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JAGUAR MAGAZINE #07

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  • E
  • Arles
  • Gandy
  • Portland
  • Wang
  • Creativity
  • Jaguar
David Gandy and his XK120 charm London’s creative quarter | How charity In Place Of War channels creativity in conflict zones | Interior designer Joyce Wang shares the latest trends in luxury | Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s most successful year in Formula E | Meet Jaguar’s new design director Julian Thomson

Meat and greet (From

Meat and greet (From left) Matt Vicedomini; The Whole Shebang at Matt's BBQ; the bar at 10 Barrel through a secret door into Langbaan, his high-end, tasting menu venue, to watch his crew prep for dinner. Hip-hop blasts from the speakers as young chefs transform the usually serene space, finished with rustic wood and straps of concrete, into a symphony of slicing, chopping and pounding. A seat at Langbaan is still one of Portland’s most diffcult reservations to score. “People here are well-read about food, and have an understanding of what it’s like in other countries,” says Ninsom. “We are able to offer them a broader variety. Once, we made a dinner based on a poem written by a king. We like to show the customers what we’re doing, why and where it comes from – that we’re not throwing a bunch of things together because we can.” Following the success of Langbaan, Ninsom moved in yet another direction, opening a super-casual, counterservice spot called Hat Yai. Specialities include crispy fried chicken served with luscious Malay-style curry and chewy roti, from southern Thailand. The restaurant proved so popular that he has opened a second location. What next? In 2019, Ninsom partnered with Matt Vicedomini of Matt’s BBQ – one of the city’s best food carts – and Eric Nelson, one of the city’s best-known bartenders, to open Eem, a Texas-Thai-Tiki mashup that has people lining up for hours. It’s so successful that they’re already working on a second location. “Restaurants are great for collaborating,” Vicedomini says when I visit him later at his Texas-style barbecue cart on North Mississippi Avenue. The laid-back thirtysomething opened Matt’s BBQ in 2015 on a shoestring. Since then, his ‘Whole Shebang’ plate of buttery-soft brisket, tender ribs, smoky pulled pork and juicy, spicy sausages has become one of the most popular dishes in town, inspiring lines stretching 20-deep at lunchtime. And now he supplies the smoked meats that Ninsom combines with Thai flavours at Eem. “Doesn’t he want a restaurant of his own?” I ask. “No way,” he says. “We have a good thing going here. This is a great 30 / Jaguar Magazine

Travel “Once, we made a dinner based on a poem written by a king’’ Akkapong 'Earl' Ninsom experience for tourists and residents. You can have a beer, it’s family friendly and everyone can get what they want.” Growing up I steer the I-PACE into the heart of Portland, finishing my tour where, in some ways, the city’s meteoric ascent first began. Le Pigeon opened in 2006 on a nondescript stretch of Burnside Avenue, east of the river. With a young, unknown chef, Gabriel Rucker, at the helm and minimal foot traffc, few could have predicted that this unassuming spot would become the city’s best-known restaurant. A year later, Rucker was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs, with nominations to follow for the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year award. He won the prestigious title in 2011 and, in 2013, claimed the foundation’s Best Chef: Northwest award. Meeting Rucker at Le Pigeon a few hours before service, he’s a skilled multi-tasker, laying a rib-eye steak on the grill as we chat, to be served with a rich chorizo red-eye gravy, tart ground cherries and cornmeal spoon bread fritters. “My food has become more refined,” he says, considering his influences since being in Portland. “There’s definitely more competition now, more places of a higher calibre for diners to choose from.” He doesn’t worry that a crowded playing field will stifle Portland’s risk-taking spirit. “It just means we have to push ourselves harder to stand out,” he says. “At Le Pigeon we’re still true to our roots, creating playful, boundary-pushing cuisine, but in terms of technique, presentation and execution, we’ve grown up – and that’s a reflection of the city of Portland in general.” J Jaguar Magazine / 31

 

JAGUAR MAGAZINE

 

Jaguar Magazine celebrates creativity in all its forms, with exclusive features that inspire sensory excitement, from beautiful design to cutting-edge technology.

In this issue, we explore the art of creativity from the Brazilian masters who devised the graceful art of Capoeira, to the Irish artists mixing new culture with old. You will also discover the creative line that links Victorian wallpaper to the iPhone. While the multi-talented actor and performer, Riz Ahmed, explains why it is the right time to reveal his true self to the world.

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