Artisanal spirits, multi-faceted dining “experiences” and new takes on grab-and-go all are among the hottest trends in F&B.
Below are just a few examples of what’s hot in F&B this year. Each June, HOTELS highlights the hottest of the hot trends in design, F&B and technology, not to mention some of the industry’s most noteworthy individuals. For all the hot coverage, check out the June issue of HOTELS.
Spirited selections
In the ongoing quest to serve all things local, spirits are getting into the spirit.
Banyan Tree Cabo Marques in Acapulco, Mexico, now offers a “mezcal experience” at its La Nao restaurant. Mezcal is made exclusively from wild and semi-wild agave and harvested in the local villages of Guerrero and Oaxaca. Distilled twice in copper-pot stills, every bottle of mezcal is inscribed with the species of agave, the age of the harvest, the village of production and the name of the person who harvested the agave.
At La Nao, a beverage cart displays various mezcals on offer, and waiters present a short description of the drink. Guests can sample a complimentary taste in a traditional hand-painted “guaje,” used by locals for centuries, and follow up the drink with citrus fruit sprinkled with seasoned salt.
“Guests have enjoyed experimenting with the different seasoned salts — like red grasshopper salt and agave worm salt — with oranges, tangerines and grapefruits to see how these change and enhance the flavor of the spirit,” says Jorge Creixell, director of operations, food and beverage, at Banyan Tree Cabo Marques. “The tasting ultimately becomes a unique gastronomical journey.”
Almost any property can take advantage of the growing number of artisanal spirits available, says John Collingwood, consultant at Harrogate, England-based Fling Bar Services — with a proper strategy in place. “Adding a couple smoky mezcals from Mexico or a key selection of Japanese and Irish whiskies will create customer interest,” Collingwood notes. “The key is that staff are given knowledge about the products, are trained about how to use them and which customers to recommend them to.”
Experience required
These days memorable dining is about much more than just the menu — restaurants need to deliver a distinctive, often multi-faceted experience.
The fittingly named Xperience at Sofitel So Singapore promises to take guests on “a one-of-a-kind interactive culinary journey of the senses.” Chef Anne-Cecile Degenne allows diners to design customized menus based on culinary experiences such as crunchy, juicy or smoky, and dishes are available in three sizes — XS for tasting, XM for a personal size and XL for sharing. The eclectic interior designed by Isabelle Miaja includes memorable touches like a plush “bed-table” at the heart of the restaurant.
Morgans Hotel Group also is focusing on the entire dining experience with its Dinner Party series. Launched last November in conjunction with Munchies, a website and digital video channel from Vice Media, Dinner Party so far has hosted a northern Thai peasant dinner at Mondrian LA, a farm-to-table dinner featuring a whole roast pig at Mondrian South Beach and a high-end cocktail party at Royalton New York. Upcoming events are slated for San Francisco and London, and Morgans plans to continue the series next year as well.
Grab-and-go on the rise
Today high-quality restaurant fare need not come with a white tablecloth — or even a table at all. Guests are demanding fast-casual and grab-and-go dining concepts that still offer distinctive, often locally inspired menu items.
Row NYC in New York’s Times Square recently launched urban-style food market City Kitchen. Aiming to offer guests an “off-the-grid” dining experience in a neighborhood known for being mainstream, City Kitchen hosts nine seasonal and permanent vendors such as Dough, which serves dulce de leche doughnuts, and Gabriela’s, which serves fish tacos.
“We searched the city for authentic and dynamic vendors across a variety of categories and asked them to pare down their menus to the best of the best,” explains Heidi Avedisian, City Kitchen’s curator and interior designer.
Burger Bar on Congress at JW Marriott Austin also takes inspiration from its surrounding city. The walk-up window on Congress Avenue gives a nod to the legendary food-truck scene in Austin, Texas, while cooking up indulgences like the Big Mouth Burger with blistered peppers, jalapeno jam, bacon and cheddar (US$6.25) and a peanut-butter-pretzel shake (US$3.75).
“We purposefully kept the kitchen small and confined to stay true to the concept, and our focus is to offer creative and unique high-quality burgers at reasonable prices,” says Johann Runarsson, JW Marriott Austin’s director of food and beverage.
Editor’s note: For the complete list of hot F&B trends, click here.