Julie Mautner reports.
United Kingdom David Ponte and partners have opened Mocotó, an all-day Brazilian restaurant in London's Knightsbridge, on the site of the former Isola. The dining room was designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, and all the furnishings were imported. Head chef Darryl Healy, late of The Grand Hyatt in Shanghai, has put together an all-Brazilian kitchen team to turn out dishes reflecting the many nuances of the cuisine: the influence of the Amazon and native tribes in the north, the African fusion of the northeast, and the Portuguese, Italian, and Lebanese styles of the southeast. In Portuguese, "mocotó" means a traditional Brazilian consommé but is also used to praise an impressive show of courage.
Sam and Eddie Hart, owners of Fino, one of London's leading Spanish restaurants, opened Barrafina, on Soho's Frith Street, in January. The no-reservations tapas bar, which seats 23 at a counter facing an open kitchen, is open from noon until midnight, six days a week. Head chef Nieves Barragan, who came over from Fino, changes the menu daily and griddles many of his dishes on the traditional Spanish plancha.
Ross Melling is the new exec chef at the Michael Caines restaurant in the ABode hotel in Devon, Exeter. Melling comes from The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California, prior to which he spent three years under Caines at the Michelin two-star Gidleigh Park hotel in Chagford, Devon. The ABode chain, owned by hotelier Andrew Brownsword in partnership with Caines, also includes properties in Glasgow and Canterbury. ABode hotels in Manchester and Chester will launch this year and in 2008, respectively. Brownsword also owns Gidleigh Park.
Europe In Frankfurt, a hotel called Goldman 25 Hours has opened in the bustling Ostend district, with 49 rooms, some of them themed (Princess, Paris, Casino, etc.). Like its sister property in Hamburg, it's designed to be hip and affordable, offering a 25 percent discount to guests under 25. Exec chef Thomas Haus and f&b director David Bullett both came over from Biancalani in Frankfurt.
Starwood has opened the 381 room Méridien Lav, the first Méridien in Croatia, in the Mediterranean port of Split. Previously the Hotel Lav, the property underwent a U.S.$150 million re-do. Exec chef Rafael Peterkovic came aboard after eight months as group exec chef for the Valamar Group of hotels in Dubrovnik; prior to that he served as exec chef aboard the Seabourn Legend. F&B manager Davor Josipovic held the same title on Celebrity Cruises' Millennium.
Lech Liczbanski is now exec chef at Sofitel's new 126 room Grand Sopot Hotel in Poland, having previously worked as exec chef at the Accor Mercure Hotel Helvelius (Gdansk). F&B director Krzysztof Dembek was restaurant manager at the five-star InterContinental Warsaw.
Asia The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, the brand's first resort in Malaysia, opened in December on the site of the former Sheraton Perdana. Exec chef Adam Haywood came from the Hotel Maya (Kuala Lumpur); exec assistant manager/f&b director Syntio Camillerri from Le Méridien Jakarta (Indonesia).
Alison Matthew was named exec chef at The Library, a Design Hotels property that opened on Koh Samui, Thailand, in January. Matthew had been working as a private chef in Bangkok, London, Key West, and Palm Beach. The Library's resident manager, who is acting as f&b, is Pakorn Chumthong. The hotel, loosely themed around the idea of "the relaxed posture of a reading traveler," counts 26 suites and studios scattered across a lush stretch of Chaweng Beach frontage.
After 21 years as exec chef at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel (California), Christian Rassinoux has transferred to The Ritz-Carlton Portman in Shanghai. After stints at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey (California) and The Ritz-Carlton Dearborn (Detroit), Rob Wilson replaces Rassinoux at Laguna Niguel, where he'd previously served as exec sous chef.
The Caribbean Eric Brunel is the new exec chef at Rosewood's Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda, replacing Denis Jaricot. Brunel came from Grace Bay Club (Turks and Caicos), where he'd been exec chef for seven years. This is actually his second go-round in the Little Dix kitchen: he was exec sous chef for two years in the mid-1990s. The resort just completed a U.S.$25 million renovation. Meanwhile, Gerry Gnassi is Brunel's replacement over at Grace Bay. He comes from restaurant Barton G in South Beach, Florida.
On St. Thomas, Richard Garcia is the new exec chef at Havana Blue in the Marriott Frenchman's Reef and at Lotus Asian Grill and Sushi Bar, a freestanding restaurant in Red Hook, both owned by Eric and Nicole Horstmeyer. Garcia, 27, will also serve as corporate exec chef of parent company Blue Shore Grill. He was most recently corporate chef at Stoneforge restaurants (Boston).
Send your international restaurant and hotel f&b news to Julie Mautner at WhiskNews@aol.com
