Latest news with #Frenchcuisine
UAE Moments
2 days ago
- Business
- UAE Moments
Experience a World of Exceptional Fine Dining at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong
July 2025, Dubai, UAE: Overlooking the stunning views of the Victoria Harbour, Island Shangri-La sits in the heart of Hong Kong offering a luxurious escape that blends the elegance of the East with the sophistications of the West. Soaring 56 floors, Island Shangri-La invites guests to step into the world of culinary excellence in one of their remarkable restaurants, each offering an exceptional experience that they will keep coming back for. Restaurant Petrus Led by Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky and proudly holding one Michelin Star, Restaurant Petrus transports guests to the charm of a grand Parisian salon the moment they step through its doors. With sweeping views of Victoria Harbour and a refined ambiance, the stage is set for an unforgettable dining experience before the first course even arrives. Celebrating contemporary French cuisine, the menu at Petrus is a true reflection of nature's rhythm, ever-evolving and ingredient-led. Luxurious elements sourced from Paris and, at times, locally from Hong Kong, are thoughtfully crafted into dishes that marry bold flavours with modern finesse. Passionate about crafting unexpected flavour profiles, Chef Uwe's summer focus celebrates the season's finest ingredients, from Manjimup black truffles paired with Hokkaido sweetcorn to artichokes reimagined in a bold yet elegant dessert. Each dish is thoughtfully composed to showcase the vibrancy of fresh produce, brought to life through Chef Uwe's distinctive culinary lens. The experience is elevated further with a curated wine list featuring rare vintages and exceptional labels, ensuring every course is perfectly complemented. Together, the menu and wine pairings promise a refined journey of flavour, elegance, and impeccable service. Summer Palace A Michelin-starred gem tucked within Island Shangri-La, Summer Palace revitalises traditional Cantonese cuisine and is led by Chef Leung Yu Kung, promising an unforgettable dining experience filled with artistry and exceptional flavours. Guests are welcomed to dine amidst an enchanting space inspired by the palace in Beijing, ensuring each part of the dining experience at Summer Palace personifies Asian hospitality. The interiors of the venue blend the grandeur of Chinese heritage with modern sophistication, visibly taking guests to another place in time as they're seated to relish in a menu that showcases delightful traditional dishes that have been a staple in Cantonese cuisine for years. Some of the essentials on the menu include the flavourful Stir-Fried Fresh Lobster, Peking Duck and the exquisite Dim Sum that deserve their very own accolades. A favourite amongst locals and a must-try for tourists, Summer Palace is one that should stay on everyone's radar as they guarantee that each meal is expertly crafted to delight each discerning palate. Ming Pavilion Celebrating the rich flavours of Hokkien cuisine, Ming Pavilion brings guests an exquisite dining experience in a space that combines traditional aesthetics with modern sophistication. Curated by Head Chef Lam Yeung, the menu showcases the artistry of Fujian culinary traditions with delicacies such as Wuyi Mountains Smoked Goose, Xiamen Ginger Duck, and the signature Buddha Jumps Over the Wall – each dish a testament to depth of flavour and refined technique. Besides the thoughtfully selected array of wines making the experience all the more incredible, guests are invited to participate in Ming Pavilion's Tea Master class spearheaded by Tiffany Chan, a skilled Tea Mixologist, helping guests explore the special and rare teas that enhance the meal. Lobster Bar & Grill A venue that puts the spotlight on the freshest produce, Lobster Bar & Grill showcases a menu that celebrates classic grill and seafood dishes. Each creation is crafted with precision and artistry, promising a memorable dining experience, perfectly paired with expertly mixed cocktails. The space itself is a feast for the senses where vibrant shades of blue, yellow, and red bring the venue to life, while live music adds to the energy and charm, creating the perfect setting for an exceptional and unforgettable evening out.
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Full list of 72 Côte Brasserie restaurants at risk of closure as chain ‘up for sale' – is one getting the chop near you?
POPULAR French restaurant chain Côte Brasserie is on the brink – with all 72 of its UK sites at risk of closure as the company is officially put up for sale. The upmarket bistro chain, loved for its croque monsieurs and steak frites, has already shut several sites. 2 2 While around 60 branches are said to be profitable, insiders warn that underperforming locations could be axed if no buyer is found. Private equity firm Partners Group, which rescued Côte from collapse in 2020, has now called in Interpath Advisory to find a buyer – sparking fears of a major shake-up across the chain. Several restaurants have already bitten the dust, including Gloucester Quays, which closed earlier this year, and Hampstead, which shut after 14 years. The Harrogate branch also closed in April, with hopes of relocating elsewhere in the town. Sources say rising costs, staff shortages, and soaring energy bills have put intense pressure on the business, leaving every branch under review as the sale process unfolds. Now diners across the country are bracing for bad news – and wondering if their go-to Côte is next on the chopping block. Full list of Côte Brasserie locations that have closed: Gloucester Quays Hampstead (London) Harrogate Manchester (St Mary's Street, Deansgate) Trinity Leeds Haywards Heath Full list of Côte Brasserie locations currently operational, but at risk: Barbican Covent Garden Hay's Galleria Kensington Marylebone Sloane Square Soho St Christopher's Place St Katharine Docks St Martin's Lane St Paul's Barnes Blackheath Chislehurst Chiswick Ealing Kingston Muswell Hill Richmond Royal Festival Hall Teddington Wimbledon Basingstoke Bluewater Brighton Canterbury Chichester Esher Farnham Guildford Hanley on Thames Horsham Lewes Marlow Newbury Oxford Reading Reigate Tunbridge Wells Winchester Windsor Woking Wokingham Bath Bournemouth Bristol - Clifton Village Bristol - Quaker Friars Cheltenham Cirencester Dorchester Exeter Salisbury West Bridgford Bishop's Stortford Bury St Edmunds Cambridge Chelmsford Norwich Peterborough St Albans Welwyn Garden City Cardiff Bay Cardiff Central Chester Liverpool Newcastle York Edinburgh Leamington Spa Shrewsbury Solihull Worcester What happens next? All 72 Côte Brasserie branches are on the chopping block as the chain goes up for sale – but that doesn't mean they'll all shut. While some fan-favourite spots could be spared, every single restaurant is under review, and it all comes down to the buyer, the books, and the bottom line. Huge restaurant chain 'up for sale' putting 70 sites at risk of closure Only the most profitable sites are likely to survive, so diners are being warned: no location is safe just yet. Chair of UK Hospitality, Kate Nicholls, said: "If we carry on with these trends and the situation doesn't improve - and clearly Rachel Reeves 's statements are giving a signal to consumers that it is not going to get better any time soon - then I would see this accelerating. "Unless there is a change of tack by the government, we are looking at 150,000-200,000 fewer workers in hospitality during the first full year of [employer national insurance contribution] changes." What is happening to the hospitality industry? By Emily Mee, Consumer reporter RESTAURANTS and pubs have faced a series of blows in recent years. The pandemic had already hit businesses hard as hospitality venues were forced to close during lockdowns. Then they were dealt another blow when the cost of living crisis ramped up, causing customers to spend less on eating out. At the same time they've been dealing with higher costs of things like energy, rents and supplies. More recently they've also been hit by the Government's hike in National Insurance costs for employers. At the same time, the national minimum wage increased - making it more expensive to hire employees. It's led to numerous chains collapsing or having to close sites in recent years. TGI Fridays collapsed into administration last year, although has since launched a huge comeback after being forced to close 35 restaurants. Britain's largest fish and chip chain, Deep Blue Restaurants, has also sold off five of its popular sites. The brand owns popular chain Harry Ramsden's. Plus, dim sum chain Ping Pong has closed all of its locations across the country after reporting it had faced "significant disruption" due to the pandemic.
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Lobster bisque and onion soup on ISS menu for French astronaut
Even by the exacting standards of France's gastronomes, it sounds like a meal that is truly out of this world. When the French astronaut Sophie Adenot travels to the International Space Station next year, she will dine on French classics such as lobster bisque, foie gras and onion soup prepared specially for her by a chef with 10 Michelin stars. Parsnip and haddock velouté, chicken with tonka beans and creamy polenta, and a chocolate cream with hazelnut cazette flower will also be on the menu, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday. Food delivered to the ISS must meet strict specifications. It cannot be crumbly or too heavy and must be able to be stored for two years, the agency said. Fresh fruit and vegetables are available only when a new spacecraft arrives with supplies. So most meals in space are canned, vacuum-packed or freeze-dried from a set of options provided by space agencies. To spice things up, one out of every 10 meals is prepared for specific crew members according to their personal tastes. Adenot said: 'During a mission, sharing our respective dishes is a way of inviting crewmates to learn more about our culture. It's a very powerful bonding experience.' Her menu was developed by the French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who holds 10 Michelin stars and was named best female chef by The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2011. Pic said it was an 'exhilarating challenge' to develop the menu, which includes four starters, two mains and two desserts. Adenot, 42, a former helicopter test pilot, is scheduled to arrive for her first tour on the ISS in 2026. A pair of Nasa astronauts returned to Earth in March after being unexpectedly stuck on the ISS for more than nine months because of problems with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
'Sushi makes me want to reach for my gun': Julian Fellowes
My first real food memory was when I was 13, on a French exchange in the Dordogne. They had a proper cook, called Germaine, who was governed by the grandfather. Every morning he'd go into the kitchen and have this more or less knock-down fight with the cook. They would scream at each other, then arrive at the day's menu. I couldn't believe it. I remember writing to my mother, saying I had a sort of yellow sauce with the cold chicken. 'It's mayonnaise,' she explained. Well, it was nothing like any mayonnaise I'd ever had. I came back with negligible French, but a completely transformed palate. My mother, on the whole, saw cooking as something she was obliged to do rather than facing it with much enthusiasm. For her, anything tasted good if she hadn't cooked it. She wasn't a bad cook – English 1960s foods, lots of lamb stews and the odd soufflé. I was very fond of crêpes suzette. But I always think [my wife] Emma is quite lucky in having a husband who isn't particularly nostalgic for his mother's cooking. There was a rather profligate cousin of my father who had many mistresses and much interest in food. He took over my food education when I got back to England [from France ] and he used to take me to The Guinea in Mayfair. I don't think my parents were frightfully interested in food. I mean, my father did like it when something good turned up on the table. But, of course, he didn't expect to contribute to that at all. He hardly knew where the kitchen was. Boarding-school food at Ampleforth was horrible. I could never understand how the meat always had some piece of tube or gristle or the inner workings of the animal lying there, expecting you to swallow it. I found that rather trying. Cambridge was not a gastronomic delight, but you could go out provided you had the money. They were by no means marvellous restaurants, but they were better than school. The idea that in the evening a pleasant experience was coming your way really got rooted at Cambridge. We have a cook these days, although my wife does it occasionally. She's good at it – better than my mother – but only cooks when she's interested. That's the best way to do it. I used to have a huge appetite but I've lost it, and I'm really sorry that it's gone. I tend to pick a bit more carefully, eating mousses and sandwich fillers rather than some great joint of beef. I like roast chicken with bacon and sausages – I still enjoy that sort of English cooking, which is very straightforward. I do like Christmas food, especially the pudding. I always feel a bit sad when people say, 'Oh, we're having cod this year.' No, I don't want cod, I want Christmas turkey. I loathe sushi. Raw fish makes me want to reach for my gun. My comfort food is simple English stuff. Or a Marks & Spencer smoked-salmon and cream-cheese dip with lettuce. I still enjoy the taste of good food, and it still gives me a lot of pleasure. As you get older, there's a gradual removal of things that give you pleasure, until finally there's virtually nothing that gives you any pleasure at all. I feel that food is hanging in there. Food is really one of the last to go. I always have Champagne in my fridge because I think sometimes you want to cheer people up, and sometimes you want to cheer yourself up. I have butter because I love butter. And I'll always have some eggs. I like a boiled egg. If a benevolent god gave me my appetite back, my last supper would be roast chicken with cauliflower in white sauce and all the rest of the bits. For pudding, crêpes suzette. I feel I owe something to crêpes suzette over the years. The third season of Julian's drama The Gilded Age is on Sky and Now from tomorrow
South China Morning Post
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How a Hong Kong French bistro is making a ‘macabre' fine-dining dish ‘more approachable'
Pressed duck, or canard à la presse, has historically been a grand culinary spectacle found only in luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants. Part of the allure of the traditional French dish is its elaborate table-side preparation as the duck's juices, blood and marrow are pressed out and added to a thick, rich sauce that is served with the meat. But many gastronomes have never tried the dish because so few restaurants offer it. A new bistro in Hong Kong's Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood aims to change this by introducing the dish to the masses. Whole roast dry-aged duck at Le Colvert. Photo: Jonathan Wong At Le Colvert, operated by a small French team including restaurant manager Hubert Dubouix and chef Guillaume Sejourne, pressed duck is the signature dish.
