11 . 03EMP Summer House

EMP  Summer House 2017

Extraordinary dining? Hands down. Winner is this summer’s EMP Summer House. EMP is Eleven Madison Park’s  extraordinary first and only foray into a summer dining concept in East Hampton.  What a novel idea to open a pop up while renovating their award winning  Eleven Madison Park. Unlike its three Michelin starred,  acclaimed NYC restaurant (and by the way, the Number 1  rated restaurant on the World’s 50 Best list), EMP Summer House was all fun, casual, family oriented and the most prized reservation in town. If standing room only lines this summer are any indication, the vote is already in to make EMP Summer House an annual tradition. 

Picnic Dining at its best

Nothing fancy here. It’s picnic casual outside, complete with checkered tabletops, fried chicken spilled along the table, huge containers of mai tais, complete with a self pouring spout,  so everyone can refill their glasses.  There’s something for every age group. 

Best part of the outdoor dining is watching waiters drop food along the length of the picnic tables. Order the lobster boil. Translation – mouth watering. In addition to perfectly steamed lobster, the lobster comes with clams, andouille sausage, shrimp, parker house rolls, tomato salad and a seasonal pie. Does it get any better than this?

Kids are running around playing corn hole or lounging in comfy seats. Even the dogs are having a social hour. In other words, this is a place to come after spending the day at the beach or meeting friends for a family style dinner. 

Yet, in the main portion of the restaurant, guests love the contrast of white linen table clothes and fashion minded guests mingling. My entire meal consisted of warm, old fashioned Parker House rolls with butter and thinly sliced and barely fried zucchini dipped in aioli sauce. 

Inside Elegance

My “Blue Baker” gave EMP Summer House  a five star review for kids, adults and pets of all ages. Chef Daniel Humm and partner Will Guidara knocked it out of the ball park this summer. Please come back next year.

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04 . 13The Four Season’s Amaranto Restaurant – “Inside the Kitchen”

Four Season's Amaranto Restaurant

Courtesy Four Seasons Park Lane London

Ever dream of going “Inside the Kitchen” at a Four Seasons Hotel? You might want to dine at Park Lane’s Amaranto Restaurant and see what magic Chef Adriano is cooking up!

Combine the sophistication of London and Four Seasons Park Lane’s Executive Chef Adriano Cavagnini and you have culinary perfection.

Chef Adriano decided luxury travel deserved luxury restaurants and  a gourmet food experience for each guest. Chef oversaw  all facets of culinary operations when the Four Seasons opened its doors after a two year renovation several years ago. Chef continues to wow guests today.

Four Season’s star Chef Adriano created menu concepts for the Italian themed Amaranto restaurant, bar and lounge, along with all  private dining and catering. That’s a big job, but when you meet Chef Adriano, you know that no one could  exemplify the hotel’s culinary reputation to Four Season’s standards better.

Honestly, who could resist a dessert named “Six Little Sins,” when those sins are all chocolate. To be a bit more precise, this dessert item on the menu is “Sei Piccoli Peccati al Cioccolato” or for those of us at the Four Seasons who need a translation (including myself), that would be “Six Little Sinsi – Chocolate Fondant, Cocoa Crumble, White Chocolate Ice Cream (homemade, of course) Vanilla Cream, Dark Bitter Chocolate and Gianduia Chocolate Sauce.”

We were traveling with “The Blue Baker” and she nicknamed the dessert “Twelve Little Sins,” because we couldn’t’ resist ordering two orders of this fabulous dessert EVERY evening.

Four Season's Amaranto Restaurant

Courtesy Four Seasons Park Lane London

The elegant  Four Season’s Amaranto Restaurant is a seamless series of integrated rooms, where you might dine on fresh pasta in the conservatory, enjoy a drink and night time menu at the bar, or sample my favorite “Six Sins “dessert.

Charming and passionate about every phase of culinary operations,  one leaves our very special “Inside the Kitchen” tour by chef inspired to know more about food and the stories behind each dish. Did you know that the Four Seasons Park Lane London has a separate pasta drying room for their home made pasta?

Nothing short of perfection satisfies this talented Chef, who helps the hotel redefine luxury travel and dining.Who could possibly know the importance of  matching  home made pasta versus dried pasta to a sauce and why you need to distinguish the best match depending on the dish. Oh, and of course, you will find home made pasta on the menu every day.

Four Season's Amaranto Restaurant

Courtesy Four Seasons Park Lane London

Chef Adriano was born in the small town of Brescia in Northern Italy, to a family who loved food and where family owned restaurants were passed down from  generation to generation. Inspired by Chef’s mother, who had a passion for food, Chef began his adventures into the culinary world that eventually led to the Four Seasons Park Lane London, with stops throughout the world on his journey.  This man’s passion for food is contagious. To that I can attest.

Four Season's Amaranto Restaurant

Courtesy Four Seasons Park Lane London

Some of Chef’s mouth watering creations on the menu at the Four Season’s Amaranto Restaurant include homemade white onion and parmesan ravioli, green asparagus and horseradish,  saffron risotto with green peas and salmon roe for a first course, or perhaps a spaghetti salad with lobster, avocado and tomato for antipasti. We loved the skin grilled filet of John Dory, olive oil grilled and marinated vegetables, but for us, it was the always the “Six Little Sins” that won the day.

Chef Adriano’s credentials, as you would expect, are impressive and internationally inspired. What I love most about his background, however, is that when he traveled around the world, Chef  learned not only the cuisine of many countries, but  the languages as well. These include Italian, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. The reason? Chef  Adriano likes to converse with guests in their native tongues! What could be more impressive? No wonder people are talking about Chef Adriano and his food at Four Seasons London Park Lane.

 

 NOTE

Four Season's Amaranto Restaurant

Courtesy Four Seasons Park Lane London

Chef Adriano embodies the Four Season’s philosophy that there is nothing that can’t be done for a guest. My husband and I brought our granddaughter, “The Blue Baker,” to London. Chef took us on a personally guided “Inside the Kitchen” tour.  The photo above was just a little snack before we got started. Of course, each of the juices you see in the photo above (carrot, mango, orange and mango) were freshly squeezed. So with chef hat and apron in hand, we saw the workings of one of the world’s great kitchens.

Four Season's Amaranto Restaurant

Since my “Blue Baker” got her name from loving to bake, Chef asked the pastry chef for a demonstration on how the decadent “Six Sins” dessert is created.   Above is a photo of just one “sin” that must be cracked open to enjoy the molten chocolate inside. Yum.

Thank you, Chef Adriano, and your talented team of chefs for an unforgettable culinary adventure!

 

The Gourmet Review

 

 

 

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03 . 24Easy Seafood Chowder Recipe – Four Seasons Seychelles

Easy Seafood Chowder Recipe

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Are you looking for an easy seafood chowder recipe?  Well, look no further.

Today, I’m bringing you one that’s served in  the middle of the Indian Ocean at one of the most beautiful hotels in the world.

Four Seasons Seychelles just might be the dreamiest place on earth. Buckle your seat belt, because half the fun is getting there. The other half is savoring fabulous food influenced from Europe, India and Africa.

I’m not proud when it comes to food.  I begged Executive Chef Dave Minten to share his easy seafood chowder recipe. After all, he created  this and many more international  and exotic dishes – each one presented with an an artistic twist.

I’m always looking for an easy dinner idea or a simple recipe that has a great story. What gets better than an easy seafood chowder recipe from exotic Seychelles, where ingredients are caught in the local waters surrounding the islands every morning.

Thanks to Executive Chef Dave Minten for an unforgettable gastronomique adventure during our stay and sharing your easy seafood chowder recipe with The Gourmet Review.

 

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

2/3  cup diced celery

1/2 cup steamed potatoes. Cube into bite size pieces.

1/2 cup finely chopped bacon

1 teaspoons chopped  fresh thyme

4 1/4 cups or 1 liter fish stock (I used chicken stock, because I couldn’t find fish stock)

 2 1/3  cups cream or 1/2 and 1/2

 8  tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups snapper filet (not frozen) cubed  (You can substitute true cod filet)

1 1/2 cup shrimp cut into pieces

1 1/2 cup chopped scallop

1/2 cup flour

Dill for garnish

Fresh thyme for garnish

PREPARATION

Make sure the onions, celery and potatoes are lightly packed in the measuring cup when measuring. Cook bacon first.  Remove the bacon and blot to eliminate excess fat.

Saute the vegetables, potato, herbs and bacon in the olive oil and butter.

Add flour to make a roux.

Combine the stock and cream. Make sure you whisk the mixture until the flour in the roux is dissolved.

Add in the seafood and let simmer for 6 minutes. Don’t overcook.

Season with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, add the chopped parsley to the soup.

Garnish with freshly chopped dill and fresh thyme.

And voila! A gourmet, yet easy seafood chowder recipe. Enjoy!

NOTE

Easy Seafood Chowder Recipe

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Take a moment to check out the website for Four Seasons Resort Seychelles.   The videos and photographs are absolutely stunning. How does Four Seasons have such romantic destinations? It’s always the people who complete the experience.

All the rooms are about 2200 sf, with sweeping views of the clear blue ocean. Each one boasts an individual swimming pool and oversized decks – all nestled in the hillside. Best of all are the outdoor showers! This is truly a movie set location!

Here’s how you get to this paradise destination. US to London, London to Kenya (or Dubai)  for a short safari and then Kenya Airways (or Emerites from Dubai) to Seychelles. Landing over turquoise water and powder white sand definitely sets the mood for a romantic vacation.

Special thanks to Executive Chef Dave  Minten (center), Brice Delclos, Director of Food and Beverage (R)  and Maxime Regard, Assistant Director of Food and Beverage (L) in the photo above, for our fabulous experience.

If you can’t travel to the Seychelles, perhaps you can try another romantic destination at Four Seasons Bora Bora or Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawaii – two more of my favorites!

– The Gourmet Review

 

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01 . 28Four Seasons Inspired – Blackberry & Basil Fizz Cocktail Recipe

 Blackberry and Basil Fizz Cocktail

Have you heard the buzz about the Four Seasons newest popular cocktail? We’ll let you in on a secret. It’s the  Blackberry & Basil Fizz cocktail created last week by Doug Shulman, the head bartender at the hotel’s fabulous U’LU Restaurant in Hawaii. You’ll find Doug tending this elegant bar at Hawaii’s five star Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Why not try this popular cocktail while watching the sunset? U’LU Restaurant is Doug’s domain and he reigns supreme. He is a busy man greeting guests, mixing drinks and most importantly, making every guest feel like family. Doug, the consummate mixologist, will even create a signature drink just for YOU.

I’m downright envious of Doug’s office. There are no windows as the bar overlooks  the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. Thanks, Doug, for sharing your new creation. It’s such an easy recipe, we can try it at home!

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 1

1.5 oz Grey Goose Vodka
0.5  oz Creme de Mure (Blackberry Liqueur)
3-4 whole  blackberries
4-5 leaves of Thai basil
1 oz fresh lime sour
3 oz Perrier

PREPARATION

In a mixing glass, muddle basil, blackberries and Creme de Mure.

Add vodka and sour mix.

Fill with ice and shake thoroughly.

Strain into iced Collins glass.

Add Perrier water.

Garnish with a basil leaf between 2 blackberries on a pick.

NOTE:

Another one of Doug’s creations is the Chartreuse Swizzle. Check it out. It’s not just another tropical drink.

 

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12 . 27Wynn Las Vegas Top Cocktail Recipes – The Spiced Pear Martini

Wynn Pear MartiniWynn Pear Martini

Wynn Las Vegas Top Cocktails

Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas

 

Wynn Las Vegas brings you their  holiday themed top cocktail recipe, the Spiced Pear Martini,  from my favorite  Mizumi restaurant.

This recipe  might just become your new top cocktail recipe as well.

Hmm. is it the spiced pear vodka. Or, perhaps the freshly squeezed lime juice and hint of pear?

Whatever it is, I love this popular cocktail and I bet your guests will love it any time of year.

Many thanks to my friends at Wynn Las Vegas  for sharing one of Mizumi’s most popular cocktail recipes!

 

SERVES: 1

INGREDIENTS

Wynn Pear Martini1 ½ oz. Hangar One Spiced Pear Vodka

1/2 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur

1 ½ oz. Rocky’s Fresh Sweet & Sour

1/ 4 oz. freshly squeezed Lime Juice

1/ 4 oz. Perfect Pear Puree of Napa Valley

 

PREPARATION

Combine the above ingredients into a bar mixing glass.

Add ice and shake well to chill.

Strain into a chilled martini/cocktail glass.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry and serve.

 

NOTE

The best way to enjoy this cocktail recipe is to take a weekend trip and pony up to the bar to order this cocktail at  Mizumi on your next visit to Wynn Las Vegas. Otherwise, it’s easy to prepare at home.

Executive Chef Chef Devin Hashimoto oversees this drop dead, gorgeous Japanese restaurant. Andrea and Caroline can coordinate reservations and make sure you have a prime table.. Enjoy.

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12 . 17Martha Stewart Easy Recipe For The Holidays – Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Martha Stewart Easy Recipe

Courtesy Martha Stewart

Celebrity chef Martha Stewart always has easy recipes for the holidays. This Peppermint Meringue With Chocolate Filling Cookie recipe  is the perfect dessert recipe. Festive and light. The perfect way to end a meal without feeling too guilty!

Best of all, you can prepare and keep these cookies in an air tight container, for up to a month before serving. Just don’t put in the refrigerator or freezer. You’ll have soft meringues!

Celebrity chef recipes become classics for a reason. This easy recipe belongs in your “go to” holiday collection under the “easy dessert” category, as long as you have a pastry bag and tips on hand.  Looking for a fun hostess gift? These homemade meringues are the perfect answer!

INGREDIENTS:

3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Red gel-paste food coloring
1 cup heavy cream
6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22).  Set aside.

Meringues

Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.

Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.

Bake cookies until crisp, but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Ganache

Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, until just simmering.

Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Let ganache cool at room temperature, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until thick enough to hold its shape. This takes about 45 minutes. (If ganache sets before using, reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Repeat the cooling process.

Before serving or mailing, fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5) with ganache.

Pipe a small amount onto bottom of 1 meringue. Sandwich with another. Repeat with remaining ganache and meringues.

Transfer to wire racks. Let set 30 minutes.

 

NOTE

You might try this for dessert after Martha’s wonderful Greek Chicken Cutlets for dinner. For me, I love so many of  the older recipes that appear in Martha Stewart Living magazine. This one is from 2004, nearly 10 years old, but still a festive and easy desert during the holidays.

 

– The Gourmet Review

 

 

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11 . 26Four Seasons Bora Bora Hotel Review

The Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

Bora Bora is quite possibly the most romantic and beautiful island on earth. There’s a reason why honeymooners are drawn to this idyllic paradise.

Lush foliage with perfect, powder white sand give way to clear turquoise and green waters – perfect for exotic  fish and coral gardens.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

Views from the short, commuter flight from Tahiti are  simply breathtaking. The artist’s palette of green and clear turquoise waters in the lagoon below looks surreal.

If you are fortunate enough to stay at the Four Seasons Bora Bora, be careful not to close your eyes. You may get confused and think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

Four Seasons  Bora Bora

Courtesy the Four Seasons Bora Bora

The Four Season’s boat arrives at the airport, docks, and transports guests to the hotel It’s a bit surreal climbing directly from the boat to the lobby.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

Check in is friendly and the atmosphere is one of family. The warm, French Polynesian “orana”  greets guests at every turn. Staff at the Four Seasons is always doing something memorable and unexpected.

Whether it’s delivering freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to the room of a newly wed, just because she had traveled all the way from NYC  and LOVED these cookies, the staff always goes the extra mile.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

THe Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

Expecting luxury accommodations? Imagine waking up in the morning in your over the water suite and jumping into crystal blue waters for a quick swim.  Or,  just being lazy on the deck basking in the sunshine.

Energetic?  Pull out snorkel equipment on the deck and look for tropical fish below your room.

Our suite was spacious and the decks, lounges, table and chairs for outside dining are destined for lazy days. Of course, the bathroom floor has a clear window built in over the water, as does the shower area. Hmm, was that a manta ray swimming below?

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

The food is fresh and fabulous. Unlike most restaurants, you are encouraged to share dishes or pair a selection of dishes.  Rather than a traditional appetizer, Arii Moana restaurant gives you a plethora of choices to be combined however you wish.  Four small plates combined for an entree.

For lunch, we loved the fresh pineapple and shrimp salad. Check out the recipe here.

Cocktails and sushi at the Sunset Bar are addictive. Truth be told,  it’s hard to get off the bar stool. Our favorite bartender has a special margarita recipe hat uses tequila infused with a spicey Island  jalapeno type pepper steeped for three months!

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

If you must move, perhaps it can be slowly and simply to a comfortable hammock nearby.

Get a glimpse of this paradise in French Polynesia.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

At some point,  it’s time to move a bit. There are countless choices of acivities. Shall it be an outrigger canoe, wave runner, jet ski tour around the island or a dramatic catamaran sunset cruise? Perhaps, just a romantic stroll along the beach.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

Another alternative is lounging poolside one afternoon. It’s near the bar. How can you resist sampling some of the tropical cocktails? Afterall, you’ve traveled a long distance!

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

Whether it’s lounging on the beach or poolside, when we’ve had too much sun, we love to hide away in the thatched huts next to the pool. Wall to wall plush foam mattress, terry cloth covering and huge towels.. Honestly, 8 people can curl up in one of these decadent hide aways.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

If the hectic pace of swimming and lounging beachside are too much, check out the spa facilities. Choose from a dizzying array of spa treatments.

Four Seasons Bora Bora
Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

Don’t miss the local Polynesian culture.  Make sure and watch the beautiful dancing, music and fire eating entertainers after a scrumptious dinner. No need to ever leave this haven.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Courtesy Four Seasons Bora Bora

When at last it’s time to leave, you may say a sad goodbye, but always with dreams of returning soon.  Four Seasons Bora Bora is the epitome 5 star luxury destination. It’s almost impossible to go just once!

 

– The Gourmet Review

 

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11 . 09Addictive Power Bar Recipe | One & Only Palmilla

Addictive Power Bar Recipe

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Last week I tasted the most addictive power bars at The One & Only Palmilla in Cabo San Lucas. The One and Only  is definitely one of Mexico’s hottest hotels, so it’s no surprise that their award winning spa would feature some healthy, fabulous “energy” bars.

I discovered these power bars after a big work out at the spa one morning. Now, ‘m definitely hooked.

Steven Lindsey, Executive Pastry Chef at One & Only Palmilla, bakes these daily. They are seriously addictive. Thank you, Steven, for sharing his secret restaurant recipe from Aqua Restaurant.

 

SERVES: Lots and lots!!

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces. butter

3 ounces brown sugar

5 ounces granulated sugar

1  egg

2 ½ ounces oats

2 teaspoons vanilla

9 ounces all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup amaranth (I found this at Whole Foods)

½ cup pepitas (I found this at Whole Foods)

¼ cup chia (I found this at Whole Foods)

½ cup golden raisins

 

PROCEDURE

Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients and seeds mix in.

Roll the dough into logs and freeze.

Slice thin and bake in a 350 degree oven.

NOTES

I wasn’t familiar with some of the ingredients. So now  that I’ve found the three  super food ingredients at Whole Foods, I’m ready to try this healthy recipe at home!

The bonus is that this is a super easy recipe as well as a healthy recipe.

 

– The Gourmet Review

 

 

Steven Lindsey | Executive Pastry Chef – at One&Only Palmilla

steve.lindsey@oneandonlypalmilla.com

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10 . 08Greek Chicken Cutlet Recipe | Martha Stewart

Greek Chicken Cutlet Recipe

Courtesy Martha Stewart

Celebrity Chef Martha Stewart’s Greek Chicken Cutlet recipe is an elegant, yet  easy dinner recipe. I love quick dinner ideas, but I’m not good at following a recipe precisely.

I love fresh herbs and always seem to be adding them to just about everything. Whether it’s a salad, where my formula is to add a minimum of three fresh herbs, or a main dish, I can’t help myself. Just about anything other than dessert gets something extra that’s fresh.

I’m always on the look out for yummy recipes for chicken. So, naturally an easy recipe that I can put together in 15 minutes, that’s also  a healthy recipe, does the trick for me. Who wants all the fuss of fancy?

 

SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (I love using a mixture of yellow and red cherry or grape tomatoes)

1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives

4 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled (1 cup)

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds thin chicken cutlets (about 8)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

 

PREPARATION

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, feta,  and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. (I like to add the fresh herbs into the mixture just before serving).

Heat a grill pan (or large skillet over high heat, adding 1 tablespoon oil per batch) over high; brush lightly with oil.

Season cutlets with salt and pepper.

Working in batches as necessary, cook until chicken is cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate  and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add mint, parsley and chives to the tomato mixture and stir.

Top chicken with tomato mixture,and serve.

 

Enjoy this easy dinner  Greek Chicken Cutlet recipe!

 

NOTE

For more easy dinner ideas, check out Martha Stewarts Everyday Food magazine or check out the link for some more easy recipes.

 

– The Gourmet Review

 

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09 . 20“Inside the Kitchen” at Wynn’s Mizumi

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas

Wynn Las Vegas does it again. Their over the top, jewell of a Japanese restaurant is Mizumi. What a dream dining experience, featuring a combination of  dazzling atmosphere and food.

The chef who transforms this movie setting every night is Executive Chef Devin Hashimoto, who provided  an “Inside the Kitchen” tour for The Gourmet Review not too long ago.

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas

Mizumi’s award winning Chef Devin is responsible for creating the “wow” factor for every dish. Is it culinary art or is it dinner? Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two.

Not surprising, when you realize that Chef Devin was named “Best Chef on The Strip” by Vegas Seven in the magazine’s 2012 Restaurant Awards issue.

 

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Integration of the outdoor water elements teeming with the sumptuous interior of the main dining and robatayaki  room, with the elegant red decor, is simply gorgeous. Hard to believe this is Las Vegas, when your table overlooks either a miniature lake, cascading waterfall, koi pond, pagoda or Japanese garden.

Of course, food is the star and you’ll find all the classic Japanese dishes here, including sashimi, sushi, robatayaki and teppanyaki. It’s always the details, though,  that make the difference. For example,  Chef Devin flies in the prized Binchotan wood, used for grilling, from Japan. The wood costs nearly $10,000 per month. I will attest that it is the secret for my favorite lemon grilled, skewered chicken wings, but how many restaurants go to such extremes?

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas

The menu is creative and mouth watering, as Chef Devin blends great food with artistic presentation. Honestly, the food looks like edible art. Sometimes I  feel a bit guilty disturbing my plate. Well, not guilty for too long, because the food itself is out of this world.

Most of all, the success of Mizumi is in the detail. Everywhere. The lobster for the Mizumi roll above is spiny lobster flown in from Australia, served sashimi style or whole. The live lobsters are kept in a tank in the kitchen. Nothing could be fresher.

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas

It’s hard to miss Chef”s passion for an authentic, yet modern, take on traditional Japanese food.

Dobin Miso Soup, pictured above, shows off Chef Devin’s artful take on miso soup.

Whether you try traditional sushi or simply order some of Chef’s signature creations, such as his 72 hour braised American Waagyu shortrib “kakuni,” with creamy satsuma potatoes, fava bean and red wine miso sauce,  you’ll be delighted. That was a mouthful to describe, but it gives you a visual of the food. Or, perhaps you’d like to try the Thai snapper flown in daily from Japan?

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas

So, where are you going to eat at Mizumi? I love the pagoda, next to the waterfall, that provides the setting for the the best rated table in Las Vegas. Lush landscaping abounds. If you can’t reserve the pagoda table,  ask to sit next to the sliding doors in the main dining room overlooking the pagoda.

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

I keep mentioning Chef Devin’s eye toward detail, whether it be the food or simply picking out the china for Mizumi. Look closely and note the traditional Japanese masks. Where else will you find a chef who thinks of transforming one of these masks into a chocolate, edible desert? That’s right. A dessert of pure white chocolate that matches one of the masks on the wall.

So, I’ll be back soon. Like other repeat guests, Chef Devin makes sure the guest experience is unforgettable, yet manages to shake up the menu enough to bring locals, as well as visitors, back again and again.

Don’t miss Mizumi on your next visit to Vegas!

 

P.S. Chef Devin has officially been added to my favorite chef list at the Wynn, along with Chef David from SW and the Lakeside, who gave us our first interview for The Gourmet Review, and Chef Theo from Sinatra, who introduced the youngster  to truffles. Check them out on The Gourmet Review.

 

– The Gourmet Review

NOTE

A great guest experience in an award winning restaurant is a team collaboration, according to Chef Devin. It’s the ambiance of luxuxrious surroundings, but most of all it’s the service from people going the extra mile.

When you first enter Mizumi, you encounter two of the best professionals at Wynn. General Manager Andrea Ung and Assistant General Manager Caroline  Soller. They will not only welcome you to dinner, but guarantee you’ll feel like family before you finish your evening.

Long time sommelier Louis Hamilton knows his wines and is a consumate professional. These are the faces of Mizumi, along with a fantastic group of wait staff, that make sure the restaurant lives up to Chef Devin’s culinary expectations.

Wynn Las Vegas

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Our kitchen tour with the “Blue Baker” included a a step by step demonstration on how to make sushi. Did you know that a proper sushi knife can cost up to $9,000? Pretty impressive. Thank you, Chef Masaru.

Mizumi 3 chefs

Here are the wonderful chefs showing us how to prepare our favorite grilled, skewered lemon chicken appetizer.These are only a few of the 30 chefs that work so hard at making the dining experience at Mizumi an unforgettable one.

Thank you for a great afternoon!

 

-The Gourmet Review.

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The Gourmet Review is a gourmet food blog featuring celebrity chef recipes, secret restaurant recipes, family favorite recipes and easy gourmet recipes, quickly becoming the best recipe blog for gourmet eating. TheGourmetReview.com also features the best luxury travel experiences, taking you "inside the kitchen" and "behind the scenes" through VIP Access at some of the top luxury travel hotels, be it the Wynn Resort Las Vegas, the Four Seasons hotels and Four Seasons Resorts or Singita's Private Game reserve in South Africa. If you are interested in a Wolfgang Puck chef interview, popular cocktail recipes with a gourmet twist, or a healthy recipes blog, we look forward to sharing a culinary journey with you from around the world.