Inspiration from NOMA
12-11-2013
By Julia Soldic.
Last Thursday, November the 7th, we were at a lecture of René Redzepi (Noma. Copenhagen) about his new book ‘A Work in Progress’. Organized by Babooka, a bookstore in Leiden and LeidsLekkers to herald the Restaurant Week in Leiden. During this lecture René rapidly exchanged reading passages from his diary with images and videos of his restaurant and chefs. Julia Soldic, a Norwegian who recently graduated from the Hotelschool The Hague, has had an internship of a few weeks at Noma in 2012. She was at the lecture with us and writes in her column below of her experience and leaves between the lines a number of ‘learnings’, such as encouraging creativity and the importance of team building and contact with your guests.
QR-mosaic project QRio
12-11-2013
The Rio de Janeiro government has installed QR-mosaic in the sideways to provide tourists with more information and a map. The QR-code opens an app that makes road signs unnecessary.
Theme park with Michelin-star restaurant
8-11-2013
Europa-Park (Germany) is the first theme park with a Michelin star. Within a year after opening fine dining restaurant Ammolite, located in the lighthouse of the ‘Bell Rock’ theme hotel, has received the star rating. The restaurant has 36 seats and the kitchen is successfully run by chef Peter Hagen (36 years old). For the design of the restaurant designer Claudio Carbone was inspired by a snailhouse, the name ‘Ammolite’ refers to fossil shells from the Rocky Mountains.
For fans of Franch chansons
8-11-2013
Marc Cruellas, de zingende patron van ‘Le Bistrot de la Place’ in Den Haag, treedt elke vrijdag- en zaterdagavond samen met zijn pianist Guillaume Marcenac op in zijn eigen bedrijf. Hiermee creëren zij telkens een Parijse sfeer van ‘Montmartre’ en ‘La vie en rose’ in de bistrot.
Op zondag, 1 december, treden zij echter samen op bij de Franse Bistro Bord’o in Leiden. Tijdens het optreden verzorgt het team van bistro Bord’o een 3-gangenmenu ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’, met typische Franse bistro gerechten. En Marc en Guillaume zingen en spelen alle bekende Franse chansons. Voor de liefhebber hiervan een heerlijke avond! En een mooi voorbeeld van samenwerken!
Hospitality experienced in New York
6-11-2013
A blog about whether or not tap water; additional chips to the sauce and free Wifi or not? Experiences in New York City.
After visiting New York you won’t really understand the discussion of tap water in the Netherlands anymore. In the USA you are welcomed in each restaurant with the question, if you would like to have some tap water? Of course this is in the DNA of the American restaurant industry but the habit is very welcoming. You also hear a lot of complaints about the taste of chlorine in the tap water causing many people to still buy mineral water. In that respect I would have less problems with the taste of the Dutch tap water. However, especially in areas which are visited by many tourists , restaurant owners must realize that guests from America, are used to the ‘free’ tap water service . They don’t understand our policy to even ask money for tap water! Read more..
Optimal sound experience Wilmink theatre
6-11-2013
More and more inhabitants of The Netherlands have hearing problems. At the moment one in seven people has hearing problems. To provide every visitor with the optimal hearing experience Your Sense has installed YSFM hearing systems in the auditoria of the Wilmink theatre. People that wear a hearing aid can connect to a FM system for optimal listening quality. Apart from the acoustics the Wilmink theatre now distinguishes itself by offering an ultimate sound experience to its visitors with hearing problems.
All about grapefruit
5-11-2013
I hadn’t seen it on the menu for a while; half a grapefruit. During a brunch at The Breslin Bar and Dining Room in the Ace Hotel in New York I ate a super yummy grapefruit with ginger sugar flakes and mint. But again the same problem as always, the cutting isn’t easy and is often not done well, with the effect that you have to do it yourself or miss parts. I don’t understand why it’s not served in ‘clean cut’ wedges, much easier to eat! Marjolein van Spronsen
Kitchen video stream
5-11-2013
On the terrace of ‘A Taberna do Pescador’ in Albufeira, Portugal there is a television screen with a live stream from the kitchen. The terrace is situated in a busy shopping street and the screen combined with a glass display full fresh fish seduces passersby in an original way.
Light spectacle in the streets of Zwolle
4-11-2013
On November 1st, the opening of the light project Sassenstraat Allicht took place in Zwolle, the Netherlands. This autumn/ winter the ‘Sassenstraat’ (name of the street) is illuminated with over 300 lights. Business owners, residents, property owners, City Centre Zwolle, volunteers and more have worked in recent weeks to make this lights show possible. The goals is to create a meeting place where living, working and shopping comes together. Especially during the dark winter days, the light show will be very attractive.
Relaxation in a bathtub
4-11-2013
In a park in Paris, the French design studio ‘Bruit du frigo’ has created a resting place for visitors. A wooden installation with bathtubs is placed around a fountain. Visitors can relax and enjoy the art installations. A number of bathtubs are filled with water and some with pillows. The wooden sculpture shows that the park is open for everyone, friends and family to spend some time together. A place for relaxation, wellness and hospitality.
