It’s easy to envy Chef Bastian Mantey. He gets to live, play, and practice his passion in one of the most beautiful parts of the world – as head chef at the Alila Villas Hadahaa, Maldives. How many people get to work in a on a luxurious tropical island that attracts visitors from all over the world? But he’s put in the time to earn such a coveted spot… working his way up the ranks of some of Germany’s top Michelin-starred restaurants. Eventually he decided to travel outside his home country to continue to push himself as a chef and see the world. Choosing to do so by entering into the hotel world, first at the Laguna Resort & Spa in Nusa Dua, Bali and then more recently at the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It’s his latest post though that has him continually smiling (seriously, in a week on the island I don’t know if I ever saw the guy without at least a grin on his face). [keep reading…]
by Paul on April 15, 2010
Any chef that can have me actually dreaming of eating crocodile again is a chef of note in my book. Hong Kong Chef Liu Ching Hai of Summer Palace in the Regent Hotel is that chef. You might remember our recent review of Summer Palace. We were treated to a special Sunday lunch of traditional Asian dishes and ones with a more modern twist… every dish as tasty as the next. After the meal we were gifted another treat – a chance to sit down and talk (via translator) to Chef Liu about his life & approach to food… and we even got a signature recipe!
[keep reading…]
by joanna on December 3, 2009
Stunning presentation, impeccable service and inventive, modern French cuisine
It was Paul’s birthday, so it had to be special…something out of the ordinary and truly impressive. After much consideration I selected Gunther’s, #7 on the Miele Guide’s list for top restaurants in Asia. I think what got me, besides its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Singapore, was the idea of a menu-less, 8-course tasting dinner designed on the spot by the chef (who trained in a 3-starred Michelin restaurant in Paris). The idea of every course being a surprise sounded exhilarating and like just the kind of unique experience I was looking to share with Paul on his special day. [keep reading…]
