Mirazur in Menton, France, is named 2019's World’s Best Restaurant

Josh Gold -
S i n g a p o r e - 

Winning restaurant Mirazur from Menton in France

The stars of the restaurant world converged at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 awards.

This year’s event saw 26 countries across five continents honoured with a place on the list, which culminated with the announcement of a new No.1, as Chef Mauro Colagreco took to the stage to collect the double honours for his restaurant, Mirazur, in Menton, France, as The World’s Best Restaurant 2019 and The Best Restaurant in Europe 2019.

Taking over the No.1 position from Osteria Francescana, which has been elevated to the Best of the Best hall of fame, Mirazur climbed to the top from the No.3 spot in 2018.

Mirazur’s accolade is a testament to Chef Colagreco’s love of local produce, most of which is grown in the restaurant’s three-tiered garden just metres from the dining room, complemented by a stunning French Riviera backdrop.

The chefs behind the restaurants ranked 1-50 at
The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards 2019

William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “This year we are thrilled to see Mirazur claim the No.1 spot after rising through the ranks since making its debut on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No.35 in 2009: it’s been brilliant to witness its progress. This has been a wonderful, progressive year for the list as a whole, with so many new entries from all corners of the globe. We are equally delighted to welcome the seven previous No.1 restaurants into the newly created Best of the Best category.”

Spain leads the way with seven of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, including three in the top 10: Asador Etxebarri (No.3); Mugaritz (No.7); and Disfrutar (No.9). Just outside the top 10, Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, leaps 29 places to No.14 to win the Westholme Highest Climber Award 2019. France is also well represented with five restaurants in the top 50, including Arpège (No.8), Septime (No.15), Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (No.16), Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (No.25), as well as Mirazur.

The USA claims six restaurants in the list, including Cosme (No.23), which is helmed by The World’s Best Female Chef 2019, Daniela Soto-Innes, and two new entries: Atelier Crenn (No.35), and Benu (No.47), both in San Francisco, California.

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Jessica Préalpato Named World's Best Pastry Chef

Shantel Harris -
S i n g a p o r e - 

Pastry Chef Jessica Préalpato

The Head Pastry Chef at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée in Paris, Jessica Préalpato, has been voted The World’s Best Pastry Chef 2019. Préalpato receives her award in advance of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 awards ceremony, which takes place on 25 June in Singapore.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is a celebration of the pinnacle of global gastronomy, bringing together a unique community of world-leading chefs, restaurateurs, food- lovers and global media for the Oscars of the dining world.

Born into a family of pastry cooks, dessert was always going to be a key player in Préalpato’s life. Growing up in Mont de Marsan, she first pursued a degree in psychology, before realising her true calling: to create natural desserts. Her work majors in the best use of seasonal produce, creating plates that are high in flavour, but also light on the palate.

“We are very excited to announce Jessica Préalpato as the recipient of The World’s Best Pastry Chef award, sponsored by Sosa,” says William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. “Her creativity and devotion to the world of food and the art of baking makes her the perfect recipient of this award. Her cooking is absolutely of the moment: the way she manipulates natural sugars without sacrificing flavour chimes perfectly with the restaurant’s ideology and the cultural zeitgeist to cut down on sugar intake.”

World's Best Pastry Chef Jessica Préalpato

Préalpato says: “It is an absolute honour to be recognised as The World’s Best Pastry Chef. As the daughter of two pastry chefs, I have been immersed in the world of culinary arts my entire life. This award represents my life journey and the passion I have for this art. I hope this award inspires emerging pastry chefs around the world.”

Préalpato began her career in the kitchen at La Chèvre d’Or in Eze where she worked under Philippe Labbé. After several positions in restaurants in southwestern France, Préalpato then joined Frédéric Vardon’s team for the opening of the 39V restaurant in Paris, before moving to the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme. In November 2012, Frédéric Vardon offered her a position as Chef Pâtissière for the Corfou Group. During her tenure, she travelled throughout France and other parts of the world, including Dubai, Tokyo, Beirut and St. Petersburg. She learned extensively about other cultures and discovered new types of produce and styles of cooking, which she incorporated into her culinary repertoire.

In November 2015, she joined the staff at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée as Pastry Chef, working under chef de cuisine Romain Meder. At the acclaimed Parisian restaurant, currently ranked No.13 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 list, she has further built her repertoire and reputation. Préalpato’s signature dishes include strawberry clafoutis with frosted pine and Millason cake, and ‘figue’, which features figs cooked three ways with a fig ice cream and a light biscuit. She recently published Desseralité, her book on creative approaches to fruit-based desserts, which was released in November 2018.

In receiving this award, Préalpato joins an elite group of world-class pastry chefs, including 2018 winner Cédric Grolet, 2017 winner Dominique Ansel, 2016 winner Pierre Hermé and 2015 winner Albert Adrià in The World’s Best Pastry Chef hall of fame.

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Eyal Shani Opens Seven North - a New Culinary Destination in Vienna’s Neubau District

Josh Gold -
V i e n n a ,  A u s t r i a - 

Eyal Shani, Credit: Facebook

Renowned Israeli chef, Eyal Shani opens his second endeavour in Vienna, Seven North. Located in the ground floor space of the soon-to-launch Max Brown 7th District hotel, the restaurant brings influences from the Mediterranean to the vibrant Neubau area.

The new hotspot for eating and drinking features the chef’s world-famous whole roast cauliflower dish, as well as a wide variety of cocktails.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Vienna’s vibrant seventh district and cannot wait to bring a slice of my world to Max Brown Hotels. It’s a match made in heaven, as our ethos is about making our guests feel welcome, as you would in your own home.” Says Eyal Shani. “Seven North will bring together a range of colourful, balanced dishes, focused on my all-time favourite ingredient, the humble vegetable.”

Seven North Cuisine, Credit: Daniëlle Reizevoort

Shani will bring his signature emphasis on fresh, seasonal vegetables and spices, to a South Mediterranean inspired menu. There will be a choice of small sharing plates (starting from 7 Euros), larger dishes designed for groups of four or more (from 13 Euros) and a complementary list of old and new world wines.

Small sharing plates will include bruschetta of melted chickpea with homemade tahini; a charred beetroot carpaccio; and Shani’s infamous roasted cauliflower. Larger dishes include fresh fish and seafood, meat dishes including a juicy lamb Kebab served in a herbed focaccia with seasonal vegetables and a range of pastas. Marrying typical Middle Eastern delicacies with an energetic kitchen and a passion for fresh and simple ingredients, Shani will create a unique addition to the Viennese food scene.

Central Bar, Credit Steve Herud

The restaurant is characterised by a central bar and open kitchen set in a large dining room reminiscent of food halls and bustling marketplace eateries commonly found across the Levant. Reclaimed furniture pieces combine with velvet furnishings and wood finishes to create a warm, understated interior designed for social gatherings.

Seven North follows Shani’s opening of HaSalon in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen last month and adds to his roster of eateries including: North Abraxas; Port Said; Romano and HaSalon in Tel Aviv – and Miznon, which can be found in Paris, Vienna, Melbourne and New York City.

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Prince Charles Visits Ghana - with Cote D’Ivoire Produce 70% of the World's Cocoa

Peter Thomas-
 L o n d o n ,   U K - 

Prince Charles inspecting cocoa beans
Photo: Philip Smith/ DFID

While in Ghana HRH Prince Charles visited a sustainable cocoa farm, an industry championed by UK aid.

HRH The Prince of Wales has visited a cocoa farm in Ghana to see how UK aid is helping farmers across the country to produce sustainable chocolate, create jobs, and reduce the impacts caused by climate change.

The cocoa products these farmers produce are being sold to companies selling chocolate bars and sweets in the UK and around the world – including Cadburys, Mars and Nestlé.

Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire jointly account for over two thirds of global cocoa production, but also suffer from one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa.

Cocoa farming is also under threat from increasing temperatures - putting thousands of livelihoods at risk.

In Ghana, UK aid is supporting over 70,000 cocoa farmers to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change and therefore better able to cope by using climate-smart cocoa agriculture which can protect against floods or drought.

Deforestation is a global problem

Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin said:

“Thanks to UK aid, farmers in Ghana are learning sustainable farming techniques which protect cocoa crops from rising temperatures and the world’s leading cocoa and chocolate companies have committed to working to end deforestation and forest degradation."

“This project which HRH The Prince of Wales visited today helps to illustrate how our vital support is ensuring the longevity of the cocoa industry for this generation and many more to come. This is a win for Ghana and the UK."

The sustainably grown cocoa is also preserving the natural environment in Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Liberia, including critical wildlife habitats of the chimpanzee, and the natural resources local people depend upon.

UK aid’s support is expected to lead to almost £100 million of investment by the private sector in sustainable, climate resilience cocoa production – with the potential to create thousands more jobs in the future.

Cocoa workers in Ghana. Photo: Rainforest Alliance

The UK is leading efforts bringing governments, industries and communities together to address deforestation in the cocoa supply chain, through the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI).

The Cocoa and Forests Initiative, launched by HRH The Prince of Wales in March 2017, sets out agreed actions – by the Governments of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, and 35 of the world’s leading chocolate and cocoa companies – to end deforestation and restore forests in the cocoa-growing regions of West Africa.

Today HRH was briefed by the governments of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire and leading chocolate and cocoa companies on progress made in ending deforestation.

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