Global Gastronomy

By Farah Amin

Eleven Madison Park
New York, USA

This restaurant offers an element of surprise along with the delightful dining experience with ingredients incomparable to elsewhere, as well as top-notch cooking. In this art deco setting the restaurant is run by Chefs Daniel Humm, James Kent & pastry chef Angela Pinkerton. Expect a mysterious string-tied box presented to you at first and having the waiter come midway through your meal attaching a meat grinder to the table. The style of food is modern French with a New York twist and the standout dish that comes in two parts is the Surf clam with Morcilla sausage, also the celery root clambake with whelk and the Parker House roll and chowder.

Noma
Copenhagen, Denmark

This three-time number one restaurant in the world continues to be as ground breaking and original as ever. Noma’s cooking approach is inventive and they strictly source everything locally. Headed by Chef Rene Redzepi, she strives to bring in the Danish landscape and culture into the food resulting in shocking creations. The menu mostly consists of many small appetizers and a collection of exquisite treats to finish off the meal. The style of food could be described as seasonal Scandinavian where the dishes would make you feel alive.

L’Arpege
Paris, France

Well it’s as well shocking as it is hard to maintain a stature of a top restaurant when you decide to take the meat of the menu. Despite Chef Alain Passard’s decision to do so in 2001, his simple humble vegetable dishes remain to be imitated in restaurants across the globe. The style of food is described as vegetable focused progressive French, with simple yet succulent dishes like the slow-roasted white asparagus in butter with bay leaves. Also the Cevennes onion gratin with black truffle is a standout.

Narisawa
Tokyo, Japan

Another restaurant that maintains a top position around the world is Narisawa in Tokyo, where Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa reflects his dedicated environmentalism blending French cooking techniques with surroundings of vegetation that is capturing of the beauty and bounty of Tokyo. The restaurant holds a sense of drama with a polished and theatrical atmosphere and the food is as engrained in nature. The Wagyu rump roats marinated in leek, basted in olive oil and carbonized on the outside is definitely the star dish.

Le Calandre
Rubano, Italy

Le Calandre is all about modern Italian cuisine with a traditional twist. Massimiliano Alajmo is the chef keeps it interesting but not too extreme and offers like the most famous dish the famous saffron risotto with licorice powder. Another signature is the hand chopped raw Piemontese beef with black truffle.