The next generation Starbucks
6-3-2015
‘The Roastery and Tasting Room’ of Starbucks in Seattle is the new next generation Starbucks. In this concept store their Coffee brand Reserve (their premium coffee line) is being roasted. Starbucks hopes to attract coffee connoisseurs and amateurs alike with this new concept.
We already read articles about ‘The Roastery and Tasting Room’ with all the great pictures of this new Starbucks location. But recently we saw the video above and thought that our reader had to see this one as well. For pictures you can have a look at the article by PSFK.
The next generation Starbucks
‘The Roastery and Tasting Room’ opened December 2014 and is located in Starbucks hometown Seattle, just a couple of blocks of their first location. The Starbucks ‘Roastery and Tasting Room’ is thoughtfully designed as an immersive, all-sensory experience where coffee takes center stage. They like to describe it as if guests experience a Willy Wonka feeling! A detail in the interior you notice right away, coffee beans traveling in clear and copper tubes from the roaster to the bar where they will be brewed.
Starbucks has plans to open more ‘Roastery and Tasting Rooms’ in cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago.
‘Slag op de Schelde’, an unique culinary competition for chefs at the Oosterschelde
5-3-2015
Michelin starred restaurant Katseveer and chef Hans Everse are organizing a culinary competition ‘Battle on the Schelde’ on the 18th of May 2015. Chefs and sous-chefs will compete on board of a ship at the Oosterschelde. They have to prepare dishes with asparagus and a product from the Oosterschelde. Amongst others the jury includes two Michelin starred chefs Edwin Vinke and Dick Middelweerd.
Slag op de Schelde
‘Battle on the Schelde’ is the sequel to the asparagus-amuse competition that was held for nine years in restaurant ‘De Zeelandburg’. Hans Everse, ‘Hero of the Taste of the region Zeeland’ and chairman/speaker of the ‘Koksgilde Zeeland’, has initiated the revival of this culinary competition together with Jessica and Rutger van der Weel, owners of the Michelin starred restaurant Katseveer. Hans Everse indicated in the press release that he only wants participants which are on a high level, that’s why only chefs and sous-chefs can sign up for the competition.
During the competition the participants have to make a dish with asparagus and a product from the Oosterschelde for 20 persons. They have to present it with a matching wine or cocktail. The dishes may be prepared, only the final preparation can be done on the spot. The participants can be assisted by one student.
They want ‘De slag op de Schelde’ to become a yearly returning culinary competition. Participants can sign up at their website, until the 15th of March 2015.
Jury
The members of the jury are Edwin Vinke (restaurant De Kromme Watergang** and SVH Meesterkok), Dick Middelweerd (restaurant De Treeswijkhoeve** en SVH Meesterkok), Sjaak Jobse (SVH Meesterkok) and sommelier Mike Dooms (restaurant De Kromme Watergang**) who judges the food / wine pairings.
Inspiration
This is a great way to put yourself in the spotlight as chef, for the regions it’s a way to promote local products.
Poptails
5-3-2015
Poptails, the summer funs at Sky Bar, Bangkok’s highest rooftop bar at the Lebua State Tower hotel. Poptails are premium classic cocktails paired with brain-freezing popsicles. ‘Poptails’ derived from the two words – popsicle and cocktails.
Poptails are made of…
The master mixologist at ‘The Dome’ at the Lebua State Tower hotel created the poptails to create fun and excitement around his cocktails! Premium is referring to the base spirits – the Havana 3 Years Rum, Absolut 100 Vodka, Olmeca Tequila and Plymouth Gin – that are used to create these cocktails. They serve a Rocky Road Martini: (Chocolate martini) – 1.5 oz Absolute 100 Vodka – 0.1 oz white chocolate liqueur – 0.5 oz hazelnut liqueur, rimmed with dark, Dutch chocolate and garnished with a Rocky Road Popsicle made of chocolate, marshmallow, peanuts, water, simple syrup and milk.
The other cocktails which are served with a popsicle: Berrymania (with a creamy berry / lemon popsicle), The Clover Pop (with a pineapple popsicle) and The Pop Star (with a melon and raspberry popsicle).
The Sky Bar
Due to the Sky Bar’s innovative cocktails, striking atmosphere and spectacular views, it earned the distinction of being named “the most stunning rooftop bar you’ll ever see” by The New York Times and is one of the highlights of Bangkok’s nightlife scene. So, if you’re planning to go to Bangkok, this is the place to drink a cocktail. They also serve a Hangovertinis, a cocktail created for the cast of ‘The Hangover Part II’ while they were filming at Lebua. This cocktail has gone on to become Thailand’s signature drink.
As said the view is amazing and the cocktails at the Sky Bar are delicious! I know, it’s one of those places I can say of: ‘Been there, done that’. But unfortunately they didn’t serve the popsicles then, so I don’t mind going back! ^Marjolein
Annie the Owl Bar – pops up in London
4-3-2015
In London ‘Annie the Owl Bar’, a pop-up bar will open for a week in March. In this pop-up bar you can stroke owls while drinking cocktails. Like all animal themed bars, where you can stroke cats or for example bunnies, the owl themed pop-up bar also originates from Japan.
Annie the Owl Bar
‘Annie the Owl Bar’ is inspired by a bar in Tokyo (the video above is from that bar) and is already very popular. Tickets are only available by lottery. Entrance is 20 pounds and includes two cocktails. The entrance money is going to the charity ‘The Barn Owl Centre’. The bar will pop-up from 19 till 25 March from 8:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. The opening hours are adjusted to the sleeping habits of the owls. The exact location will be revealed to the winners of the lottery on 16 March.
A visit to ‘Annie the Owl Bar’ must be a dream come true for the diehard Harry Potter fan! 😉
About soup – Urban Soup by Marc Veyrat
3-3-2015
Soup and broth are popular especially in those cities and regions where it is very cold. Urban Soup by Marc Veyrat in Montpellier (France) is one of those new soup places.
Earlier we wrote an article about Urban Fruit, a concept of Marc Veyrat. In the summer months you can go to the centre of Montpellier to compose your own smoothie, milkshake or frozen yoghurt with fruit at Urban Fruit. Very yummy frozen yoghurt and Montpellier is great as well and worth a detour if you’re in the vicinity! Now you can also go there in the winter months for a warm soup-to-go. Urban Soup is also a concept by Marc Veyrat.
Urban Soup – create your own soup
The concept is the same as in Urban Fruit, you grab a bag and start to fill it with vegetables that you like. You can choose between 20 different vegetables. Within minutes they make a healthy and delicious soup-to-go, to warm you during the cold winter days.
Speaking of soup
Broth is very popular, especially in the eastern part of America where they are currently (2014/2015) experiencing a very cold winter. Several Dutch journalists wrote articles about the trend broth-to-go instead of coffee-to-go. Unfortunately only available in Dutch. Although we also hear enthusiastic stories about soup-to-go instead of coffee-to-go especially from the Boston and New York City areas, we think that the key factor for success is a cold winter. And unfortunately we didn’t have one in the Netherlands.
Tosti van Josti
26-2-2015
Tosti van Josti, a new breakfast & lunch restaurant, will open her doors at the centre of The Hague at the end of February. A concept that is different from all the other lunchrooms. The ‘Tosti’s’ (sandwiches) will be served and made by people with a mental or psychological work limitation.
Tosti van Josti
‘Tosti van Josti’ works with organic and healthy products as much as possible. The assortment will exist out of sandwiches, yoghurts, soups, salads, juices, homemade lemonades and organic soft drinks.
In the Netherlands we have a band with boys and girls who suffer from down’s syndrome they are called: ‘The Josti band’. To give the word ‘Josti’ a positive vibe and to show that people with a work limitation can function well in a lunchroom, the founders came up with the name ‘Tosti van Josti’. Check out their website, there is a countdown until the big opening at 28 February. We wish all the staff a lot of fun with working at Tosti van Josti.
The AntiCafé – more comfortable & cheaper than holding office in the Starbucks
20-2-2015
Leonie van Spronsen, lives and works in Paris and visited the AntiCafé. At this place you pay for the time you spend there!
In big cities most people have small homes and big dreams. To make these dreams come true you need to make long hours of studying/working/meeting and with those small living situations and high rents, finding a place to work can be challenging.
This fact has made it completely acceptable to work in your local Starbucks/McDonald’s/Coffee shop but obviously this is not ideal, the manager does not appreciate you being there all day, the F&B is expensive and the furniture was not set up for comfort on the long haul.
This is where the AntiCafé comes in, a concept where you are at a hospitality outlet and pay for time instead of per item. For a couple of euro’s you receive;
• coffee and tea
• snacks and fruits
• fast Wi-Fi
• access to a projector, printer, scanner and board games
• in addition, you are welcome to bring in your own food/soft drinks
You come in, receive a keycard that you need to hold onto until you leave, then when you are ready to leave you ‘check-out’ and pay per hour (€4 for the first hour, €3 per hour for the following hours and a maximum of €16 per day), that’s how easy it is.
Weekend days all Parisian locations fill up completely, you really have to be early to get a good spot!
The idea is to create a shared space where people can work, inspire each other or just have an extension of their living rooms. Maybe the mission statement is somewhat idealistic, dare I say hippie, but the practicality of the concept is very convenient. You are working between people from all over the world, hearing a plethora of languages, have access to unlimited drinks & snacks and you are comfortable in a beautiful, light space. I hope the AntiCafé will take the world by storm!
Editor’s Note: In the Netherlands we have a meeting concept, Seat2meet. You can work here and get free Wi-Fi, coffee, tea and lunch. Their business model is renting meeting rooms: premium spots for flexible workers who want a little more quiet, and meeting rooms for groups. The only conditions if you want to work here; you need to show your ‘social capital’ meaning, everyone present is aware of your expertise and if possible you help each other. Meanwhile Seats2meet has quite a few branches. Perhaps an idea for Paris?
And while we’re at it: look at DrawAttention. You can buy whiteboard stickers here to stick on your laptop cover, on which you can advertise your expertise or say you don’t want to be disturbed!
Bruges gets an underground beer pipeline!
18-2-2015
To get the big beer trucks off the road, Bruges comes up with a new way to transport beer: an underground beer pipeline. Brewery ‘De Halve Maan’, brewer of the beers ‘de Brugse Zot’ and ‘Straffe Hendrik’ has gotten permission of the city council to build a miles long beer pipeline between the brewery and the city center of Bruges.
Beer pipeline
The pipeline is 3 kilometers long and is capable of carrying 6.000 liters per hour. The beer pipeline takes around 500 trucks off the road. With the pipeline it only takes 15-20 minutes to get the beer from the brewery in the city center. Some people are afraid for illegal tapping but the brewers are confident that the beer will be safe.
Matcha latte – a healthy Japanese coffee alternative
16-2-2015
Leonie van Spronsen had a Matcha latte in Paris at Maison Kitsuné and writes about it. Matcha is known to be full of antioxidants, fiber & chlorophyll. When you drink it as a Matcha latte, the combination with the milk gives a sweet like flavor without any sugar.
A few years ago ordering a cup of coffee was simple, there was the American, the espresso and the cappuccino or if you were feeling crazy a latte would be the beverage of choice. Boy, things have changed in that department.
Nowadays everybody has their own special preference, white chocolate mocha with non-fat milk, a ristretto or an almond milk caramel macchiato, the options are infinite. But to say this made the coffee game healthier? Certainly not.
Matcha – a tradition in Japan
Meanwhile the Japanese were steadily persisting in their traditional practice of drinking Matcha everything. Matcha is a tea plant only grown in Japan, near the Yahagi River, and is a tea type used so often in Japan that sources say only 1% is used for export.
The health benefits are comparable to other green teas but with a much larger impact because the tea (and all other hot beverages made with it) is made from a powder that contains the entire leaf. This means you are ingesting the full scale of nutrients the leaf has to offer in comparison too just the brewed water you usually get with green tea.
Matcha latte
Matcha is known to be full of antioxidants, fiber & chlorophyll, next to this when you drink it as a Matcha latte, the combination with the milk gives a sweet like flavor without any sugar. In these times of increasing obesity, diabetics and highly processed foods – this might be the new flagship of the pro-health movement.
Matcha latte popular in NYC – is Europe to follow?
After already taking NYC by storm, the concept is now also slowly but steadily making its way to Europe. And why not? If you are into milky coffee drinks and have cravings for Starbucks drinks on a daily basis, you might as well switch to Matcha latte. It certainly contains less fats & sugars, it actually has additional health benefits and (not unimportant) it looks really cool. The question is.. how long before we consider a Matcha latte to be as normal as a cappuccino?
Secret Brunch launches in Paris – fun concept but might need some work!
5-2-2015
This Saturday marked the launch of Secret Brunch in Paris, a concept coming from London for their first international event.
The concept is very simple, you sign up, buy a ticket and on the day of the event you get an email with the ‘secret’ location you are expected two hours later for a brunch party from 12.00 to 18.00 o’clock.
Whilst already being a mainstay for a few years in the London scene this was their very first appearance in Paris. They got a great start by being sold out more than a month in advance and the beau monde Parisian seemed ready for it!
Unfortunately it did not quite live up to the hype just yet, quite a few Parisians were rather disappointed by the location, Matignon, it being just in a well-known restaurant/nightclub near the Champs-Elysees. People were expecting something more grand and unexpected.
Organization wise there were also still some hinges, for example you could only reserve a table for groups from 6 pax on which meant that everyone who just bought a ticket had no place to eat! Managing expectations in what to expect from the ticket might also be something to consider for next time.
The party was quite alive and hopping but there is still a lot of room for improvement!^Leonie van Spronsen
