16 Jul
Our charming and good looking maître d’ swirling the wine in the glass to get rid of any lingering smell from the wash.
The buffet at Bodega Catena Zapata was huge but there was only one dish I was really interested in and that was the pork shank stew served with creamed corn. It was so good that I asked lovely Karina which chef was responsible for it — we were at the Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine in Mendoza to which Karina had invited me — and she immediately introduced me to Janaina Rueda, a delightful young Brazilian chef who has a bar/restaurant in Sao Paulo where I went recently with the inimitable Luiz Horta. Janaina’s food is simple hearty Brazilian home cooking but presented elegantly and our delicious degustation menu started with scrumptious pastels and a very pretty 3 lemon caipirinha, both great Brazilian classics.
Share this :
1 Apr
Last week I did something quite mad and flew all the way to Argentina to spend 3 days in Mendoza for the Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine. I had missed it the previous year and didn’t want to this time round despite the long journey for such a short stay. I am happy I went. And if you haven’t been, you should go. Mendoza is beautiful. The wines and food are great and the people totally charming, and beautiful.
Share this :
27 Mar
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/39122389[/vimeo]
I am just back from a wonderful trip to Mendoza in Argentina where I was for the Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine. The trip was incredibly long but totally worth it. I absolutely loved Mendoza. The landscapes are beautiful, the people very lovely, and the food and wine very good. I will tell you more about the event and the wineries we visited in the next post but I thought I would leave you with this clip of a tango show in the lobby of the hotel. I had missed the previous one in the courtyard. It was my first time watching tango dancers in real life and it made me want to take tango classes immediately except that it wouldn’t make much difference. Sadly, I have no sense of rythm!
Share this :
24 Mar
I have been wanting to go to Mexico for years and for a moment, I thought I would this coming April as a special guest during the Punta Mita II Gourmet Golf. But then things didn’t work out and I have to wait another year. But you don’t have to. The place looks amazing, as does the line up of chefs which includes Michael Mina and the adorable and very talented Rodrigo Oliveira from Mocoto in Sao Paolo where I had a brilliant meals three years ago. Not to mention the festival’s charming host, Carl Emberson. And if you extend your trip to Mexico city, you could not only enjoy the street food but also perhaps look up the brilliant Rachel Laudan. Or if you go further afield to Cozumel, you may find yourself diving alongside the very glamourous Jeremiah Tower. Too bad I am missing out but my consolation is that I am in Mendoza, at the Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine of which I will write more in the next few days.