Innehållsförteckning för July 2016 från epicure

Fuelled by higher disposable incomes, well-travelled consumers, and a rising interest in wine collecting, Asia is at the forefront of exponential growth when it comes to wine consumption – albeit at different rates. Leading the pack is, of course, China, which consumed 131.9 million cases of red wines in 2015. (It overtook France as the world’s biggest consumer of red wines in 2013.) Wines are increasingly drunk during social interactions and business dinners in Vietnam and Thailand. Even Muslim majority country Indonesia has seen substantial growth, thanks to a large number of expats and tourist arrivals, though an increased import tax on alcohol last year may have put a temporary dampener on demand. Known as the wine hub of Southeast Asia, Singapore has long been considered as a mature market…

A view of Marina Bay is not the only good thing going for newly opened UsQuBa – Scottish Restaurant & Bar, helmed by Turkish executive chef Guven Uyanik. Its excellent Scottish produce such as lamb from the Highlands and scallops from the Orkney Islands is the true star. Succulent butterpoached lobster ($58) sits in a pool of its own jus and is beautifully accented by slivers of blowtorched Japanese peaches, while thin, almost transparent pouches of ravioli are stuffed with 21-hour braised Scottish pork cheeks ($21) and elegantly matched with a Port wine reduction and soft, sweet confit onions. Whisky fans can take their meal up a notch with the pairings suggested by bar manager Fong Chan Teng – we’re partial to the 21-year-old Balvenie Portwood Single Malt for its…

ISLAND LIFE EMBRACES A WAVE OF GLOBAL TASTES When it comes to talking about Bali’s fusion cuisine pioneers, Chris Salans quickly comes to mind. The American-French chef is the creator of Ubud’s award-winning Mozaic Gastronomique. His legacy continues with spice by chris salans, an all-day gastrobar concept on Ubud’s main street. Salan’s edge lies in his flair for elevating the archipelago’s range of fresh produce and presenting it at international levels: each sharing plate on the menu showcases one native ingredient. Expect innovative dishes like beef brisket with fat noodles in kluwek-herbed broth, or tuna tataki with sambal kecicang, scooped up with tempe crackers. “Tempe is long considered the poor man’s food, but I want to raise its culinary status. We married fried tempe’s wonderful nutty flavour and crispy texture…

FRATELLI Festive Walk, Resorts World Sentosa. Tel: 6577 6688 We’ve seen enough ‘25 best Italian restaurants in Singapore’ listicles to know that the market has reached saturation point. With so many Italian chefs bringing their pedigree experience to the table, the cuisine has vaulted to high levels in recent years. Expectations are thus high for the newly opened Fratelli at Resorts World Sentosa. In Italian, fratelli means ‘brothers’, with the restaurant so named for Enrico and Roberto Cerea, whose family runs the three Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux Da Vittorio restaurant in Brusaporto, Italy. But don’t expect a similar setting of verdant lake-lined greens found at Da Vittorio. In fact, the Asian-slanted mosaic floors and hawker cart-like shelving at Fratelli’s Resorts World Sentosa look a tad out of place. The restaurant…

There’s a world of wine out there. And it’s increasingly focused on the discerning Asian drinker, resulting in strong demand and high expectations in this region. Whether you favour classic Burgundies and Riojas, or lesser known varietals and passionate boutique growers, there’s a wine that’s waiting for you. This issue, we visited Vinexpo Hong Kong, sipped at the first Bordeaux En Primeur tasting in Singapore and spoke to experts to help you pair complex Asian spices to wine – all to deepen your love affair with the vine. Carpe vinum!…

For anyone on a Paleo or gluten-free lifestyle, zucchini noodles have become the healthiest way to enjoy a bowl of ‘pasta’. KitchenAid’s spiralizer attachment is just what you’ll need to turn the hardy squash into low-carb, grain-free strands that you can cook or toss in sauce, just like regular noodles. The fine blade creates 4mm by 4mm lengths, which come closest to mimicking spaghetti, while the medium blade produces slightly thicker 4mm by 6mm twirls for incorporating into casseroles and soups. Take your culinary and nutritional creativity one step further with the spiral slicing blades with a corer, which turn fresh fruits and vegetables into paper-thin ribbons without their woody stems. Like your apples, pears, cucumbers and carrots with their skins off? The peeling blade can be used independently or…

Serves 2 Prep time 50 minutes + 12 hours cure time Cook time 4-6 hours for confit + 1 hour duck confit 100g rock salt 6 black peppercorns 8 juniper berries 2 bay leaves 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 sprigs thyme 2 duck legs 500g duck fat, melted Mix rock salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, garlic cloves and thyme together. apply over duck legs to cure for 12 hours. Rinse the mix off and run under cold water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt. Preheat oven to 85°C. Place duck legs in a baking tray with a resting rack and cover with melted duck fat. Place ducks in the oven and immediately turn heat down to 70°C. the fat should be warm enough to release small bubbles, but…

For a lot of people, travel is often about getting as far away from the humdrum of everyday life. On a recent visit to France, I decided that some time travel was also in order, with visits to Auberge de l’Ill in Illhaeusern, Paul Bocuse in Lyon and Maison Troisgros in Roanne. Michelin Guide followers would know that these family-owned establishments are the three longest consecutive holders of les trois etoiles; Bocuse since 1965, and Auberge de l’Ill and Maison Troisgros since 1967 and 1968 respectively. I wanted to see what exactly it was that made the old greats, and what lessons they had for younger, more dynamic dining cultures. AUBERGE DE L’ILL – GOING NATIVE IN ALSACE In quiet Illhaeusern, the Haeberlin-Baumann family has been serving its take on…

If anybody understands the art of pampering, it’s luxury hotel tastemaker Adrian Zecha – founder of Aman Resorts and co-founder of GHM Hotels, which jointly owns the newly launched Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao with China’s Qinsen Group. Set in the ancient riverside town of Zhujiajiao in Shanghai, the resort has all the hallmarks of a Zecha property. Away from the madding crowd, the sprawling fivemonth-old property which soft launched in February is subtle in its branding, yet distinct in its concept. Like many of Zecha’s creations, Ahn Luh is designed to offer an exclusive, uncompromisingly exquisite getaway for the well-heeled. Boasting more than 1,700 years of history, Zhujiajiao’s combination of waterways, historic buildings and landscaped gardens sets the scene for Ahn Luh’s very first luxury resort in China. With 35 private…

8 DISCOVER PREMIUM JAPANESE FRUIT In Japan, fruits are not just part of a healthy diet, they’re also lauded as luxury products, centred on the nation’s gift-giving culture and impeccably packaged to boot. Splash out on Miyazaki mangoes with scarlet flesh or fragrant musk melons. 9 POLISH YOUR RICE Buy a bag of brown rice with husks attached, empty it into the self-instructional machine and polish it to your preferred extent. There are four levels of polishing with most choosing to retain the grains’ nutritional content. 10 CATCH A CULINARY DEMO Not sure how to navigate the staggering array of udon, soba, dashi and shoyu? Demo sessions at the Kitchen Stage show the best way to enjoy the products on offer. Sample slippery udon cooked to perfection and learn how…

The 7th Vinexpo Hong Kong took place from 22 to 24 May, once again drawing the who’s who of wine trade to the island. Here are six highlights of the exhibition which covered 60,000 sq m of showground. 1 STARS OF THE WINE WORLD It helps to keep spirits up when the panel of speakers is so impressive. Jon Arvid Rosengren, the newly appointed Best Sommelier of the World 2016, made his first professional appearance at the Vinexpo Challenge blind taste test, while the luminous Master of Wine (MW) Jeannie Cho Lee headlined a masterclass for 60 for the L’Union Des Crus Classes des Graves delving into 12 bottles from Pessac-Leognan. Despite being one out of 75 masterclasses and tastings, Lee’s class was oversubscribed, with a queue of hopefuls waiting…

Andrea Cecchi was born in Poggibonsi, the smallest of the Chianti Classico sub-regions, as were the previous three generations of his family. In recent times though, Andrea has uprooted his family 15km east, to Castellina in Chianti, where he runs Villa Cerna and its 200 acres of unique terrain. The move was necessary. In this industry where weathered vines outlive the winemaker and the fruits of labour are enjoyed years down the road, the only way to plan is for the long term. At 57, with 31 vintages under his belt, soft-spoken Andrea has recently stepped down as head winemaker – entrusting the wine-making to a team of four – and taken up a more strategic role as chief executive officer, though you can be sure he’s still not afraid…

American writer W.C. Field’s humorous quote of “I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food” certainly resonates with wine-loving foodies. So even though Sally Yeo rarely cooks with leftover wine, it didn’t stop her from attending epicure’s recent masterclass on wine-infused desserts. Curious to see how Proseccos, Champagnes and full-bodied Chiantis could add a boozy, aromatic kick to panna cottas, jellies and elegantly poached fruits, Yeo attended the session at The Fullerton Bay Hotel’s private floating pods with her friends Angeline Wong and Madeline Teo, as well as other guests like Venessa Lune, Trixie Ong, and Kelda Chan. Sandro Falbo, executive chef of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel, spoke fondly of how his family would enjoy a quintessentially Italian treat of pesche…

Award-winning boutique hotel Entre Cielos sits on Luján de Cuyo, one of the best wine regions in Latin America and recognised as the birthplace of the Malbec grape in the Mendoza countryside. The 16-room accommodation is divided into five categories, the themes of which reflect the different types of wine – Classic, Reserva (superior deluxe), Gran Reserva (duplex suite), Limited Edition (vineyard loft) and Grand Cru (luxury suite). Their spa cum hammam facility, consists of a six-stage circuit using heat and water combined with different massages to rid the body of accumulated toxins. Guests can also relish in a variety of vinotherapy treatments that connect spa-goers to the surrounding vineyard such as Grape Seed Exfoliation or Grape Extract Wine Bath. With eight acres of Malbec grapes growing on alluvial soil…

Christian Préaud’s interest in landscaping was nurtured through the countless hours spent in his grandmother’s garden as a child, but he didn’t originally set out to become a landscape architect. The 58-year-old first studied architecture in Paris and then worked in the film industry for about 15 years. During that time, he kept his love for gardens and nature close to his heart, even running a small farm for a few years. When the opportunity to attend the reputable École Nationale Supérieure de Paysage (National School of Landscape Architecture) cropped up, Préaud, then already 42, jumped at the chance. Afterwards, he founded his firm Atelier Jardins. Now based in Marnes-la-Coquette and Barcelona, Préaud is currently working on a 1,000-acre project in the Gulf, a villa in Italy, a garden overlooking…

Shoukouwa, which is a joint venture between the owner of three Michelin-starred Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong and the Emmanuel Stroobant Group in Singapore, is probably the least traditional among all the high-end temples of sushi in town. There is neither a pebbled walkway to lead you into the eight-seater counter in the main dining room nor kimono-clad waitresses to greet you with a bow and a smile. With black slate walls and red accents, the smallish interior feels more modernchic than classic Zen. Much has been said about its eyebrow-raising prices –lunch starts from $150 for the Mio set menu, while the Miyabi and Hana dinner omakase are priced at $320 and $480 respectively. Fortunately, what sushi fanatics get in return is top-notch produce sourced from the best suppliers…

Your foodie news around the world Chef April Bloomfield takes the concept of nose-to-tail so seriously, she’s applied the waste not, want not approach to every aspect of her cooking – using often tossed vegetable parts and transforming them into delicious things like carrot-top pesto. Now, she’s hightailing it down the sustainability track with Coombeshead Farm in Launceston, Cornwall, a working farm, dining room and guesthouse that puts her closer to her producers than she has ever been. Set amongst 66 acres of meadows, woodland and oak-lined streams, Coombeshead is the realisation of a vision shared by Bloomfield and Tom Adams, co-owner of London’s Pitt Cue. It offers an all-encompassing experience, where guests can stay, dine and explore the working farm. The six-rustic bedroom accommodation is where you’ll retreat to…

Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore’s Tower Ballroom was the scene of a glittering black tie ceremony as members and guests of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne, Singapore Chapter gathered to fete the induction of 28 new chevaliers at this edition of the Grand Chapitre. The evening started with a formal ritual, which comprised oaths in French and a ceremonial wave of the pomponne, followed by the presentation of certificates and green medals. Newly inducted were notable local chefs such as Justin Quek and Beppe de Vito. The current commandeur, Antoine Roland-Billecart, managing director of Champagne Billecart-Salmon, presided over the formalities, with the culmination of H.E. The French Ambassador Benjamin Dubertret taking the stage to be inducted as L’Officier Honneur. The reception and dinner that followed was unforgettable, with Perrier-Jouёt Belle Epoque…

M Hotel It’s seafood galore at M Hotel. Guests will be greeted by an ensemble of boiled tiger prawns, poached slipper lobsters and queen scallops at Café 2000’s Crab-alicious Seafood Buffet Fiesta (Sunday-Thursday: $70++; Friday-Saturday: $82++). Meat eaters aren’t left out from the fun with juicy Black Angus beef and barbecue pork ribs presented at the carving station. It gets better on weekends with a live BBQ station serving up Moroccan spiced-marinated lamb chops. Alternatively, head up to Level 2 for a hearty seafood steamboat feast (Sunday-Thursday: $58++; Friday-Saturday: $68++) at The Buffet. The four soup bases – Superior Chicken, Aromatic Laksa, Spicy Tom Yum, as well as chef’s speciality of the month, Bak Kut Teh – are prepared from scratch, simmered for hours and enhanced by the pristine taste…

Just keg it Barrel-ageing does all the work of ‘mixing’ this cocktail, says the affable Gejdos. The time spent in wood helps to smoothen the alcohol, enhance flavours, lend tannins from the barrel and bring oxidative botrytis-like flavours to the wine as air continues to interact with the ingredients. In the heart of Europe Using Czech ingredients brings character to this drink, hence its name. The vodka is flavoured with wormwood and other herbs, while the herbal bitters bring complexity of spice and aromatics. To sweeten the cocktail naturally, Gejdos uses honey syrup made with honey from his beekeeper father, as well as sweet wine made from Furmint grapes. While Hungarian Tokaj is better known, its Czech counterpart is just as compellingly seductive – due to its rarity, it’s drunk…

AT A GLANCE With Zahav, author Michael Solomonov and James Beard Award winner for Best Chef in 2011, aims to do what he’s been doing at his restaurant of the same name in Philadelphia for years – bring the authentic flavours of his cultural heritage to anyone with a ready palate. Aptly sub-tagged A World of Israeli Cooking, the 370-page hardcover draws from Eastern European, North African, Persian and Eastern Mediterranean flavours. Zahav keeps to certain fundamentals of kosher cooking. There are no pork or shellfish recipes, and milk and meat are never used in the same dish – “an extremely difficult way to cook great food,” Solomonov admits, but “necessary to honour the boundaries of Israeli cuisine”. THE ROAD TEST My first stop: Mustafa Centre for sumac and tahini,…