A Moveable Feast

For Design Anthology's Issue 10, I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with with inspired chef / traveler, James Michael Sharman about his latest culinary venture, One Star House Party, reshaping the idea of the (now ubiquitous) 'pop-up' restaurant. James and his nimble team are developing a contemporary model for sharing ingredients, stories and cultural traditions through culinary expression. What struck me most in our conversation was how often we came back to talking about people, about the relationships they formed in different places (for their San Francisco pop up, people donated beehives and lemon trees) and how the relationships that blossomed along the way fueled the energy of this adventure. I can only look forward to more ingredients and more stories from this very special group.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Ingredients are a language; where they are from and how they are used gives chefs the power to let us travel via our plates. As well, the importance of place for chefs is central, though it can mean very different things. For some, place is rigorous and confined: defined by the walls of the restaurants they work in and the relationship to ingredients defined by a list on a clipboard. For others, place influences a whole gastronomic language and creative process. The increasing importance of provenance, and curiosity towards native ingredients, have made places and their cultures a defining part of the creative process and expanded the geography of the palate. This thread continues to run through gastronomic culture.
In recent years many chefs have continued the tradition of ‘staging’ in different restaurants by turning to pop-ups as a way of showcasing their talents without the crippling costs of a bricks-and-mortar restaurant. Few, however, are willing to relocate every month, let alone build their own tables and chairs if necessary. James Sharman of One Star House Party is one of those few — and Taipei was a recent canvas. Sharman and his hugely talented team are taking the pop-up dining experience to a whole new level. Think unusual spaces in some of the world’s most exciting cities, overseen by world-class chefs who have learned how to sharpen their knives in the kitchens of masters. To attend one of their dinners is to find yourself at the intersection of cuisine, travel and culture in perfect proportions. A blend of skill and passion gives the whole experience the air of an established clubhouse for thoughtful and curious diners.
The idea is deceptively simple — the execution, anything but. Whether travelling with suitcases full of beetroot or using an RV kitchen to prep ingredients while driving cross-country, One Star House Party is shaping a new model — part commune, part moveable feast — for sharing cultural traditions through culinary expression. Sharman and his skilful team select a destination they’d like to explore for its culture and ingredients; though, as he puts it, ultimately ‘we will end up going everywhere anyway’. Arriving on the ground, the first task is one of immersion — in the place, its people, tastes, textures and experiences. This helps to develop a menu that reflects the team’s discoveries and encounters.

A SEARCH FOR SERENTIY / ONG ARD SATRABANDHU

Serenity is perhaps the most elusive quality in today’s world, certainly in the West it appears to have been discarded in favour of the pursuit of technology and efficiency. According to the architect Luis Barragán “Serenity is the great and true antidote against anguish and fear, and today, more than ever, it is the architect’s duty to make of it a permanent guest in the home, no matter how sumptuous or how humble.”

For Design Anthology's Issue 8, I reflected upon on how architect Ong ard Satrabandhu so gracefully offers a sense of serenity in his work, especially at Rachamankha, a hotel in Chiang Mai which also houses his residence and offices. It was wonderful to have a dialogue with him about his process and thinking. Some extracts from the article are below.

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Serenity, that sense of sacred calm, is found and felt in individual ways, and what triggers that can differ from person to person but all of us are affected by our environments. Travelers often hope that on the journey there will be a moment to find at least a sliver of it, a hope piqued by hotels and spas offering sweet promises that their spaces will be the ones to deliver this. Hospitality from the guest perspective and in the hotel industry in general, is often misinterpreted as services or a particular set of offerings that seem to make up for spatial deficits – just look at the criteria we use for rating or feedback of the guest experience. Thinking about the traveler’s quest for serenity, I realise that the first time I truly experienced it in a hotel was at Rachamankha in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s not the amenities, connectivity or services; it is the authenticity of the space.
Being a guest at Ong-ard’s hotels is a singular experience. The profound role of the architecture, of the space itself contributes in every possible way to a sense of well-being as a guest. I have come to understand the feeling of serenity in his spaces as two-part: the first is the immediate suspension of time, which feels like a clearing of the slate, mentally. This allows for the second part to unfold: a deep, almost unconscious sensory engagement, so one can really receive time. This feeling made me want to discover from its architect what it is about the design and planning of these spaces that creates this feeling.
His ability to expertly compose the space, bridging past and present, new and old, traditional and radical, allows guests to feel that they are in their rightful place. “My intention was to design both hotels as though they just grew naturally from a few buildings by artisans in the village or town to become what is now, without intervention of architects.”
Surprisingly what I found was that it is the sense of the past that made me feel so at home in the present, the absence of visual distraction and the repetition of elements in the planning that brings both curiosity and ease. Exactly what Ong-ard describes as aiming to “make guests feel the pleasures of solitude.”
Creating balance and a harmony of parts is distinctive to Ong-ard’s work, a result of using the language of vernacular and classical architecture that is virtually extinct today. In merging these two approaches, one instinctive and organic, the other precise and methodical, a universal language of architecture is found.

A bit of winter magic

I had the pleasure of attending a Winter wedding in Iceland this February.

After a few days in Iceland, my friends and I learned that over half of its population believes in elves. This fact seemed to help us accept comments such as 'oh! the elves must have hidden your leggings...' and added to our deep sense of remoteness yet feeling of intimacy with nature there. Iceland is a wonderful place to allow nature to renew your sense of magic.

The rugged terrain, black of the lava fields and volcano-glaciers set against the snow gave us grainy, black and white vistas, occasionally visited with both piercingly beautiful blues skies and sudden, fierce and furious winds. We felt natures roaring prowess and beauty, creating a sense of awe that does make one prone to a bit of magic, and when I found the book, The Sorcerer's Screed at the National Gallery of Iceland, I momentarily got excited about brushing up my sorcery skills and loved the visual language set out in the book.

Here are some things to enjoy in Reykjavík:

SWEET BREAKS The liquorice hot chocolate at Kaffislippur. Cinnamon swirls and apple celery jam at Sandholt bakery. Slip into the cigar-box Mokka Kaffi, for trip back in time - precisely to 1958, when it opened. The oldest and youngest clientele seem to enjoy waffles with whipped cream and jam alongside their coffees. SWEET TRADITIONS. Kransekake: A layered 'wreath' cake, popular for weddings, baptisms, on Christmas or New Year's eve in Iceland, Denmark & Norway. Pure marzipan heaven. The wreathe shape of each cake ring is also symbolic – each ring is broken off and shared. WARM UP with the Sea Baron's fragrant lobster soup or a casual evening dinner at Snaps. If you are exploring the area past the Maritime Museum, take a lunch break at the CooCoo's Nest, then browse next door at Búrið keeping 'curd nerds' satisfied with a lovely selection of dairy and other products from small, local producers. Pick up some rhubarb caramels. COOL DOWN A few more steps past Búrið land you at Valdís, with its delicious homemade ice cream that locals seems to enjoy even in Winter! NIGHT VIBES Housed in a former biscuit factory, Kex Hostel ('kex' is the word for biscuit in Icelandic) achieves an addictively comfy-cool atmosphere that would make all Ace Hotels jealous. Great for dinner and often has live music. SPECIAL THINGS TO TAKE HOME As I embraced the Winter more and more each day, when I passed the perfume shop, Madison, I was hoping to find an a scent that captured what I had been smelling the past few days. I was introduced to the collection of artist Andrea Maak, an artist who grew up in Reykjavík and uses her artwork, photographs and samples of the landscape as a starting points for the formulations, which capture her impressions the unique natural environment there. GET COZY Wool production has always been central to Icelandic craft and tradition. Geysir spins modern takes on the wool blanket in exciting color combinations and patterns. THIS & THAT Enamelware and beautiful wooden door handles are just a few of the good finds at the local hardware store Brynja, an institution since 1919. CULTURAL CLOSENESS The Safnahúsið (the Culture House) is an architectural gem, recently renovated and currently shows the exhibit Points of View, that takes visitors on a journey through Iceland's visual culture. Continue your Icelandic art discovery with some lunch or a cocktail across the street at the 101 Hotel which houses a great collection of Icelandic art in their public spaces. FACETED FANCY The Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre commands attention, take a walk around outside and inside to catch different perspectives of the space and its relationship to the site, looking through the irregular facets of the glass facade, a collaboration between Danish architects Henning Larsen and artist Olafur Eliasson. A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH If you have time to travel from Reykjavík, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula's terrain is captivating. Búdahraun (Búdir Lava) plays host to uniquely diverse flora. Look out for the True Lover's Knot, which is among the 31 protected plant species in Iceland. Stay or dine at Hotel Budir, have a drink from the living room and watch the tide come in, and be sure to visit the goth-fairytale black chapel next door.