If you were asked to name a restaurant in Hong Kong which has been included as one of the world's "Hot Tables" by leading culinary magazines and gained rave reviews from critics, the list would be long. But who would have conceived that Japanese cuisine and a wood fired oven would make a perfect match!

It took an innovative chef to propose that this combination could produce stunning outcomes but that's exactly what Nobu Matsuhisa and his signature chain of Nobu Restaurants worldwide have done.

Since opening the doors in December 2006, Nobu InterContinental Hong Kong has created a buzz. With panoramic views overlooking Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island, the stylish and dynamic restaurant is an experience for the senses. The modern design and unique decorative materials contrast and blend to create a feeling of movement and energy. Striking materials including 7,700 river stones and 450,000 sea urchin spines combine to produce a spectacular dining environment.

This energy is further enhanced by a feature open display kitchen designed by legendary US consultant Jimi Yui of Yui Design. Japanese cuisine has always incorporated presentation as an important feature but the Nobu open kitchen presents the food to diners in an interactive experience that leaves a lasting impression. "People really love the way that we use the oven" says Executive Chef, Oyvind Naesheim.

Chef Naesheim explains that "We have found a way of using the oven for regular roasting. The high temperature seals in all the juices and the products bake very fast, while at the same time picking up the flavour from the burning wood."

The Beech 2 door multi-function grill oven has inspired an expanded menu offering main course dishes such as Tender Octopus with Peruvian Anticucho Sauce, Salted Baked Black Cod wrapped in Lotus Leaf and Japanese Tenderloin with Wasabi Salsa.

The successful inclusion of Beech Ovens in Nobu restaurants first began in the installation in Berkeley St London and has since continued to include ovens being used in another 5 locations including Fifty Seven St New York, Dallas, Waikiki, Hong Kong and the soon to be opened Nobu Melbourne. If the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine and originality exhibited by Nobu Matsuhisa are anything to go by this is just the beginning for the Nobu Restaurant chain.

For further information on Nobu Hong Kong or any other Nobu restaurant please visit the Nobu Restaurant website: www.noburestaurant.com

OFF DUTY - The Worlds Greatest Chefs Cook At Home.

Bringing together some of the world's greatest chefs under
one cover, this exciting new book gives you an insight into
what they cook in the privacy of their own homes.

All proceeds from the sale of this privately commissioned
book will go directly to funding the work of the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation.
The charity is led by world-renowned chef, David Nicholls, whose family encounter with spinal injury has driven this opportunity for funding research to enable patients with spinal injury to walk again.

David is the Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. He is a world-renowned chef and has enjoyed a successful and varied career, being the youngest ever recipient of a Michelin star at the age of twenty-two.

In 2003, David's 19 year old son was enjoying a gap year in Australia when a freak swimming accident led to him being paralysed from the arms down. With little movement in his hands, he is termed tetraplegic and has received significant care at Stoke Mandeville hospital.
Beech Ovens have worked with David Nicholls since supplying a custom built wood fired oven for the Foliage restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park, London, in 2000.

David Nicholls, operating at the highest level of culinary skill and management, has succeeded in establishing the Mandarin Oriental as London?s standard bearer in banqueting and fine dining.

Foliage has been awarded the most prestigious of restaurant awards for the second year running. Hardly surprising as the menu, masterminded by award-winning chefs David Nicholls and Chris Staines, is sublime.

The interior of Foliage was designed by the renowned Adam Tihany who has introduced clean lines and every morning one of our waiting staff will pick leaves from Hyde Park and place them under the glass plates. Behind the blinds, sandwiched between giant glass wall panels, are 24,000 white silk leaves that come to life through clever lighting, their colours changing in tandem with the seasons.

Tihany has also raised the restaurant floor so that every diner has a clear and unspoiled view of the stunning Royal Park opposite.

In 2004, Foliage was awarded 'Best Kitchen' by the Tatler Restaurant Guide as well as the prestigious AA five Rosettes.

66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA, United Kingdom | T: +44 (0)20 7235 2000

more about this book..

When you think of Cambodian cuisine, pizzas and tandoori delights are probably not the first to spring to mind, but at the FCC Angkor, tandoori is definitely on the menu.

The FCC Angkor, the most recent addition to the IAL (Indochina Assets Limited) family of hotels and restaurants, opened its doors in 2002. The building itself was previously a police barracks, but was converted from its original function to provide luxury accommodation, a bar and restaurant for local and international patrons.

Perched on the banks of the Siem Reap River, the FCC Angkor sits in extensive gardens, planted with lush tropical trees and foliage. Visitors can visit the FCC Angkor for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink at the bar and enjoy a wander through the beautiful grounds. For those with time on their hands, luxurious accommodation is available with facilitiies including the Visaya spa, Salt water Pool, and Games room.

The French building itself is a grand and elegant structure, which reflects Cambodia's colonial history. Yet inside, the restaurant has a completely modern and international feel. Furniture from Vietnam, Burma and Australia sits side by side, and the restaurant itself breaks totally with Cambodian tradition by having an open layout, and a completely visible kitchen.

Michelle Duncan, FCC Operations Manager, explains "The FCC Angkor broke with the traditional layout of restaurants by making the kitchen totally visible to diners, so they can see their food being prepared and cooked. We were also the first restaurant in Cambodia to introduce a wood fired pizza oven."

The stainless steel Beech oven is a central feature of the kitchen and with an open grill on one side is used to prepare not only pizzas, but many of the other items on the menu, including imported cuts of meat which are simply grilled to retain their flavour.

In addition, a wide range of international dishes are on offer. Wok fried Garlic Prawns, tapas, pastas and traditional Cambodian dishes such as Spicy Fish Amok, Cambodian Curry and Stir fried Rice Noodles as well as pizzas & Imported Steaks from the wood fired oven. The range of styles clearly illustrate the country's more recent interaction with the international community.

The extensive menu and beautiful surroundings of the restaurant attract local residents, as well as tourists, ex-pats and embassy workers.
And you couldn't possibly ask for better neighbours. Next door is none other than the King's residence.

Voted the Best Family Restaurant in Far North Queensland in 2002 and again in 2003, by the Restaurant and Catering Association, Mango Jam has been serving local residents and visitors to the far northern Queensland town of Port Douglas for over ten years.

Generous portions, a wide choice of meals, value for money and a big welcome for families are just four of the reasons why the restaurant is consistently busy, according to the Manager, David Robertson. "Mango Jam is a colourful, lively, upbeat place to eat," he explained "and it is a fun place for our staff to work too. Our customers often comment that it's great to see the staff rushing around busily, but always smiling and happy and obviously enjoying their job."

Serving a varied "modern Australian" menu, the restaurant makes the most of fresh local produce, including fresh Queensland seafood. Dishes range from Asian influenced meals such as Barramundi Spring Rolls and a Prawn and Wonton Sandwich, to good old favourites such as fish and chips and burgers. And representing 30 per cent of the restaurant's business are the gourmet wood-fired pizzas, for which Mango Jam is renowned, cooked in the fully wood-fired Beech oven. The oven is 10 years old and still performs brilliantly.

"We have an open kitchen at Mango Jam", David commented, "and the Beech wood fired oven sits right at the edge of the kitchen, facing the restaurant. It is a central focal point and the kids who come in to eat, love to see the wood fire burning."

"We have worked hard to make the restaurant an enjoyable place for families to visit. Children can chose from a special kids' menu, with a selection of the favourite dishes served in smaller portions and at cheaper rates. Our young customers are also given a children?s activity book and a free sun visor, which doubles as a kids' menu, when they visit."

Customers at the 145-seat restaurant can choose to eat in the air-conditioned interior or al fresco style in the covered courtyard.

If you would like to find out more about Mango Jam you can find them on the net at mangojam.com.au.

Beech logo and photos are copyright Beech Ovens. Remaining images are copyright of the restaurant and are reproduced by permission.

The words "pumpkin", "sweet potato" and pizza don't usually go together in the same breath, but if you're eating at Embers restaurant in Coorparoo, then set aside any ideas of a traditional pizza and think "different".

According to Business Manager, Jose Morales, Embers has "reinvented the pizza wheel". "We've taken Italian pizzas and given them a new twist", he said. "You'd never find pumpkin on a traditional pizza, but we've incorporated ingredients that are synonymous with Australia, making them our own."

Situated behind the Myer Megamart store in Coorparoo, Embers has built a strong clientele over the past four years and on Friday and Saturday nights in particular, bookings are essential.

The atmosphere at Embers is relaxed and contemporary, designed to reflect the Queensland lifestyle. The courtyard can seat eighty people, with a further fifty to sixty customers seated inside.

"The most important thing about our food is that it's absolutely fresh. Nothing is processed", explained Jose. "We serve not only pizzas, but a range of contemporary Australian cuisine - pastas, chargrilled steaks and seafood." Many of these dishes are cooked in the wood fired Beech oven, which imparts a distinctive smoky flavour. The restaurant's homemade bread is also cooked in the oven and always proves a great hit with diners.

"Embers is particularly popular with young couples who want to go somewhere slightly trendy to eat and also with young families", said Jose. "We have a very relaxed atmosphere here and welcome children. We even serve a special kids' menu for only $9.95, which includes pizza, ice cream and a drink."

Embers was a finalist in the 2000 Courier Mail Restaurant Awards in two categories and is currently a finalist in the 2003 South East Advertisers Business Achievers Awards.

Beech logo and photos are copyright Beech Ovens.
Remaining images are copyright Embers restaurant and are reproduced by permission.