December 2014
The Ritz-Carlton, DohaESCAPE IT ALL IGNITION
The best travel itineraries Porsche 911 Turbo SSUITE DREAMS
An undiscovered surfers’ paradise
24 hours in the Thai capital
A gourmet revolution
CRUISE CONTROLOn the water in Cambodia
GRAPE EXPECTATIONSFrance’s Champagne region
TASTE OF MEXICO
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK
VIVA VIENNAGolden times in Austria
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Brisbane's must-dosSUMMER DAYS
MaldivesSurf the
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title SectionyContentsDecember 2014
On the cover
92Making waves
Luxury river cruises make hard-to-reach parts of
Southeast Asia accessible to intrepid visitors
68 Surfing the MaldivesBarrelling waves and fierce breaks make the Maldives a truly luxurious surfer’s paradise 82 Austrian revolutionFrom the Golden Quarter to Transdanubia, Vienna enters an exciting new era
92 Cruising IndochinaA five-star cruise around Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake blends culture and comfort 102 Best of Bangkok Navigate the chaos of modern Bangkok with our 24-hour guide to the Thai capital
108 Insider... Brisbane Queensland Theatre Company’s CEO Sue Donnelly leads us on a cultural tour
126 Pop culture For all its cultural nuances, France’s Champagne region is all about the bubbles
150 High roller Luxury motoring redefined with the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II
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Living the Moment in an Ocean of Bliss
For reservations and enquiries, please call +960 660 8888 email:[email protected] or contact your travel agency. Learn more at
Dusit Thani Maldives, PO Box 2188, Mudhdhoo Island, Baa Atoll, Republic of Maldives
Ocean Villa Benjarong Deck Spa Relaxation Area
Dusit Thani Maldives blends graceful Thai hospitality with the unparalleled setting of the Maldives. Encircled by white sandy beaches, a stunning 360 degree house reef and a turquoise lagoon, this luxurious resort is located on Mudhdhoo Island in Baa Atoll – the Maldives’ first ever UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
title Sectiony
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40 Europe New Alpine escapes; a presidential abode in Russia; Christmas in London
42 Middle East & Africa New luxe openings in Bahrain; beach club season in the UAE 46 Asia & OceaniaLuxury river cruises; chic boutiques in Thailand; a palace in the Maldives 50 Americas Caribbean jewels; Warhol pops up in Miami; taking off with Four Seasons
54 Debut Hot hotels, chic boutiques and exclusive new resorts
56 Diary This month’s pick of cultural events, from film festivals to festive balls
58 VIP A preview of the fifth edition of France’s Gucci Paris Masters
60 Interview Travel and the changing nature of luxury with Vertu’s Max Pogliani
136 EscapeThe best one-of-a-kind travel experiences money can buy 140 Essentials Nine watches for affluent travellers with all the time in the world
146 On the road Maserati and Ermenegildo Zegna present the world’s best-dressed car
156 Ignition Porsche’s 911 Turbo S is the result of 50 years of automotive wizardry
158 Set sail Two superyachts guaranteed to inspire a life on the open water
162 Suite dreams Checking into the Grand Amiri Suite at The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
In the news
156
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© 2014 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Let us be your haven in the heart of the city.
Let us introduce you to your new favourite gallery.
Let us reveal the secrets that only locals know.
Let us show you a side of Dubai you’ll never forget.
Discover Dubai at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre,with an upgrade to a suite during your weekend stay, just minutes fromDubai Mall and the nightlife of downtown. For reservations, please call+971 4 372 2555 or visit ritzcarlton.com/dubaiifc.
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ContentsDecember 2014
Gourmet travel112 Taste of... Mexico CitySomething’s cooking down Mexico way – a hotbed of culinary innovation 116 Restaurant news Sushi on the slopes in Switzerland; artisan sandwiches at Harrods
118 Gourmet journey Exploring Brussels’ best eateries with chef Christophe Hardiquest
120 Chef’s table Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar on the evolution of Indian cuisine
122 Spirit of travel Outlawed for years, Absinthe is one of Europe’s most decadent beverages
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40 Luxury travel news from around the world54 This month’s pick of new hotels56 A round-up of December’s top events58 VIP at the Gucci Paris Masters60 A chat with Vertu CEO, Max Pogliani
040W I N T E R WO N D E RSSwitzerland’s Gstaad Palace is one of several European hotels and resorts to boast a fresh new look this season
hOT EvENTS, NEW hOTElS aND glObal jETSETTERS
NewsDecember 2014
39 News Opener.indd 39 24/11/2014 12:31
Much fanfare surrounds St. Moritz ahead of the town’s 150th anniversary as the region’s first winter resort; a legacy that’s creating strong ripples as the 2014/2015 ski season gets underway. But there’s also a host of new openings elsewhere in Europe’s heartland — as it turns out, there is a huge selection of winter destinations with something to yodel about.
Gstaad Palace (above) will reopen this winter with a few interesting additions. The luxury Swiss Alpine hotel is introducing its first Ski Butler. The property’s newest team member will be busy throughout the season, greeting guests on the mountaintop with a hamper filled with sweet treats, savoury snacks and cheeses. He’ll even serve slope-side picnics, complete with champagne or glühwein (mulled wine).
Fresh from its centenary celebrations, the hotel also adds a new Penthouse Suite, comprising three bedrooms with spacious social areas, a rooftop Jacuzzi and sauna nestled into the turret of the property. If that’s not enough, there’s also the return of The Igloo Experience, whereby guests are offered their own igloo, complete with private Jacuzzi.
Cheval Blanc Courchevel reopens this season with the notable unveiling of a new Peter Marino-designed brasserie, The White, with a menu by Yannick Alléno. The resort also boasts the brand new Chalet by Sybille de Margerie, which has been rebuilt to double its size. The
three-bedroom suite now houses its own spa, along with an expansive outdoor area.
Not to be outdone, Lodge SLH, part of the new collection of private properties from Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is available from next month. The seven-room cabin in Méribel features a home cinema, hammam, resistence swimming pool, ski room and relaxation area.
Méribel’s Three Valleys resort will also welcome new luxe chalets courtesy of Powder White. One such addition is Chalet Patrice, which accommodates 24 people and is just a brief bus trip away to the Doron piste. Upon returning from a day on the slopes, the fireplace, terrace and outdoor hot tub should provide focal points for some après-ski.
On the cosier side, The Annabel features Savoyarde decor and offers access to one of its three bedrooms via a quirky hidden door in the living room bookcase. In nearby St. Anton, the winter-escape specialist has added the traditionally decorated Chalet Gerlinde, with its own sauna and four spacious bedrooms, which sleep up to eight guests.
Other new wintry highlights include Scott Dunn’s two new ski chalets slated for Val d’Isère this season. Named Husky and Jupiter, the pads sleep up to 14 and eight respectively, and also boast a climbing wall, as well as archery and rifle shooting facilities.
Alpine escapades in Europe
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Europe
Dolce & Gabbana at Claridge’s London’s Claridge’s looks to be celebrating the festive season in style with its chic new Christmas display. The hotel’s Dolce & Gabbana tree was installed on November 19, highlighting the special link between designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, and the Mayfair address. The tree is adorned with hundreds of hand-painted blown glass spheres that illustrate global landmarks in honour of Christmas traditions from around the world, and the surrounding ‘enchanted forest’ is teeming with woodland animals. This is the fifth year the hotel has invited a special design for its Christmas tree and the property’s second D&G edition.www.claridges.co.uk
Russia welcomed its first five-star hotel in 1875, when the ribbon was cut on Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg. Well over a century later, the hotel has unveiled six new suites, including the largest in the city. In addition to five Avant-Garde Suites, the new 250-square-metre Presidential Suite is accessible through a grand lobby, capped with a gold-leaf ceiling. Inside, the two-bedroom suite is replete with two marble bathrooms, a fitness centre, games room, library and its own hammam sauna. Perhaps the niftiest feature is the secret bookcase door that leads to one of the bedrooms — fitting when you consider the property featured in the 1995 James Bond film, GoldenEye. Known as Hotel Evropeiskaya during the Soviet era, the hotel reverted to its original name when it reopened in 1989, and added the Belmond prefix this year when owner Orient-Express became Belmond. www.belmond.com
Bigger is better at the Belmond
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44 December 2014 dotwnews.com
THERE is no short supply of superyachts in Dubai’s marinas, but new plans for a luxury yacht facility in the upcoming Dubai Maritime City district will surely help forge the city’s future nautical heritage. Boat-maker Gulf Craft has already pledged $100 million toward the 90,000-square-foot facility, which will be used for the manufacture of mega- and superyachts. CEO Erwin Bamps claims the supersized shipyard will be a boost to the global yachting business worldwide, o�ering even larger superyachts to buyers around the globe when it becomes fully operational two to three years from now.
Dubai’s new berth-place
AS THE northern hemisphere wraps up tight and reaches for the thermostat, it’s a di�erent story in the Middle East. December is prime beach season in the UAE and a selection of new and improved beach clubs have recently opened their doors to entice sun worshippers.
England cricketer Kevin Pietersen is backing Eden Beach Club (inset), which opens this month at Rixos Palm Jumeirah. The MBE award-winner, who already has a Dubai cricket academy to his name, recently took to Instagram with a picture of the venue, heralding its upcoming arrival.
Further down the coast, Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Beach Club (above) has assumed a new identity. The former Monte-Carlo Beach Club on Saadiyat Island relaunched in September with updated facilities within its 39,500-square-metre grounds, having shed its Monégasque a�liation.
Anyone familiar with the emirate’s beach clubs will know that Conrad Dubai opened up Purobeach Urban Oasis last year. Now the Purobeach brand is set to expand further — to the other side of town in fact, in Jebel Ali. The Mallorca-based club concept, complete with Balinese cabanas, butler service, massages and resident DJ, is expected to open at the JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort in August 2015.
Life’s a beach
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Create a thousand timeless moments
in a luxury desert oasis
Unwind in palatial comfort surrounded by the towering sand dunes of Abu Dhabi’s legendary Liwa desert in Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara. Follow in the footsteps of the ancient Bedouin on exciting desert escapades, rejuvenate body and mind with indulgent spa experiences and dine on mouth-watering cuisine as you admire the breathtaking views. Escape to a luxurious desert retreat that blends epic Arabian adventure with tranquil splendour and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Rates start from AED 1,400* per night including breakfast.
*Rates are subject to 10% service charge and 6% tourism fee. Subject to availability.
United Arab Emirates • Cambodia • China • Indonesia • Maldives • Mozambique • Thailand • Vietnam
Embark on a journey rich with discovery atanantara.comCall +971 (0)2 656 1399 oremail [email protected] enquiries and reservations.
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Vertu CEO Massimilano Pogliani is switched on to the personal nature of luxury
It’s not every day you see a CEO excitedly tweeting about being in the Burj Al Arab, but Massimilano (“Max”) Pogliani is not your typical CEO. He shakes my hand and offers a
warm smile before quickly glancing back down at the screen of his Vertu phone. “I started [Twitter] very late because I didn’t have the time before, but I really do believe in digital; to create an emotional connection with consumers,” he explains.
“Your product should not only be admired by those who can buy it; you need people to aspire to it as well,” he adds while firing off another 140-character update — and making sure my Twitter handle was verified and followed.
His idea of luxury follows a similar vein: “Luxury is ultimately a personal thing; you do it for you.” Perhaps this is why he was so successful at Nespresso, championing the label into a premium coveted coffee brand before moving to Vertu as CMO in November of 2012 (and becoming CEO in June the following year).
Pogliani’s passion for communication is obvious, so his business acumen seems to be in the right place. High-end smartphones are the jewels of Vertu’s product crown — objects painstakingly handmade in England using all manner of materials including leather and carbon-fibre, as well as collaborations from companies such as Bentley, Ferrari, Bang & Olufsen and the London Symphony Orchestra (high-end phones need top-notch ringtones, after all).
Luckily, Pogliani’s thirst for communication goes hand in hand with his love of travel, preferring to live as locals do to attain as real a viewpoint of a city as possible. Here, he shares some fond travel memories, his views on the ever-changing definition of luxury and of course, those phones.
Why do you think people choose to indulge in luxury smartphones?For me, luxury is something to use, wear and touch. You wouldn’t buy a bespoke suit just to keep it in the wardrobe forever, so the same applies to our phones. The materials ensure our phones are durable; materials that also make them luxury products. Also, how many times do we use our smartphones? The intensity of use is far more than probably any other luxury product out there.
Why are these phones so popular given that new mobile technology is so fleeting?People look for really unique products and Vertu focuses on two things: firstly, this technology, which is fast-changing as you mentioned, and luxury, which is very slow-paced. We try to find an equilibrium between the two — quality materials, service and technology. I wouldn’t say technology is the reason you buy a Vertu phone, though the technology must be there, but with all the other phones, technology is the finish line. We keep going with the quality of build, with everything handmade in London, and the addition of the concierge service. Yes, the technology will probably change in two or three years but in recent years there hasn’t been anything groundbreaking. You could still continue to use an iPhone 5S for example, but people can upgrade to a bigger screen if they wanted to. They change because they need to get another model out there.
What happened to Vertu’s ongoing collaborative relationship with Nokia?In the last years, when we were linked to Nokia, the technology was a little slower and our customers
Interview: Rebecca Haddad
Up close and personal
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Interview
were asking why. If you become the most expensive looking product, it isn’t the right thing to do, so we kept the materials and put a powerful smartphone inside, and added the service. It’s like the combination of a safe — it’s unique and there is only one way to unlock its success.
What do you say to critics who claim your phones are ‘showy’ novelties?Have a look at our range now. I don’t deny the past because the situation was different back then. There were no ‘smartphones’, so the technology was different. And the approach to luxury was ostentatious, so all brands were doing more ‘blingy’ objects. Now, the approach to technology and to luxury has changed. People want things that are bold with a touch of class. Understated class. The launch of our new Aster phone (above) is very understated compared to the models in the past, which were very showy.
You must travel a fair bit in your line of work. Yes, and thank goodness I can keep in contact with everyone at any time around the world.
Any stand-out destinations for you?It’s hard to say. When I travel, I try to live the local way of life. I like every place I go because I make
connections whom I connect with again next time, and you start getting more local experiences. This makes the travel part of my job a little more intimate and less stressful because you aren’t always ‘switched on’. I also think it is important to have this attitude — you wouldn’t go to somewhere like Shanghai and eat at an Italian restaurant.
Is there ever a time you get tired of the constant jetsetting?I have to say that I really enjoy moving around, from New York one day, then to London, then Paris and then Italy, where I am from.
What’s a fond travel experience you’ve had recently?If I think of all the destinations I’ve been, I have a special memory from each. On this trip for example, I was just in New York where I had two dinners at Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park, which is a place that I knew before, so that was a really special memory.
What else do you consider an indulgence when you travel?My treat is when I can spare some time to go back to these places and stay with people I have met; getting back to the personal side of luxury. n
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68 The secret surf culture of the Maldives82 Vienna enters a new golden era92 Cruising Cambodia’s Tonle Sap in style102 Discover Bangkok in a 24-hour stopover108 An insider’s guide to Brisbane
068i n to t h e b lu eThe Maldives isn’t just about peaceful lagoons and luxe beach villas, it’s also home to a thriving surf scene
Destinations
the world’s most desirable locations
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Maldives
68 December 2014 dotwnews.com
Forget about spas and overwater villas, the real Maldives can be found amid the roaring breaks that make the archipelago one of Asia’s best surfing destinations
R I D I N G T H E W A V E
Words: Cain Nunns
MALDIVES
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Maldives
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It’s hard to imagine now, but the Maldives was once a tourism black hole. Set adrift as an inward-looking and impoverished banana republic, this 1,200-odd island nation in the Indian Ocean had a reputation for dishing up distrusting receptions for the lonely intrepid
tourist in search of sun, water, sand, and more sun.But in dire straits such as these, sometimes all it takes
is for one man, either through natural providence or sheer dumb luck, to kick down the door. Enter that man: in 1973, Tony Hinde, an adventure-seeking Australian surfer, was hitching a ride on a yacht bound from Sri Lanka to South Africa. That yacht didn’t get very far, breaking apart on one of Maldives’ technicolour reefs leaving Hinde, his best friend and the ship’s monkey to literally pick up the pieces.
Months of backbreaking salvage work later, Hinde was kicking back on a blindingly white palm-curtained beach when sets of pounding surf started peeling over
the reef. The southern swells had arrived, and with them a Eureka moment: Asia’s last great surfing destination had been discovered.
That was enough for the swashbuckling Sydneysider, who ended up staying in the Maldives, learning the local language, converting to Islam and marrying a local girl. Hinde would eventually die in his adopted home after suffering a heart attack on a wave about 30 minutes from the capital of Malé. His friends say that’s how he would have wanted to go out — in the ocean and secure in the knowledge that he had built the surfing industry from the water up.
Today, the Maldives produces some of Asia’s most consistent surf, known for easy take-offs, long rides and bath-temperature swells. “We’ve been telling the Ministry of Tourism that surfing is a product that needs to be managed. It’s not the 1970s anymore, when it was all about freedom and love. It’s critical to make a sustainable product, by
68-78 Maldives.indd 70 24/11/2014 12:11
It’s hard to imagine now, but the Maldives was once a tourism black hole. Set adrift as an inward-looking and impoverished banana republic, this 1,200-odd island nation in the Indian Ocean had a reputation for dishing up distrusting receptions for the lonely intrepid
tourist in search of sun, water, sand, and more sun.But in dire straits such as these, sometimes all it takes
is for one man, either through natural providence or sheer dumb luck, to kick down the door. Enter that man: in 1973, Tony Hinde, an adventure-seeking Australian surfer, was hitching a ride on a yacht bound from Sri Lanka to South Africa. That yacht didn’t get very far, breaking apart on one of Maldives’ technicolour reefs leaving Hinde, his best friend and the ship’s monkey to literally pick up the pieces.
Months of backbreaking salvage work later, Hinde was kicking back on a blindingly white palm-curtained beach when sets of pounding surf started peeling over
the reef. The southern swells had arrived, and with them a Eureka moment: Asia’s last great surfing destination had been discovered.
That was enough for the swashbuckling Sydneysider, who ended up staying in the Maldives, learning the local language, converting to Islam and marrying a local girl. Hinde would eventually die in his adopted home after suffering a heart attack on a wave about 30 minutes from the capital of Malé. His friends say that’s how he would have wanted to go out — in the ocean and secure in the knowledge that he had built the surfing industry from the water up.
Today, the Maldives produces some of Asia’s most consistent surf, known for easy take-offs, long rides and bath-temperature swells. “We’ve been telling the Ministry of Tourism that surfing is a product that needs to be managed. It’s not the 1970s anymore, when it was all about freedom and love. It’s critical to make a sustainable product, by
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Surf’s up(above) The Four Seasons Explorer
takes thrillseeking surfers to some of the best breaks (right) in
the Maldives
Adrenaline rush (previous page)
A surfer takes on a challenging
wave during a Four Seasons Explorer trip
Maldives
dotwnews.com December 2014 71
limiting the numbers and charging a higher premium. Everyone wins. It’s a much better system,” says Ashley Hinde of Atoll Adventures, who took over the management of his father’s high-end surf outfit after his father passed away.
Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa is a traditional Maldivian village-inspired bolthole, just 25 minutes by speedboat from the cramped capital, in the North Malé Atoll. Tropical flowers scent the sugar beaches and curious green turtles ring its stunning reef. The resort is also the epicentre of the high-end Maldives surfing product.
From here, there are a plethora of quality waves just minutes away. Pasta Point, Ninjas, Jailbreak, Chickens and Colas (or Cokes), Honkys and Sultans round o� the colourfully named bucket list. Separated by about a metre, Sultans is a curling right-hander and one of the country’s best, while Honkys, an eight-foot barrel with lightening-quick inside sections, breaks in the opposite direction.
“There is nothing sadder than meeting a surfer who used to surf. I was that guy for too long,” says Cody Hamilton, a 48-year-old hedge fund manager from San Francisco, who gave up chasing an endless summer in has late twenties to chase the crush of money flooding into Silicon Valley tech start-ups.
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Nick WaltoN sets sail aboard the newly launched AquA Mekong, a luxury river cruiser that offers intrepid travellers the chance to discover more about the
places and people of cambodia’s tonle sap lake district
the lake of life
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I t’s a truly unique scene, as an elderly Buddhist monk, shrouded in brilliant crimson robes and wreathed by a trio of wide-eyed novices, chants a blessing incantation that resounds across the still water. In the floating villages of Cambodia’s
Tonle Sap Lake, nothing is permanent; everything ebbs and flows relentlessly with the movement of the life-bringing waters, including this pint-sized floating temple, which rocks back and forth with each pass of bumblebee-like longtail boats. Chanting complete, and prayers for seasonal rains and safe passage finished, passengers of the Aqua Mekong river cruiser board their modern skis and, with a final wave, make for the setting sun. It’s a magical way to end a day on Cambodia’s Great Lake.
Tonle Sap isn’t a new destination; it’s been on the backpacker route for many years, its lively floating villages providing the perfect day trip contrast to the temple ruins of Angkor Wat. But the launch of Aqua Mekong, Aqua Expeditions’ newest expeditionary ship, heralds a luxurious new era for the lake and for the Mekong River on which the ship cruises on three-, four- and seven-night itineraries between Siem Reap
and Saigon. Sleek, intimate, and unashamedly modern, Aqua Mekong boasts a unique marriage of adventure and comfort, oering discerning travellers a new way to explore this expansive body of water. And the new cruises come at the perfect time, as large-scale hydroelectric projects under construction in northern Cambodia and Laos, scheduled to come online over the next decade, threaten to alter this unique landscape forever.
You couldn’t find a better waterway in Asia for cruising. A vast inland sea fed by snow melt from the mighty Himalayas and in turn draining into its own namesake tributary, the waters of which link up with the Mekong, Tonle Sap is a crucial ecosystem, with over one million people living on its banks or in its floating communities. It’s one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, a vast basin with a water level that changes rapidly and dramatically with the passing seasons, its fishing hamlets retreating to the new shoreline during the flood season and, during the dry season when we visit, to deeper waters.
The 20-suite Aqua Mekong may be a luxury ship, but cultural immersion is at the heart of the experience, thanks in part to the vision of the ship’s owner, Italian-American adventurer Francesco Galli Zugaro, who
Cultural discoveries (clockwise from above) Aqua Mekong’s itinerary factors in plenty of stops to take in Tonle Sap’s lakeside life, while back on board the sta� are more than happy to share their own local knowledge
Cruise control (opposite and previous page) Aqua Mekong a�ords intrepid travellers a taste of waterborne luxury, with hotel-standard facilities
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Mexico city From lively mescal bars to the reinvention of traditional dishes, there’s a culinary revolution taking place in Mexico’s frenetic capital
Taste of...
Words: Nicholas Gill
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Mexico city From lively mescal bars to the reinvention of traditional dishes, there’s a culinary revolution taking place in Mexico’s frenetic capital
Taste of...
Words: Nicholas Gill
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Frutas del Este, Biko Pujol's Enrique Olvera
If I were to make a list of the world’s great food cities, I’d probably name Paris or Tokyo as the top spot. Without question though, Mexico City would also be on that list. While the city’s gritty mercados (markets), street-side taquerias and lively cantinas have long been on the world’s culinary radar, its fine-dining scene has grown exponentially in the past decade.
Not long ago the best restaurants in the Distrito Federal (D.F.), a district of 21 million people, were branches of international restaurants like Paris’ Au Pied de Cochon or various New York steakhouses. Those days are gone. Today there are several modern Mexican restaurants included on Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list, and local top chefs are becoming global food celebrities.
Instead of recreating the restaurant scene of North American cities, a growing number of contemporary Mexican chefs, such as Pujol’s Enrique Olvera, have begun redefining what Mexican cuisine can be. With an eye toward the thousands of years of culinary history that make up the country’s highly diverse regional cuisines, a network of farmers and fishermen, many of them indigenous, are being pulled into the spotlight. Their ancestral methods of production, which often prized flavour over quantity, are being revisited. Chefs, many trained in the Michelin-starred kitchens of the US and Europe, are looking beyond the standard recipe set of chili peppers, beans and pork for more unusual
fare like huitlacoche (corn fungus) or escamoles (ant larvae), which were once limited to the kitchens of grandmothers in tiny rural villages in far-off states and are now being paired with Valle de Guadalupe wines on three-hour tasting menus.
The renewed interest in cuisine has helped remake entire neighbourhoods, like up-and-coming La Roma or the bohemian Coyoacán. In once-decrepit colonial buildings in Centro Histórico, you can now find upscale mescal bars with 50 varieties of the artisanal spirit organised by type of agave, production method and the village from whence it came — something unheard of 10 years ago when the drink was seen as an inferior version of tequila. In posh barrios (neighbourhoods) like Condesa or Polanco, you cannot walk a block without finding an innovative restaurant that bases its refined menu on products from Baja, such as chef Jair Téllez’s MeroToro, or boutique hotels with a restaurant serving contemporary versions of traditional dishes, such as Martha Ortiz’s Dulce Patria.
Of course, my favourite bites from a trip to Mexico City might still be those tacos al pastor at El Huequito, a dive that has been around since the late ’50s, or a soulful green pozole from the state of Guerrero at the classic Pozolería Tizka. Yet every time I visit the city, my options only increase to the point where I can never keep up with every great new restaurant that opens. It’s a dilemma I revel in.
Quintonil restaurant
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112-115 Taste Of...indd 113 24/11/2014 11:52
Taste of...
114 December 2014 dotwnews.com
THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN mExIco cITy Experience the finest local cuisine at these top fine-dining spots in the D.F.
Pujol Francisco Petrarca 254, PolancoNo single chef can be credited with introducing the world to modern Mexican cuisine more than Enrique Olvera and his restaurant Pujol. Armed with a degree from the top cooking school in the United States, Olvera returned to Mexico City with high ambitions and has followed through with most of them, which is why his modern Polanco restaurant has been a mainstay on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, where it currently stands at number 20. His signature dish arrives first on the seven-course dinner tasting menu: a hollowed-out pumpkin filled with the smoke of charred corn leaves and a baby corn that has been dipped in costeño chile mayonnaise, powdered chicatana ant and coffee. What follows is an adventurous exploration of Mexican ingredients and culinary history. Olvera’s name has attained such a level of global recognition that his restaurant in New York, Cosme, was booked solid for three months even before it opened. Tel: +52 55 5545 4111www.pujol.com.mx
MaxiMo Bistrot localCalle Tonalá 133, Colonia RomaChef Eduardo García’s laid-back restaurant in a former medical supply store made world headlines when the daughter of high-ranking government official, nicknamed Lady Profeco, tried to have the restaurant shut down in 2013 after she couldn’t get a good table at the popular restaurant, which blends Mexican ingredients with contemporary French and European techniques. The backlash on social media from loyal clientele was so severe that the president had to step in and investigate the abuse of power, which ultimately lead to her father’s dismissal. The incident only increased the restaurant’s popularity. García, who previously worked at Pujol and New York’s Le Bernardin, explores the city’s markets for his seasonal menus that change almost daily. With his wife and business partner Gabriela López-Cruz, he recently opened a high-end pizzeria and café called Lalo! directly across the street from Maximo.Tel: +52 55 5264 4291maximobistrot.com.mx
QuintonilNewton 55, PolancoThe unassuming Quintonil on a tiny Polanco street would have possibly gone unnoticed when it opened in 2012 if the public didn’t start talking about the young chef, formerly of Pujol, who has been pushing Mexican cuisine to new heights. Sourcing directly from small-scale producers, chef Jorge Vallejo is best known for exploring traditional Mexican ingredients and recipes and spinning them out into new forms. One day he might serve his homemade mole with squash, charred tortillas and basil sprouts or prepare Swiss chard tamale with raisin puree, sour cream and macadamia nuts. Pulque, a low-alcohol drink that dates to the time of the Aztecs and is made from fermented maguey sap, may even appear as a demi-glace with dried chilies over Wagyu beef. Despite the playful menu and service as refined as any top restaurant in the Americas, Quintonil maintains a relatively simple and carefree atmosphere.Tel: +52 55 5280 2680www.quintonil.com
BikoPresidente Masaryk 407, PolancoThe minimalist Biko is a rare restaurant indeed. It’s perhaps the only fine-dining restaurant where you might encounter indigenous Mexican ingredients like amaranth and huauzontle on the same menu as foie gras cotton candy. Chefs Mikel Alonso, born in Biarritz, France, and Bruno Oteiza of San Sebastián, consider themselves Basque, yet the two have lived in Mexico for more than a decade, first meeting while working at Tezka Zona Rosa, a Mexico City restaurant consulted by legendary Basque chef Juan Mari Arzak. The pair thrives on using Mexican ingredients in ways that few other chefs have ever attempted, such as updating street cart pork cheeks with colorful splashes of avocado cream and crispy chicharrón (pork crackling), or imaginatively applying modernist Basque techniques to dishes. The merging of these two great culinary traditions is the reason why Biko was ranked number 59 on this year’s list of world’s best restaurants. Tel: +52 55 5282 2064www.biko.com.mx
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136 This month’s best luxury travel itineraries140 Timepieces for discerning world travellers146 Maserati teams up with Ermenegildo Zegna150 Introducing the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II156 A thrill ride in the Porsche 911 Turbo S158 Dynamic yacht design on the high seas162 Grand Amiri Suite at The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
136CA R I B B E A N H I D E AWAYTreat yourself to a $198,000, five-night stay for you and up to seven friends at Viceroy Anguilla in 2015
Spend It
ONCE-IN-A-lIfEtImE tRAvEl ExpERIENCEs
135 Spend It Opener.indd 135 24/11/2014 12:00
facetimeAs you criss-cross the globe for business or pleasure, keep track of your movements with these most exclusive multi-time zone watches, which have style and functionality all mapped out
BREGUET CLASSIQUE HORA MUNDI 5717A piece that is ahead of its time in both design and functionality, this watch comes in three face variants: the Americas, Europe and Africa, or Asia and Oceania. Aesthetics aside, this piece also boasts the first instant-jump time zone display complication, which means the wearer can easily display the time in two preselected time zones, changing instantly from one to the other at the press of a button. CHF 77,000 (US $79,541) www.breguet.com
140-144 Products.indd 140 25/11/2014 12:34
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Essentials
ULYSSE-NARDIN MOONSTRUCK Limited to 500 pieces, available in platinum or red-gold casing with an alligator leather strap, this watch measures moon phases and tracks the date and time of a second time zone. The painstakingly hand-painted dial displays the world as seen from above the North Pole. Price upon request www.ulysse-nardin.com
PATEK PHILIPPE MENCOMPLICATION Available in eastern and western hemispheres, this Patek Philippe timepiece combines classic style with the modern demands of a world-time watch. Twenty-four time zones are clearly indicated on the dial, as is night and day. Aesthetic details including a leather strap and 18-carat white gold dial plate exhude timeless style. CHF 53,800 ($55,482)www.patek.com
140-144 Products.indd 141 25/11/2014 12:34
The Rolls-Royce story is one of triumph over the ordinary and the everyday. Rolls-Royce founder Sir Henry Royce famously told his employees to, “Strive for perfection in everything we do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it.” It’s a mantra that is still taken seriously today at the company’s headquarters in Goodwood, England, where an army of engineers, technicians, carpenters, leather workers and other craftsmen work tirelessly to make the handmade vehicles for which the company is famous.
Taking the best that exists and making it better was exactly what was required when Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that the time had come for a new version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, a car launched in 2009 to present an alternative to the flagship Phantom range for affluent drivers and business leaders who were prepared to invest in a brand synonymous with luxury. This autumn, just five years after the first Ghost was handed over, the Series II was born.
At a launch event at One&Only The Palm Dubai resort, where six handmade Ghost Series II cars are on display, Sergio Landolt, the product manager for the Ghost range, presents his new creation like a father introducing a new child. The Series II is an evolution, not revolution, of the previous model, he explains, with a series of improvements and additions that are mostly technological and aesthetic rather than performance driven; enhancements based on consumer demand and feedback from owners. Many of the new additions are invisible, such as the satellite-aided transmission, which determines which gear you should be in based on the profile of the road ahead, so as not to disturb the equilibrium of the drive. A stable driving experience is the cornerstone of the Rolls-Royce proposition.
Words: Joe Mortimer
150-155 Rolls-Royce.indd 150 24/11/2014 11:58
The Rolls-Royce story is one of triumph over the ordinary and the everyday. Rolls-Royce founder Sir Henry Royce famously told his employees to, “Strive for perfection in everything we do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it.” It’s a mantra that is still taken seriously today at the company’s headquarters in Goodwood, England, where an army of engineers, technicians, carpenters, leather workers and other craftsmen work tirelessly to make the handmade vehicles for which the company is famous.
Taking the best that exists and making it better was exactly what was required when Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that the time had come for a new version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, a car launched in 2009 to present an alternative to the flagship Phantom range for affluent drivers and business leaders who were prepared to invest in a brand synonymous with luxury. This autumn, just five years after the first Ghost was handed over, the Series II was born.
At a launch event at One&Only The Palm Dubai resort, where six handmade Ghost Series II cars are on display, Sergio Landolt, the product manager for the Ghost range, presents his new creation like a father introducing a new child. The Series II is an evolution, not revolution, of the previous model, he explains, with a series of improvements and additions that are mostly technological and aesthetic rather than performance driven; enhancements based on consumer demand and feedback from owners. Many of the new additions are invisible, such as the satellite-aided transmission, which determines which gear you should be in based on the profile of the road ahead, so as not to disturb the equilibrium of the drive. A stable driving experience is the cornerstone of the Rolls-Royce proposition.
Words: Joe Mortimer
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Rolls -RoyceG h o s t s e r i e s i i
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158-160 Yachting.indd 158 24/11/2014 08:31
Sail away
158-160 Yachting.indd 158 24/11/2014 08:31
dotwnews.com December 2014 159
Year: 2013 (refit)Length: 35 mBeam: 8.1 m Draught: 2.0 mCruise speed: 14 knotsPrice: from EUR 98,000 ($124,741) per week www.arcadiayachts.it
ON THE WATER THIS MONTHANTiguA CHARTER YACHT SHOWDecember 5–11Antigua, West Indieswww.antiguayachtshow.com
SAlON NAuTiquE iNTERNATiONAl dE PARiSDecember 6–14Paris, Francewww.salonnautiqueparis.com
ROlEx SYdNEY TO HObART YACHT RACEDecember 26–29Sydney and Hobart, Australiawww.rolexsydneyhobart.com
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ARCADIA 115 ARCADIA YACHTSBetter known as M Ocean, this vessel packages a playful, fun personality into a shell that means business. Twelve guests can kick back in five stateroom cabins, with a full-beam master bedroom and spacious bathroom complete with Jacuzzi making the owner’s cabin that little bit more luxe. Chrome mirror detailing, panoramic windows and light furnishings magnify the communal spaces, and create an edgy, minimalist aesthetic that doesn’t attempt to outshine the stunning ocean views outside. A roomy al fresco entertainment area with bar, second Jacuzzi and sun bed area has your lazy afternoons sorted, with two jet skis and two jet bobs at your disposal should you prefer an afternoon of thrills on the water.
158-160 Yachting.indd 159 24/11/2014 08:31
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