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Juan Ignacio García Racionero, the Spanish chef de cuisine at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, will celebrate his native country’s “unique way of life” with two remarkable “Taste of Spain” events. Juan Ignacio García Racionero On Friday September 6 and Saturday September 7 this year, the Madrid-born chef, who oversees INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s signature LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar, will take over Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa’s seafront restaurant Big Fish & Bar to orchestrate a four-course feast with optional wine pairing. He honed his craft in some of Spain’s finest kitchens, working at one Michelin-starred Saddle as well as Diverxo, recognized in the top three ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ in 2023, and acclaimed restaurants El Jardin De La Marquina and Montellen. His decade-long experience as a chef includes stints at restaurants Puerta 57, Café Pino, Restaurante La Chans and Rios De Luz, and hotels including Morlans Hotels and Globales Don Pedro in Mallorca. To be held from 6pm onwards and priced at THB 3,500++ per couple for food only or THB 4,900++ per couple including a full wine pairing, the “Taste of Spain” dinners will feature Chef Racionero’s most popular dishes at LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar. The dinner starts out with appetizers such as traditional jamón croquettes, lime-smoked sardine with Pipirrana salad, pani puri with cured Hamachi sashimi and roasted peppers, and crispy layered potato with truffled egg yolk and Idiazabal cheese. After octopus and shrimp paella, diners can choose between two main courses; Iberian pork cheek with Spanish sauce, mashed potatoes and vegetables, or sea bass fillet with Bilbaina sauce, shallots and bok choy. A selection of desserts such as Basque cheesecake, Catalan cream mille-feuille with passionfruit, rice pudding with spicy strawberries, and Spanish leche frita (fried milk) will round off the dinner. As part of the optional wine pairing, beverages include sparkling white Sangria, rose wine, classic dry sherry, aromatic white wine, red wine, oxidative aged dry sherry, crisp white wine and a dessert cocktail. “The ‘Taste of Spain’ events are my personal way of paying tribute to Spain’s unique way of life, where we celebrate the simple pleasures in life such as Spain’s famed gastronomy, along with the likes of spectacular sunsets and chilled out music,” Racionero said. “It’s a privilege to share my passion for Spanish cuisine, an extraordinary cuisine, in what promises to be a truly immersive experience that takes diners on a culinary pilgrimage of Spain.” For more information about “Taste of Spain” and reservations, please call +66 (0) 32 904 666, or email huahinrestaurants@marriott.com.

Guest Chef Michael Pataran will help craft a 5-course sake-pairing dinner on Aug. 22

Meliá Chiang Mai’s signature restaurant, Mai Restaurant and Bar on the 21st floor, has launched a Thai-inspired afternoon tea for two that pays tribute to Chiang Mai’s charming Baan Tawai Wood Carving Village. The dining experience’s savory treats includes spicy prawn salad, Kao Soi croquettes, and ‘Miang Kham’, comprising betel leaf, caramelized filling, dried shrimps, coconut flakes, nuts and herbs. Black sesame scones with Chiang Mai mulberry jam, Thai tea macarons, fruit tartlets and mango ice pops are among the afternoon tea’s sweets. Mai Restaurant and Bar Inclusive of a selection of fine teas or coffee, afternoon tea is presented in a vintage tea cabinet crafted at Baan Tawai, providing a glimpse into the region’s rich heritage of woodcraft. Situated in Hang Dong District, the village is a community renowned for its wood sculptures. Visitors are encouraged to rummage around its markets and interact with wood carvers whose skills have been handed down the generations. An intimate fine-dining restaurant serving contemporary Northern Thai dishes accompanied by spectacular vistas, Mai Restaurant and Bar is a visual marvel that lends itself to indulging simple, delectable bites during a catch-up with friends, perhaps before an evening event. Guests enter the venue under an arch that pays homage to a nearby temple. In a salute to Chiang Mai’s Bo Sang Umbrella Village, large installations of illuminated umbrella ribs cling to the ceiling. Various artworks of umbrella canopies hang on the walls, such as those made from antique Chiang Mai textiles. Under the stewardship of award-winning executive chef Suksant Chutinthratip (Billy) and sous chef Karn Phojun, the restaurant is focused on its ‘360° Cuisine’ concept designed to minimise waste and carbon emissions. Under the program, the chefs craft dishes using produce from the hotel’s nearby organic gourmet farm partnerships with Seed and Rong Khum, and use every part of each ingredient possible before leftovers are returned to the farm as compost. Priced at THB 999 net per set for two people, the afternoon tea is available daily from 2-4.30pm until September 30 this year. For more information and reservations, call +66 (0) 52 090 603 or email mairestaurant@meliachiangmai.com

A charming new bar at The Anam Mui Ne, an Indochine-era inspired resort in Vietnam’s popular beach town Mui Ne, has introduced an exciting menu replete with imaginative cocktails, homemade kombucha, tapas and ‘smoothie bowls’. The 1.2 hectare resort recently opened the new Saigon Bar, in homage to the intimate Saigon bars of yesteryear on some of the resort’s most inspiring ground overlooking Mui Ne beach. The Anam Mui Ne Saigon Bar’s extensive drinks menu includes a broad spectrum of spirits, beers, wines, soju beverages, signature cocktails, martinis, gin cocktails and sour cocktails. Signature cocktails include ‘Mother River’ comprising Song Cai dry gin, DOM Benedictine, dill, clarified lemon juice and maple syrup, and ‘Tikki Passion’ made up of Vietnamese Rum Sampan 54°, Flor de Cana white rum, Kraken rum, pineapple juice, clarified lemon juice, orgeat syrup, cinnamon syrup and cinnamon powder. Classic cocktails with a twist include, for example, ‘The Anam Negroni’ with Vietnamese AT gin, strawberry infused Campari and Dolin vermouth red.The Herbal Spritz with De Bortoli sparkling wine, St-Germain elderflower, soda water is among the selection of Spritz cocktails. The espresso martini, ‘Smokey Garden Gin’ with Vietnamese AT gin, Dolin vermouth white, DOM Benedictine, angostura bitter, fresh mint, soda water and smoked apple tree bark, and ‘Pisco Sour’ featuring Pisco Demonio de los Andes, lime juice, syrup and egg white, are among the most popular martinis, gin cocktails and sour cocktails respectively. Bar-goers select their own fruit for their mojitos, daiquiris, and margaritas such as mixed berries, strawberry and red dragon fruit. The Anam Mui Ne The bar’s shelves are lined with all sorts of boutique spirits from Vietnam and around the world, such as Ho Chi Minh City-based Lady Trieu’s craft gins including ‘Dalat Flowerbomb’, ‘Mekong Delta Dry’, ‘Hoi An Spice Road’ and ‘Sapa Citrus Tea’. The menu brims with all sorts of non-alcoholic beverages such as Vietnamese coffee, Italian coffee, hot chocolate, milk shakes, loose green and black leaf teas, freshly squeezed juices, and home-made iced teas. Watermelon-, passion fruit-, berry-, and turmeric and ginger-flavoured kombucha is concocted on the resort’s grounds. Kombucha is believed to offer all sorts of health benefits ranging from controlling cholesterol and boosting the immune system to cleaning the liver. In addition to ‘smoothie bowls’ packed with different fruits, the bar also serves tapas including the likes of a cheese board, deep fried crab spring rolls, grilled half sundried calamari, salted and spicy crispy pork skin, and deep fried potato wedges with parmesan cheese. The selection of desserts includes ‘Signature Chocolate Bliss’, a moist mousse cake made from Valrhona chocolate with black cherry coulis and red fruit salsa, and ‘Dragon Fruit Cheesecake’, with a cream cheese dragon fruit baked cheesecake accompanied by chocolate, mint and raspberry sorbet. Adjacent to the resort’s 266sqm saltwater infinity swimming pool and immaculate lawn, Saigon Bar is situated at the other end of the beach to Lang Viet Restaurant & Bar, bookending the resort’s best view over the waterfront. Softly lit with caged lanterns and candles, the bar is fashioned from hardwood sourced from sustainably cultivated forests in Vietnam’s Nam Dinh province and bedecked with customized encaustic tiles, evoking an atmosphere of old-world elegance. Fronted by a grey cobble-stone terrace with a handful of outdoor wooden bar tables flanked by rattan stools, Saigon Bar’s interior is home to cozy rattan chairs clustered in semi-circles and a bar featuring woodwork that took craftspeople months to complete. Greenery cascades down the bar’s exterior from wooden plant boxes fastened to a balcony above. For further information or to make a booking, visit.theanam.com, email info.mn@theanam.com or reservations.mn@theanam.com, or telephone +(84) 252 628 4868

Legendary 400-year-old Parisian restaurant will take over Le Beaulieu for 5 days in October

A fun and colourful dining experience designed to “pack a punch on the senses”, INNSiDE By Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s 31st floor all-day dining restaurant The Kites Eatery has launched “Pinto Lunch Set”. Served in multi-coloured, round traditional Thai lunch boxes, named “pinto”, the four-course set lunch celebrates authentic Thai home-cooking with a starter, main course, side dish and dessert.  Innside Bangkok Sukhumvit There are three different four-course sets to choose from, dubbed “Pinto Bang Rak”, “Pinto Banglamphu” and “Pinto Sao Chingcha”. All begin with “Nam Phrik”, a seasonal Thai dip with local vegetables. Pinto Bang Rak features starter “Moo Tod Kamin” deep-fried pork belly with fish sauce and herbs, side dish “Tod Mun Pla Yang” charcoal grilled Thai fish cake, and main course “Gang Phed Ped” sous vide duck in red curry with seasonal fruit and basil. Pinto Banglamphu’s starter, side dish and main are “Gai Yang Takrai” grilled chicken marinated with lemongrass, “Kai Jiew” authentic Thai omelette, and “Massaman Nuea” slow-cooked beef with aromatic herbs, respectively. Pinto Sao Chingcha comprises starter “Laab Moo Tod” fried minced pork balls marinated with Thai herbs and spices, side dish “Pla Phad Phrik Thai Dam” stir-fried fish with black pepper, and main dish “Kai Palo Khun Mae”, executive chef Katisak Pinkaew’s mother’s recipe, made of egg and chicken cooked in sweet brown soup. Innside Bangkok Sukhumvit All three Pinto Lunch Sets’ main courses are served with “Khao Hom Mali” steamed jasmine rice. The dining experience is rounded off with “Khong Wan” daily desserts such as local coconut ice-cream, rice noodles with coconut cream, grass jelly with ice and brown sugar, or water chestnuts in coconut milk. “Served against a backdrop of soaring windows giving way to spectacular views of Bangkok, our Pinto Lunch Sets pack a punch on the senses,” said the hotel’s general manager Aarron Nelson. “As you open the pinto boxes with various dishes that make for a riot of colour, the aromas are disarming and the tastes and textures of our fresh, local ingredients in our home-cooked, tried and true recipes can’t be beat.” “You’re not only enjoying a meal but also a cultural journey. Pintos are traditionally used to transport home-cooked meals to work or school, maintaining the freshness and flavors of the food. The meticulous preparation and presentation of each dish reflect the Thai values of harmony and balance,” he added. Offered daily from 12-3pm, a Pinto Lunch Set is priced at THB 300 net.  The Kites Eatery is adorned with abstract artwork of kites - a reference to the popular pastime of kite flying in state park Sanum Luang. Tapping local roots with fresh, colourful Thai cuisine, the restaurant’s chefs serve up central, northern, north-eastern and southern Thai cuisine a la minute using quality ingredients sourced from local farms. Open from 6.30am-11pm, The Kites Eatery offers a healthy buffet breakfast and a la carte menu from noon, as well as customised lunches and banquets for meetings and events.  For more details and reservations, contact +66 (0) 2 340 5496 or kites@innsidebangkok.com.

Six exquisite flavours and intricately illustrated mooncake boxes available in 2024

The Aug. 5-9 festival will be held in the hotel’s Le Phnom 1929 restaurant.

BILL&COO marks a new era in 2024, with a new leadership team and a trio of new F&B options including fine dining and a sensory experience at YĒVO, traditional with a twist at COOZEST and a creative cocktail concept across both properties, all lead with a distinctly Greek flair. BILL&COO Greek fine dining at BILL&COO New this season, guests can enjoy a sensory experience at YĒVO, BILL&COO. From 8pm guests will be transported through modern cocktails before heading to YĒVO restaurant to enjoy Chef Aggelos Bakopoulos’s modern take on Greek fine dining. Inspired by his heritage, Bakopoulos aims to evoke a feeling of connection to the island. Wine will be a focus, with an extensive list of Greek and international labels paired with the dinner by the expert sommelier Views for guests are far reaching, with the restaurant perched on a veranda, overlooking Megali Ammos beach as the perfect backdrop for the culinary journey. Reimagined classics at The Coast Just across the island at Agios Ioannis, The Coast will welcome COOZEST, which embodies the essence of traditional Greek cuisine. Head Chef, Olga Eleftheroglou will share classic flavours reimagined with local ingredients highlighted throughout. BILL&COO Shake it up This season, BILL&COO partners with Georgia Georgakopoulou, Lefteris Petrogeorgakis and Nikos Sourmpatis, also known as Etiquette, bringing a unique mixology experience to Mykonos. The team has condensed each property’s identity to create separate menus for each; at BILL&COO, a cosmopolitan style with inhouse blended vermouth, popular tastes, and new classics. Over at The Coast, Greek flavours with a twist are present, with the ‘’Mykonian Louza’’ featuring a homemade tequila infusion that includes yellow bell peppers, smoked pears and the iconic Louza. YEVO, Megali Ammos is open daily 7.30pm - 10.30-pm. To reserve email restaurant@billandcoo.gr or call +302298026292.