Recently in Rene Redzepi Category

Rene Redzepi of the world famous Noma restaurant in Copenhagen is to run a two-week pop-up at London's Claridge's hotel this summer.

The two-Michelin-starred chef, whose restaurant has twice been named the best in the world, will run A Taste of Noma at Claridge's from 28 July to 6 August in celebration of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

From the Mayfair hotel's Ballroom, Redzepi, together with his team of chefs from Noma, will offer a five-course menu of signature dishes priced £195. The menu will reflect his signature style using seasonal British ingredients.

We are excited about the opportunity to be part of the celebration of the Olympic Games in London and to work closely with the team at Claridge's. it is a different set-up from our home field, but we look forward to exploring the bounty of a different part of the world."

Claridge's general manager Thomas Kochs added: "This unique dining experience will be the first time the legendary chef will create his ground-breaking vision outside Denmark. The arrival of René and his team marks a true milestone in Claridge's culinary history, especially during such an exciting time in the capital.

"As London welcomes the best of the best from around the globe this summer, we are proud to make our contribution by bringing the world's best restaurant to Claridge's."

Noma - a combination of Nordish (Nordic) and Mad (food) - is a partnership between Danish restaurateur and TV chef Claus Meyer and Redzepi, whose career has included stints at some of the world's finest restaurants, including Thomas Keller's French Laundry in California and Ferran Adrià's El Bulli in Spain.

The menu at Noma is a "personal rendition of Nordic gourmet cuisine" - a mix of costly and everyday ingredients, unusual foraged native foods, and home-made vinegars, beers, spirits and wines. Alongside modern cooking techniques, Redzepi has also revitalised age-old, curative and non-chemical methods of cooking such as smoking, salting, pickling, drying, grilling and baking on slabs of basalt.

Last night saw the launch of Taste of London, the annual food festival celebrating the capital's restaurant scene, which opens to the public today.

The great and good of the hospitality industry gathered in Regent's Park to sip Champagne and sample a special hog roast prepared by two-Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi.

At Taste of London, 40 of the capital's top restaurants are represented and 36 of them put their top dish forward for the Best Taste Award.

A panel of judges including Danish chef Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen, Observer food critic Jay Rayner, Guardian food editor Matthew Fort, Sunday Telegraph restaurant critic Zoe Williams and food writer Joe Warwick spent more six hours tasting the restaurants' signature dishes.

Pascal Aussignac, chef proprietor of the Michelin-starred Club Gascon group of restaurants, was the big winner picking up the top prize for his dish of foie gras burger and summer truffle.

"I am amazed and surprised," Aussignac said after the award ceremony. "It's super cool, especially considering that I have been given the award by Rene Redzepi who is such a great chef."

Rayner added: "Club Gascon's foie gras burger is shamelessly outrageous and an absolute joy. Is it good for you? No. Does it make you feel good? Yes!"

A close runner up was taste of London newcomer Skylon executive chef Helena Puolakka's dish of warm smoked Loch Var salmon, lemon verbena jelly and pickled cucumber and sweet rye. In third place was Tristan Welch, head chef at Launceston Place, with a rice pudding soufflé with raspberry sauce for two. A special mention also went to Paramount's Colin Layfield for his rump of lamb, goat's cheese and white onion tart with sweet pea puree.

Next to the Best in Taste Award were the Best in Taste Wine Awards:
Taste of Summer Award - Prosecco Riccardo NV, Italy
Foodies Wine Award - Gran Feudo Chardonnay 2008, Bodegas Chivite, Spain
Indulgence Award - Felsina Vin Santo 2001, Italy

Taste of London runs in Regent's Park until Sunday 19 June.

Michelin-starred chefs Claude Bosi and Rene Redzepi are joining forces for a special dinner to be held at Hibiscus on Saturday 16 April.

The event, which will see the two acclaimed chefs cook alongside each other, has been set up to raise funds for the Save the Children charity.

Tickets for the dinner sold out within 15 minutes. However, two have been reserved and put up for auction on Ebay. The Hibiscus team hope to raise as much money as possible.

All funds will go towards Save the Children's new campaign No Child Born to Die, which aims to dramatically cut the number of children under the age of five dying from simple complications such as pneumonia and diarrhoea. The children's charity says if children were routinely vaccinated, the death toll, which currently sits at 8 million children a year, could be cut by up to a quarter.