A new way of fine dining
As economic anxiety remains high, the little touches from F&B operators can be critical for them to thrive. Stephan Zoisl, chef and founder of Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan, notes that: “Diners will appreciate the small details that they can’t get from delivery meals, so dine-in will need to step up its game in terms of service.”
Chef Shintaro Miyazaki of one Michelin-starred Azure 45 at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo suggests personalised service, for example, knowing the preference of guests and remembering the dishes that were offered during their last visit so repeat customers will never get bored, is becoming more important as diners are now more sensitive to little details.
Vivian Pei, senior academy chair for The World’s 50 Best reckons: “High-end restaurants that have more casual offerings will continue to do well because people are looking for affordable luxury.”
We saw clues of this future of the industry as some of the greatest chefs around the world had already demonstrated, such as Rene Redzepi, who reopened Noma Copenhagen, a four-time World’s 50 Best Restaurant winner, as a wine and burger joint, with picnic tables set up in its spring garden; Daniel Boulud has moved his two Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel in New York outdoors and created a “more approachable, more casual” menu, admitting that with the current economic climate, he doesn’t see the necessity of serving dishes with caviar.
