BlackBook In The Know Global Gourmand On our radar this quarter: three culinary artists; a Monagasque seafood fest; restaurants lighting up London; the best in French wine; nice ice in China; and the latest cookbooks A troika of toques Canadian cool Since opening in Vancouver’s rapidly gentrifying Downtown Eastside in February, Pidgin has gained a firm following among the city’s food cognoscenti thanks to chef Makoto Ono’s thoughtful, globally inflected precision cuisine. A culinary whizz kid, Canadian-Japanese Ono is French-trained and cooked at Mirabelle and Vong in London before opening restaurants in Canada, Beijing and Hong Kong. Expect generous, often-Asian-inspired dishes like crispy duck with Chinese spicing, oranges and carrot cake; or humpback shrimp sashimi with citrus and celery. pidginvancouver.com simply japanese The façade is scrupulously minimalist: there’s no name on the door. And Pedro Espina, chef and presiding genius at Soy (Spanish for ‘I am’) is as self-effacing as his Madrid restaurant. A martial arts expert, Espina returned from an eight-year exile in Japan with a wife, Tamayo, and the title of itamae (think culinary blackbelt). For the five years of Soy’s existence he has discreetly watched his legend grow. Yet what he offers is simple enough. Six tables. Japanese haute cuisine of rare excellence, with a hint of Hispanic fusion. And the humility of a genuine artist. Says Espina: “I learn every day. One must be honest. Everything superfluous must be eliminated.” Just so. soypedroespina.com Italian ideal He’s an icon in the world of Italian cuisine, engaged in a constant pursuit for perfection, whether it comes to choosing ingredients and cooking or to the presentation of his dishes. Intransient and pure, two-Michelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco is currently Italy’s most acclaimed chef, boasting several television appearances and a tough-guy charm. From September, the most discerning of gourmands can sample his cuisine at his restaurant Cracco al Palazzo at the elegant Palazzo Parigi, a just-opened, fivestar hotel in the heart of Milan. palazzoparigi.com Renowned Italophile Michael White shares his knowledge on contemporary and classic Italian cuisine Innovative and always interesting, Caines provides a lesson in just what can be created in a domestic kitchen Fruits de mer New on Monte Carlo’s waterfront is a cosmopolitan crossroads for fish and seafood: Canadian lobster, Mediterranean fish, Scottish salmon, Kamchatka crab and oysters from Brittany are all on the menu at La Marée (lamaree.ru.en), used in equally global recipes, from Russian soup, ukha e solyanka, to Tunisian cous cous and stroganina, an Eskimo dish made of frozen fish cut into very thin slices. As Tunisian Zitouni Abdessattar, the restaurant’s head chef says, of enjoying fish: “Let the freshness speak for itself.” kitchen reads From the simple to the extravagant, traditional French fare explained, adapted and updated by the master chef From pastries to tarts and petits fours, rising stars and established chefs contribute to 89 mouthwatering creations illustrations anje jager; Photos Lotfi Maktouf (top right); book covers: courtesy of the book publishers 56 CENTURION-Magazine.COM CONTACT CENTURION SERVICE FOR BOOKING
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