Four Seasons chefs Archives - Page 6 of 7

A Toronto Premiere: The First-Ever
Four Seasons Pop Down

Posted on September 25, 2017October 1, 2024 by Scott Masters Pierce

The Toronto International Film Festival is known as the kickoff of the film industry’s awards season and has introduced countless movies that went on to earn global acclaim, including American Beauty, Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech. But this year, the buzz was about a different kind of premiere: the first-ever Four Seasons Pop Down, a new global series of immersive experiences that will bring the brand’s legendary service to unexpected places.

Give our people a blank canvas, and they will create something truly extraordinary. – J. Allen Smith, President and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Upon their arrival, visitors entered through an archway of draping orchids created by celebrity florist Jeff Leatham (Artistic Director, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris). Inside, they discovered an empty concrete retail space had become a downtown Toronto refuge blooming with lush floral installations and a floor-to-ceiling herb garden, assembled by the production team.

Witness the transformation here.

Photo courtesy of Sam Santos/Getty images

Photo courtesy of Sam Santos/Getty Images

Café Boulud at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto

Photo courtesy of Sam Santos/Getty images

Guests were then spirited away with dramatic cocktails – Step into the Green, for example, literally set aflame a combination of gin, pine cone, manuka, honey and fresh herbs from the garden wall – by award-winning mixologists Mica Rousseau (Fifty Mils, Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City), Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H., Four Seasons Hotel Seoul) and Michal Maziarz (Rotunda, Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge).

Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.) mixes a White Sand Gimlet, made with London dry gin, coconut oil, coconut water, pineapple cordial, clarified lime, absinthe and orchids.

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By the end of the night, more than 200 bottles of Dom Pérignon had been popped.

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Michal Maziarz (Rotunda) fuels the flames of a Step into the Green, a cocktail topped with a pine cone and herbs from the garden wall.

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Mixologists Mica Rousseau (Fifty Mils), Michal Maziarz (Rotunda) and Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.)

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Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.) serves up a Mediterranean Cliff Hanging, a cocktail made with olive oil vodka, elderflower, freshly cut herbs and Champagne brut.

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Mingle in the Jungle – Pisco, beetroot juice, pomegranate molasses, pineapple juice, cardamom leaf, Szechuan buttons and glitter, from Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.) and Michael Maziarz (Rotunda).

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Joining everyone to show off our skills together really spoke to what Four Seasons is all about – the people. It showcased the power of Four Seasons to transform any space and any moment – large or small – into something unique and unforgettable. – Pastry Chef Chris Ford

With top Four Seasons chefs visiting from around the world, culinary treats showcased a range of global influences. Michelin-starred Chef Vito Mollica’s (Il Palagio, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze and La Veranda, Four Seasons Hotel Milano) star dish was smoked aubergine cream with tomato coulis and scampi, while Sylvain Assié (Café Boulud,
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto) provided an impressive spread of house-crafted charcuterie and cheeses.

The end of the culinary journey was a sweet send-off in the Cherry Blossom Dessert Forest. Guests plucked their choice of desserts – including chocolate orbs filled with rose and lychee mousse, by Joaquin Grimaldi (Elena, Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires), and freshly spun floral beehive cotton candy, by Chris Ford (THE Blvd, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel) – from birdcages and other whimsical décor elements.

Pastry Chef Joaquin Grimaldi (Elena) making one of his favourite desserts: framboise crémeux with infused melon cylinders.

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Cheeses, courtesy of Cef de Cuisine Sylvain Assié (Café Boulud), lined tables at the first-ever Four Seasons Pop Down.

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Guests could not resist chocolate boxes filled with black forest and roti apricot.

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At the event, guests plucked desserts by Joaquin Grimaldi (Elena) from birdcages suspended beside a floor-to-ceiling cherry-blossom wall.

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Pastry Chef Chris Ford (Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel) prepares Apples in Thyme.

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The team from Café Boulud at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto

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Stay tuned for information about the next Four Seasons Pop Down.

A Michelin-Starred Chef Stirs Up Soupe à l’Oignon

Posted on December 20, 2016September 29, 2017 by Rooksana Hossenally

I’m at Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, following my guide through the sumptuous gallery lined with regal Flemish tapestries. As I watch guests leisurely enjoy a late breakfast, suddenly he taps a hidden button on the floor, and we slip behind the wall into the labyrinthine kitchens of Le Cinq. The Hotel’s fine dining restaurant has just been awarded three Michelin stars for the second consecutive year, while the Mediterranean menu at Le George and the Hotel’s newest dining addition, L’Orangerie, each recieved their first Michelin star this year.

For me, to succeed in making a humble local product luxurious is the role of haute cuisine today. – Chef Christian Le Squer

We navigate around hot plates, sizzling pans and trays of freshly baked croissants to find Le Cinq’s Executive Chef Christian Le Squer in his whites, supervising the meticulous preparation of one of his signature dishes, a soupe à l’oignon. The classic French soup he serves, like many of the Hotel’s deft details, is quintessentially French, yet unique.

Originally from Brittany, Le Squer maintains a strong connection to slow-life values – he still cycles to work most mornings – and sustainability is important to him. To ensure the quality of the dishes, Le Squer and his team constantly seek out the best produce.

Chef Le Squer cooks in the kitchen at the Four Seasons Paris

Chef Le Squer is meticulous while overseeing dishes in his kitchen at Four Seasons George V in Paris.

Photography courtesy Eddy Brière

A believer in slow-life values, Chef Le Squer begins his workday by riding his bike to Four Seasons Hotel George V. He often rides his bike to the local markets, too, to select fresh, local produce for his recipes.

Photography courtesy Morel

Chef Le Squer from the Four Seasons Paris shops in a market

The Ile de France region is rich with quality produce, which is why Chef Le Squer shops at local markets whenever possible.

Photography courtesy Morel

“We usually order from the best farmers, usually from people who specialize in one product,” he says. “For instance, for the onion soup, the onions come from one place in summer, and at this time of year they come from another, from the Cévennes [in south-central France], because they have a certain sweetness to them that I like.”

Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

Earning Michelin stardom

For more than 10 years, Le Squer was at Pavillon Ledoyen, another Parisian institution, where his cuisine earned him three Michelin stars. When he arrived at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, in 2014, the chef’s challenge was to retrieve a third Michelin star for Le Cinq. By February 2017, he’d succeeded in doing so twice. And it’s easy to see why.

I’m just like a perfumer. Inside my head it’s like a library of scents, but for flavours. I remember flavours and I know which ones I’d like to put together. – Chef Christian Le Squer

The extravagant, colonnaded Louis XV and Louis XVI surroundings certainly help, as does the stellar service, but the jewel in the crown is Le Squer’s cuisine, which plays on refined simplicity and a dedication to marrying unusual flavours.

“What drives me is my insatiable passion for movement, for evolution, for finding surprising new combinations,” he says. He vividly recalls one such surprise, a match made between oysters and foie gras that he tasted in Japan: “The iodic taste of the oyster cut through the bold fatty taste of the foie gras. It was wonderful.”

A modern twist on a classic

This French onion soup, a classic reinvented by Chef Le Squer, is served on a plate opposed to in a bowl. It’s one of the signature items at the three-Michelin-star Le Cinq restaurant.

Photography courtesy Amara Becirovski

While Le Squer’s creative cuisine can be adventurous and doused in plenty of Breton spirit – he particularly likes seafood and fish – his signature dish remains the modest onion soup. “I wanted to reintroduce this old traditional bistro dish,” says the chef of soupe à l’oignon. “However, we’ve completely redesigned it, like Yves Saint Laurent, who redefined how women dressed with his trouser suit. For instance, we serve it on a plate as opposed to in a bowl.”

When the dish is placed before me, I hesitate to spoil the presentation – small, bulbous sweet onions arranged like flower petals on a fine Parmesan galette, dotted with confit onion beads and finished with a dash of truffle and thyme coulis. But I do, and every mouthful is a burst of flavour with all the gourmand comfort of a home-cooked soup.

“It’s precisely that emotion that flavours create that I love. To share that emotion with people is incredible,” Le Squer beams. “You know, it’s important to remember that eating doesn’t belong just to the luxury world. Wherever you cook, the most important thing is always to bring flavour – and therefore emotion.”

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27 New Ways to Eat (and Drink) Local

Posted on October 25, 2016January 22, 2024 by Rebecca Troyer

Natives of Buenos Aires will tell you that you haven’t fully experienced Argentina until you’ve enjoyed an authentic asado-style meal – a revered weekend dining ritual where families and friends grill meats, tables are filled with salads and appetizers, and local red wines flow freely. You haven’t tasted Indonesia, locals say, until you’ve sampled babi guling, aka roast suckling pig, from the beach in Bali. And in Florence, it’s an unwritten rule that la passeggiata (a traditional evening stroll) is incomplete without a scoop of creamy gelato.

The fastest and most enjoyable way for travellers to immerse themselves in the culture of any corner of the world is to dive into the culinary scene – order traditional dishes, explore food markets and local farms, and speak to chefs and home cooks about their favourite recipes.

Taste of Place, a new series of fine dining experiences from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is designed so guests can do exactly that. Its goal is to bring travellers and locals who have an appetite for exploration together with the flavours and cultures of places like Cairo, Koh Samui and Lanai.

During these epicurean adventures, you’ll visit markets and farms to sample and gather fresh ingredients commonly used in local cuisine. Many experiences include cooking classes alongside expert chefs, where you’ll learn how the traditions and customs of a region are reflected in the preparation and seasoning of its food. And each Taste of Place offering includes one or more chef-prepared meals, served in an unforgettable setting.

Scroll through the gallery above to get a taste of specific food tourism offerings around the globe.

Taste of Place joins an already extensive portfolio of Four Seasons culinary innovations, including the recently launched “Culinary Discoveries” itinerary on board the Four Seasons Private Jet. This new itinerary, developed in partnership with René Redzepi and the Noma team, is a once-in-a-lifetime cross-continental culinary journey through the finest kitchens, freshest markets and most exquisite dining experiences in the world. Learn more about how you can see Europe and Asia through the eyes of a Michelin-starred chef here.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Choose a destination that best suits your tastes

7 Secret Off-Menu Dishes to Order Now

Posted on October 24, 2016February 29, 2024 by Katie Chang

From a flavourful soup in Bahrain to an expertly aged rum cocktail in Koh Samui, chefs at Four Seasons hotels and resorts around the world are known for creating secret menu items with their own personal flair. For a truly exclusive dining experience, guests in the know should order one of these by-request-only dishes or drinks during their next evening out.

Elevated comfort food in St. Louis

Warm and comforting Dia’s Cheese Bread is inspired by Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis Chef Gerard Craft’s beloved childhood nanny.

Much of the inspiration for the menu at Cinder House at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis comes from Chef Gerard Craft’s love of South American cuisine – his beloved childhood nanny, Dia, introduced him to its flavours. Today, many of the wood-fired dishes at the restaurant are an ode to Dia. “As an adult, I now recognize how much care she put into everything that she made,” Craft says. “Dia had the ability to evoke a sense of comfort from simple, fresh ingredients, and that’s something I hope always translates on the Cinder House menu.”

One of Dia’s most comforting dishes is only available by request: Dia’s Cheese Bread, or Pao De Queijo, was on Cinder House’s opening menu but now is a secret favourite among Cinder House regulars. The warm, pillowy pieces of fresh bread are best served with prosciutto and lardo or as the perfect accompaniment to a warm meal after a long day.

Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

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Seafood Ramen in Bahrain

For a twist on the traditional Asian dish, this Seafood Ramen combines local Bahraini prawns, black sea bass and clams alongside more traditional garnishes like a shoyu egg, fresh scallions and sesame.

It took 18 months for up-and-coming Bahraini Chef Lulwa Sowaileh at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay to perfect her ramen noodles, experimenting with different textures and techniques until she was satisfied with the result. A change from the traditional dim sum and authentic robata-style grilled items she normally creates at re Asian Cuisine, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, the dish is served with dashi broth – made by slow-cooking fish bones, shitake mushrooms, bonito flakes and kombu and seasoned with tamari and sea salt – fresh prawns, black sea bass and clams, and garnished with a shoyu egg, crispy shallots, lime, cilantro, fresh scallions and sesame.

Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay

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Vegan choices in Scottsdale

Chef Mel Mecinas’ vegan dishes, such as this asparagus risotto, add playful and healthy alternatives to the menu at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.

Chef Mel Mecinas’ off-menu, six-course vegan tasting at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North was originally prepared to accommodate a vegan guest, but it has become so popular that it’s no longer just vegans asking for it. Driven by which fruits, vegetables and grains are in season, Mecinas is constantly creating new dishes that are healthful, deeply satisfying and playful, too.

His pappardelle, for example, is topped with a silky sauce made of tofu instead of cream or cheese, while his tartare swaps out beef with toothsome, hearty tomatoes, which give a similar meaty effect. If you’d like to try one of his creations, like asparagus risotto, or are wondering what new vegan dish he’s concocted, all you have to do is ask.

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

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Traditional delights in Egypt

Chef Emad Ebeid of Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza enjoys preparing labour-intensive folk dishes for guests, such as koshari.

Zitouni at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza specializes in Egyptian cuisine, but there are two traditional dishes that aren’t on the menu because they’re so labour-intensive. For guests who prefer more rural recipes, however, Chef Emad Ebeid doesn’t mind crafting his koshari, a hearty blend of lentils, rice and macaroni topped with a spicy tomato sauce and fried onions, or his rich oxtail stew.

“These are very ethnic folk dishes, mostly served in areas that are difficult to commute to by our guests, and also require special culinary preparations,” Ebeid says. “The challenge is producing a folk dish without compromising Four Seasons culinary perfection.”

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

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Exclusive caviar in Beverly Hills

The mother-of-pearl dish bearing delicious and decadent Kaluga and Osetra caviar is made exclusively for Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel.

Photography courtesy of Stocksy

To cater to the sophisticated palates of locals and visiting guests alike, Chef Samir Roonwal of Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel makes sure certain ingredients are always on hand, available to those who know to ask. Kaluga and Osetra caviar, for example, arrives in a dazzling mother-of-pearl set made exclusively for the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel. In addition, there are fresh truffles (white or black, depending on the season), which diners can request be added as an indulgent finish to anything from pasta to popcorn.

Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

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Aged rum in Koh Samui

The Aged Zombie at CocoRum includes a potent mix of three rums that have been aged for 60 days.

Tiki drinks are already enjoying a comeback, but at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui the trend is being pushed even further with barrel aging, which lends cocktails unusual depth and complexity. Available only by request, the Aged Zombie at CoCoRum bar is a potent mix of three rums that have been aged for 60 days in an American oak barrel.

“It sounds a bit complicated,” says head bartender Samart Khethong, “but the result is this wonderfully smooth cocktail.” If you’re a vodka fan and want to continue imbibing under the radar, order an avocado martini and watch what happens.

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui

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Upside-down pancakes in Lanai

Made with brown sugar and fresh local pineapple, the upside-down pineapple pancake is a favourite of regular guests at Four Seasons Resort Lanai.

Though it was a breakfast staple at ONE FORTY years ago, the upside-down pineapple pancake has since been removed from the menu at Four Seasons Resort Lanai. But guests with a taste for its sweet flavour and fresh pineapple can ask for a special order. To make each cake, a ring of the local fruit is mixed with pancake batter, brown sugar and clarified butter, then baked for 10 minutes before the whole thing is inverted onto a plate. The result is fluffy, not too sweet and distinctively Hawaiian.

Four Seasons Resort Lanai

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Hideaway in Abu Dhabi

With a design that’s inspired by Al Capone’s prison cell and his infamous 1928 Cadillac, the Hideaway private dinning room at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island is only accessible by an unmarked passageway.

An off-menu item is one thing, but Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island is taking dining secrecy to a whole new level with a hidden speakeasy that you have to find before you can even get the menu.

The newly launched Hideaway, a secret extension of Butcher & Still, can be reached only by knowing an insider at the property and locating the unmarked passageway. When you do secure access, you and 17 of your closest friends will be rewarded with your own private venue, with plenty of decadent eats, spirited cocktails and cigars on hand. The room’s retro design is inspired by Al Capone’s prison cell and his infamous 1928 bulletproof Cadillac.

Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island

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The Sweet Side of Jakarta

Posted on September 2, 2016September 12, 2017 by Petty Elliott

Nutmeg, clove, mace: These are the reasons that parts of the Indonesian archipelago were once known as the Spice Islands. Today, the aromatic riches continue to flavour local cuisine, including desserts, which are much more than mere postprandial afterthoughts in the land of spice.

Indonesians, especially in the capital city of Jakarta, have a passion for pastries and believe that dessert is not only part of a meal, but a dish for celebration.

“Local spice and tropical fruits are a powerful source of ideas,” says Lorenzo Sollecito, the executive pastry chef at Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta and the man responsible for spinning the region’s abundant ingredients into the desserts that fill the glass cases at the Hotel’s new La Patisserie.

With specialty desserts like batik chocolate pralines, mignon patisserie and an Eternity Cake, La Patisserie at Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta offers an artistic boutique setting and a variety of decadent chocolates and pastries.

“Indonesia is an amazing country,” Sollecito continues, “not only in terms of local products – chocolate, vanilla, spices and coffee – but the people and Indonesian hospitality are simply amazing.”

On the menu

The most unique item on the menu at La Patisserie is the Upside Down Mango Cheesecake, in which Chef Sollecito rolls shavings of chocolate into “stems” and places berries to resemble small flowers.

This savoury chocolate dessert at La Patisserie will satisfy anyone’s palate with its rich but delicate flavour.

Photography Courtesy of Petty Elliot

A delectable selection of macaroons is a sampling of the many tempting choices at La Patisserie, the newest restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta.

Photography Courtesy of Petty Elliot

One of the most unique items on the dessert menu at La Patisserie is the Upside Down Mango Cheesecake, which takes more than 24 hours and the hands of the entire pastry team to prepare.

Sollecito begins by mixing the ingredients, including fresh mango and local vanilla, and letting them rest to develop their texture and flavour. The cheesecake batter is then poured into individual serving glasses and baked. On top of each sits an intricate “floral” arrangement of berries, chocolate and vanilla crumbles, with chocolate “stems” and pistachio “coral.”

The Upside Down Mango Cheesecake looks like a small aquarium. – Christian Poda, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta

“It looks precisely like a small garden inside a glass,” Sollecito says. “This is an exclusive creation done in collaboration with Chef Andrea Noli and all the pastry team.”

In comparison, Sollecito’s signature dish – the apple crumb tart – is quite simple.

The tart is made from Sollecito’s grandmother’s recipe and pays homage to his childhood spent in Mezzocorona, Italy, where he grew up peeling apples while sitting in his grandmother’s lap. In Mezzocorona, indigenous apples are key ingredients in local pastries.

“I believe that simplicity is the key to happiness: A nice slice of tasty apple crumble is always a good solution when you want something sweet and not too heavy,” says the chef. “It’s ideal for breakfast, lunch, tea time and after dinner, and it’s best a little bit warm and with vanilla gelato.”

Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta

Other simple yet delicious items on the menu at the decadent dessert shop include cakes, macaroons, batik chocolate pralines, bonbons and, of course, a chocolate cake. “I am a classicist and no fan of the elaborations of molecular gastronomy. I want customers to fully enjoy the pleasure of my desserts without making each dish overly complicated,” he adds with a smile.

An Indonesian twist

A native of Mezzocorona, Italy, Chef Lorenzo Sollecito taps into both his Italian upbringing and the local flavours of Indonesia when crafting desserts at Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta.

True to the meaning of his name, which means “quick, attentive and careful,” Sollecito has been eager to adopt Indonesian ingredients such as local spices and tropical fruits. Mangoes from Sumatra inspired La Patisserie’s Upside Down Mango Cheesecake; vanilla and Balinese coffee beans can be tasted in the Dolcetto Latte; and pineapple, lemongrass and ginger add flavour and colour to the carpaccio.

Lorenzo is a very talented and passionate chef who believes that nothing should go in front of a guest if we don’t absolutely love it ourselves. – General Manager Christian Poda

“[These are some of the] amazing local products that I love to use in order to serve to our guest a dessert mixed between Indonesia and Italy, my own country,” Sollecito says.

Another favourite at La Patisserie are bonbons with ginger and coconut. Sollecito has plans to develop and add more local flavours.

“He is a perfectionist and is eager to learn and develop,” says General Manager Christian Poda. “Now that he is in Indonesia, he is studying local art, history and desserts to make new dishes inspired by this.”

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A Toronto Premiere: The First-Ever
Four Seasons Pop Down