NEWS IN HOTSPOTS

To stay fashionable in London, you shall keep heading east! And that’s what chef Nuno Mendes (ex of Bacchus) did when he opened Viajante in Bethnal Green’s former town hall. Following the success of our post on Nopi Brunch place in London, here is  Viajante, one of the gems of London “fooding” scene.

The Grade II-listed Edwardian building (see the pic below), restored by Rare Architecture, houses a hotel, a bar and apartments at the same time. The restaurant has two dining areas with handcrafted wooden furniture, while the bar features a huge chandelier by Paris-based designer Tzuri Gueta. The food is inspired by Portugal-born Mendes’ travels (he trained in New York and San Francisco, namely working with Wolfgang Puck and Jean-Georges Vongerichten). The tasting menus mix Spanish, Portuguese, Asian and Scandinavian cuisines like the Braised octopus with pimenton potatoes, chorizo and eggs or even the Skate, mustard gnocchi with brioche and roasted yeast… Moral of the story, if you’re in London, just head easter you can whether it is to pop in this nice place or try something new!

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Gourmet food trucks’ popularity across the Atlantic is constantly growing and Paris is no exception. Chef Kristin of Le Camion Qui Fume decided to leave her native California to train at the School of French Cuisine Ferrandi in Paris. During her stay, she noticed a few gaps in the Paris food scene and decided to open Le Camion Qui Fume. The success is such that they can’t stay at the same place one day after another and almost never tell where the truck is going to stop. People are waiting at least an hour to get their hamburgers… And it’s -10 degrees outside these days.  Read the rest of this entry »

Le New Black is actually the first ever commercial online fashion fair dedicated to Brands to sell their collection to the best stores; and to Stores, as buyers, to purchase next season’s collections online. I had the chance to meet Le New Black team in their wonderful offices in Marais in Paris to learn more about their project and how they differentiate themselves from other physical fashion fairs such as the (Capsule) show or the Who’s next.

Among its subscribers Le New Black counts the most influencial concept stores such as the Dover Street Market or Colette, and also powerful department stores like Harvey Nichols. Why? Unlike the classic fashion fairs: as a brand, you can display your products all over the year on a single platform and benefit from an audience of already selected buyers. As a buyer, it obviously allows you not to travel all around the world to select a brand or a collection. Find a list of their brands (Études, Surface to Air, Tigersushi, etc…) after the jump and we’ll soon have Reda from Le New Black tell us more about the philosophy behind their project!

VISIT LE NEW BLACK

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How cool this house party looks like! A party organized at Drew Barymore‘s by V magazine: the video is just perfectly shot!  Read the rest of this entry »

208 Duecento Otto is an especially grand statement in Hong Kong’s artsy Sheung Wan quarter. The exclusive venue, 208 Duecento Otto, offers rustic Italian cuisine from chef Vinny Lauria of New York’s renown Babbo restaurant. And for a postprandial tipple, you may also pay a visit downstairs where the bar tempts with icy cocktails and Avignonesi grappa. A Must-see is obviously the astonishing interior that reflects the signature of Istanbul design team Autoban aesthetic with its playful spirit and nod to the diversity of Istanbul, while embracing the local culture… Here is an Asian hotspot for our loyal followers from Hong-Kong… Read the rest of this entry »

Nopi or the English-style Brasserie in Soho:

Yotam Ottolenghi, one of the founders of popular London chain Ottolenghi, is thinking bigger with his new Soho restaurant featuring a menu offering a choice of around 30 small “sharing dishes” using mainly Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian ingredients. He hired Israeli-born architect Alex Meitlis to fashion the space with a light, natural palette, from the creamy marble floors to the bleached-wood furniture and white metro-tile walls. A metallic teardrop serving station, brass upside-down lamps and massive citrus canvases by Argentinean artist Diana Aisenberg add character throughout. The lower floor, adjacent to the open kitchen, features two large communal tables surrounded by dry-store shelves stocked with gorgeous olive oils, vinegars and the like, and most dishes can be shared!

This place was recently rewarded at the last Wallpaper Design Awards 2012, so expect a lil queue when popping in! Beware of bitting more than one can chew: this is the “danger” of “small sharing dishes”… A spot to visit anyway! Read the rest of this entry »

Even during the darkest moments of Berlin’s turbulent modern history, the city never lost its electric creativity or its stylish brio. Whether you visit for the fashion, cuisine or Grade A sightseeing (the city boasts an enviable spread of museums, galleries and boutiques), Berlin comes up with big, distinctive offerings!

I want to show you one of the coolest hotels in the world! Guess where? In the heart of Berlin, of course! Located directly on the banks of the river Spree, and at the epicentre of the music, fashion and creative scene (Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg), a unique lifestyle hotel opened in November 2010: the nhow Berlin. nhow basically stands for a new generation of hotels: offbeat, lively, dynamic and with a local flair that simultaneously has worldwide appeal. nhow centers on music and design and is the only hotel in Europe offering two professional music studios! Many pics after the break!  Read the rest of this entry »

We Parisian often dispute on the best bakeries in town but always agree on the best meringues and its derivatives : Au Merveilleux de Fred is a go-to bakery for any meringue fan. Funder Frédéric Vaucamp trained at Lenôtre before opening his first meringue shop in Lille, where I used to go when visiting family there. I was really stunned when I discovered he opened his very own second bakery in the 15th arrondissement in Paris. You’ll have to try Le Merveilleux, L’Incroyable and L’Impensable, names referring to the period after the French Revolution when a bunch of youngsters dressed extravagantly became famous for refusing to pronounce the letter “r” (as in Revolution), which they said had done too much harm…  Read the rest of this entry »