FOOD • December 2016
Five foodie destinations worth crossing oceans for
If a table at a top restaurant no longer cuts it, then it’s time to venture out of your fine-dining comfort zone and seek out a new level of food-fuelled forays. The Club asked international gourmet Rachel Truman to pick the ultimate adventures for dedicated foodies
Lasso a lobster for lunch, the Caribbean
At the Four Seasons Resort Nevis intrepid diners join executive chef Samuel Faggetti and a local dive master on an expedition down into the depths of the Caribbean waters. Here you’re tasked with ‘lassoing’ (a traditional Nevisian technique) your own spiny lobster. Appetite piqued, diners return to a luxury beach cabana to savour a cocktail as Faggetti gets to work on the day’s catch. Participate or sit back and watch as the fresh-as-it-gets seafood feast is prepared in front of you.
Mouthwatering moment: Grilled lobster with the chef’s special sofrito (garlic, onion, paprika and tomatoes) marinade.
Hike a mountain for hearty Alpine cuisine, Switzerland
Clinging to a craggy cliff, the historic Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli (open May-November) is famed for its rib-sticking Swiss cuisine and convivial atmosphere. The only catch is you have to make it up the mountain to try it. Yet once you’ve ascended the steep cable car, clambered through dark caves and hiked the narrow mountain track, rarely have rösti, sausages, cold cuts and beer tasted so good.
Mouthwatering moment: That first hard-earned sip of cold beer on the terrace.
Riverside rainforest cuisine in the Amazon, Peru
When it comes to magical dining spots, Al Frio y Al Fuego takes some beating. Diners board a boat in the town of Iquitos and are paddled out on the Itaya River to this pretty floating restaurant, deep in the rainforest, to feast on local delicacies. The ceviches are a must, as is something from the parilla (open grill) and desserts made with native fruits. If the heat of the jungle gets too much, guests can cool off with a dip in the on-site pool, looking out for passing kingfishers as they wallow.
Mouthwatering moment: The local river fish, doncella. Try it carpaccio, grilled or with a prawn-and-octopus sauce.
Hi-tech theatrics meets culinary showmanship, Shanghai
Unorthodox chef Paul Pairet takes multi-sensory dining to new heights at ultra-cool Ultraviolet, a covert sort-of-supper-club that seats just 10. The surreal adventure starts the minute diners are collected at a meeting point and driven to a secret location to be presented with a sequence of sometimes bemusing, but always beautifully crafted, food courses. Pairet’s arresting flavour combinations are accompanied throughout by music, aromas, lighting and moving images on the walls of an all-white room.
Mouthwatering moment: The lemon tart guised as a whole lemon is pretty special.
Nordic fine dining in one of the world’s most remote restaurants, Sweden
Deep in the snow-swept depths of northern Sweden, dinner at Fäviken involves two flights and an hour’s drive to get there. It’s a mission to get a table too (there are just 16 seats) but it’s one worth pursuing, for what is a truly, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Dishes are dictated by the season and locality, but expect multiple courses of foraged ingredients (spruce, pine-tree bark), game (deer, moose) and seafood (scallops and clams) cooked in traditional ways.
Mouthwatering moment: Super-sized scallops cooked over burning juniper branches.
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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Destination