Tabla de contenidos para May 2017 en epicure

Ok, this statement isn’t true of course, but it should be. Italian food is undoubtedly one of the most popular, accessible and comforting in the world. Italy boasts many varieties of cheese to rival France, ranging from mozzarella, Provolone, Gorgonzola to Parmigiano-Reggiano. And then there is the visceral pleasure of tucking into a succulent Florentine steak. The cuisine also espouses generosity and hospitality. Anyone who has ever been invited to a nonna’s house will understand what family-sized portions really mean. Italian cooking is also about celebrating familial bonds and traditions with a passion. A meal takes hours to finish – food forms the backbone from which conversations linger. Male chefs may rule the restaurants, but women still form the heart and soul of home kitchens. Even a highly decorated toque…

ANAND J MEHTA, managing partner, Advisory & Investments, Synapse Associates Asia » Serving brilliant seafood for over five generations, Doyles is the perfect family spot to lunch leisurely on beer battered fish and old fashioned chips. From the ample menu selection, choose the popular Fisherman’s Platter (hot or cold), which comes with Lobster Mornay, crabs or bugs, house-smoked salmon, king prawns, deep-fried fish fillets, grilled scallops, stuffed jumbo prawns, oysters and mussels. 11 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay, NSW 2030. Tel: +61 2 9337 2007 » Dine al fresco against a backdrop of stunning harbour and city views from the iconic Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf and enjoy classic Australian fare such as locally sourced fresh beef at Kingsleys Woolloomooloo. You can’t go wrong with juicy steaks, fillets, burgers and superb wines. Throw…

PREP THE CANVAS With the right base makeup – and you don’t need a lot – you can smoothen and correct what age has inflicted. 1. Lancôme Blanc Expert Cushion 3.0 High Coverage ($55/$20 for compact case) Featuring fibres akin to those found in fleece, this cushion holds a formula that provides higher coverage than a conventional makeup cushion and delivers an all-day rosy radiance. 2. SK-II Atmosphere CC Cream SPF 50/PA++++ ($115) The hydrating formula conceals blemishes, offers high protection against UV rays, gives skin an instant natural glow with micro pearl pigments, and brightens skin over time with a potent blend of ume, niacinamide and Pitera. 3. Urban Decay Optical Illusion Complexion Primer ($55) Containing optical blurring pigments, botanical oils and vitamin E, this makeup base fills in…

The farm-to-table movement is no doubt essential to improving the sustainability of the world’s cooking and dining practices, but the term has, over time, become a catchphrase bandied about to market a restaurant. The biggest gripe naysayers have with the overuse of ‘farmto- table’ is that ultimately, many chefs can claim to subscribe to the movement, even if their produce comes from a farm halfway across the world. Chef and co-owner Dan Barber of Blue Hill restaurant, which has outlets in New York City and the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, is credited as one of the pioneers of this movement. But while his peers are usually content to buy local, organically grown ingredients, Barber works with vegetable breeders to create varieties of squash, tomatoes, wheat and corn…

They are loud, messy and not without their daily share of fights and arguments. But that’s just the water boiling on the surface. Beneath all that is an irrefutable bond of love that sustains the worst of tempers and tantrums. This Mother’s Day, we pay tribute to two mother-son duos that form the backbone of two of Singapore’s most popular family-run Italian restaurants. Ristorante Da Valentino Born in the northern Milanese city of Meda, famous for luxury Italian furniture houses such as Cassina, Minotti and Tisettanta, good food has always been close to Valentino Valtulina’s heart. His interest in the culinary arts was sparked only after he tried his hand as a pastry chef, but Valtulina credits his mum for kindling his passion in authentic Italian cooking. Blessed with a…

Spirit style Poli Grappa continually brings new dimensions to the age-old distillate, whether through ageing or the vessels they are housed in. From a recent tasting with fourthgeneration distiller Jacopo Poli, three styles stood out. For purists, the clear Amorosa di Dicembre is a single vintage, autochthonous vine expression that gives notes of raisin with a refined palate. The Poli Cleopatra Prosecco Oro, a barrique aged beauty made from the marc of the Glera grape, is unforgettable with delicate notes of apricot and vanilla. Most distinctive is the Poli Pauillac, painstakingly produced in 2008 from Premier Grand Cru marc and aged eight years, resulting in a ripe, complex spirit with rich honey, marzipan and oak notes. From Le Vigne, 72 Namly Place. Tel: 6314 1597 COCKTAIL KING From the country…

Boot Leg Monti 60ml Bacardi 8 Years 20ml Bols Crème de Cacao White 15ml Benedictine DOM 3 dashes Tabasco long orange curl, for garnish • Fill a mixing glass with all the ingredients (except garnish), and top with ice cubes. • Stir for longer than usual, about 45-50 seconds, till chilled through and ice dilution stops. • Use a larger martini glass and don’t chill it, in order to get the clear rim effect. Pour contents of mixing glass into martini glass carefully and garnish with a fresh orange curl. WHAT YOU NEED jigger strainer mixing glass bar spoon If it’s a classic stirred martini you’re after, you’ll need these four items as well as a good dry gin. “Italians drink more negronis than martinis,” says Millar. “But when they…

The small quaint town of Rovigo, where Michele Greggio, executive chef of Pan Pacific Singapore, was born, is one of Italy’s richest agricultural areas and the breadbasket of Veneto. Not surprisingly, Greggio hails from a proud lineage of farmers, and spent many of his childhood days wandering around his family’s 120-hectare farm. He was only five years old when he first operated a manual tractor. During summer months, he and his three siblings would help out on the farm, harvesting vegetables and grains such as corn, soy beans, wheat, tomatoes, peppers and green peas. It was the desire to learn his mum’s delicious recipes that sparked his interest in cooking. “Back then, without any internet for entertainment, watching my mother cook was one of my favourite pastimes,” he shares. “I…

“The world is divided. Look, Donald Trump is the POTUS. And Brexit took place. Anything can happen,” renowned chef Gaggan Anand proclaimed during a recent conversation with me about the volatility of restaurants rankings. Indeed. Take a look at the inaugural Michelin Guide Singapore. Of the 29 restaurants awarded the vaunted star(s), there was only one Italian establishment (well, kind of) that was deemed “a very good restaurant in its category”. In other words, it was the only Italian eatery in town to receive any Michelin star. That restaurant is Terra, a Tokyo-Italian outfit on Tras Street that’s run by Japanese chef Seita Nakahara and whose menu is influenced by Japan’s seasonal bounty. Nakahara has worked in Tokyo’s established Italian restaurants and trained in kitchens in Tuscany, Sicily and Piedmont,…

ANTONIO FACCHINETTI began his culinary career at two Michelin-starred Vissani in Orvieto, before moving across the pond to work at Rex II Ristorante in downtown Los Angeles. He has since also honed his skills in Germany, Thailand and Australia, where at one point he co-owned a restaurant called Il Baretto in Sydney. Now, the passionate Italian chef de cuisine doles out rustic Italian plates at Prego in Fairmont Singapore. What’s the secret to making better pasta? “Use fresh eggs when making egg pasta like fettuccine or ravioli. Practice kneading the dough to develop its gluten, which is crucial for its stretchy texture and bite. Pasta should always be cooked in boiled, not boiling water, and afterwards, cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying…

When it comes to design, no one does it quite like the Italians. Known for its loud designs with pops of colour, Moschino has teamed up with Gufram, a rebellious furniture designer, to produce a capsule collection. The scarlet red Zipped Lips settee, a riff of the 1970s Bocca sofa, is set to be a living room focal point. Equally outrageous are the striking Moschino Biker bag cabinet and the Moschino high heels that have been reworked into a glass shelf and an ottoman. Price unavailable at time of print. www.moschino.com More pared-down is Harrods of London’s debut furniture collection. The range, heavily influenced by 1930s Art Deco style, comprises of a sofa, tables, cabinetry as well as upholstery that are designed in partnership with renowned Italian furniture manufacturer Porado…

Swoon-worthy Naked Cakes by food stylist Lyndel Miller brims with elegant ‘unfinished’ cakes decorated with fresh flowers, foliage and fruits. Learn how to choose the ideal base, build the perfect stacked confection, and set the scene with your own handmade decorations. Published by Penguin Random House. Available from Kinokuniya, $42.30. Joshua McFadden celebrates vegetables as only a chef with the soul and experience of a farmer can. Aptly titled Six Seasons, this tome is an ode to vegetables and the six stages in their life cycles, highlighting the seasons that are best for flavour, colours or just for good produce. Published by Penguin Random House. Available from Kinokuniya, $58.30. Genevieve Taylor’s MasterChef Street Food of the World is a global culinary adventure featuring popular foods such as spicy Turkish midye…

It is not hard to conjure images of the good life when one mentions Bali. Think of the tranquil azure sea and long days spent leisurely at a beach club. Consider the joys of four hands massages, yoga classes by the lush padi fields, and heaps of resort-wear retail therapy. Bali has so much to offer, and that is precisely why it remains Indonesia’s most popular holiday destination. Today, Bali is drawing the attention of hungry foodies who are excited about feasting on the best that the island has to offer, and nomadic chefs with Michelin star credentials and intrepid restaurateurs are only too glad to answer their calls. Add to that the abundance of locally grown produce, a rich supply of seafood from Indonesia’s marine bounty, and Bali’s reputation…

Highly regarded in the realm of gastronomy, French haute cuisine gained supremacy throughout the world in the early 20th century when Auguste Escoffier, known as the king of chefs, popularised and modernised traditional French cooking methods and codified French cuisine. French chefs were lauded in the world’s grandest palaces, top international hotels and the finest restaurants, and Paris became the de rigueur city for all things culinary. More than just about fancy presentation, French cooking is about techniques done well and flavours patiently coaxed to create a harmonious dish. Methods such as sautéing, braising, poaching, roasting and grilling are universal in their application, so while avant-garde approaches such as molecular cooking (think spherification and deconstruction) are widely used these days, it is still imperative for a new chef to be…

Chef Anna Borassi and her son Alessandro are more than just the kitchen forces behind the Sicilia Mia Group, the umbrella housing both iO Italian Osteria and Etna restaurants. Both mother and son started working at Etna seven years ago when they arrived in Singapore, before opening the highly popular iO Italian Osteria in 2014. Coming from a long lineage of chefs in Naples, and seeing the hard work that her dad and grandfathers put into running their own restaurants, Borassi was adamant that she would never step into the kitchen herself. But life had other plans. Likewise, she didn’t want her children to follow in her footsteps, but a young Alessandro was mesmerised with the magic she created with her hands, and was only six years old when he…

Our 39th vintage is very small in quantity, with under 60,000 bottles worldwide. Compared to Moët & Chandon, with 30 million bottles, we are just a bubble in the market. Salon is exclusively a single vintage Champagne produced only in the best harvests. In the 20th century, Salon was released only 37 times. I love Singapore and visit twice a year. We often have the vintage launches in Japan, but as we have just changed distributor in 2016, it was the right time to focus on Singapore. We’ve allocated 600 bottles to Singapore, which is exchateau. This is an important point, as our customers want to ensure that their wine is received in the correct conditions. The blanc de blanc style, which is made with only Chardonnay, was created by…

A tomahawk steak isn’t the first meat dish that comes to a home cook’s mind when hosting a party. But if there are meat-lovers on your guest list, what better choice to impress than with a hefty, show-stopping tomahawk steak. Named for its resemblance to the tomahawk axe, the tomahawk steak typically weighs between 1.5kg and 1.9kg and is essentially bone-in rib-eye cut from the fore rib, with the entire rib bone left on. “This is a very popular item on our menu at Oso and Grillery, and it’s enough to feed four people if you’re having other dishes as well. What I enjoy about the tomahawk is that there is quite a bit of meat around the bone and that is the tastiest part,” says Chiarini. While it won’t…

If you need a break from the stress of urban living but find an ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ holiday a tad hokey, Byron Bay may be your answer. Located just southeast of New South Wales and south of Brisbane, the coastal town and its neighbouring regions are a blissful blend of balmy weather, white sand beaches, picturesque landscapes, fresh produce, and even spiritual calm – in some areas. While it used to be a sleepy town where hippies hung out for the weekend, Byron Bay has blossomed in recent years. It’s still popular with bohemian types, but these days, trendy urbanites from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane also flock to the region by car to seek respite from city life. While better roads have made it more accessible from Brisbane and Sydney,…

Bobbi Brown #B2-45 ION Orchard Tel: 6509 6576 Bottega 263 Tanjong Katong Road Tel: 6816 1834 Burberry Beauty Level 1 TANGS at Tang Plaza Tel: 6836 5516 Certain Cellars #02-05 Henderson Industrial Park 209 Henderson Road Tel: 6270 3230 Chanel Cosmetics B1-134 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6645 1970 Clarins #B2-35 to 36 ION Orchard Tel: 6509 0312 Clé de Peau Beauté Level 1 Takashimaya S.C. Tel: 6735 2996 Clinique Level 1 Robinsons Orchard Tel: 6836 6761 Cosme Decorte Level 1 Takashimaya S.C. Tel: 6836 9159 Crystal Wines #01-02/03 Valley Point 491 River Valley Road Tel: 6737 3540 Dior Beauty Level 1 Robinsons Raffles City Tel: 6338 7782 Elizabeth Arden Level 1 Robinsons Raffles City Tel: 6336 1554 Escentials #03-02/05 Paragon Tel: 6737 2478 Estée Lauder #B2-52 ION…

SONG GARDEN With so many details to attend to as a new hotel opens, on-site restaurants may sometimes fail to hit the mark. That isn’t the case with Song Garden at Mercure Singapore Bugis. It takes up most of the hotel’s second floor and features seven private rooms. The kitchen is run by executive chef Wong Shea Nung, formerly of the highly regarded Fook Lam Moon in his native Hong Kong, and dim sum chef Leung Chi Man, who previously worked at East Ocean Seafood Restaurant Hong Kong. Decked in sophisticated Chinese furnishings and artworks, the interiors of Song Garden set the tone for a refined Cantonese dining experience. Food: 7/10 SERVICE: 8/10 AMBIENCE: 8/10 AVERAGE DINNER BILL FOR TWO,WITH DRINKS: $120 MUST-TRIES:LOBSTER AND PUMPKIN SOUP, AND PRAWNS WITH LAKSA…

TOP ITALIAN WINES Alba 1836 Senso Ristorante & Bar Alba 1836’s cuisine is reliably delicious, but where the establishment really shines is with its wines – the over 400-strong list includes a comprehensive selection of sought-after labels such as Gaja, Antinori, Pio Cesare, Clerico and Dal Forno. The restaurant also offers 40 options by the glass – whether it’s a white Damilano Arneis Langhe Piemonte or Fattoria Le Pupille’s young, fruity Pelofino red – all stored in high-tech, state-of-the-art dispensers. Senso’s selection is slightly smaller at just 300, but is no less impressive. Housed in the walk-in cellar are Old and New World vino from all around the world. One of their most prized wines is the Ca’ del Bosco Cuvee Prestige NV – a Franciacorta (Lombard sparkling wine similar…

Ca’ D’Gal Moscato D’Asti DOCG Vite Vecchia 2009 This audaciously aged Moscato d’Asti from fourth generation winemaker Alessandro Boido proves that it can be done. The bottle is named for vigna vecchia, or old vines grown in the Langhe, that form the final selection of a wine that draws from Boido’s personal recollections of traditionally juicy, pristine Moscato. This ‘reserve within a reserve’ displays a complex, mellow palate that retains a honeyed freshness of apricot and zest. $79 from Italian Wine Club NOTES ON VINTAGE MOSCATO 1 It’s recommended to drink most Moscato d’Asti within 12-24 months of production. 2 Ca’ D’Gal waits for its grapes to be well-ripened, which is only achievable from low-yield, old vines. 3 Fine bottles from an artisanal label like this will cellar up to…

Fregola in Clear Lobster Broth The Sardinian speciality of fregola – small, toasted semolina grains similar to North Africa’s berkoukes and Israel’s couscous – works well in soups, stews and rich sauces as it easily soaks up flavours without losing its firm bite. Pairing fregola with a clear broth instantly lightens the dish. Serves  2   Prep time  45 minutes  Cook time 3 hours FREGOLA 200g semolina flour 1g saffron powder 3-4 tbsp water » Mix saffron evenly into semolina flour, then spread flour in a large bowl. » Store water in a cup. Dip your fingers in water, then rapidly scatter the droplets all over the semolina flour, in order to moisten the dough with small droplets of water. Repeat until you’ve used up half the water. » Mix dough…

At a glance ‘Eating is easy, but cooking is both science and alchemy, which is what makes it so exciting’. And excited was exactly what I felt as I dove into this cookbook that’s brimming with easy-to-make recipes. Scandinavian countries have been consistently recognised for their quality of life, and this little cookbook is based on the very ethos of those habits – being sociable, outward-looking and enjoying every moment – no matter what the weather brings. This tome isn’t about pickled herrings, lingonberries and meatballs either. Chef and food writer Signe Johansen introduces the humble concept of hygge (pronounced hoo-gah). Roughly translating into cosiness, hygge is all about togetherness and creating a warm, convivial atmosphere, making everyday life more special and meaningful. Underpinning hygge is a craving for simplicity,…

Best known by his moniker Mojoko and for his brilliant pop culture artworks (remember the melting Superman sculpture perched in front of the Singapore Art’s Museum?). Singapore-based artist Steve Lawler started his career at Diesel HQ after attending the prestigious FABRICA art residency in Treviso, Northern Italy. He eventually launched multi-disciplinary group Kult in 2007. A versatile artist who dabbles in myriad art forms from interactive design to fine art, his works have been showcased in both international institutions and independent galleries across the globe. How did you develop into the artist you are today? Respect your raw work and show them to people whose opinion you value; be prepared to listen to any feedback so you can grow. This will sharpen your ideas, motives and execution. You also need…