A couple of my mates were heading back to the UK for Christmas to spend it with family & showed me this odd little hotel they were planning to stay at in London. It’s called Rough Luxe and the idea behind it is A little luxury in the rough part of London. The hotel itself looks like it’s a mixture of old pieces, statement art & design alongside bibs & bobs that have been collected from round the traps. The idea basically is to push the idea of luxury beyond fancy pants ownables and into all things luxury – time, emotion, considered architecture & design.
. 1) Farmers are the New Celebrity Chefs: With more celebrity chefs than we can shake a spatula at, it’s now time to salute the farmer and make him or her famous, rich, and, no doubt, host of a reality show.
2) Fancy Frozen Yogurt is the new Designer Cupcake: Some designer cupcakes taste great, like those from New York’s Magnolia Bakery–but many are small, dry, and flavorless. The FroYo trend, however, shows no signs of slowing, with lines around the block at spots like Pinkberry, The Big Chill and Naked Berry. Exotic ice cream flavors push the envelope and set the bar, with spicy flavors like wasabi, nuanced juxtapositions like blueberry cheesecake, ultra-seasonal influences like pumpkin in October, and new dairy twists like creme fraiche, goat’s milk, or sour cream.
3) Meatballs are the New Hamburger Sliders: Sliders are on lots of menus but while some mini hamburgers can be tasty, most end up dry and tough. Tiny hamburgers will soon be replaced by high-end meatballs like those made from duck at New York’s A Voce and veal at Washington D.C.’s Brasserie Beck.
4) Cambodian is the New Thai: A triangulation between Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai cooking, Cambodian’s emphasis on noodle dishes, curries, stir fries and prahok, the strong-flavored fish paste, will grow in popularity. Cambodian food has stronger flavors than Vietnamese, slightly more subtle that Thai and is not as heavy as Chinese. (more…)
