Take-away star cuisine
4-4-2014
The Chabran Drive of chef Michel Chabran* is a take-away concept of his star cuisine. Customers can order by phone or internet and can pick up the dish within an hour at the counter. Customers can choose between entrees, main courses and desserts, like the croque monsieur, scallops and tarte sablée. Michel Chabran is not the only French star chef who makes his food more accessible to customers, earlier we spotted chef Michel Bras*** with his deli ‘Capucin Signé Bras‘.
Caffeine Attendant in public toilet
2-4-2014
After a two years of planning and renovation, the former Victorian men’s room in the heart of Fitzrovia (London) was converted into coffee shop ‘Cafeine Attendant’ with quirky features. The original porcelain urinals from 1890 have been cleaned and now serve as a seat and the old payment counter is transferred into a small kitchens. The coffee is made with hand roasted beans from the Caravan Roastery.
Bread cone filled with local produce
1-4-2014
In September, chef Michel Bras*** opened the deli ‘Capucin Signé Bras’ at the parking lot at the Millau Viaduct. The deli serves a variety of ‘Capucins’, that cost around € 7,=. A ‘Capucin’ is a crepe-like cone made of buckwheat and wheat, filled with local produce such as truffles, black pudding, foie gras, Roquefort etc.. A special variant of a simple sandwich. Michel Bras opened a second location along with his two sons and a local hotelier in Toulouse last January.
Spacified: the marketplace for pop-up stores
1-4-2014
Online platform Spacified.com makes a match between temporary vacant spaces and designers, retailers and startups in Belgium and the Netherlands. The vacancy rate in retail spaces and offices increase and this brought founder Patrice Fleurquin the idea to develop a matchmaking service to bring both parties in contact. Spacified.com doesn’t only support starters, but also stimulates the creativity to set up an office, retail or event location. Recently Spacified.com and Voka ‘Chamber of Commerce Antwerp- Waasland, launched the POP-UP Guide. This guide gives visitors an overview of the newest, hottest pop-up stores in Belgium and the Netherlands. Currently, the guide only focuses on consumers, but can also provide cities and local authorities with information about the pop-up stores on longer-term. Spacified.com started a crowd funding project to extend the POP-UP Guide for five cities outside Belgium and the Netherlands.
Plans for 2015 from Rene Redzepi and Heston Blumenthal
1-4-2014
Last Sunday I read a tweet from René Redzepi of Noma in which he indicated to close for two months early 2015. During that period, the entire team from Noma goes to Japan where they will cook in the restaurant of the Japanese chef Murata (restaurant Kikunoi). The philosophy of the cuisine of René Redzepi will be applied to the Japanese products. Great news for the Japanese foodies!
And yesterday the announcement of Heston Blumenthal in which he told that he will close his restaurant The Fat Duck as from December 2014, to reopen February 2015 for six months in The Crown Melbourne Resort. And Heston Blumenthal is also going to Australia with his entire team. After 6 months, the team is going back but a ‘Dinner by Heston Blumenthal’ remains at The Crown Melbourne Resort. Meanwhile, The Fat Duck will be rebuilt. A special way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his restaurant.^Marjolein
Floating hotels
31-3-2014
Thrillist.com gives an overview of seven floating hotels around the world. Like the Salt & Sill, a floating hotel in Sweden with a modern Swedish interior or the Yellow Submarine that is inspired by the movie ‘The hunt for red October’ with Sean Connery. The video above is from the River Kwai Jungle Rafts Resort in Thailand. This unique floating hotel is located in the jungle of Kanchanaburi and only accessible by boat. The hotel is built of wood and bamboo, the rooms are simple and have a veranda with hammocks. Take a look at the complete list here.
Cupcake ATM in NYC
26-3-2014
Leonie van Spronsen spotted the first cupcake ATM in New York by Sprinkles. The company already had cupcake ATM’s in Beverly Hills, Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Dallas and grew to a respectable chain of shops since 2012.
Beach bar leaves crisis behind
25-3-2014
This article is only available in Dutch.
&samhoud microwave meals at Albert Heijn
19-3-2014
From 31 March onwards, super market chain Albert Heijn offers four new vegetarian ready-made ??meals: &lasagna, &moussaka, &couscous and &chili sin carne. The meals are based on recipes from 2 ** Michelin Chef Moshik, chef and co-owner of & samhoud places in Amsterdam. Tomato is used to give a meat-alike experience in the meals. Of each meal sold € 0.05 goes to ‘SOS Kinderdorpen’.
Parachute delivery after mobile payment
18-3-2014
David McDonald and Adam Grant wanted to serve sandwiches from the 7th floor of a building, one of the reasons was the lack of affordable retail spaces on street level. They chose to use parachutes and started the Jafflechute company. The customers have to pay via a smartphone and can pick-up their order at a mark near the building.