A bite of water conquers New York City
7-4-2016
Chef Dominique Ansel introduced the Cronut in Japan last year but now a Japanese dessert, Mizu Shingen Mochi, is introduced in New York City. A bite of water which is as popular as the cronut in Japan. It’s a water cake or as they will call it in New York, a raindrop cake.
Connie – Hilton’s new robot
6-4-2016
A new robot in the hospitality industry. Hilton Worldwide and IBM announced a collaboration to pilot ‘Connie’ – the first Watson-enabled robot concierge in the hospitality industry. Hilton’s new robot draws on domain knowledge from Watson and WayBlazer to inform guests on local tourist attractions, dining recommendations and hotel features and amenities.
A new job at hotels: ‘photo ambassador’
6-4-2016
A photo ambassador? Yes a photo ambassador! A new twist to the longline of ideas, trying to influence the quality of pictures from your hotel. For the ‘photo ambassador’ you have to check in at the Four Seasons Resort at Maui. And if you watch the video above, you will have to agree that there must be great spots at this resort to take photos.
UrbanFarmers in The Hague, vegetables and fish without fear of heights
5-4-2016
It will be the largest urban rooftop farm in Europe. The unique ‘farm’ is at 40 meters altitude in The Hague and will annually produce 50 tons of local, rooftop vegetables and 20 tons of fresh (urban) fish. Our colleague Bram Kosterink already got a tour of the impressive project.
DecoDive for the festival market
5-4-2016
Expensive materials are used to build decoration for festivals, to subsequently have to break it down again after the event and sometimes it will even be thrown away. DecoDive wants to change that and become the eBay for festival decorations. Soon everybody will be able to rent decoration at the website of DecoDive.
No more ‘broiler chicken’ in grill restaurant Gauchos
4-4-2016
Restaurant chain Gauchos has banned the ‘plofkip’ out of their twelve locations in the Netherlands. ‘Plofkip’ is the term we use in the Netherlands for a broiler chicken. Since last week you will only get chicken who are having a ‘Better Life quality’ mark. ‘Wakker Dier’ to be translated as ‘Awake Animals’ is a Dutch animal welfare organisation. They started a campaign in order to get as many restaurants as possible ‘broiler chicken free’.
Rolled ice cream shop opens in Philadelphia
4-4-2016
Instant ice cream for instant satisfaction at Sweet Charlie’s rolled ice cream shop in Philadelphia. Like in New York, where long lines form outside of 10Below’s at a regular base for their instant ice cream.
Rolled ice cream from an Ice Teppanyaki
Sweet Charlie’s owner Kyle Billig is studying business at Arizona State University while simultaneously opening Philadelphia’s first-ever Thai rolled ice cream shop, Sweet Charlie’s. The frozen treat craze already took New York by storm, block-long lines forming at 10Below’s doors just for a taste of the instant ice cream. The instant ice cream is made at an Ice Teppanyaki (a plate of -30 degrees Celsius). Made to order, so no preservatives, stabilizers or emulsifiers. At Sweet Charlie’s they don’t even have a freezer in the shop! Just the cold plate, two scrapers, milk and toppings. And a lot of toppings, like oreo, coffee and donut, mint chip, green tea, s’more, key lime, banana & nutella etc..
Many more instant ice cream shops are found in the far east (we spotted several in Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur). The Ice Teppanyaki can be used together with the gelato machine, which is preparing ice cream in front of the customer as well. The Ice Teppanyaki can be used in different ways but we like the rolled way!
Trends we spotted this week – week 13
1-4-2016
At the redaction of Horecatrends we spot a lot of national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write articles about, the smaller trends we use in our column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. This week among others, ‘René Redzepi with Noma in Australia’, ‘Urban pillow fight at square in Toronto’ and ‘Pizzacle, a pizza on a stick’.
Sipping cocktails in a ‘ball pit bar’!
1-4-2016
Only accessible for those who are over 21 of age but wished they were still five! Forward Motion organised a ‘ball pit bar’ in San Francisco, the bar was open on the 19th and 20th of March. The ‘Ball pit bar’ made adults feel like kids again, but with alcohol.
Quite zen, the Zenroast allows you to roast your own coffee beans
31-3-2016
Zenroast, the ceramic coffee roaster from Japan allows everybody to roast his or her own coffee beans. A classic everyday tool that is used for roasting tea leaves and sesame seeds has been introduced as coffee roaster to create the ultimate coffee to your own taste.