Italian Renaissance art is widely recognized and appreciated around the world, but the importance of its artistic workshops or botteghe is often underestimated.  The bottega was a cooperative venture for producing the commissions of wealthy patrons or institutional clients.  It physically resembled a typical artist’s workshop, but was also a functioning shop where finished products were displayed. 

A bottega was established by a master artist or maestro dell’arte who accepted and trained young apprentices or garzoni for periods of several months to many years.  The garzoni performed menial tasks until they proved themselves talented enough to learn the art of their master by copying and collaborating on his works.  This system increased a master’s productivity and also resulted in the preservation and transfer of skills to the next generation of artists. 
This tradition was clearly in the mind of Luca Appino, a chef and entrepreneur from the Piemonte region of Italy, when he established La Bottega di Luca, an upscale Italian grocer that later morphed into his well-loved casual fine dining venue.  Over its 14-year history, La Bottega has seen hundreds of recipes created and products transformed by various chefs.  Marco Avesani, who is from Verona, recently became the latest Head Chef entrusted with building on this tradition of excellence.

The third post Covid19 lunch was yet another great success.  Generous and unflappable host Dave Hallam and Chef K. Duandern made this a truly enjoyable lunch for the 19 gourmands attending this venue now for a sixth time.  

With a refreshing white wine as aperitif, Terlan Winkl Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (Terlano, Italy) commended by wine spokesman Jake Meerman, diners devoured the cold cuts and anchovies with relish (food spokesman Jim Morrison was very impressed) before assembling at the long table for the first course of a Terrine of Pork, Duck & Foie Gras.  

This was a hearty start to the meal and I was grateful that the terrine had not been encased in Melton Mowbray style hot water crust pastry.  

Accompanying this we found Terlan Gewürztraminer 2018 (Terlano, Italy), an excellent full bodied dry wine from Alto Adige which did not attract as many compliments as I thought it deserved.  Jake, a red-blooded non-PC Aussie, went so far as to say with tongue in cheek it was a girl’s wine.
The next dish demonstrated Chef Duandern’s skills in abundance.  This was beautifully cooked Brittany Cod, tomato and cardamom; the fish was a huge chunk of tasty cod with bok choy and a delicate sauce. ​

After three months of abstinence we resumed B&B lunches of course at Chesa, home for the Club, and it turned out to be a great homecoming. 

Though numbers were restricted to acknowledge that social distancing is still in force, 16 gourmands assembled to dine and wine in style.  

Our aperitif, Alma Cuvée Franciacorta Brut Bellavista NV (Brecia, Italy), is set to become a Club favourite; one-third the cost of a Champagne, it is a delicious, predominantly Chardonnay sparkler with an elegant, lush mouth feel and earned compliments from Danny Arn, wine spokesman and white wine aficiando.   

Dining commenced with an amuse bouche, an Irish oyster enhanced with Whitcraft-style relish, presented on a golden mat.

It was followed by a colourful and tasty dish, White Shrimp Bolognaise topped with Slow Cooked Pork Belly and Grilled Pacific Scallop, found by food spokesman John MacTaggart to be excellent, with the pork having been slow cooked for 18 hours.  

With this came Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (Nelson, NZ), a very typical NZ SB, and said by a Vivino critic to be “very crisp and clean. Apples and lime come through on the [sic] pallets”.  Our bottles arrived in a carton and were enjoyed especially by Danny.

Innovating your offers and changing the way one operates are key elements in this challenging time globally, most notably for the restaurant industry. R-HAAN has done it once again by launching a ‘Ready to Cook’ delivery service.

R-HAAN and renowned Chef Chumpol Jangprai has prepared a repertoire of Thai dishes. All the required ingredients are packed in a special box for everyone to enjoy cooking at home. The box comes with a cooking manual too. With one quick scan of the QR code, everyone at home can watch a cooking video of Chef Chumpol himself. He will go through the vital steps to prepare the dish, from wok to plate.

If R-HAAN is not a familiar name to you, let us recap briefly. 

R-HAAN is a fine dining establishment founded by Khun “Todd” Piti Bhirom Bhakdi and Chef Chumpol Jangprai. As a dynamic duo, they advocate the wisdom of Thai cuisine under the concept ‘Nai Nam Mee Pla, Nai Na Mee Khao’. There are fishes in the water and rice in the fields, a saying that speaks to the great abundance and fertility of the Thai kingdom. R-HAAN is a 2-star Michelin restaurant as well.

In the early 1950s some members of the wine industry in Adelaide commenced the cheerful habit of lunching on Fridays. Most would bring a bottle of wine masked in a paper bag for the comments of their peers. Comments were some times more hilarious than accurate. They met informally at the Imperial Hotel and, on 1st April, 1954, the first official meeting of The Foundation Club, later to become known as Beefsteak & Burgundy. 

Today, the organisation currently has nearly 200 chapters (155 in Australia and about 20 are in Asia). In 2002, a few friends led by Robert Jenkins decided to seek support from Adelaide HQ for Bangkok to form its own B&B Chapter. Those friends, including Peter Williams, Brad McElroy, and Graham Storah, were often to be found in The Blue Barbeque, Sukhumvit Soi 33 (sadly long since closed).

Currently, President Tom Whitcraft, Winemaster Thomas Boedinger, and Foodmaster Thomas Nowak arrange a lunch to be held on each first Tuesday of the month unless an unavoidable incident such as Covid-19 causes a lunch to be skipped. 15 to 20 diners sit down to a set lunch normally featuring red meat and at least four different wines and held at a venue willing to waive corkage. Members pay an annual membership fee and special price; guests pay a little more. The Club provides the wine at cost and members take it in turn to compliment or very occasionally disparage the food and wine.

R-Haan recently rolled out a comprehensive food delivery program that is driven by passion and with a meticulous quality control plan that is in lock-step with the current situation we are facing globally. 

R-Haan and Chef Pom Chinese Cuisine By Todd teamed up cohesively to roll out lunch and dinner delivery sets - with a compelling difference. 

What sets this initiative apart is the meticulous quality control plan put in place swiftly. From the acceptance of ingredients, to the treatment and washing before cooking right down to the final step of food delivery, every precaution is taken and every extra mile required is executed. 
In R-Haan, daily temperature checks of every kitchen staff is taken before every shift. Personal hygiene is the utmost priority. All kitchen equipment are sanitized deeply and thoroughly, in sync with industrial standards. R-Haan even handles the food delivery with their own team. A dedicated delivery truck is on standby daily. 

 All the flavors, flair and energy of The Big Apple with beautifully prepared steaks, chops, seafood specialties and great wines

Steakhouses have always occupied the upper ranks of a city’s dining scene. It’s a reflection of the outstanding quality of their basic ingredients and the expertise of their chefs, of course, but also a recognition of a raft of other factors invariably expected of such a restaurant, from décor and atmosphere to service and reliability. Get it wrong and you don’t last. But when you get it right, you become a legend.
 
Such is the case with the New York Steakhouse at the JW Marriott Bangkok. Around for two decades, this classy restaurant with its unique mood has certainly stood the test of the time. Its unchanging dark wood furniture, handsome oversized chairs and magical photos of American cities evoking images of a traditional Manhattan steakhouse remain as popular as when it first opened.
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In Bangkok’s revolving door of restaurants, New York Steakhouse show it’s not always necessary to change the furniture or decoration to be loved. 

Over the years, the restaurant’s menu has continually evolved, thanks to access to new and better products, as well as different cooking techniques and culinary inventions. Today, Executive Chef Kevin B. Thomson from England ensures New York Steakhouse’s reputation is upheld with his passion for culinary excellence and eye for detail. He loves nothing more than explaining to diners the merits of his meats and offering recommendations.
 
Underneath it all, though, New York Steakhouse remains true to origins – a restaurant serving premium cuts of USDA certified, grain-fed meat from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the US and cooked with care for absolute perfection. That’s not all, of course. Also served are some interesting local options and fresh seafood specialties.
 
One of the restaurant’s amazing Martinis is a great way to start a meal here. Then enjoy a big freshly baked bread presented in four different flavors, followed by a traditional appetizer or two like Clam Chowder, Shrimp Cocktail, House-smoked Salmon and Caesar Salad. Do try the Grilled Hokkaido Scallops served with a truffle sauce and the pan-fried Foie Gras with Port wine sauce. They’re outrageously delicious. Another must is the Baked US Lobster filled with mushrooms and cheese.