*notcot - 05.12.05 , 00:49 -

Delectable Delights

jin.pngChocolate, exotic brews, high tea in a divine little outdoor patio with great feng shui — minimalistic fountain, very green relaxed environment… Hidden on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach, Jin Patisserie sounded good in the reviews (Angeleno, LA Times, Lucky, Daily Candy, NY Times to name a few…). It looked amazing in the pictures.

You HAVE to try it. Had high tea there today, tried to do lunch, but as i wandered through and saw the desserts and scones and chocolates, had to have sweets. Although open since Sept 2003, i have only now come to experience this secret spot of Kristy Choo, Singaporean native/air hostess turned dessert designer, in person. The highlight about afternoon tea is that you get a sampler of savories and sweets (highlight being the sweet being minis of many of the mouth watering desserts they offer). We also tried a pot of the RYOKUCHA MIDORI:

The tea drunk by the Samurai. Being low in theine and Rich in vitamins C and E, it is fortifying without over stimulating the nerves. An ideal tea for physical and intellectual exercise, it has a fine robust, fresh flavour.

I have been feeling rather physical and intellectually excercised today. But that might also be the scones and that chocolate pyramid dessert mini… Jin Patisserie

*notcot - 05.09.05 , 03:19 -

100% Chocolate

07.jpg100% Chocolate basically says it all… The Japanese interior design group Wonderwall created this amazing space in Tokyo in collaboration with the Groovisions (remember those screensavers from nissan in the start of notcot?)…

The theme is “Chef’s Table in the Kitchen.” The entire establishment is rendered as a chocolate kitchen, with a table placed within to accommodate invited guests. Covering one of the walls are 56 different types of chocolate blocks, tastefully placed in glass showcases.

This exquisite boutique food experience looks like quite the indulgence for all your senses. Wallpaper discussed its role in the evolution of choclatiers, and the new trend moving towards innovation in packaging, presentation, and “product development”… catering to a more design-literate audience. With a combination of idiosyncratic flavors (green tea? gin and tonic?) and ceilings of enormous cubes of imitation chocolate… and Groovisions clean funky graphics… who can’t help but forget their woes for a few divine moments?

more images following… this post inspired by a need for some bliss, preferably in the form of quality dark chocolate mixed with playful classy visuals to tease my senses into oblivion.

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*notcot - 04.04.05 , 04:28 -

Silicon in the Kitchen

silicon.jpgWandering through Sur La Table, i dicovered more wonders of silicon in what i thought were unchanging tools of baking.

Reuseable silicon baking cups (no more waste going to those cupcake holders or liners). Silicon Rolling Pin, its such a hefty solid feeling object, it will definitely get the job done. And for those impossible Madelines, Mini Kugelhopfs, Muffin, Mini Muffins, and Savarin molds, the French have designed them in silicon which greatly increase the proability of having perfectly molded delights. Buon Appetito… Sur la Table.

*notcot - 03.30.05 , 02:24 -

Rose of the Vineyards

atelier3.jpgOne more from L’Atelier du Vin that seemed worthy of its own post. Their description combined with image describe it so well…

The rose, sentinel of the vine. Walking through vineyards we often see roses planted at the end of a row of vines. Is it because wine-growers are romantics? Some of them certainly are, but there is another explanation for the presence of rose bushes among the vines.
What roses and vines have in common is that they are susceptible to the same diseases “powdery mildew and grey mold” with rose bushes showing the symptoms earlier. When the wine grower sees that the roses are affected, he knows that the vines will be too and that he must treat them as soon as possible.

So you can now witness the “in vitro” propagation and cultivation of this natural vine thermometer in this vial containing a non toxic nutrient, a transparent gel developed in collaboration with NASA scientists.

*notcot - , 02:11 -

+ L’Atelier du Vin (accents)

atelier2.jpgBeyond openers, L’Atelier du Vin offers a wealth of accessories for any wine connoisseur. (from left to right)

1. Le Chambreur… gently warms red wines to the ideal serving temperature in minutes. Thermo-active gel with immediate release.

2. Bubble Indicator… keeps the pressure inside the bottle, and its sensitive indicator tells you about the bubbles pressure: as soon as the colored ring starts to disappear, it is time to finish the bottle.

3. eau+… is a water dispenser, ideal for daily use, and suitable for all beverages without gas. Perfect for use in the kitchen, at work, at parties, or bedside, and easy for children as well. (not to mention beautiful design)

4. Chic Glass… The simple, distinctive and elegant character of your glass. Made of strong polypropylen. It’s a very Pantone feeling approach to wine glass distinguishers.

*notcot - , 01:55 -

L’Atelier du Vin 1926

atelier.jpgI purchased Le Tourne Bouchon in a Milanese design store last year, because its simplicity was so intruiging. To be honest it’s pretty functional with corks, not so good with the plastic, but when it was designed i doubt that plastic was even one of their worries. It works with a wiggle wiggle in, and a twist around and out.

Le Black-Black is just so clean and classic, a definite must have for any collection… and Le Grippy has so much character to it… Take a look at the rest of the collection as well, they definitely have something for everyone, with such a clean french twist. L’Atelier du Vin

*notcot - 03.29.05 , 19:36 -

Parisian Designer TAP Water

_40952957_ap_paris_water_203.jpgOh i wish i was in Paris on Intl Water Day. The bottled water designs the last few years have become more and more interesting and aesthetically pleasing. I mean i suppose some people claim it’s JUST water, but you can taste the difference between some, really.

But check out the backlash of designer water, and how the French Government chose to deal with it (i love this concept, excerpt from the BBC)

Recent polls revealed that 51% of Parisians drink bottled water. The glass decanters have been created by fashion designer Pierre Cardin and carry the logo of public water company Eau de Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Half of the capital’s water is pumped from the rivers Seine and Marne and purified at three plants. The remaining 50% comes from artesian wells - which do not require pressure for the water to flow to the surface.
“People buy bottled water because of the marketing, and we realised that if we were to win them back to the tap we would have to do some marketing of our own,” Franck Madureira of Eau de Paris told AFP news agency. “It’s all about giving Paris water an image and explaining why it is good for you.” The 30,000 carafes are designed to fit in the door of a fridge and are meant to be filled with tap water, providing an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bottles.

Via Treehugger

*notcot - 03.27.05 , 15:34 -

DIY Peeps!

peeps.jpgHappy Easter, go engadget for finding these peeps. Its Easter, you can’t help it, just have to have one, or poke at it at least…

Inside the box is the magical Peeps maker, 6 molds, a blue measuring cup for water, a yellow plastic stirrer and 2 sets of marshmallow mix and sugar. Marshmallow mix refills are available separately.ix Marshmallow Mix packet #1 with 1 Tbs. of very warm water. Stir for a maximum of 30 seconds. Add the contents of packet #2 and stir for a maximum of 20 additional seconds. Carefully fill the molds. Let your Peeps rest for five minutes, then remove them from the molds and roll in the yellow or pink dusting sugar. That’s it!

Amazing isn’t it? in that absolutely disgusting but intruiging sort of way? But that is the Peeps appeal i suppose? Anyhow, had to share this… check out the real Peeps site for more brightly colored amazement (such as the giant milk chocolate egg with a giant peep inside!)

*notcot - 03.17.05 , 05:23 -

Happy St. Paddy’s Day

hanger.jpg Just a reminder to wear your green. And if needed go download the sign from Guinness to hang on your work door. Or get the shirt if you don’t have some green already… unless you LIKE being pinched. So be it, be safe.

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*notcot - 03.16.05 , 14:10 -

Starbucks vs ?

coffee.jpgFor the highest in high design, everyone else covers and recovers it, but who’s covering the design thats coming out in the everyday world? Like world-domination driven Starbucks?

It’s kind of a pretty bottle… i suppose it was a matter time after the ice cream. Are they out to take on Kahlua? Actually i suppose the real competition should be Sheridan’s. From a design standpoint that is one sweet bottle. It has a double spout, for their “perfect pour”, it layers without forced mixing of the two… Design Case Study follows…

p.s. i love that Starbuck’s page tells you:

Please note: the caffeine in this liqueur does not counteract the effects of alcohol. Please drink responsibly.

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