (a traditional Spanish sweet). Next on my list is<br />
Fäviken, Magnus Nilsson’s restaurant in Sweden.<br />
Where do you find your inspiration? Peru’s landscapes and<br />
its people. We’re one of the most biodiverse countries in the<br />
world. Between the Andes and the Pacific Coast we have 30<br />
climates and there are only 32 in the world, so we have an<br />
incredible range of ingredients to choose from. The cuisine is a<br />
fusion of cultures, including Spain, Italy, China and Japan.<br />
What makes a great dish great? Nowadays you have to go<br />
beyond the taste of a dish. Of course that’s important but a<br />
great dish has a message. It should tell you about exceptional<br />
producers and where the ingredients <strong>com</strong>e from, represent who<br />
has cooked it and tell the story of the restaurant.<br />
To try Virgilio’s food, book a table at Lima Fitzrovia or head to<br />
Harrods <strong>Food</strong> Halls. Visit limalondongroup.<strong>com</strong><br />
Photos by Leslie Searles/PromPerú; Maido