ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS Brought to you by VARIETY: THE SPICE OF… F&B Numerous studies all point to the same fact: originality, innovation, quality, and above all variety, are becoming essential ingredients in the F&B offering. Increasingly today in more “savvy” high-end establishments, a much broader choice is being offered for clients when it comes to F&B. A perfect case at hand is the Grand Ambassador Seoul, which offers an extraordinary range of culinary experiences. At the King’s Premium Live Buffet, no less than 30 chefs stand ready to cook and serve at each of the sections, raging from fresh seafood, grilled meat, Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisine to a mindboggling array of desserts. Its Japanese restaurant, Sushi Hyo, is run by Chef Ahn Hyo-ju, named as Korea’s “Mr Sushi King” during a cooking reality show, and is renowned as one of the best sushi restaurants in Seoul among gastronomes in Korea. The hotel’s Chinese Restaurant, “Hongbogak”, meanwhile, specialising in Gwangdong and Sichuan cuisines, is run by Lui Ching Lai, president of the Korean Chinese Cuisine Association and a vice president of Korea Foodservice Industry Association. Bars and cafés add to the recipe to make what can only be described as exceptional culinary coverage - at the forefront of industry trends. MOROCCO FUSION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING A UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCE Hamza Afquir, the chef of the Selman Marrakech restaurant in Morocco has set about creating an unforgettable journey within his own hotel. It’s a journey to destinations where diners have set foot… to imaginary regions that are born from the mind of the master chef, and that come to life in the colourful, exotic serving dishes on the table. “I call what we do ‘fusion’ cuisine, so as not to be confused with what many people term ‘Moroccan cuisine revisited’, which has become totally cliché,” says Hamza Afquir. “We prepare local Moroccan produce with western savoirfaire and methods, and western produce is prepared with a Moroccan touch. An example might be a Magret de Canard sautéed with Moroccan Ras El Hanout spices and cinnamon. The aim is to add a ray of sunshine to all of our dishes.” Hamza Afquir’s influences are not only from Morocco and France: “I have travelled through Equatorial Guinea and the Ivory Coast and have derived some ideas from these regions as well. Each time I try to being a little touch from a different far away place and marry or integrate it with Moroccan products and spices.” The aim, says Hamza Afquir, is not to shock peoples’ taste buds, but to delight them in new and interesting ways, with, of course, a dash of finesse.
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #31 2016 Autumn Edition 23 © Office National Marocain du Tourisme ARABIAN NIGHTS OR LEOPARDS IN THE SAVANNAH? Where could me more exotic than the souks of the Middle East, or wilder and more visually breathtaking than the savannah of Africa? While security concerns have recently put a damper on some regions, it is very important to put things into perspective, as most destinations in these regions are very safe for travellers. While the Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain continue to see spectacular growth in hotel and tourism infrastructure and tourism figures, African nations – in particular North Africa, are struggling to make a comeback after the terrorist incidents of past years. To whit, Morocco, and in particular Marrakech are great propositions today – and we spotlight this amazing destination in this issue.
