Innehållsförteckning för June 2016 från epicure

The month of June is upon us and this can only mean one thing here in Singapore: it’s barbecue season again. The school holiday and post-examination period is when you’ll find hordes of families gathering at chalets and condos across the island for smoky fêtes. Meats like beef ribs, pork chops, and of course, our local mutton satays, are always the focal point at such cookouts. It reminds me of one of my favourite scenes in the movie Chef, where Jon Favreau’s character drove his son across the country in their Cuban sandwich food truck to the legendary Franklin Barbecue. But when it comes to this all-encompassing pastime, no one is more obsessed than the Texans. Franklin Barbecue is also Decker Barbecue pitmaster Elliott Decker’s favourite pit stop whenever he…

With the push towards a healthy and car-lite lifestyle (hello, car-free Sundays), the new BMW Cruise M Bike Limited Edition is just what you need to look like a cool cyclist on the roads. As a tribute to the high performance sports car BMW M2 Coupe, this bicycle is equally good-looking, with a long beach blue metallic finish and a hydro-formed aluminium frame’s distinctive ‘bullneck’ reminiscent of the tank position on a motorcycle. Its striking design is complemented by high-quality technical components like the carbon seat post and spacer for a lightweight yet strong body. With 28-inch wheels, a 30-gear system and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, you get superior control on straight, twisty and hilly routes alike. Limited production of 1,500. €1,400 (S$2,134). Available at Performance Motors, Sime Darby Performance…

Just a few years back, both Bali and Jakarta lagged behind other Asian cities in brunch culture. Now with a growing appetite for brunch and breakfast fests, these Indonesian culinary hotspots are making up for lost time, offering everything from hearty fry-ups to Champagne extravaganzas. Our selected round-up should satisfy the hungriest cravings. BALI Bookings are essential to snag a seat at this signature restaurant of W Retreat & Spa Bali - Seminyak, Starfish Bloo, especially for its Sunday brunch. Set alongside Petitenget Beach, the semi-open dining concept boasts an extensive outdoor dining terrace facing the crashing surf, which sets the upbeat, fun tone for hotel staffers to greet patrons with a welcome glass of Prosecco. While chilling to live sets from its resident DJ, you can choose from a…

Food: 6.5/10 Service: 8/10 Ambience: 9/10 Average dinner bill for two, with drinks: $120 Must-tries: Hiyashi Chuka dry ramen and goose foie gras skewer JINZAKAYA #01-08/10, 1 Farrer Park Station Road (off Rangoon Road). Tel: 6443 1173 While the afterhours izakaya haunt of Japanese salarymen traditionally calls to mind a dim, no-frills tavern with affordable eats, the concept is more hip than dingy at JINzakaya. Grainy Japanese commercials loop on the tablet-sized televisions, colourful oldschool posters adorn the walls, and traditional noh masks hang behind the counter seats to offer a little privacy. The restaurant is split into a bar and sit-down area. My companion and I settled down at the empty bar for a weekday lunch and were pleased to find lunchtime sets on the Four X Four menu.…

To mark Pan Pacific Singapore’s 30th anniversary, diners can enjoy 30% savings on lunch when they dine at Keyaki’s teppanyaki counter with their ‘Flare’ promotion (until 31 December). Tuck into sizzling meats such as U.S. beef sirloin, chicken thigh and Iberico pork; along with seafood ranging from whole lobster to oysters. Keyaki’s lunch menu includes delectable dishes like Sashimi Shima Hokke Yaki Gozen which consists of sashimi, grilled horse mackerel, simmered vegetables, deep-fried tofu, rice, miso soup, pickles plus a dessert; and Keyaki Bento, a mix of sashimi, chawanmushi, an appetiser, grilled dish, nimono and a deep-fried dish along with rice, miso soup, pickles and dessert. The dinner menu also features toothsome courses of grilled wagyu beef and sukiyaki, served with an amuse bouche, choice of sashimi or tempura, steamed…

How did your career path bring you to the gentle hillsides of Montepulciano? I’m a city girl from Belgium but I’ve always been connected to the earth. I do speak Italian and love the country, so I didn’t hesitate when in 2002 a Tuscan villa came up for sale with beautiful views. The buy was impulsive but not random. I moved to Tuscany in 2006, became a minority shareholder in Avignonesi in 2007, and became the full owner in 2009 after buying it from the original family. I took wine-making courses from the University of Bordeaux and had a clear idea of how I want these great wines to evolve. What convinced you to transition the vineyards to full biodynamic practice? As stewards of the land, we owe it to…

Life would never be the same again. From competitors to now collaborators, two chefs can attest to the incredible boost they have received by being part of the inaugural S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition. Held annually, the one-of-a-kind global culinary competition celebrates mentorship, skills, talent, creativity, and of course, fine food. Kirk Westaway, winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef, South-East Asia 2015 segment and Mark Moriarty, winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2015, recently returned to the kitchen to cook side by side in Singapore for their Four Hands Dinner as part of the Fine Dining Lovers Series. By collaborating, they were able to create a menu that incorporated their own signature styles while also celebrating a rewarding partnership in the kitchen. The result? Rich, true flavours of their dishes were…

EPICURE FOOD HUNTING APP IS NOW AVAILABLE ON ANDROID CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR THREE WINNERS IN MAY’S FOOD HUNTING CONTEST WHO HAVE WON A TWO-NIGHT STAY AT W BANGKOK WORTH $2,700 IN TOTAL! epicure magazine reserves the rights to publicise the participant’s name, picture(s) and name of the restaurant in print and online. Only winners will be notified. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence on the decision will be entertained. TERMS AND CONDITIONS • SUBMISSIONS OF HOMEMADE OR HAWKER FOOD WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. • ENTRIES HAVE TO BE SHOT ON-SITE AT THE RESTAURANT. • OVERSEAS PARTICIPANTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE BUT THEY WILL NEED TO APPOINT A REPRESENTATIVE IN SINGAPORE FOR PRIZE COLLECTION ON THEIR BEHALF IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO THEMSELVES. • MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE…

Frequent family excursions to the coast near Cape Cod, south of her hometown of Boston, cultivated in Robin Aiello a love for the open sea. The Harvard graduate originally intended to become a doctor like the three generations of her family before her, but those plans took a back seat after she came across a lecture by Stephen Jay Gould, an acclaimed evolutionary theorist and palaeontologist. Now a renowned marine biologist and ecotourism specialist, Aiello has embarked on expeditions to the chilly reaches of Antarctica and the Russian Arctic. She also regularly visits Cheval Blanc Randheli in the exclusive Maldivian Noonu Atoll to take guests on informative dives and snorkel excursions. What different dive sites are there to explore around Cheval Blanc Randheli? A site that’s fantastic for beginners is…

Pork ribs is a dish you just can’t miss out on when dining at a barbecue restaurant. Baked long and slow in the oven, the piping hot racks are tender but not falling apart. American-style ribs are usually seasoned with a dry rub before they're glazed in a thick and sticky marinade typically comprising ingredients like tomato, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, paprika and garlic. The sauce then sinks into the pores of the meat, filling it with a multitude of irresistible flavours. Upon serving, the ribs are crisp on the outside and their juicy flesh should easily strip off the bones when bitten into. THE GREEN DOOR Simmered in a pork broth brewed with ingredients such as black peppercorns and kecap manis, the ribs are then dry rubbed…

Having just opened its doors last month after Galle Face Hotel’s three-year restoration, Sea Spray restaurant has its sights set on becoming Sri Lanka’s top seafood establishment. It’s the final piece of the puzzle to be unveiled after the hotel’s entire North Wing – which first opened in 1864 – was stripped and rebuilt to its former grandeur. And with chef Adam Gaunt-Evans leading the culinary charge, it may very well be. The U.K. native started out at Michelin-starred The Greenhouse restaurant in London before moving to the kitchens of Dubai’s Burj al Arab and Sydney’s Flying Fish. He is joined by new chef de cuisine Jagath Raweendra, who has collaborated on the new menu that features Ceylon lobster flamed in arrack and finished with thermidor glaze and toasted coconut.…

Renowned for its vibrant souks brimming with traditional Moroccan crafts handmade by the markets’ stall owners, artisanal craftsmanship is synonymous with Marrekech – widely regarded as the most important of Morocco’s four former imperial cities. As such, it’s heartening to see a new hotel embracing the culture, beauty, and history of its locale. Launched in February this year, Almaha Marrakech offers a glimpse of how aristocrats from the Moroccan Berber empires might have lived. Located in Kasbah, Marrakech’s oldest neighbourhood that once played home to the royal stables, the boutique design hotel simulates a princely riad – a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior courtyard. It has just 12 guestrooms and suites, each with a unique interior boasting fine traditional craftsmanship. Over a decade in the making, Almaha…

Food&HotelAsia (FHA) marked its 20th edition this year from 12 to 15 April at the Singapore Expo with 300 new exhibitors. epicure was in the midst of all the action with a booth of our own, outfitted with Mondecasa furniture and a San Marco coffee machine from Boncafé to welcome new visitors and meet with our readers. This edition of FHA saw the debut of ProWine Asia 2016, the newest trade fair under the ProWein banner. Over 8,000 attendees flocked to taste and talk to the 257 wine producers and distributors from 30 countries. The Champagne Lounge, with 25 Champagnes on offer, attracted lovers of the tipple, while country pavilions comprising Australia, Austria, Chile, Italy, France, Spain and more drew local and Asian buyers. Local wine distributors were a dynamic…

1 SATIATE YOUR SWEET TOOTH Pretty pastries and ethereal sponges at Châteraisé Pâtisserie are made with quality ingredients like Hakusyu water and Japanese milk, flown in from Japan every week and decorated on site. For the ultimate treat, the Double Fantasty Cream Puff is an airy choux filled with fresh cream and rich custard. 2 WATCH THE SUSHI CHEFS AT WORK Peek into the glass kitchen and you’ll see them adroitly handling blue fin tuna, yellowtail, king salmon and other super fresh imports. Choose from the readymade selection or ask for some friendly advice on the best seasonal fish available. 3 COOL OFF AT FRUTTA JUICE BAR Head straight for what’s in season. Lap up a naturally sweet, low acidic juice pressed from scarlet Yayoihime strawberries. For something a little…

The Dining Room – Sheraton Towers Singapore Well-known for its serene ambience of cascading waterfalls, rock pools and lush landscaped gardens, The Dining Room is a choice destination for a hearty breakfast, intimate dinner and everything in between. Indulge in a weekend dinner buffet of international cuisine with seafood platters on ice, sashimi, prime rib roast beef and local delights like chicken curry, Hokkien noodles and seared duck with orange sauce. Sweet finales come in the form of chocolate fondue, cheesecake, and ice cream-topped waffles. $62++. Lobby Level, 39 Scotts Road. Tel: 6839 5621 HSBC Cardholders enjoy: 1-for-1 dinner buffets from Thursday to Sunday. Brizo Restaurant & Bar – Park Hotel Clarke Quay From now till 30 June 2016, get whisked away to Spain with Brizo Restaurant & Bar’s new…

The sumptuous Dandelyan at Mondrian London tempts with their third collection of botanical explorations, under the expert hand of Ryan Chetiyawardana – a.k.a. Mr. Lyan. His third ‘chapter’ teases out ways that plants have been used for civilisation. 13th Century Boy (£12.50/S$24.80) employs ancient Egyptian techniques to bring together Martin Miller gin, palm and pine embalming cordial and mummified citrus in a gimlet, while BC3 Negroni (£13.50) takes its cue from the humble explorer bee, using Beefeater London Garden Gin, Dandelyan pollen vermouth, propolis and aged honey for a boozy sipper. Mondrian London at Sea Containers, 20 Upper Ground, London. Tel: +44 20 3747 1063 In a penthouse high above Kowloon, the 8,000 sq ft Maison Eight is where satorialists gather to see and be seen. The high fashion destination…

For smoked glass Prepare a piece of plank from a used bourbon barrel (available online). Use a kitchen torch to heat up the wood and spark some smoke. Upend a rocks glass over the smoking area, to capture some light smoke. Eguchi says, “Choosing the right wood is important. Too much charring and strong smoke from some woods can overpower your drink.” He prefers using spent bourbon barrels for the slight vanilla notes from American oak. SMOKE ON THE WATER 30ml Tanqueray slice of Iberico ham 30ml Campari 10ml Carpano Antica Formula a twist of orange peel, to garnish optional: smoked glass • Infuse Tanqueray gin with the Iberico ham overnight at normal room temperature, then freeze the gin to remove any fats from the liquid. The gin should have…

When Vittorio Cerea opened his first restaurant in Bergamo, Italy in 1966, he was not only setting up a vaunted establishment that would later garner three Michelin stars in 2010, but also a playground where his sons Enrico and Roberto would inherit his culinary craft. Now, the two brothers are bringing their creative flair to Fratelli at Resorts World Sentosa. Featuring recipes steeped in Mediterranean traditions, Fratelli (which means brothers in Italian) combines two dining experiences in one location. The all-day-dining pizzeria is a cosy place to tuck into pizzas like Bianca with soft burrata and Parma ham, pastas, antipasti and desserts, while the dinner-service-only trattoria showcases signatures of Da Vittorio. The Cerea brothers pull out the stops with dishes that include cod fish mousse served with polenta, lime meringue…

From the exterior, Kwee Joo Heng’s 10,000 sq ft home resembles a fortress. But past the imposing facade lies a stunning, welcoming, and thoughtfully ‘assembled’ residence. The chic, attractive 46-year-old nutritionist moved into the five-storey semi-detached house on Mount Sinai Avenue two years ago with her 59-year-old husband Dr Kenneth Thean, an aesthetic doctor and former group vice president of Parkway Group Healthcare, and 88-year-old motherin-law Nancy Thean, but Kwee had been planning the interior of her home for two years – and the effort has most certainly paid off. Upon arriving for dinner one balmy Friday evening, we were ushered in through a small, unassuming metal gate next to the garage and up a flight of narrow steps. What greeted us was a perfectly manicured lawn – with the…

This year’s World Gourmet Summit (WGS) stretched from 28 March to 24 April, featuring dinners and masterclasses by culinary heavyweights from around the world such as Reto Mathis, Meir Adoni and Arnaud Bignon as well as local talents. At the opening reception and Awards of Excellence presentation ceremony held at One Farrer Hotel & Spa, the who’s who of the F&B industry rubbed shoulders over tipples from Highland Park, Hennessy, The Straits Wine Company, The Italian Wine List and Vinos Exclusivos, while Acqua Panna still and S.Pellegrino sparkling mineral waters quenched their thirst. As an official gourmet lifestyle magazine of WGS’s 20th edition, epicure’s publisher and executive director Cecilia Goh presented the Wine Distributor of the Year award to Crystal Wines & Spirits, who beat out four other contenders for…

Georges Duboeuf's charismatic presence is everywhere, even when he’s not in the room. My meeting with his son Franck happened to fall on 14 April – Georges’ 83th birthday. “Yes I’ve wished him,” smiled Franck when I bring up the birthday. “He went to work as normal, and his days are shared between tasting and meeting customers. Every single day when we are at work, we will sample wines for two hours with the oenologists.” BORN TO THE LAND Georges is the legend behind the label, the ‘peasant farmer’ as memorialised in the book I’ll Drink To That – Beaujolais and the French Peasant Who Made It the World’s Most Popular Wine by Rudolph Chelminksi. Born in Chaintre, a Pouilly-Fuissé village in Bourgogne where he could trace his ancestors to…

The recently renovated Pullman Bangkok Hotel G on central Bangkok’s bustling Silom Road offers a stylish space to rest and relax after exploring the city’s numerous attractions. For a truly indulgent experience in the Thai capital, book a stay in the hotel’s suites. Ranging from 77 to 165 sq m in size, the rooms exude minimalist calm with the white-on-white aesthetic in the G Suite, and contemporary luxury with the warm palette of the Executive and Presidential suites. Enjoy creature comforts such as COBIGELOW bathroom amenities, an iPod and iPad docking station, Bose home theatre sound system, and an Illy coffee machine. When staying in a suite, guests can also access the Executive Lounge on the 27th floor. And there’s no need to step out of the hotel when hunger…

GRILLED WAGYU TOMAHAWK Essentially bone-in ribeye steaks, tomahawks boast more flavour with their entire rib bone intact. Bring the meat to room temperature at least 30 minutes before grilling. If it’s too cold, you risk drying out its exterior before the insides have a chance to fully cook through. Serves 3 Prep time 30 minutes + 30 minutes rest time Cook time 1 hour 15 minutes natural jus 100ml beef stock 1 sprig thyme 1 garlic clove, crushed 5g cold butter salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • Combine beef stock, thyme and garlic clove in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce till thickened and half the original volume, about 10 minutes. • Stir in butter just before removing from heat to impart shine. Strain jus and…

Pampering treatments and relaxing staycations? Yes, Dads love them too. This Father’s Day, pack him an overnight bag and send him to One Farrer Hotel and Spa, an oasis amid the bustling city. Built in line with the hotel’s theme of nature’s tranquility, its Spa Retreat encompasses top-of-the-line treatments and a host of indulgences that take a holistic approach toward wellness. The male clientele is specially catered to with four signature treatments. The Executive Retreat comprises a full body exfoliation to invigorate the mind and senses, and a deep tissue back massage that employs the use of warm basalt stones to release tension spots. Other regimes include an Intensive Energising Body Treatment, Intensive Facial Treatment, and Cleansing Back Relief Massage. Of the nine treatment facilities, seven are in-suite to ensure…

Serves 1 Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 25 minutes donburi sauce 700ml water 150ml shoyu 150g sugar ½ tsp dashi Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil till sugar and dashi have dissolved. Keep warm. 5 baby eggplants vegetable oil, enough to deep-fry 3 tbsp store-bought tempura flour 1 heaping tbsp mascarpone cheese pinch chopped chives or spring onions Wash and dry eggplants. Cut into thin slices down to the stalk, being careful not to slice right through the end. Leave stalks uncut. Fan out the slices, keeping them still attached to their stalks. For best results, deep-fry the eggplants in enough vegetable oil to cover. When oil is heated through, deep-fry for 2 minutes. Alternatively, pan-fry lightly in lesser oil for the same amount…

A sense of inevitability foreshadowed the planning of a recent wine trip with friends and family. While polite consideration was given to the bucolic vineyards of Burgundy, and the wild, herb-filled landscape of Provence, it was a foregone conclusion that we would end up in Bordeaux. This was a perfectly understandable decision. Bordeaux remains a necessary pilgrimage for one to be considered a true oenophile. I wondered, though, how the destination would fare with children and novices to the wine world. Would there be enough attractions in this city to sustain their interest? The story of Bordeaux, capital of the identically-named wine region, is one of constant re-invention. Known during the Roman occupation as Burdigala, winemaking here dates back to the 4th century. The city has endured through multiple wars…