Restaurants are in full swing and most, if not all, are fully booked for the Christmas and New Year period. One restaurant that is about to take advantage of the festive rush is the Cook House Restaurant at the recently opened Radisson Blu Beirut-Verdun hotel.  And flying in specially to oversee the opening is globetrotting French national, Executive Chef David Harnois.

Harnois earned his degree in culinary art from Ecole Hôtelière in St. Meen Le Grand before going on to broaden his education in Food Technology at St. Joseph College Loudeac in France. Today, he is the leader of the culinary team of Radisson Blu Hotel in Kuwait and the Area Executive Chef of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in the Middle East and Turkey, taking the lead in implementing F&D initiatives and concepts, enhancing culinary delivery in restaurants, culinary training, procurement liaison and contribution to increased departmental profitability.

Harnois’s life and work ethics are one and the same thing and, according to him, include being open minded, able to follow varied seasons locally, passion for work with dash of fun and excitement.

It only seems right, then, to grill Harnois on the coming global culinary trends and what menu offerings from 2017 will still be around in 2018.

TRENDS FOR 2018

Plant-based Foods

Plant-based diets: Restaurants are meeting the growing demand for meatless dishes. According to market research, between 2012 and 2016 there has been a 25 percent increase in vegetarianism.

Next-wave Cuisines

Indian food offerings will change from standard curries toward fast-casual street food, with options like spicy lamb burritos or chicken masala pizza. Upscale Korean restaurants are the next big thing, incorporating fermented food and lots of spices into complex dishes.

The Next Ramen

A broth-less version of ramen, mazemen is a noodle dish topped with traditional or unconventional flavors. In general, ‘bowl food’ is on the up.

Coffeehouse

While coffee is clearly trending among millennial and Generation Z consumers, tea is also seeking to reinvent itself among the younger generations. Beyond the usual hot drinks and iced tea offering, the industry is increasingly using coffee and tea as ingredients and flavors across a wide variety of products as varied as energy bars, yogurt and jam.

Breakfast Sandwiches

These are making waves as millennials demand speed and high-protein…and portability where possible.

Transparency

There will be a greater demand for more information on packaging. Better transparency in terms of labeling will be pushed by supermarkets to meet consumer demand for more info on GMO, fair trade, ingredients and traceability. This will also happen in restaurants, since consumers want to know what’s in their food and where it’s from.

The Other Bubbly 

Sparkling coffees, sparkling sap-based water drinks…in fact, sparkling everything.

STILL IN FASHION FOR 2018

• Butchers, local offerings and the revival of old traditions
• Of course, the food truck business will still be with us
• The popular avocado toast craze dishes from 2017 will live on into next year, but restaurants are taking it one step further by going artsy with their avocado dishes.
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