EASY TRIPS
PHOTOGRAPHS: WORLD GOURMET FESTIVAL, JNTO
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Gorge yourself on
gourmet in Bangkok
Breathe in the romance
of autumn in Shikoku
The week-long World Gourmet
Festival will see nine chefs
heralding from eight countries
transforming the capital of
Thailand into a gastronomic
destination like no other, packed
with extravagant events and
lavish installations, including a
champagne lobby concept
featuring six prestigious houses,
sake and cocktail master classes,
a perfume pairing event, and a
spectacular Sunday Brunch to
blow all other Sunday brunches
out of the water.
Each chef has been specially
selected from this year’s list of
San Pellegrino’s 50 Best
Restaurants in the world. One
such headliner is Chef Mauro
Colagreco, founder and chef at
two Michelin-starred restaurant
Mirazur in Menton, France.
Awarded “Chef of the Year” by the
prestigious Gault & Millau
restaurant guide in 2009,
Colagreco has found the perfect
balance between his Italian-
Argentinian heritage and his
world class training to create
inspired dishes that reflect the
beauty of sea, garden, and
mountain.
Another name to look out for is
Ana Roš, co-owner and chef at
Hiša Franko in Kobarid, Slovenia.
A true one-of-a-kind chef, Roš has
developed her own unique cuisine
that takes inspiration from the
beautiful and remote hills of theWith a name that translates
literally to mean “four provinces”,
the four prefectures of Shikoku –
Tokushima, Ehime, Kochi and
Kagawa – while uniquely distinct,
all offer refreshingly sweet waters,
lush virgin forests, and warm
hospitality. Unlike the more
cosmopolitan cities in Japan that
have a tendency to make you feel
hemmed in or overly hassled,
Shikoku’s heart beats to a mellower
drum, promising historical castles
and storybook gardens. Come
autumn, the landscape changes
hue to a brilliant palette of
crimsons and ochre.
The only island of Japan without
any volcanoes, Shikoku’s terrain
has traditionally been used to
cultivate a variety of citrus fruits
and wheat. Be sure to sample
some of the stellar local delicacies,
including the famous Sanuki udon,
renowned for its bouncy bite and
clean taste; tataki, flame roasted
bonito steak; and local sakes that
are deliciously silky and fragrant
thanks to the pristine waters of the
Shimanto River.
One of the many highlights of
Shikoku is its dedicated ‘art island’,
Benesse Art Site Naoshima
(benesse-artsite.jp), a heaven for
modern art lovers with multiple
museums and installation pieces
scattered across the island. The
Chichu Art Museum, Benesse
House and Lee Ufan Museum all
house a great selection ofMAKE IT HAPPEN
Benesse Art Site Naoshima is
hosting various special activities
during the Setouchi Triennale
2016, with the autumn
installation falling between 8
October and 6 November 6- Visit setouchi-artfest.jp/
en for tickets and more
information on the event.
Shikoku lacks a full
international airport but has four
regional/domestic airports
(Tokushima Airport, Takamatsu
Airport, Kochi-Ryoma Airport
and Matsuyama Airport). All
have flights connecting to Tokyo
and other major Japanese cities
such as Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo,
and Fukuoka.
Complete your Benesse Art
Site Naoshima experiences with
a stay at Benesse House, a
museum and hotel that
incorporates guest rooms and
display spaces for contemporary
art (from US$350 per pax per
night; benesse-artsite.jp/stay).
MAKE IT HAPPEN
The 17th annual World
Gourmet Festival will be held
from 19 – 25 September 2016.
Reservations are essential and
can be made directly through
WorldGourmetFestivalAsia.
com. Bookings made prior to 1
September are eligible for early
bird discount.
Singapore Airlines conducts
multiple daily flights from
Singapore to Bangkok
(singaporeair.com), while
AirAsia flies most frequently
from Kuala Lumpur (airasia.
com). The BTS Skytrain is the
safest and most convenient way
to get from the airport to the
city centre.
Host of the World Gourmet
Festival, Anantara Siam Bangkok
Hotel offers warm hospitality
and luxurious comfort in the
heart of this bustling capital city
(from US$201 per pax per night;
siam-bangkok.anantara.com).The scenery sheds its summer
palette for something warmer
come autumnAnother celebrity chef to
look out for is Bobby Chinn- here is his rendition of
seafood ceviche
Slovenian countryside. The
flowery, herbal, yet delicate and
precise nature of Roš’s cooking
has made her the only woman
thus far to have joined the Cook
it Raw environmental and
cooking initiative. She was also
one of the personalities profiled
in American television series
Chef’s Table, currently
nominated for four Emmy
Awards in 2016.contemporary art (most of which
are of the tilt-your-head-to-
appreciate variety), with many of
these buildings designed by
renowned Japanese architect Ando
Tadao. The Art House Project is a
particularly fascinating collection
of art installations depicting
different themes, from the magic
of light to the beauty of time.