Latest articles on Food / Dining by The Cool Hunter - for more checkout www.thecoolhunter.net http://www.thecoolhunter.net Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:06:17 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.thecoolhunter.net Latest articles on Food / Dining by The Cool Hunter - for more checkout www.thecoolhunter.net http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1332&Itemid=51 We’re constantly in awe of the incredible ideas coming out of the world of retail and hospitality interior design. Over the last few years we’ve seen an influx of creative new minds enter the field who are redefining the concept and making their own rules. The latest inspiring example of innovative interior commercial design is the new Maedaya Grill Sake bar in Melbourne, created by local design studio Architects Eat (http://www.eatas.com.au/newsite/index.html). The sushi restaurant’s interior, mostly “bound” by ropes, demonstrates the possibility of using ordinary recyclable material for hospitality projects without compromising sophistication.The rope idea originated from the classic design of sake bottles, which are traditionally secured with ropes. The principal materials for this project are Manila ropes, timber and concrete, all reflecting natural elements such as vegetation and earth. EAT took a different path with the first-floor function room, which is in stark contrast with the ground-floor “rope” room. Here they have created a modern, minimalist space with white-washed walls, Japanese black-stained timber flooring, simple timber benches and raw stainless steel canopies. By Lisa Evans. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:42:11 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1325&Itemid=51 Home Made Delicate Food Delivery (http://www.home-made.it) on Milan’s via Tortona is homey in a supremely stylish way. And it should be, being as it is located right at the epicenter of Salone del Mobile. Owner Monica Bangari with architects Riccardo Salvi and Luca Rossire envisioned a real home and created a cozy flow from the living room to a little garden (by landscape architect Carlo Callari of Milan’s ARePA studios). The fabulous AGAPE bathtub on the patio is an example of the clever partnership deals that the architects made with several prominent suppliers – all of whom are keen to be present where the world of design mingles. The suppliers, including the architects, are listed as “sponsors” on the restaurant’s website, which perhaps is an indication of their home-grown version of “let’s all work together for a common good and forget being so greedy.” Salvi and Rossire have collaborated since 1998 and completed many innovative projects including the design of furniture and accessories for various manufacturers. The food at Home Made is healthy and fresh — slow food at its Italian finest — and take out is delivered in swanky and lean 50s retro baggies. Handy and simple menus are published online for easy online ordering. By Tuija Seipell Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:25:48 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1317&Itemid=51 Rumor has it that Bangalore Express (http://bangaloreexpress.co.u), opened a few months ago across Waterloo Station in London, is the first of many to come. Both menu and decor of this modern, Indian fresh-food place have received mixed reviews, but we like the inventiveness of the “scaffolding” used to build the booths and the upper level. Some have called it a recipe for disaster and others thought it looked like bunk beds. Both may be true as you do need to climb step ladders to reach the second level and much of the exposed structure is, indeed, made of FastClamp, a construction-site scaffolding system. The interior color scheme is organic in muted greens and browns. We love the peacefulness this creates. Bangalore Express is the newest venture of proprietors Charles Hill and head chef Yogesh Datta who also run the Painted Heron (http://www.thepaintedheron.com) in Chelsea. By Tuija Seipell Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:17:11 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1294&Itemid=51 With its rich, red interior, Le Rouge restaurant (http://www.lerouge.se) in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town) is a delicious fusion of a maharaja’s tent, red-light-district boudoir and aristocratic grandeur. It is not called Moulin Rouge, but it could be. The entire concept is dramatic with lush drapery, ornamental tableware and lighting fixtures oozing with bling and tassels.Le Rouge is the latest addition to the F12 restaurant empire owned by two chefs, Melker Andersson and Danyel Couet. The chefs interpret classic French and Italian cuisine in Le Rouge using fresh Swedish ingredients. The 125–seat Le Rouge occupies two adjacent buildings, spreads over three-stories and 1,200 square-metres, and includes a dining room, bar, lounge and private rooms. The concept comes from the talented masters of Gothenburg’s Stylt (http://www.stylt.se%20) Trampoli AB who were using storytelling as a tool to create and stage-direct restaurants, hotels and resorts long before storytelling became a design cliché. By Tuija Seipell Wed, 07 May 2008 16:29:34 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1230&Itemid=51 Bauer is the newest chic bar and eatery in Södermalm — “Stockholm’s Soho.” Opened on February 28, 2008, Bauer is a refurbished neighborhood watering hole on Götgatan’s northern end, an edgy-stylish area constantly changing and looking for a new form. Suitably, the job of designing Bauer was handed to Stockholm-based Dizel Sate (http://www.dizelsate.com/index_flash.asp), known for aptly fusing street-art subculture with upscale style for retail and hospitality clients, including Hotel Birger Jarl, and stores for H M, Hugo Boss and Peak Performance. Bold walls are their signature feature. For Bauer, they took inspiration from the Bauhaus style and from Berlin’s bar and gallery culture. Bold, graphic images depicting various forms of enjoyment achieve a casual and fun feel while punching up the black-and-white space and furnishings. By Tuija Seipell Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:12:35 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1225&Itemid=51 Framebar (http://www.sgl-frame.gr/) is a refreshing and stylish gathering place in history-rich Athens. It is located in the St. George Lycabettus Boutique Hotel (http://www.sglycabettus.gr/), in the chic Kolonaki quarter. The most striking of the bar’s many redeeming qualities is the furniture. It does not really look like furniture. It is not an end result of a rule-restricted manufacturing process, but more like a time-warp, a fluid process temporarily halted. It gives you permission to sit, although it also appears like it could morph into something else any time. Architect Dimitris Tsigos calls this a rearticulation of typical furniture using continuous geometries and heat-formed starron (corrian equivalent) and the Spanish marble emperador. The cuisine is fresh and healthy, and the DJs and fabulous lighting make this a cool night spot. By Tuija Seipell. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:04:14 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1220&Itemid=51 Negro de Anglona (http://www.negrodeanglona.com/) is a stylish restaurant in Madrid created in a converted 17th century Spanish palace, Palacio de Anglona, by architecture and interior design virtuoso, Luis Galliusi. Known for his ability to combine unexpected elements and to create elegant spaces, Galliusi has designed houses, stores, hotels, restaurants, offices and clinics in Madrid, Paris, Cairo, Mexico, Morocco, Indonesia and Miami. His client list includes Manolo Blahnik, Chanel and Phillippe Starck. In the seven rooms of Negro de Anglona, Galliusi has shown his usual flair. He has combined a strong, black-and-white color palette ˜ including enormous black-and-white, back-lit images of castles ˜ with ornate floor-to-ceiling drapery and other, strong decorative elements. The task of overseeing the predominantly Mediterranean menu has been trusted to the 24-year-old chef, Aitor García Cerro. By Tuija Seipell Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:15:05 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1175&Itemid=51 Rijeka, Croatia-based architect, Petar Mišković, is known for his unconditional faith in black and white. He is also known for his cooperation with Zagreb-based conceptual artist, Ivana Franke, who has studied and worked in Croatia, Japan and Finland. The two drew attention in 2004 for their work for the Croatian Pavilion of La Biennale di Venezia – Metamorph, 9th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. Now those with a sweet tooth and a ticket to Zagreb can enjoy another example of the incredible pair’s work in the Importance Galleria Shopping Centre at the corner of Vlaska and Smiciklasova Ulici (Streets). There, you will find Piece of Cake, a tiny bake shop where less is more and things are not always as they seem. The space is shaped like a truncated pyramid and everything in the shop — the neon tubes, the orange sign and the counter — adheres to the principle of foreshortening perspective. It feels like an empty funnel, looks cool, and apparently, the pastries are yummy, too. By Tuija Seipell Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:48:30 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1166&Itemid=51 They’re everywhere you turn in nearly every corner across six continents – McDonald’s iconic golden arches have led us to familiar and welcoming surrounds for over half a century. But even at the most recognizable burger chain on Earth, change is inevitable. As we’ve become more health conscious McDonald’s responded with a selection of salads and fruits. As we’ve become more international, McDonald’s responded: Norway serves the grilled salmon McLak, Japan serves green tea-flavored milkshakes, Israel serves McShawarma, a pita filled sandwich. And now, as we’re becoming more design-conscious, McDonald’s is responding once again. Across the globe, McDonald’s is recreating its brand in practically every way possible. Here at the Cool Hunter we’re obviously most interested in the design. So now it’s your turn. Have you come across a cool, fresh recreated McDonald’s out there in the world? If so, let us know – send us your images to tips@thecoolhunter.net (tips@thecoolhunter.net) . By Andrew J Wiener. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:21:14 +0100 http://www.thecoolhunter.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1152&Itemid=51 Lebanon-based architect George Chidiac of George Henri Chidiac Architects (http://www.gcharchitects.com) has designed yummy Waterlemon Juice bars (http://www.h2o-lemon.com/) in Kuwait, Bahrain and Lebanon. When he created the all-white curved Waterlemon in a Beirut shopping mall, he approached Beirut-based PSLAB (http://www.pslab.net/) for the development of custom lighting for the tight space that has no natural light. At the time, PSLAB was experimenting with cold-cathode lighting tubes and so the lighting concept for Waterlemon ended up utilizing them. The concept was inspired by the curve shape and involves strip lights of varying length depending on the intensity and type of light needed. Each slit houses linear cold cathode and custom directional projectors equipped with GU4 lamps. The lighting concept — by principal lighting designer Dimitri Saddi with Rana Haddad and Pascal Hachem — won the International Association of Lighting Designers’ Award of Merit. By Tuija Seipell Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:15:04 +0100