Celebrate Tet with Old Quarter-Style Market at This Hotel in Hanoi
By Lifestyle+Travel
The spirit of old Hanoi will sweep through the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi this month, as the hotel celebrates Tet with a traditional Old Quarter-style market from Jan. 17-19. The festivities continue with special culinary offerings beginning Jan. 24.
At the Tet market, food vendors on the hotel’s patio will sell authentic Vietnamese favourites, while children will be given traditional toys known as to he, edible figurines made from glutinous rice powder shaped to look like flowers and animals. Market-goers can also learn the art of classic Vietnamese calligraphy.
Wine, craft beer and other refreshments will also be on offer, as will souvenirs that visitors can take home as memories of the Vietnamese lunar new year. Traditional-style Vietnamese houses will also be erected in the hotel’s walkway outside La Boutique du Metropole, adding to the “Old Quarter” ambiance.
The Tet market at Metropole Hanoi is open to the public daily, and kicks off Friday, Jan. 17 at 4pm with an opening ceremony featuring a traditional dragon dance. The market continues on Jan. 18 and 19 from 11am to 8pm. More than 15 vendors will take part in this year’s bazaar. Special Metropole Tet hampers with luxury and gourmet items will be available for sale at the market and at L’Epicerie du Metropole from Jan. 6 onwards.
The hotel will host a cooking competition at the market at 5pm each day. On Jan. 17, contestants will vie to see who can create the most delicious “Chung cake” (a traditional Vietnamese rice cake) while Jan. 18 will witness a battle of banh cuon, and Jan. 19 will determine who is able to produce the tastiest spring rolls. Winners will receive a voucher for a complimentary homemade cake from L’Epicerie du Metropole.
A Vietnamese floral specialist from local boutique Liti Florist will host a flower workshop from 2pm to 4pm on Jan. 18.
An exclusive six-course Tet 2020 Gala Dinner at Spices Garden will be served on Jan. 24 featuring grilled oysters with shallots and roasted peanuts; blue prawn in a mild coconut soup; fresh yellow bamboo and beef salad; braised chinh fish with green banana; grilled pigeon and foie gras; and banana fritter, traditional Tet candied fruits and vanilla ice cream. The gala dinner is priced at 2.5 million VND.
By LIFESTYLE+TRAVEL
The World of Flavours Awaits
Bangkok’s premier culinary showcase returns to Anantara Siam, promising an extraordinary week of Michelin-starred talent, global collaborations, and a brand-new award celebrating emerging chefs. The celebrated World Gourmet Festival is making its highly anticipated return to the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel from 29 September to 4 October. Inviting food connoisseurs and epicureans from around the globe to embark on an extraordinary culinary journey, this year’s festival centers around a vibrant and timely theme: “The World of Flavours.” Renowned as one of Asia’s premier gastronomic events, the festival follows a triumphant 25th edition that redefined the capital’s dining scene by bringing together nearly 30 Michelin stars. This year’s program promises to elevate that momentum, uniting a spectacular collective of internationally acclaimed chefs, regional visionaries, and leading local culinary figures. Together with Anantara Siam’s own master chefs, they will curate an array of exclusive experiences highlighting unique techniques and rich cultural influences. Guests can look forward to a meticulously designed calendar featuring exclusive solo dining events, multi-chef collaborative tasting menus, and interactive live culinary showcases. The festivities will also include elegant afternoon teas, dynamic bar takeovers, and thought-provoking panel discussions led by industry pioneers, all culminating in an indulgent weekend brunch closing ceremony. In an exciting first for the festival, this edition introduces the Young Chef’s Award. This brand-new competition is dedicated to fostering local talent, providing emerging chefs a prestigious stage to present their creativity and vision to a distinguished panel of local and international judges. Save the date for Bangkok’s ultimate celebration of global gastronomy. For more information www.anantara.com/en/siam-bangkok
By LIFESTYLE+TRAVEL
BULL & BEAR CELEBRATES “THE ART OF DRY AGING” WITH EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED-TIME MENU
Bull & Bear at Waldorf Astoria Bangkok invites guests to discover a new expression of “The Art of Dry Aging” through an exclusive menu, pushing the boundaries of premium steak dining with the combination of traditional dry-aging methods with contemporary flavour infusions. Whiskey Butter Aged, the first signature technique showcased in this exclusive menu, features Australian Black Angus and Wagyu MB7 slow-aged for 35 days in butter infused with Michter’s Kentucky Straight Rye, yielding cuts of buttery tenderness with warm notes of spice, toasted oak, and a lingering bourbon-like sweet aftertaste. Highlights include Australian Black Angus NY Strip Steak (300g) priced at THB 3,300++, Australian Wagyu Tenderloin MB7 (200g) at THB 3,500++, and Full Blood Wagyu Tomahawk MB9 at THB 12,800++ per kilogram. The second, Chipotle Onion & Beef Tallow Aging, takes a deeper, smokier direction as True North Black Onyx and Japanese Hokkaido Wagyu are aged in rendered beef tallow infused with roasted onion and chipotle, enhancing the beef’s natural sweetness and the delicate, smoky warmth that plays beautifully against the meat's natural A4 marbling. Recommended selections include Australian Black Angus Ribeye MB4 (350g) at THB 3,600++, Hokkaido Wagyu Ribeye A4 (400g) at THB 4,900++, and Saga Wagyu Striploin A4 (250g) at THB 4,800++. To complete the experience, pair it with The Kombu Butter Fettuccine (THB 750++), which deepens the savoury profile of the beef with hijiki seaweed and cured egg yolk, or the Grilled Bone Marrow (THB 650++) served with Barolo Jus to balance the richness of the Wagyu with acidity rather than compete. Period: 15 – 30 June 2026, for lunch from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm and dinner from 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm For reservations and further information T: 66 (0)2 846 8888 LINE: @WaldorfAstoriaBKK E: bkkwa.fb@waldorfastoria.com W: www.waldorfbangkok.waldorfastoria.com
By Lifestyle+Travel
Flamboyant Feast at EBBE
A Nordic vision takes root in Bangkok’s heart at EBBE. BKK There’s a particular hush that descends when something exceptional is about to unfold. At EBBE.BKK, tucked away on the lower ground floor of Erawan Bangkok, on Ploenchit Road, this silence feels almost ceremonial. Sixteen counter seats face an open kitchen where Chef Ebbe Vollmer and his team moved with the precision of watchmakers, each gesture deliberate, each plate a study in restraint. The location couldn’t be more convenient for those navigating Bangkok’s perpetual chaos. Erawan Bangkok sits at the intersection of the city’s commercial and cultural heart, accessible by BTS, and surrounded by familiar landmarks from luxury hotels to premium shopping. Yet step into EBBE.BKK’s warm, Scandinavian-inspired interior, and the frenetic energy of the neighbourhood dissolves entirely. The space breathes with a different rhythm: calm, focused, intentional. Chef Ebbe’s journey to Bangkok is the sort that builds culinary legends. Beginning in his grandmother’s hostelry in Hörby, Sweden, he moved to London at sixteen to train under Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay — names that need no embellishment. His CV reads like a greatest hit of modern gastronomy: leading JAAN in Singapore to a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, co-founding the two-Michelin-starred Vollmers, and most recently, earning a star for EBBE – Chef’s Counter in Florida within a year of opening. Now, he’s brought his philosophy of purity and expressive minimalism to Bangkok, and the result feels both groundbreaking and inevitable. The Prestige Menu—a tasting journey that evolves with seasonal ingredients—kickstarted with Cucumber, Lemon, Salmon. It was a deceptively simple trilogy that marked the evening’s intentions. The essence of each component was brought into perfect harmony through Nordic culinary techniques applied to ingredients that speak of Thai terroir, and the flavours were beyond brilliance. I could not wait for the next course to arrive. What followed was a masterclass in this philosophy, I would say. Spinach, Rygost, Apple Cider met in a composition that balanced earth and brightness. An éclair (yes, an éclair!) was reimagined with ceps and Mimolette, transforming the familiar into something entirely new whilst respecting its essential character. Garden peas were elevated with lemon and horseradish, the latter’s heat tempered to allow the sweetness of the peas their moment. The Crabe des Neiges, Cucumber, Finger Lime course demonstrated Chef Ebbe’s deft hand with luxurious ingredients. Paired with cucumber and finger lime, the sweet crab needed little intervention. The citrus notes cut through without overwhelming, whilst the cucumber provided a cool counterpoint. It was the dish that made me slow down, pay attention and taste each element separately before experiencing them as a whole. White Tuna, Green Apple, Elderflower continued this theme of clarity. There was a floral hint here that could veer into perfume, but didn’t. Instead, it lingered just long enough to make the dish memorable before yielding to the next course: Beetroot, Blackcurrant, Black Lemon. This was where Chef Ebbe’s Swedish roots showed most clearly — the earthy, sweet beetroots given Nordic treatment and a new complexity through