After his culinary skills were put to the test, Felix beat 40 other contestants to win a culinary competition held in Changi Prison Complex on Tuesday (July 19). The 35-year-old's dish even caught the attention of Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who described his Hainanese steamed chicken rice as "delicious and flavourful". Organised in partnership with.
Beppe DeVito, Chef-restaurateur and founder of il Lido Group
The man behind some of Singapore’s buzziest dining concepts wears many hats. Beppe De Vito, founder and owner of il Lido Group, juggles a variety of restaurants ranging from luxe dining destinations Art, Gemma and Michelin-starred Braci, to breezy rooftop bars Levant and Southbridge, to casual restaurant Amò. The dynamic Italian chef certainly seems to have a knack for ideating and executing crowd-pleasing concepts his latest venture is Carne, a joint partnership with chef Mauro Colagreco of three Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur in France. It ticks all the right boxes in sustainability, a game changer for a restaurant specialising in the icon of the fast-food industry: burgers.
Mirazur. Menton. France
It also seems certain to be one of the hottest tables this year. And a first for many of the island’s avid diners who have yet to visit this gem of a restaurant on the French Riviera since it started serving menus aligned with the lunar cycle in June last year. As such, we’re glad that Colagreco made time to share a little more about what we can expect.
Mirazur in Menton overlooking the French Riviera
Because the dishes at Mirazur are also decisively associated with Menton and local agriculture, how are you able to showcase the restaurant’s unique culinary approach at this pop-up?
Rosemary, sage, basil and thyme herbs we have grown to know so well even if they are far from native to our tropical island. But what of indigenous herbs like ulam rajah, sawtooth coriander, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric leaves? They grow easily in our climate, yet it was only in the last decade that they began making a real appearance in our restaurants’ repertoire, beyond traditional Southeast Asian dishes like beef rendang and Vietnamese summer rolls.
Thanks to urban farms that have blossomed across the island in recent years, we now know more about indigenous Southeast Asian herbs than ever before. Chefs from casual eateries to the fanciest restaurants are increasingly turning to our proverbial backyard to source for flavours that truly speak of their sense of place.