The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Top food and gastronomy events 2013 Posted: 29 Dec 2012 09:24 PM PST
Sirha Lyon, France January 26-30 Billed as one of the biggest gastronomy, restaurant and food trade shows in the world, the biennial event Sirha is the springboard for new innovative products and ground zero for culinary trends. This year more than 2,200 exhibitors will be in attendance. It's also the umbrella show that hosts other major culinary competitions like the Bocuse d'Or and the World Pastry Cup. The 2011 edition attracted nearly 163,000 visitors, 17,900 of whom were international. Bocuse d'Or Lyon, France January 29-30 Organisers have changed things up significantly for the 14th edition of the prestigious culinary competition known as the Olympics of the food world. Unlike previous years where chefs were able to pre-plan their entire menu, the competition will be more spontaneous and challenge the competitors' improvisational creativity. They will also be asked to introduce elements of their culinary heritage and traditions in order to break with excessively Westernised cooking. This year, 24 countries will compete from around the world. Gourmand World Cookbook Fair Paris, France February 22-24 This year one of the most prestigious international cookbook fairs for trade professionals moves from the edges of the city to the Carrousel du Louvre. As the most international cookbook fair of its kind, this year cookery books from 171 countries will be competing to take home bragging rights and an award. New at the 2013 edition is the World Festival of Wine and Food Television, which will draw TV food producers, broadcasters and food TV celebrities to the show. Asia's 50 Best Restaurant Awards Singapore February 25 The inaugural edition of the Asian version of the World's 50 Best Restaurants from Restaurant magazine takes place in Singapore and will attempt to identify the best eateries across the continent. Given the growing influence the World's 50 Best Restaurant awards has exerted over its short 10-year existence, it's expected the food world will look at the results with great interest. James Beard Foundation Awards May 3, May 6 New York Known as the Oscars of the US food world, chef winners of the James Beard awards often go on to enjoy fully booked dining rooms and food journalists often enjoy steady work. The 2012 award for Outstanding Chef went to Eleven Madison Park's Daniel Humm in New York, and Outstanding Restaurant to Boulevard in San Francisco. Media awards are announced May 3, while chef and restaurant awards announced May 6. http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards SIAL China May 7-9 Shanghai This year, the largest annual food and beverage show in Asia will be held in conjunction with Wine World Shanghai which will replace the wine hall at SIAL China. This year's guest country of honor is Turkey. More than 2,000 exhibitors and 45,000 visitors are expected to attend this year. Vinexpo Bordeaux June 16-20 Bordeaux, France After being hosted in Hong Kong last year, the largest and most important wine trade show of the year, Vinexpo returns to Bordeaux in 2013, where it expects more than 48,000 visitors and 2,400 wine makers from around the world. Vinexpo alternates locations between Hong Kong and France. MAD Symposium August 25-26 Copenhagen The ambassador of New Nordic cuisine himself chef René Redzepi hosts his third annual MAD food symposium in Copenhagen, which in editions past has succeeded in gathering the culinary glitterati to the Danish capital for a cerebral, intellectual foodie retreat. The theme for 2013: 'Guts,' curated by Momofuku chef David Chang. Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair November 7-9 Hong Kong Organised by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, the wine fair is billed as the largest of its kind in Asia, particularly given that this year Vinexpo returns to France. As Hong Kong is considered the entry point into Chinese and Asian markets, this fair is strategically and geographically significant for wine makers interested in cementing their position in Asia. Last year, 950 exhibitors from 36 countries took part, including representatives from Azerbaijan, Denmark and Russia, all first-time participants. Italy and France featured the largest pavilions. http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hkwinefair-en/HKTDC-Hong-Kong-International-Wine-and-Spirits-Fair.html — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Posted: 29 Dec 2012 04:47 PM PST  Cups of coffee (left); Joey Mah the weekend barista. – Pictures by CK Lim and Artisan Coffee Bar
Artisan Coffee Bar will do this to you: pose near-existential conundrums on an otherwise ordinary weekend morning in Bangsar Village 2. Me, I always choose the bar. Not because of my reclusive tendencies, mind you, but I rather like seeing how my coffee is being made. And who's to say random conversations with your barista wouldn't be as enlightening as those with complete strangers?  "French press" light fixture (left); pouring milk into latte art (right). In fact pulling a great shot might be the perfect post-work antidote: "Making coffee keeps my mind moving and sometimes it even helps me to relax. Maybe it's the caffeine. I'm unsure how but I often have 4-6 cups of espresso a day." Mah had always been a fan of old-school Hainanese-style coffee. He describes it as basically a combination of Liberica coffee and tea served with condensed milk. Over time he moved on from local coffee to espresso-based beverages such as caffè latte and long blacks.  The baristas at work. Mah's coffee journey continued when he visited Artisan Roast Coffee, then at its first incarnation in Ampang. He recalls arriving late at the café: "Alang the barista was preparing to close yet he pulled me an espresso shot under a rambutan tree at 7pm. It was the best cup of espresso I've had in KL. Till today I still remember how good it was." At the time, Mah was told that his coffee was a Mandheling medium roast. He didn't understand what that entailed so he started to frequent Artisan Roast (which later moved to TTDI) to learn more about the coffee he was drinking: "I began to learn about the aroma, the flavour, the complexity and why one coffee was different from the rest." Soon this led to a dedicated trek across town to various cafés to try their coffees and increase his knowledge on the subject. Eventually Mah discovered it was difficult getting his coffee just right: "I could not get anyone to serve me an espresso that suits my palate. Michael Wilson [owner and head barista of Artisan Roast] told me that I should make my own coffee instead since I was very selective about my espresso."  Pulling an espresso shot (left); cappuccino (right). "It was trial and error but eventually I got better. There was no intention of becoming a barista; all I wanted was to drink a good cup of espresso that I liked." These days Mah is a regular face at Artisan Coffee Bar (though it may be a bit of a game trying to guess when he makes an appearance), making coffee for happy customers; some even ask for him specifically as their barista. He still makes it a point to visit other cafés, and sometimes he will enquire if he can pull a shot, just for the experience. He reasons, "It never hurts to ask." Along the way he has picked up a few pointers on what makes a good barista. He observes, "I think baristas have to drink enough coffee, and to understand what they are having – be it filter coffee, espresso or plain kopi O. As a barista, we have to know what we are drinking and what we are serving."  Artisan Coffee Bar in Bangsar Village II. Despite being a self-confessed espresso aficionado, Mah always enjoys a cup of syphon-brewed coffee. To date however, he does not have a preference for beans; he believes that different beans will give one different experiences. "One day I wish to serve a cup of coffee that has the flavour of rock melon which is my favourite fruit. It could just be a dream though," he laughs. Given his fervour for coffee, this doesn't seem entirely impossible. Who knows? One day he might just be serving that special cup to you. I'll certainly be waiting in line, well, sitting at my usual stool at the bar for that. Artisan Coffee Bar BV2 UG, Bangsar Village II at 2, Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2202 0345 Open daily 10am-10pm Website: http://www.artisanroast.com.my * Kenny is an All-Week-Long Coffee Freak. Read more about his highly-caffeinated feats at http://lifeforbeginners.com |
PARIS, Dec 30 — The year 2013 starts off with a bang, as some of the top chefs from around the world compete for the culinary equivalent of the Olympic gold medal at the Bocuse d'Or cooking competition in Lyon, held every two years. Here's a roundup of some of the top food and culinary events happening around the world in 2013, so far.
Whether it's better to head for the legendary crimson cushions in the café's Mooch zone and strike up a chance conversation with a random stranger or whether one should remain adamantly antisocial and cling onto a lonely stool at the bar? | You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Food To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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