Part 2
By Karine Kleb
Upcoming book from Karine Kleb, this wonderful person, going beyond a simple introduction to yoga. A personal playbook to think about the year ahead, consider the specificities of the seasons and their respective rhythm, and help us exercise and find our balance accordingly.
And if you don’t yet speak 🇫🇷, the perfect occasion to learn !
Book
Paris, France
“Hissa” like Hisayuki Takeuchi.
Self defined as “Master Artist-Chef”, Mr Takeuchi is exactly that. A virtuoso of modern Japanese cuisine, making works of arts out of fish, rice and a few traditional and less traditional ingredients. Hissa is genuinely creative. Genuinely, because he is not “trying”. This is who is. Always has been, always will be.
Restaurant
Author: Dan Lyons
“Disrupted - Ludicrous Misadventures in the Tech Startup Bubble” is an entertaining real-life “psychology experiment” (in the terms of its main character). In this funny and often cynical book, Dan Lyons allows us to share the couple of years of his life spent working for a typical Silicon Valley tech startup (HubSpot). So far, nothing earth shattering, right ? The thing is that Dan Lyons had never worked in a startup before: he had just spent more than 25 years as a journalist writing for Forbes and Newsweek. The other thing is that Dan was more than 50 years old (with lots of grey hair) when he joined the startup which has a mid-twenties average employee age ! The book depicts the culture shock Dan went through, but also some of the most questionable cultural traits of a Silicon Valley startup today. Let’s just say that it didn’t end well at many levels: including for 2 of Dan’s former managers at the startup who got fired for having tried to prevent the publication of the movie - and were investigated by the FBI for some of the not-totally-kosher-means they used to do so (i.e. hacking and extortion).
Book
London, UK
Gloria is a recent addition to the Shoreditch scene, with quite a different positioning. Inspired by 70s Capri (one of our most favorite places on earth), Gloria is a bold, colourful, vibrant, noisy, and happening Italian trattoria. Serving all the traditional dishes we love, the atmosphere is completed by some less “traditional” tunes playing later in the evening, best enjoyed with some of Gloria’s amazing cocktails. Difficult to book in advance, your best bet is just to walk-in, sip a glass of wine at the bar waiting for your table and enjoy the scene.
Restaurant
London, UK
Set in Marylebone, Opso is a corner of mediterranean sunshine in the heart of London. Serving updated traditional Greek dishes, tapas-style, the atmosphere is lively (even if sometimes almost noisy)… A good place to make the summer last a little longer.
Restaurant
Director: Damien Chazelle (2014)
Whiplash is one of those movies which splits your life in two. There is your life before and after seeing it. Whiplash is one of the most powerful, intense movies we have seen in a long time. The face-off between the young promising jazz student (played by Miles Teller) and a terrifyingly demanding instructor (J.K. Simmons) is a journey into the dedication to become the best of the best. The images, the colours, the sound (of course…. the sound) are powerful, violent and beautiful.
Movie
Caparica, Portugal
Princesa is a beach restaurant filling a historical gap in the Lisbon / Cascais region: think inventive and flavourful dishes served in a cool, nature inspired setting, striking the right balance between relax and hip… Overlooking the expanse of the beautiful beaches of Caparica, Princesa reminds us of some of the nice places in Mykonos or Ibiza, without losing its cool and Portuguese heritage. That said, stick around as the sun sets and the places does become as happening as those other destinations…
Restaurant / Beach
Cascais, Portugal
Hífen can be misleading from outside: what looks like a traditional and old fashioned Portuguese restaurant is actually one of the most interesting additions to the Cascais scene (can we already talk about a scene ?). The modern and surprising restaurant is split between a happening downstairs, with louder music and high tables, and a more quiet upstairs with one of the best views of the fishing port of Cascais. The food is delicious: based on sharing, it is inventive, mixing unexpected flavours together. Very successfully.
But one question remains: why do Portuguese restaurants, even those we prefer, need to have a TV ? Could certainly do without.
That said, Hífen is a great place for inventive food and good time.
Restaurant
Singapore, Singapore
“Crossroads cooking”, the term coined by the chef of Nouri, is a good description of the dishes served in this beautiful restaurant: inspired by Italian, Spanish, German, Brazilian and Asian influences, every dish is as inventive as a next, full of surprises. Best for dinner.
Restaurant
Comporta, Portugal
Combining traditional and modern, this restaurant set in an old and renovated horse stable serves inventive but delightful dishes. Focused on local and bio-diverse ingredients, the Cavalarica makes the most of its perfect location in the heart of Comporta.
Restaurant
Cascais, Portugal
The restaurant is quite simple, but serves good traditional Portuguese food. The real find here is where the O Picadeiro is located. In a horse riding heaven, surrounded by large expenses of woods, sand dunes, pines everywhere and traditional stables scattered around the domain. The place is taken care of by people who are passionate about horses, not business people trying to make a quick buck from tourists. Genuine, peaceful, authentic. The place reminds us of Argentina (even though we have never been to Argentina !). To top it of, the school for the kids is the right balance between teaching the right technical skills while providing a relaxing and fun environment. 15 minutes away from Cascais, the Centro Hipico Quinta da Marinha is a beautiful experience.
Restaurant / Equestrian Centre
London, UK
Delamina East, in Spitafields between Shoreditch and the City, serves traditional but perfectly executed Eastern Mediterranean / Middle Eastern cooking. Think roasted vegetables, slow cooked meats, spices, herbs, more spices and more herbs. The setting is also a reflection of the menu: traditional accents but modern and different without being pretentious. And the atmosphere is as delightful as a long summer evening in that part of the world…
Restaurant
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
One of the great surprises in Luxembourg, Um Plateau is a refreshing discovery: interesting interior design with great character, inventive carte serving flavour-ful dishes without being pompous, welcome outdoor terrasse for alfresco dining and a beautiful selection of wines.
Restaurant
Sagres, Portugal
Not a place one goes for the location - right in a middle of a simple residential area with no stores, restaurants around. Not a place one goes for the design - unless you are into Portuguese football teams and Portuguese beer brands. But certainly a place one goes to to have great, simple fish. As fresh as one can find given that the restaurant is just by the seaport and only serves whatever was available that day from the sea. Best to reserve because the queue can quickly become significant. But don’t worry, the plastic chairs outside are quite comfortable for the wait.
Restaurant
New York City, US
How to best describe Estela ? Difficult to put in a box. This small place on the first floor above Houston Street can get quickly packed and noisy. But the food, expected to be your usual brasserie dishes has a welcome quirky-ness, inspired by the Mediterranean cooking training of the head chef. Best places to seat: at the bar. Even more so given that the bar stays open late. A fun night ahead…
Restaurant
New York City, US
Charlie Bird is a serious restaurant, serving solid Italian seasonal dishes, which doesn’t take itself seriously. Love the playful design and typical-Soho vibe. The outdoor patio and wine selection are not to be missed either.
Restaurant
New York City, US
Inspired by New Zealand cooking, the Musket Room delivers a refined modern and sophisticated set of dishes and a naturally edgy but cool setting. A gem in the Nolita neighbourhood of NYC, Musket definitely deserves its 1 Michelin star. Also, we love the small herb garden at the back !
Restaurant
Bruce Barnbaum
“The Art of Photography” is a reference bible in the world of photography enthusiasts. The book strikes the perfect and difficult balance between the introduction of key technical concepts and techniques, and very practical examples and considerations helping making “proper” photography more accessible. This is further helped by Bruce Barnbaum, an accomplished photographer, using his real life situations as illustrations along the way. Said differently, probably one of the only “technical” photography books which can be read on the beach. Almost.
Book
Russell Miller
“Magnum - Fifty Years at the Front Line of History”
Through the biography of the legendary Magnum photography agency, Miller also tells 3 other stories. That of the individuals who founded the agency (Robert Capa, David Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson), each a legend in their own right. That of the world in this half century scarred by wars around the globe. Wars which, for first the very first time, were rendered more real by the photographs brought back by those intrepid legends. And that of Leica, who’s technological innovation at the time made this unique witnessing possible.
Book
Comedy
Not the best title for a TV series, but does exactly what it says on the tin. Picture Jerry Seinfeld, picking up a comedian in a gorgeous vintage car (quite a few from his personal collection) and going for a ride to get… a coffee. From that simplistic plot came out a series of hilarious banter sessions with some of the best comedians in the (anglo-saxon) world: Ricky Gervais, Larry David, Gad Elmaleh (!), Chris Rock, Tina Fey, Howard Stern, Jimmy Fallon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Ferrel and even… Barack Obama. If you like cars. Coffee. Comedians. Or all 3.
Movies / TV Series