Sweden:The Edible Country

TO highlight healthy and natural food available in nature, #Sweden, together with four Swedish Michelin-starred chefs, is launching The Edible Country - a 100-million-acre-DIY gourmet restaurant. The restaurant, with a menu created from ingredients found in Swedish nature, is free of charge and open for reservations.

In this new global initiative, Sweden is showing the world how easy and accessible healthy food can be. The Edible Country consists of a nine-course menu that visitors can prepare and cook themselves - in the wild. It is co-created by Swedish Michelin-starred chefs Titti Qvarnström, Niklas Ekstedt, Jacob Holmström and Anton Bjuhr.

As part of the initiative, seven handmade wooden tables have been placed across the country with ready-to-use kitchen kits and cooking tools. The tables are bookable between May and September through visitsweden.com/ediblecountry or bookatable.co.uk/theediblecountry


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Food on the go for Brits

A study conducted by Le Boat into the eating habits of holidaying Europeans has revealed that Brits lag behind their French and German counterparts when it comes to experimenting with foreign cuisine.

The survey of 1,000 adults from each of France, Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) found less than half of UK travellers (47%) cited food and drink as very being a very important element of their trip compared to nearly two-thirds (62%) of Germans and half of French (50%).

When it comes to the first dish of the day, it seems half of Brits prefer to stick to a savoury start to the day while the French have the sweetest tooth of all at the breakfast table. Nearly four-fifths (79%) of French travellers ensure their morning meal includes some sweet elements, such as pastries, yoghurt or fruit, whereas only two thirds of Germans (64%) and 50% of Britons would do the same.

According to the poll, the British tendency to grab and go at work may be a hard habit to break on holiday. When asked how long they would be likely to spend enjoying lunch, those from the UK are three times as likely to spend less than 15 minutes having lunch while away and four times as likely not to eat anything at all compared to their French and German peers.


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Eat more local

DATA gathered by Booking.com from over 50,000 global travelers, reveals six in ten travelers (61%) pick a destination for great food or drink. There's no denying the significance of culinary travel, with more than a third (34%) of travelers, rising to 40% of millennials, planning to take a food trip in 2018.

Almost half (49%) of travelers hope to be more adventurous with the type of cuisine they eat, rising to 60% of millennials. One way to achieve this is to sample local delicacies whilst traveling. Almost two thirds (64%) of travelers will try to eat more local food in 2018.

Top destinations for local food:

Ipoh, Malaysia 

Kaohsiung, Taiwan 

Nagoya, Japan 

Johor Bahru, Malaysia 

João Pessoa, Brazil 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Colmar, France 

Lima, Peru 

Catania, Italy



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Michelin Guide Bangkok expands for 2019

FOLLOWING the introduction in December 2017 of the first Michelin Guide Bangkok 2018, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that this year will see the launch of an expanded edition also covering Phuket and Phang Nga and with increased focus on Bangkok’s inner zone and surrounding provinces. 

The Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phuket and Phang Nga 2019 will be released at the end of this year, in the same bilingual Thai and English format and in both print and digital versions. 

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Time out for good behaviour

TO mark the launch of its new spring menu, research from Bella Italia has found that despite over half (60%) of Brits saying they see eating together frequently as an important way of keeping their family together, a fifth (21%) have admitted that restaurants are the only place their families have a conversation without distractions such as tablets, mobile phones and the TV.

The survey, which polled 2,000 UK adults, revealed families are on best behaviour when they eat out together, with Londoners most likely to say that this was the case. Indeed, 14% of us schedule a meal out as family time at the weekend with the same number using it as a treat for good behaviour.

However, despite the obvious benefits of dining out, it's money (45%) and time (31%) that were cited as the reasons we aren't going out with our nearest and dearest more often.

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Luxurious yet down to earth

TOM KERRIDGE has announced plans to open his first #London restaurant situated on the ground floor of the Corinthia Hotel in Westminster. The current restaurant within the hotel will close in June for the transition to take place with luxury interior design specialists in charge of converting the space into a relaxed British brasserie-style restaurant by Tom Kerridge.

After planning to launch his debut London restaurant at The Rib Room at Jumeirah Carlton Tower last year, Kerridge has had to alter his plans which means that we will now see him open at a different venue. Thomas Kichs, Corinthia's hotel managing director explained that they have been looking to provide their guests with the true British hospitality experience.

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Toronto's Top Ten Places to Eat

TORONTO'S reputation for a dynamic and diverse culinary scene is well deserved. Home to over 9,000 restaurants, #Toronto has a vibrant multicultural population which continues to push culinary boundaries to the delight of all who visit. From a German beer hall to a much-anticipated Kensington Market arrival, there's lots to love about Toronto's #dining scene right now. 

Tourism Toronto reveals the current top 10 hottest restaurants:

La Banane (labanane.ca)
The French restaurant on Ossington is Instagram-famous for their dessert Disco Egg but you're also going to want to queue up to get a taste of their seafood offerings, whipped chicken liver and pastry-encrusted bass.

Lake Inez (lakeinezto.com)
A teeny lake in Michigan and global flavours are brought together at this restaurant located in the Little India neighbourhood, featuring Asian snacks to bolster cocktails like the Tokyo Hotel Bar with sake and yuzu.

STK Toronto (stkhouse.com)
International chain STK's swanky spot in Yorkville will serve you steaks costing hundreds of dollars, luxurious sliders, grits and donuts in a club-like environment.

Awai (awai.ca)
This unconventional plant-based restaurant in Bloor West Village is just as off-beat with their restaurant conventions as they are their menu, operating on a no-gratuity basis. This is hardly unusual from chef Nathan Isberg, formerly of the no-menu, pay-what-you-want Atlantic.

Baro (barotoronto.com)
Chef Steven Gonzalez is churning out fancy drinks with aged ice cubes and edible petals, ceviche flights, and tons of elevated bar finger food like empanadas and guacamole in the King West neighbourhood.

Planta (plantatoronto.com)
What’s hotter right now than eating ethically? Very little, it would appear, according to the popularity of this Yorkville plant-based eatery headed up by David Lee. Everyone is town is just itching to try this place’s beet juice cocktails, coconut ceviche and veggie burgers.

Piano Piano (pianopianotherestaurant.com)
From the folks behind Splendido, this wildly popular Italian restaurant is impossible to dine at. Located on Harbord in the student friendly downtown Annex neighbourhood, they’re not reinventing the wheel with rustic pizzas and pastas, but those who love carbs are willing to line up to fill up on their favourites.

Oretta (oretta.to)
This new Italian joint in the King West neighbourhood is just as impressive for its sweeping architecture and cool retro-influenced decor as its menu of comforting but upscale dishes straight from nonna’s kitchen. Diners will likely find themselves rubbing shoulders with the young urban professionals of this increasingly popular neighbourhood while enjoying dishes such as Mortadella and pistachio pizza, tagliatelle, and lamb.

Otto's Bierhalle (ottosbierhalle.com)
Nestled alongside the restaurants, boutiques and art galleries on West Queen West, this beer hall just recently rolled out the ability to make reservations, and it looks increasingly like they’re going to need it. With a packed house on weekends that resembles the Berlin clubs this place is inspired by rather than a German restaurant.

Grey Gardens (greygardens.ca)
Perfectly situated near Toronto’s famous Kensington Market, the Grey Gardens menu boasts a mix of excellent organic wine, local cider and elevated plates like ravioli and New York strip, along with bare necessities like chips n' dip and Coors Light.

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Japanese restaurants boom in London

FROM Shoreditch to St James's, Oxford, Victoria and Islington the Japanese food revolution is seeing a rebirth in the form of new restaurants, refurbishments and redevelopments.

Sticks ‘N’ Sushi - 2 New Stores in Victoria and Oxford set to open in 2017. A Nordic Japanese food chain founded 20 years ago by Danish-Japanese brothers serving sushi alongside skewers as well as a whole host of other mouthwatering Japanese-inspired dishes. With two new stores set to open in 2017 - one in London’s Nova development in Victoria (February) and another in Oxford’s long-awaited Westgate redevelopment, which will almost double their UK presence.

Anzu - Affordable Teishoku by Tonkotsu Ramen. At Anzu the house speciality is “teishoku”, or Japanese traditional set meals composed of a main dish, rice, miso soup and pickles.

Sumosan Twiga - Japanese + Italian. This new venture ultimately sees Sumosan make a short hop from its previous abode in Mayfair to team up with Italian restaurant Twiga in a new home in Sloane Square.
The restaurant specialises in serving award-winning sushi, sashimi and other high-end Japanese food alongside classic Italian dishes, with different chefs in charge of the two different cuisines: Konstantin Tskhay for the Japanese fare, and Ferdinando Palomba for the Italian side of things.

Onodera - Matsuri to be Reborn in Spring 2017. New name, new menu, same enviable location - it’s the self-proclaimed “end of an era” for this long-standing St. James’s institution, as Japanese grill Matsuri St.James’s reopens following a 2.5 million makeover as a modern Japanese restaurant called Onodera.

Nobu Hotel Willow Street. A new hotel/restaurant development by Nobu is slated to open in the trendy Shoreditch area in early 2017. Part of an aggressive global expansion plan by Nobu Hospitality, the new hotel in London will be its first European property.

Bob Bob Ricard moves into the Cheesegrater. The owners of iconic luxury Soho restaurant Bob Bob Ricard, equipped with its fabled “Press for Champagne” buttons at each table, is famous for pouring more champagne than any other restaurant in the UK. Its new incarnation swaps its Russian/English menu for Japanese.

Katsute 100 - Unwind amongst the cobbled streets, quaint houses and antique markets of Camden Passage, just a stone’s throw away from bustling Upper Street, while sipping on a Japanese-inspired brew of your choice at new Japanese tea cafe Katsute 100.

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Picture Credit: Linh H. Nguyen flickr.com/photos/22439010@N04/5513836886 Rainbow Sushi Roll via photopin

Save $s in Orlando

FOODIES can get deals at 90 of the most popular restaurants in #Orlando during Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month, sponsored by American Express. From August 29 to October 2, guests can choose from these participating restaurants to enjoy three-course dinners for $33, averaging savings of 33% per meal. 

The programme includes some of the new arrivals in Orlando's culinary scene, including chef-driven establishments in the new Disney Springs area as well as local favourites across town.

One dollar from each meal will be donated to a local charity; last year's programme raised more than $160,000.

A full list of all participating restaurants can be found at www.OrlandoMagicalDining.com

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It’s Devon Restaurant Month!

DEVON RESTAURANTEURS come together to celebrate the county's food and drink with Devon Restaurant Month throughout June. With special seasonal menus, offers, and chef demonstrations, the promotion aims to put the county more firmly on the map for food tourism in the South-West and beyond.

To mark its fifth anniversary, there’s a competition for customers to enter; the winner and their guest can attend any Devon Restaurant Month event of their choice.

Venues already involved in Devon Restaurant Month include The Orangery Restaurant in Exeter, Ottery St Mary's Rusty Pig, the Buckland Tout-Saints Hotel near Kingsbridge, and The Greedy Goose on the Barbican in Plymouth.

For full details, go to www.devonrestaurantmonth.co.uk.

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Restaurant Month a hit for Devon

DEVON Restaurant Month in June has been declared a resounding success. More than 30 restaurants took part, and the feedback is said be ‘outstanding'.

Jeff Cooper, founder of #Devon Restaurant Month, says: ‘The Devon restaurant scene is almost unrecognizable from what it was a few years ago. When we first set up Devon Restaurant Month, it was to celebrate all that was happening within food and drink in the county. Now, four years on, the innovation, creativity, and vibrancy in the kitchens is on a whole new level, helping to position Devon as one of the most exciting places to eat in the country.

‘We have already started planning next June's Devon Restaurant Month.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54238124@N00/2049662889">Slapton Sands, Torcross, South Hams, Devon.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)