Chef’s Table: An Inspiring Reveal On the Lives of Renowned Chefs

Chef’s Table is a documentary series on NETFLIX that features renowned chefs.

photo source: wikipedia.org 

The creator, executive producer and director of Chef’s Table is David Gelb, who is known for his critically acclaimed documentary film called “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”.

What is interesting about Chef’s Table is that it is a visually delighting documentary series which features different locations and scenes which are artistically shot and presented with apt music and excellent cinematography. Also, the documentary connects with the viewers since the story teller for each episode is the featured chef and each one shares their personal story from their own perspective.

Below is a NETFLIX  trailer of Chef's Table season 1:

It is inspiring to watch Chef’s Table as one gets to a closer look on how the chefs live, the different challenges they faced, their passion for cooking, their learnings and how they achieved success. The series also includes an interesting line-up of chefs from different parts of the world with individual culinary styles, personalities and success stories.

Even with their different stories, there is one thing consistent and common among all the chefs and it is their concern on using the best ingredients. The series also shows how some of the chefs have been involved in the farm-to-table movement and are working closely with farmers to ensure that they get the best and sustainable ingredients.

Some of the best chefs featured in the Chef’s Tables series are Massimo Bottura and female chefs Dominique Crenn and Ana Ros.

Massimo Bottura

Massimo Bottura is an Italian chef and owner of Osteria Francescana, the number 1 restaurant in the World’s 50 Best restaurants list in 2016.  It is the first Italian restaurant to earn the award and it also got 3 Michelin stars from Michelin Guide in 2016.

Osteria Francescana restaurant interiors

source: osteriafrancescana.it

Chef Massimo is married to Lara Gilmore, an American whom he met when he worked at Caffe di Nonna in New York.  He admits that his wife exposed him to the arts and the avant garde which has influenced and inspired him in his work as a chef.

Chef Massimo Bottura and his wife Lara

source: osteriafrancescana.it

Chef Massimo apprenticed under famous chefs Alain Ducasse and Ferran Adria.

As a chef, he also innovates to help others. He created a dish called “Risotto Cacio Pepe” in May 2012 when the earthquakes in Emilia damaged nearly 400,000 forms of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bottura is dedicated to reconstructing Italy’s cultural heritage. He made a modern version of the tortellini dish by putting six pieces of tortellini in one line and placing the broth on the left and right side and playfully called the dish “Tortellini walking into broth”.

There was also a part in the episode when they encountered a problem when one of his kitchen staff had accidentally dropped the last piece of lemon tart available and how Chef Massimo turned the situation into an opportunity of serving a creative dish featuring the broken tart with painting like yellow splashes surrounding it which he called “Oops! I dropped the lemon tart!”

Oops! I dropped the lemon tart dessert
at Osteria Francescana

source: osteriafrancescana.it

Dominique Crenn

Chef Dominique Crenn, her dishes and Atelier Crenn
restaurant interiors

source: the50worldsbest.com

Chef Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn restaurant is a French chef who describes her cooking style as “poetic culinaria”. She takes inspiration from her childhood memories and nature. Guests at her restaurant are presented with a poem in lieu of a menu.

She moved to San Francisco, United States in 1988, confidently approached American celebrity Chef Jeremiah Tower and asked if he could work for him at Stars restaurant.

Several years after working at Stars, she opened her restaurant called Atelier Crenn in San Francisco which got two Michelin stars in 2012.  

“Atelier Crenn”, is a homage to her father who was a French politician and artist. “Atelier” is a French word that means “workshop” in English and for Chef Dominique the restaurant has become a workshop where she creates exceptional culinary French dishes plated beautifully which are made from organic, local produce and ingredients.  .

Chef Dominique Crenn won World’s Best Female Chef award in 2016.

Ana Ros

Chef Ana Ros and one of her dishes

source: theworlds50best.com

Chef Ana Ros is a self-taught chef and the head chef at Hisa Franko, a restaurant located in the remote Soca Valley in Slovenia. She comes from a family of diplomats and her parents wanted her to become a diplomat too.

Ana took a different path when she married Valter, a sommelier who’s family owned Hisa Franko restaurant. When Valter’s parents decided to retire years ago the restaurant was turned over to Ana and Valter. Since Ana did not have any formal culinary training she taught herself by traveling, eating at other restaurants and creating dishes on her own.

One of the restaurants she and her husband went to before was La Subida, located in the Italian boarder and the only Slovenian restaurant in the world that has earned a Michelin star.

Through perseverance and creativity, Ana turned the menu around and included local ingredients and produce. She included dishes like trout and its liver with white asparagus and grapefruit in the menu and her husband paired the dishes with excellent wines.

She won the World’s Best Female Chef award in 2017. She may not have become a diplomat but she definitely ended up becoming an ambassador for Slovenian cuisine.

Below is the NETFLIX official trailer for Chef’s Table season 2 which includes chefs Ana Ros and Dominique Crenn:

Chef’s Table is certainly a cool documentary series that takes the viewers to another dimension of the culinary world. Unlike the typical shows that features how to cook dishes, the series gives a more in depth look at the life experiences of chefs and shows how their relentless passion for food and cooking pushed them to evolve and achieve success.

The Benefits of Practicing Yoga

Plank pose

source; www.yogajournal.com

One of the exercises that I am currently into is yoga. I had some back pains before and even had an incident when I carried a box of stuff that led to having lower back pain that I had to endure for a couple of weeks and had to consult with a medical specialist. The doctor advised me to do regular stretching exercises and handed me a printed informational material with stretching exercises before. When I checked the poses I noticed that some are the same as yoga poses.  To be able to strengthen my core and get good stretching exercises with proper guidance I enrolled at a yoga studio and got back into yoga a couple of months ago.

Warrior II pose

photo source: www.yogajournal.com

Taking a yoga class is fun. Having an instructor who varies the poses taught in a class just keeps everyone on their toes. Plus, there are also yoga instructors who play different kinds of cool music that are apt for the poses done during the session and enhances the mood and atmosphere during class. It is also good for the mind since some instructors also impart messages that help the attendees become more relaxed and mindful.

I like taking Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. Vinyasa class includes specific sequence of poses where students coordinate movement with breath to flow from one pose to the next. Most common practice throughout a Vinyasa session includes a sequence of poses from Chaturanga to Upward-Facing Dog to Downward-Facing Dog. Vinyasa is more of a cardio workout.

To have a more balanced workout every week I also attend Yin Yoga, which is more of a restorative type of yoga. It involves variations of seated and supine poses which are typically held for 3 to 5 minutes. It helps stretch the connective tissues around the joints like the knees, pelvis, sacrum and spine. Props like bolsters and blocks are usually used to help one relax and get into a deeper pose and stretch.

Yoga is being practiced by various people around the world. Below are some of the good benefits that one can get from it.

Good for the heart

Yoga helps in getting one’s blood flowing and boosts level of hemoglobin and red blood cells. It also helps boost one’s heart rate, lowers bad cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. During a yoga session one often hears a teacher remind the students to “open their heart” as she/he instructs to do chest opening poses such as upward facing dog, cobra, cow, fish, sphinx camel and Lord of the Dance pose.

Upward facing dog pose

source: www.yogajournal.com

Improves one’s flexibility, posture and bone health

The stretches and poses that are done during yoga helps one to have greater flexibility and helps improve one’s posture too. Since yoga is also a weight-bearing exercise it also strengthens the muscles as one lifts using own body weight for poses like the plank pose. It also helps strengthen the bones and prevent osteoporosis.

photo source: www.yogajournal.com 

Boosts the Immune System

Yoga can help improve the immune system and raises antibody levels. Practicing yoga also helps in providing the flow of oxygen to the brain and increases lung capacity.

Good for Detoxification

Yoga helps in detoxification and some poses also help increase metabolism and enhances digestion. Some yoga poses get the internal glands and organs like the liver and kidney massaged. Yoga also helps in blood circulation and gets more oxygen into the cells of the body. Doing poses such as the seated twist, bow, supine twist and side-to-side chair twists can help in detoxification and improves digestion.

A good type of yoga that has restorative effect is Yin Yoga. By doing the poses during a Yin yoga class, the subtle poses during the class makes the tissues more pliable since tissues get stretched, squeezed, twisted and compressed. A yin session can even make one feel like he or she had a massage.

Increases Mindfulness and inner strength

Yoga reminds one to focus on the present and the practice and following instructions from a teacher certainly increases mindfulness as well as inner strength. It is a practice where one listens to his or her own body and continues to improve by doing the poses at one’s own pace.

As one practices the various poses and listens to a teacher talking about focusing on the present, choosing an intention, being grateful for the body that one has and working with it, one gets to also build inner strength and resilience in dealing with stress.

Calming and improves sleep

Yoga helps one to feel calm and the practice includes breathing slowly, relaxing certain body parts and muscles and letting go of thoughts that can cause stress.  It is a practice where one gets to quiet his or her mind and improves one’s sleep since the exercise has a good effect on the nervous system.  The instructor even reminds students to relax their faces while doing certain poses.

One of the most relaxing poses is the child’s pose which can be calming and is also an alternative pose for one who is not yet ready to try challenging poses.

Child's pose

source: www.yogauonline.com

Yoga is an expression of gratitude and respect

At the end of the yoga session, the instructor normally asks the attendees to sit, put their hands in prayer pose near the heart as the eyes are closed, includes a message of gratitude and says “Namaste”.  Namaste is a Hindu word that means “I bow to the divine in you”. It is a deep form of respect for each other.

photo source: www.yogajournal.com 

For a teacher and student, “Namaste” allows two people to come together energetically to a place of connection that is free from the bonds of egoistic-connection. It is also a reminder that by having gratitude and respect and the recognition that we are all one we all can peacefully live with a kind heart.

Yoga is truly a good practice and the benefits that one can derive from practicing yoga are great. I certainly noticed after doing yoga regularly that I have become more flexible, do not experience back pains anymore and I am also able to do more difficult poses like holding plank pose, bridge and chair pose for a longer period of time now. It is certainly worth it to get on the mat, take some time to listen, do the poses and take care of one’s body, mind and soul.

FOO’D: Cucina Pop Style Fine Dining in Manila

To celebrate New Year’s Eve, my friends and I tried a new restaurant called FOO’D(pronounced as Fu-do) at Shangri-la Fort in BGC.

FOO’D is a restaurant that was recently opened in Manila by Foodee Global Concepts and was done through a partnership with Chef Davide Oldani, a Michelin-starred chef that became known for his restaurant called D’O which opened in 2003 in Cornaredo, Italy(near Milan) and earned a Michelin star 12 months after it opened. D’O has been featured in Conde Nast Traveller as one of the best restaurants in Italy, has a 6-month waitlist and is considered as one of the most affordable Michelin star restaurants in Europe.

Chef Davide Oldani worked with and learned from famous chefs Alain Ducasse and Pierre Hermes before. Chef Davide is known for his “Cucina Pop” cuisine concept since his philosophy is to make fine dining accessible to everyone while maintaining high quality. He blends the essential with the well-made and creates something good and accessible. He is able to keep prices affordable by maintaining a small restaurant with a lean crew. At his D’O restaurant in Italy, a 35-seater restaurant, he and other chefs under his team present dishes to the customers. With this, the chefs are able to fully explain the dish to customers which also enhances customer experience. He also makes use of ingredients that are in season to keep cost low.

FOO’D in Manila offers affordable fine dining as a 3-course meal is priced at PHP800 (around USD16.00) and one can have the option to upgrade the meal by choosing from other types of antipasto, secondo or dolce(dessert) dishes. One may also opt to go for a 4-course or 5-course meal.

The signature dish of Chef Davide known as Cipolla Caramelata(Onion Tart) is offered at FOO’D.

Our group tried the 3-course meal and below are the dishes we tried:

 

Cipolla Caramelata

A caramelized onion with 24-month aged
Grana Padano gelato and Grana Padano hot cream

We all liked the Cipolla Caramelata for our antipasto since the sweet and salty blend of flavors from the onion and cheese gelato and cream was certainly delightful.

Chicken and Prawn
Free range spring chicken  with
veal jus, raisins and scent of thyme

Most of us had the Chicken and Prawn which was tender and well-seasoned while my friend’s sister tried the Iberico pork ribs as her secondo dish which was very tender and had a flavorful mushroom sauce.

Iberico pork ribs with mushroom sauce

For dessert we had the chocolate fondant with toasted seeds and milk gelato. My friends wanted to have more of the gelato though since the fondant chocolate was bitter sweet.

Fondant

Chocolate fondant with toasted seeds and milk gelato

Our overall dining experience at FOO’D was very good. We enjoyed the food and the ambience of the place is simple yet modern and elegant. The dimly lit restaurant accommodates around 50 guests and the tables covered in white table cloth, gray chairs and shelves with books, bird figurines and other interesting items makes the place feel cozy. 

FOO'D restaurant interiors

source:  www.spot.ph 

Since the place is not too big it would be best to reserve for a table if you want to dine at FOO'D (Reservation Phone # : (02) 2469069 ext. 620).

We all found the food to be good.  FOO'D is certainly a value for money fine dining Italian restaurant as the price for their 3-course meal was affordable and the portions, taste and quality of the dishes were all good .We definitely enjoyed our New Year's Eve meal. Cheers!

COMO Metropolitan Bangkok : A Contemporary and Oriental Hip Hotel

During my visit to Bangkok last month another hotel that I stayed at was the COMO Metropolitan hotel.

 

The COMO Metropolitan Bangkok combines contemporary design and Oriental interiors in a hip 5-star hotel. It is located at the South Sathorn Road in Bangkok which is a quiet side of the city as it is nearby embassy offices.

 

The pool at the COMO Metropolitan Bangkok

source: comohotels.com

 

At the lobby area of the hotel, wooden furniture and  selected Asian objects are featured.

 

The lobby area at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok

The hotel's lobby was undergoing renovation  during my visit.
New stone floors were installed on the half area which
replaced the wooden flooring.
 

Asian wooden decors which signify strong
culture are found at the lobby area

The lobby has apple computers  which guests
may use anytime

 

The hotel also has a nice 25-meter pool which also serves as a wonderful and relaxing view for guests who are dining at the hotel’s Nahm restaurant.  Nahm by Michelin-starred chef David Thompson serves authentic Thai cuisine and is included in the World’s Best 50 Restaurants 2016 list and Asia’s Best Restaurants 2016 list released by San Pellegrino.

 

The al fresco dining area at Nahm restaurant
located right in front of the pool

Each guest truly feels welcome at the hotel. One of the hotel's attentive staff even made an effort to provide a welcome drink while I was checking-in at the lobby,  guided me to my room and also asked if there are other things that I may need. Plus, guests are provided with a welcome fruit tray with a note from the General Manager and a Nespresso machine.

 

 

The spacious rooms are predominantly in black and white color tones. The bed is comfortable and the bathroom walls and flooring are made with Portuguese limestone.  .

 

 

I enjoyed my stay at the COMO Metropolitan Bangkok. Swimming in the beautiful 25-meter pool was really relaxing and joining a yoga class for a morning workout at the COMO Shambala Urban Escape Spa's wellness center was also a good experience too.

Overall, the COMO Metropolitan provides a wonderful experience for guests since the staff are well-trained, friendly and make an effort to provide guests with a pleasant experience at the hotel.

To know more about COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, you may visit their website: www.comohotels.com

COMO Metropolitan Bangkok Hotel

Outdoor art at the hotel's entrance area

 

The Sukhothai Bangkok: A Lovely Sanctuary in the City

I had a wonderful and relaxing stay at the beautifully designed The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel during my trip to Bangkok Thailand last month.

Located in the Sathorn area, where most embassies are found, it is not the usual hotel choice of travelers who associate Bangkok with just shopping and staying around the areas near the malls.

 

The Buddha pond at  
The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel

The Sukhothai Hotel is certainly one of the best places to stay if you enjoy going to destination places that are surrounded by beautiful gardens and if your preference is to spend time at a resort-like  and serene hotel that feels exclusive.

The Courtyard Garden

The relaxing view from my room at The Sukhothai
Bangkok hotel

The Sukhothai Bangkok was designed by Ed Tuttle, a well-known and prominent architect, whose portfolio includes the fantastic work he has done for the Aman resort properties. Unlike other high-rise five star hotels in Bangkok, the Sukhothai hotel remains quiet and not too crowded. It is a low-rise property with wide spaces surrounded by greenery and lily ponds. There are modern Thai style pavilions spread out within the property and wonderful Asian sculptures and elements in main areas. The mix of traditional and modern design adds to the visual elements that makes one feel the peaceful vibe at the hotel.  Furthermore, it only has 210 rooms but each one has a nice view. Considering that it has been opened for more than two decades, the quality of service remains high and the property is well-maintained.

Room  at The Sukhothai Bangkok

The  pool area at the Sukhothai Bangkok

The Spa Botanica entrance area at The Sukhothai Bangkok

It is one hotel where you can just relax and spend time enjoying the amenities. Plus, they also have Celadon, one of the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok that serves authentic Thai dishes.  The restaurant is quite relaxing since it is surrounded by a  pond filled with lilies.

The Celadon restaurant

The Sukhothai Bangkok's restaurant that serves
authentic Thai cuisine

Pad Thai

Pomelo salad with prawns



Coconut ice cream

During dinner time, they also provide some entertainment for guests since Thai dancers in traditional costumes can be seen dancing gracefully at Celadon.

Thai dancers perform at The Celadon
restaurant of The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel

The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel is certainly a lovely sanctuary in Bangkok where one can surely relax and have some quiet time.

Here is a link to the video from The Sukhothai Hotel's website showing the amenities at the hotel:  The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel video.

To know more about The Sukhothai Bangkok hotel, you can visit their website: www.sukhothai.com

A Stellar Dining Experience at Nahm

I love to travel and try new restaurants in different countries. I believe that by trying the food from one country so much about its culture and history are revealed.

During my recent trip to Bangkok this month, I celebrated my birthday in a cool and memorable way by exploring new places and by dining at Nahm.

Nahm is a fine dining Thai restaurant located at the modern and hip Metropolitan by COMO hotel in Bangkok. It has the number 8 spot in Asia's Best Restaurants 2016 list and it is the only Thai fine dining restaurant included in the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants 2016 list.

Nahm restaurant's al fresco dining area

source :  comohotels.com

Chef David Thompson, who heads the team at Nahm, is a rock star in the culinary world. He has received a Michelin star for Nahm in London before and has been awarded with the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award at Asia's 50 best Restaurants 2016 event.  Below is a video showing Chef David Thompson appreciating the award, expressing his passion for his job and his gratitude to the people who have helped him.

To experience Nahm's amazing food experience, you need to book a reservation in advance. In my case, I booked via email to Metropolitan at COMO hotel in Bangkok a month  before my trip since I know that Nahm is a must-try restaurant in Thailand that foodies, travelers and serious gourmands visit.

I tried the tasting menu offered at THB2,500 per person (around USD 45.00) since I wanted to have a taste of different dishes. You just have to take note that it is best to ask the staff about the best-sellers so that you can decide if you want to include it in your tastng menu. Nahm also offers ala carte dishes that are good for sharing. Also, since Nahm offers some spicy dishes it would be best to ask the staff to know how spicy the dishes are prior to ordering it.

Dining at Nahm is a food adventure in itself. Chef David Thompson is known for exacting perfection in making dishes so each one is truly made with high quality and the best ingredients. He is also known for his in-depth knowledge on learning historical origins of food and combining excellent cooking techniques  with the best ingredients in order to create remarkable dishes.

My dinner at Nahm was not a short dinner but it was certainly an extraordinary culinary experience. In order to have a sense of balance, prior to my dinner I had to swim for 2 hours to make sure that I was also ready to burn the calories of the dishes that I was going to try. My anticipation in trying the fantastic dishes at Nahm was really an effective way to motivate myself to do my total immersion swim drills in a 25-meter lap pool...ha ha.

Below are the dfferent dishes that I have tried at Nahm.

Amuse bouche

Mahor with minced shrimp, chicken, pork, palm sugar, garlic
and shallots that is shaped like a strawberry and
 served on a slice of  fresh pineapple.

Tasting the food at Nahm was like being at The Taste television show with Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson. The various flavours and textures presented in a simple yet elegant manner is truly worth every bite. The four canapes served at the beginning gives a nice introduction to the amazing dishes that were about to be served.

Canapes

From the left to right:

(1) crab wafers with coconut galangal and coriander

(2) egg nets with prawns , wild almonds and kaffir lime

(3) pork and lobster with shredded ginger and Thai citron

(4) steamed red curry scallops with Thai basil and coconut

The scallop salad with coconut and lemongrass was truly refreshing.

Scallop salad with shredded coconut and lemongrass

The soup which was their take on a Tom Yum soup was also very flavourful.

Hot and sour prawn soup
with river praws and termite
mushrooms

The relish dish with tamarind and chilli which was served wth grilled catfish was also good.

Tamarind and chili reslish with grilled catfish
and neem leaves

One of my favourites among all the dishes is the wagyu beef curry which had the right spicy kick and extremely tender beef.

Panaeng curry of wagyu beef
with peanuts, shallots and
Thai basil.

The other must-try is the fried fish with lemongrass and fish sauce.

Fried fish with
lemongrass and fish sauce

Prior to serving the desserts, they also serve green mango with some sugar and salt as a palate cleanser.

The desserts were also nice. Petit fours composed of local Thai sweets in tasting portions were served. The other dessert I tried that was recommended by the staff was the refreshing pandanus noodle dessert with tapioca and coconut cream. It was a perfect choice in ending a  truly phenomenal meal.

Petit fours

Pandanus noodles with black sticky rice,
water chestnuts, tapioca and coconut
cream served with fresh mangosteen

During my dinner at Nahm, I just kept hearing other guests saying that the food is really good and facial reactions of delight from every bite. Even the Thai business executives having dinner were so pleased with the dishes that they were sharing with their business partners.

The interiors at Nahm may be simple and understated but it is just apt since the focus is certainly the stellar Thai cuisine that they serve. It is one restaurant truly worth trying and revisiting in Bangkok. 

My dining experience at Nahm was simply not an ordinary Thai food experience and the dishes were truly aromatic, flavourful, and served using honest to goodness and best ingredients that transcends the palate to experience a delightful interplay of sour, sweet, spicy, and salty flavours that create perfectly balanced dishes that top chefs and food critics would certainly appreciate and approve.

To reserve or know more about Nahm restaurant, you may check out this link: Nahm restaurant reservation information.