Tag: gourmet

7 Secret Off-Menu Dishes to Order Now

Posted on 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


Dia's cheese bread

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


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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


A green dish 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


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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


Caviar tin

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


Tropical cocktails with mini umbrellas

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


Pastry on a white plate

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


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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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Your Ticket to the World’s Most Epic Culinary Adventure

Posted on by Veronica Chambers

Noma is considered by many to be the world’s most influential restaurant. In 2017, the Copenhagen restaurant’s team and Four Seasons partner for a nine-city, 19-day, once-in-a-lifetime Private Jet journey. Noma Chef René Redzepi curated the food tourism itinerary to connect guests with his culinary friends around the world.

Look behind the scenes


Noma Kitchen Copenhagen

One of two Four Seasons Private Jet Experiences available in 2017, the Culinary Discoveries trip introduces guests to top chefs and producers for discussions, foraging expeditions, cooking classes, communal meals and street-food adventures – each experience designed to reveal something not only about the destination’s culinary heritage, but about its culture.

As with every Four Seasons Private Jet Experience, the in-air services and amenities – from the hand-stitched Italian leather flat-bed seats to the latest vintage of Dom Pérignon – are unbeatable, helping to make the journey as enjoyable as the destinations.

SEOUL | May 27–29, 2017

Seoul Old City Skyline

A blend of historic tradition and modern accommodations, Seoul offers travellers an immersive cultural and culinary experience.

Photography courtesy Reabirdna / Thinkstock

Chef cooking duck in Seoul

At Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, dine at Yu Yuan, which features a Peking duck oven for preparing the restaurant’s signature dish.

Seoul Fermenting Urns

Temples use soy sauce and kimchi fermenting pots as a part of creating traditional temple food, which enriches the practice of meditation.

Photography courtesy Alex Barlow / Getty Images

In this burgeoning food destination, the journey begins with a truly exclusive experience: dining at the home of Chef Jong Kuk Lee, a pioneer in the city’s farm-to-table movement. Lee was trained as a painter, but his passion for authentic Korean food has made him a self-taught master of traditional cooking and fermentation. Although he’s more likely to shy away from a spotlight than to seek one out, he has gained renown among those in the know. “I’ve personally been to his home for dinner, and it’s a very sought-after experience,” Redzepi says.

The next day, guests will visit Mount Bukhan and Jin-Kwan temple for a private demonstration of the centuries-old practice of creating temple food – meals designed to enhance meditation. A trip to the pioneering “New Korean” restaurant Jungsik, noted as the first restaurant to apply molecular gastronomy to Korean ingredients, rounds out your time in Seoul.

Between outings, guests will find that Four Seasons Hotel Seoul mirrors the city’s intoxicating mix of venerable history and modern sensibility. Here, Noma Managing Director Peter Kreiner will begin the conversation series with insights into innovation and creativity at Noma. As managing director, Kreiner has created a business model that prioritises the kitchen staff’s inventiveness and the guest’s experience. That deep respect for artisanship has proved wildly successful for Noma, and it is a value widely embraced in Korea.

TOKYO | May 29–June 1, 2017

Tokyo food vendor

Experience authentic, traditional street food in downtown Tokyo, and shop at the famous Tsukiji fish market.

Photography (right) courtesy Getty Images

Tokyo Ginza District

Home to flagship luxury stores and the latest in Tokyo fashion, the Ginza district promises a lively shopping excursion.

Tokyo Tea Ceremony

The Tokyo experience begins with a traditional tea ceremony, which involves the preparation and presentation of green tea made from matcha, the powdered form.

Photography courtesy fancy.yan / Getty Images

In 2015, the entire Noma team, along with their families, moved to Japan for six weeks to open a pop-up restaurant with an entirely new menu, new ingredients and new techniques. The Tokyo stop invites guests to see the city the Noma way, from foraging in the city’s outskirts to attending a private dinner with Chef Namae Shinobu at his Michelin-starred L’Effervescence.

For me, Japanese cuisine is on par with all of the greatest cuisines of the world. The range of food, the culinary traditions and the products are amazing. – René Redzepi

Here, you’ll get to explore the famous Tsukiji fish market, one of the largest in the world. “The best fish market I’ve seen is the one in Tokyo,” Redzepi says. “When you go to good ones – the ones that have all of the weird creatures that are in the ocean – it’s like watching a documentary of all of the shapes, sizes and colours of the ocean.”

From Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, venture out to visit a Redzepi favourite, Switch Coffee, or take a private samurai sword-fighting lesson with the choreographer for the movie Kill Bill. Redzepi hasn’t tried the latter yet; he jokes, “I don’t think knife skills in the kitchen would get you very far in a sword fight.”

HONG KONG | June 1–3, 2017

Hong Kong Red Sailboat

Sipping cocktails at sunset, cruise across Victoria Harbour in one of the ancient Chinese sailing ships known commonly as red-sail junk boats.

Photography courtesy Yongyuan Dai / Getty Images

Hong Kong Street Chef

Taste fresh, local cuisine as you work your way through traditional food markets in downtown Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Temple Street Market

A bustling market filled with local delicacies and performers, Temple Street night market will appeal to all of your senses.

Photography courtesy Nikada / Getty Images

Hong Kong is the perfect next “course.” Although the city moves fast, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is a luxurious getaway, with stunning views of Victoria Harbour, Kowloon and the mountaintop known as the Peak. Enjoy dim sum at the Hotel’s three-Michelin-starred Lung King Heen, cocktails in a red-sail junk boat and a traditional banquet with a whole suckling pig at Fook Lam Moon. “I’m personally very excited about Hong Kong, as it’s a place I’ve always wanted to go,” Redzepi says.

Excitement is certainly on the menu at Bo Innovation, where Chef Alvin Leung, Jr., hosts an “X-treme Chinese Dinner” to immerse you in the avant-garde intersection of molecular gastronomy and modern Chinese cuisine. Get a taste of more traditional local cuisine and culture with a visit to the labyrinthine market to purchase ingredients like dried seafood or the spiky-skinned durian fruit, or to grab a quick bite of roast chicken and an ice-cold beer.

CHIANG MAI | June 3–6, 2017

Chiang Mai Strawberry Field

In Chiang Mai, strawberry fields are plentiful, surrounded by beautiful mountains and filled with delicious fresh berries.

Chiang Mai Elephants

Explore the verdant jungle of Thailand as you ride atop an elephant to a nearby hill tribe village.

Shopkeepers and rice bowls in Chiang Mai

Discover fresh, organic food with a visit to the bustling Warorot Market (at left) and the Royal Project farm, where Thai jasmine rice (at right) is grown.

Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, surrounded by a lush mix of jungle and mountains, offers a distinct change from the urban destinations. Former Noma Chef Garima Arora, whom Redzepi describes as “one of the super talents that has been through our kitchen,” joins the group here for a meal and a visit to a Royal Project farm to see sustainable farming models under development in Thailand. The Royal Project is an initiative of the king’s to replace opium farming with agricultural production that provides far-reaching economic and social benefits to the communities in the country’s highland areas.

Guests will begin their stay in Chiang Mai with an elephant excursion to a nearby village, and at the end of the first day they will embark on another local adventure: the nightlife. Bo.Lan restaurant founder Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava, recently named one of Asia’s best female chefs, hosts a “Not Your Average Curry” dinner and a night on the town.

MUMBAI | June 6–8, 2017

Mumbai Rooftop Bar

Take in the views of the vibrant city from 34 storeys above it at AER, the rooftop bar at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai.

Mumbai Indian Spices

Learn about spices from an expert as you prepare traditional Indian specialties with former Noma chef Garima Arora.

Photography courtesy Natasha Breen / Alamy

Mumbai Dabbawala

Mumbai’s dabbawala workers pick up freshly made meals from their clients’ homes daily and deliver the containers to the workplace in time for lunch.

Arora, originally from Mumbai, joins the journey here too. “I wanted her to become one of the lead managers in the kitchen at Noma, but alas, she was homesick,” says Redzepi – and this colourful and flavour-filled conclusion to the Asian portion of the adventure will explain why.

Guests can head out from Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai to find some of the most innovative street food in the world. Arora leads guests through Crawford Market to sample kebabs, mutton biryani and other beloved dishes, and then leads them through the preparation (and enjoyment) of a meal of traditional Indian food. Back at the Hotel, cocktails and conversation await: Noma Chairman Marc Blazer will share his thoughts on the behind-the-scenes workings of Noma as a global business model.

FLORENCE | June 8–10, 2017

Florence Skyline Duomo

During your stop in Florence, admire gorgeous views of the main monuments, including the Duomo.

Photography courtesy Nuno Alves / 500px

Florence Butcher Dario Cecchini

For the last 40 years, butcher extraordinaire Dario Cecchini has been perfecting the art of cutting and cooking meat.

Photography courtesy SFM ITALY A / Alamy

Florence Vineyard

With hills, vineyards, olive groves and farmhouses, Tenuta di Valgiano offers both beautiful views and delicious wines of Tuscany.

Photography courtesy Tenuta di Volgiano

From an optional day trip to Damiano Donati’s bistro in Lucca to a deep exploration of history and terroir at Tenuta di Valgiano winery, together Noma and Four Seasons Hotel Firenze present the best of Tuscany. Meet a member of the extended Noma family: eighth-generation butcher Dario Cecchini in Chianti. “Dario comes from an amazing tradition of craft and skill, something that is increasingly rare these days,” Redzepi says. “There is always something to learn from him through watching and appreciating his craft.”

Your time in Florence includes a tour of the city to see such landmarks as the Duomo museum and the Uffizi Gallery, and a private opening of the Galleria dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. On the way back to the airport, you’ll stop to hunt truffles – a perfect final souvenir of your time in Florence.

LISBON | June 10–12, 2017

Lisbon skyline

In Lisbon, enjoy Portuguese delicacies as well as exciting street food, all while soaking up views of the beautiful city.

Photography courtesy J.M.F. Almeida / Getty Images

Seafood in Lisbon

Situated near Morocco and Spain, Lisbon has a rich culinary tradition marked by fresh seafood and delicate spices.

Photography courtesy Lissette Giron / 500px

Lisbon Sidecar

See some of Lisbon’s most spectacular sites – Alfama, Castelo de São Jorge, Bairro Alto – through the lens of a camera and in a vintage moto-sidecar.

Photography courtesy Cheryl Howard

See how a seafood-rich culinary tradition has evolved into something new and exciting with the influence of neighbouring cultures. Join acclaimed Chef Nuno Mendes for a petiscos dinner, much like Spanish tapas; he can also introduce you to Lisbon’s nightlife and the street food that sustains it.

From Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, depart in a motorcycle sidecar for the Hotel’s Extraordinary Experience – a tour with a professional photographer who gives guidance on how to capture the best images of Lisbon’s most impressive miradourous (sites). A customised Street Art Tour reveals large-scale murals created by local and international artist collectives.

The last night in Lisbon concludes with a gala dinner at Belcanto, José Avillez’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the historic Chiado district.

COPENHAGEN | June 12, 2017

Boats in Copenhagen

The Danish capital offers a mix of Old World charm and modern architecture, complete with an incomparable culinary experience with the renowned Noma team.

Photography courtesy Peter Zelei / Getty Images

Noma Chef Rene and Interior

Chef René Redzepi, one of the most influential and innovative chefs in the world, takes you behind the scenes of Noma during a private dining experience.

Photography courtesy Laura L.P./HdG Photography (left) and Mikkel Heriba (right)

Noma dish

At Noma, enjoy innovative dishes that feature ingredients foraged from the surrounding land.

Photography courtesy Laura L.P./HdG Photography

Redzepi welcomes the group to Copenhagen for a truly special Noma experience. Up until its final night of service on February 24, monthly reservation requests at Noma’s original location numbered around 100,000. Getting a seat at the Noma table has historically been a nearly impossible feat, and Noma’s new urban farm location is expected to be just as in-demand when it opens this summer.

Guests on this journey will forage with the Noma team for ingredients like samphire and beach coriander, and share aperitifs on the beach. And during an intimate conversation, Redzepi will take guests through the evolution of Noma from a modernist formal dining setting to its next incarnation.

PARIS | June 12–14, 2017

Paris Eiffel Tower

Thousands of years of history, art and fine dining converge in the cultural hub that is Paris. Take in the beautiful view of the city from Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris.

Le Cinq in Paris

At Le Cinq, dine on exquisite cuisine to celebrate the final night of your journey.

Paris Le Cave Wine Bottle

Designed in 1928 in a former quarry 14 metres below ground, La Cave wine cellar is filled with vintage treasures and modern classics.

The trip ends in Paris with a stay at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris. Redzepi is excited about Parisian food right now: “Paris is very much at the forefront of what’s called ‘bistronomy,’ a sort of mix of fine dining and a bistro. It’s a new type of restaurant with a new comfort feel to it, but the food being very focused and not driven necessarily by traditional foodstuffs like a normal bistro is.”

Noma offers a curated list of the team’s favourite Parisian eateries to explore. At the Hotel, guests on this journey will visit La Cave, the historic 50,000-bottle wine cellar. And on the final night in Paris, the Hotel’s own three-Michelin-starred Le Cinq, led by Chef Christian Le Squer, is the perfect spot to toast your adventure and enjoy a farewell dinner.

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The Art of Zarandeado: A Mexican Tradition

Posted on by Alexandra Sheehan

For Chef Tonatiuh Cuevas, it was a simple family dinner on the beach in Nayarit, Mexico, that ignited his desire not only to cook, but to create true culinary experiences. “One of my most vivid memories is when I tasted for the first time the zarandeado fish under a palapa on the sandy beach,” he says. “The smell of the burning wood and the freshness of the sea bass got stuck in my heart.”

At ZANAYA, the newest restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City, Cuevas crafts authentic Mexican Pacific cuisine to share such memories with locals and guests from all over the world.


The menu’s star dish


Zanaya Tecuala Shrimps

Indulge in fresh seafood at ZANAYA with such delicacies as Tecuala Shrimps, which are cooked with butter and Cora chilli.

From ceviche to aguachile, each plate is prepared fresh with a “rod to fork” approach, showcasing quality ingredients from the Nayarit coast. Though all the dishes encapsulate authentic flavours of the region, the restaurant’s signature item is one that every visitor must try: Pescado Zarandeado, the dish that started it all.

“The fish is brought in fresh from San Blas, and it’s prepared over a [wood-fired brick oven], marinating slowly as it absorbs a wonderful wood flavour,” says ZANAYA General Manager José Adames.


Zanaya Zarandeado Fish

ZANAYA’s signature dish, Pescado Zarandeado, is marinated in a dried chile paste or lemon and beer.

A 500-year-old method for grilling fish, zarandeado originated in Nayarit, a Mexican state on the western coast with a reputation for rich, diverse cuisine. For a zarandeado dish, the fish is often split in half from head to tail before it’s grilled over hot coals in a wood-fired oven.

“The Zarandeado-style sea bass is our signature dish. I don’t think there is any other dish that could better represent ZANAYA Restaurant.” – Chef Tonatiuh Cuevas

Cuevas explains how he and others brought this traditional style of cooking to life at ZANAYA: “In order to maintain the authenticity, we built a traditional fire pit area that replicates the wooden oven cooking technique of the zarandeado’s original cooking style,” he says. “The method seems very straightforward – however, there are many details that need to be considered in order for them to work harmoniously.”

Bringing Nayarit heritage to Mexico City

Cuevas has a passion for cooking, and he’s on a mission to create food that embodies Mexican heritage and makes a memorable experience for anyone who tastes it. “That is what it is all about in this kitchen: to create authentic moments where the food is the star,” he says.

We want to deliver a true local experience to our guests that will be taken back with them to their countries of origin, and will translate into a great feeling towards Mexico. – Chef Tonatiuh Cuevas

In the plans for ZANAYA, the emphasis was on bringing tradition, culture and authenticity to the forefront – while taking a special place among the diverse dining options in Mexico City.

“From the places where we buy our products, the decoration, our inspiration, our cooking processes, our cooks and chefs – everything and everybody makes ZANAYA unique,” Cuevas says proudly. “The fact that we bring the ingredients and techniques to the city from an area that guarantees a high-quality product while honouring tradition is paramount to us.”


Zanaya Grilling Fish

At ZANAYA, fish is grilled over hot coals in a traditional wood oven, giving the dish a fresh, smoked flavour, while retaining the recipe’s 500-year-old cooking tradition.

General Manager José Adames wanted to bring that kind of energy and authenticity to the kitchen at the new restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City, and having Cuevas on staff was key.

Cuevas is able to tell the story about his food from its origin and transmit that love to his team and to our clients. – José Adames, General Manager

“[Cuevas] is from the Nayarit region originally,” he says. “He had a passion about food when I spoke to him. He understood the importance of local ingredients and the origin of the dishes he has created today for ZANAYA.”

Asked to describe in a single word what Mexican cuisine means to him, Cuevas demonstrates his vision for marrying food and heritage. “Culture,” he says. “Because it’s the sum of all the factors that define a cuisine: its local products, its geography, its heritage.”

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An Unexpected Season: Truffles in August

Posted on by Finn-Olaf Jones

“I always choose the liveliest dog in the pound,” says truffle-dog trainer Simon French as Mandy, a cross-breed border collie, eagerly zigzags through English oak trees planted over the past 15 years. Every time Mandy paws the ground, French throws down a washer with coloured ribbon. Although only a few trees have washers at their bases, one particularly dwarfish tree has almost a dozen.

“That’s what I like to see,” says Marcus Jessup, the farm manager, while browsing the grove at Tamar Valley Truffles. He bends down and sniffs the ground.

“This one seems ready,” he says. Jessup gingerly digs around the washer with a knife, uncovering a black bulb the size of a golf ball. He removes it with the care and precision of a heart surgeon.

Tamar Valley Truffles sits on approximately 8 hectares and has nearly 3,000 oak trees. Farm manager Marcus Jessup (second from left) and farmer and marketing manager John Baily (far right) stroll through the groves with family and trained truffle-hunting dogs.

Photography courtesy Philip Kuruvita

It’s a Périgord truffle worthy of a Michelin-starred chef – here in the Tasmanian bush. In the U.S., truffles like the one sniffed out by French’s dog, known as “black diamonds,” easily fetch $700 a pound. Truffle fans have long flocked to restaurants and shops blessed with French and Italian truffles during those countries’ short-lived harvest season, which runs October through January. But Australian farmers have been rapidly developing their own truffle industry, one that has grown so ripe it has added a second season, from June to August.

Introducing the Australian Périgord truffle


Australian truffles in bowl

Around 9 tons of truffles were harvested in Australia in 2014, a yield double that of just three years prior.

Photography courtesy Ulrike Schmid/StockFood

“We learned about this opportunity nine years ago and thought we’d make a go of it,” says John Baily, a rancher and farmer in the Tamar Valley in northern Tasmania. That meant replanting 8 hectares (20 acres) of poppy fields – Australia is a big producer of pharmaceutical opium – with 3,000 oak trees. To nurture black diamonds, their roots were dipped in truffle sludge to produce spores.

In true Aussie fashion, a make-it-happen attitude is infusing the ancient brotherhood of truffières with improvisation. At harvest, Baily cleans mud from the truffles and moves them into a toolshed. There, seasonal workers place them in a spotless sink-size bin and dry them using small plastic fans from the local hardware store.

Were consultants brought in from France or Italy to put together this operation? “Nah,” Baily says. “We just figured it out as we went along.”

The making of a divine breakfast

 

There are two types of people who eat truffles,” the French writer Jean-Louis Vaudoyer noted. “Those who think truffles are good because they are dear, and those who know they are dear because they are good.”

Georgie Patterson, who lives in the Victorian countryside, fits both descriptions.

“I had six spaniels, and my husband, Marty, said he’d like them to pay for themselves,” Patterson says. “I thought it would be fun to train them to be truffle dogs.”

Now she rises at 5:00 am during harvest months to go to nearby farms to find truffles, or dig her own from the 1,100 oaks she planted next to the house.

“Marty has gotten a taste for truffles and now likes to shave them over his eggs for breakfast. I reckon he’s eaten several times the cost of the dogs,” she says with a smile. “But I’m getting more busy than ever. This has grown so quickly it stopped being a hobby.”

More than a hobby, indeed. Australian truffle producers are aggressively catching up with the Europeans. In 2014, an estimated 9 tons of truffles were harvested here, doubling in three years the yield of black diamonds from Down Under. French truffières dig up 20 to 30 tons of black truffles annually, but they’ve been at it for at least five centuries.

“Last year, I brought out my dogs to a new farmer to harvest her first season of truffles,” Patterson recalls. “I brought a fork and spoon to dig them out, but when I saw her with a big shovel, I said, ‘You’re confident!’”

Where to eat Australian truffles

In Sydney: If you’re close to the source, the team at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney recommends a visit to the Harbour City from June through August to try the truffles at their peak. A must-visit is Madame Truffles, which is only open during the peak season.

 

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

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In Hong Kong: Three restaurants at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong plan to feature Australian truffles this year, each with a unique take on the gourmet ingredient. Sample Executive Chinese Chef Chan Yan Tak’s wild mushroom tasting menu in July and August at Lung King Heen. Executive Chef Andrea Accordi at The Lounge will have a special Australian winter black truffle menu, and Chef de Cuisine Fabrice Vulin will prepare two Australian winter truffle dishes at Caprice.

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

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In California: “When they were first introduced to me a few years ago, I was a little sceptical,” recalls Josiah Citrin, who runs the Michelin-starred Mélisse restaurant in Santa Monica, California, in driving distance from Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. “But they’re great, and now I have a reliable source for summer. If anything, I’d say we have way more consistency in the truffles coming from Australia.”

Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

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Australian truffles in LA

The summer Aussie truffle menu at Mélisse has included truffle eggs, truffle risotto, wild mushroom agnolotti with paper-thin truffle slivers – “anything that can bring up the flavour and the aroma of the truffle,” Citrin says.

Photography courtesy Mélisse

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