Tag: adventure travel

An Unforgettable Journey Through
Latin America

Posted on by Alyssa Williams

The eerie beauty of the Galápagos Islands, the vibrant flavours of Bogotá, the rich traditions of Buenos Aires: Experience the wonders of Central and South America as part of the newest Four Seasons Private Jet journey. We invite you to spend 16 blissful days (February 9–24, 2019) taking in the very best of five destinations – Miami, Costa Rica, Buenos Aires, Bogotá and the Galápagos Islands – including behind-the-scenes experiences curated by our experts just for you. You’ll travel in style and comfort between extraordinary locales aboard the Four Seasons Private Jet, with Italian leather flatbed seats, Ghurka cabin bags and personal tablets for each passenger. Whether you’re a foodie, an adventurer, an aesthete or all three, you can customize every offering to fulfil your travel dreams.

“A big part of what we offer on our private jet trips is exclusivity and access, the ability to do things you never imagined were possible,” says Javier Loureiro, Director of Guest Experience for the Four Seasons Private Jet. “We handle the logistics and create the types of experiences that will make for treasured memories.” Although many details of this particular expedition have yet to be divulged, here are a few of our favourite moments – soon to be yours.

Stargazing in Costa Rica

Gaze at the stars in Costa Rica with a former NASA astronaut.

Villa Casa Casuarina in Miami

Soak up the opulent Miami home of late fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Bogotá market

Rainbow-hued produce abounds in Bogotá’s vibrant markets.

WORLDS OF FLAVOUR

Begin your journey in Miami with a private dinner at the lavish Villa Casa Casuarina, former home of the late fashion designer Gianni Versace. The Miami manse was built in 1930 for the scion of the Standard Oil fortune. (Note the expertly manicured garden and showstopping gold-plated pool.) Need more Latin flavours in your life? Cruise Little Havana with the help of a local guide, who’ll lead you to the most authentic Cuban foods the neighborhood has to offer.

In Costa Rica, you’ll eye the sky with Franklin Chang Diaz, a native of Costa Rica and a former NASA astronaut. Gaze at the brilliant stars dotting the southern sky through a powerful GPS-guided telescope, and then feast on a meal that blends astronomy with gastronomy. “Your dinner that evening is catered by Four Seasons with an out-of-this-world tasting menu that includes cocktails infused with actual meteorite dust,” Loureiro says. Try dishes like cantaloupe and watermelon “molten sun” gazpacho, steak served with a space rock–infused sauce, or lime caviar “stars” – all inspired by Chiang Diaz’s time in orbit.

Caffeine connoisseurs will adore exploring Bogotá, Colombia, where you’ll learn about the complexities of one of Colombia’s major exports, coffee, from the pros at Hacienda San Alberto, a third-generation family farm. You’ll also take an expert-led tour through Paloquemao Market, a go-to shop for local chefs since the 1940s thanks to the fresh-picked produce. Don’t miss the edible cactus and indigenous fruits, such as the plum-like borojó, harvested in nearby rainforests.

On the jet itself, the onboard chef carefully accommodates all your culinary preferences, from haute cuisine to comfort food. After all, this is the trip of a lifetime and food and beverage is a piece of that.

Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica

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Spot the blue-footed booby and other wildlife while exploring the Galápagos Islands.

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Retreat to Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires after a day of Argentine exploits.

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Take a day trip from Buenos Aires to explore Iguazú Falls with a private guide.

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Zip-line over lush rainforest canopies in Costa Rica.

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The Silver Galápagos, a chartered cruise, is your home for four nights while exploring the remote Galápagos Islands.

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Sea lions dance beneath the water near Floreana Island in the Galápagos.

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The newly reimagined Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

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Look out for another Galápagos native during your trip: the giant tortoise.

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You surely won’t tire of these kinds of views during your cruise on the Silver Galápagos.

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A highlight of your Galápagos journey: getting up close and personal with its many inhabitants.

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Glimpse the Arenal Volcano during your time in Costa Rica.

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CONQUER ISLANDS, PLAINS AND FALLS

After centuries of natural isolation and careful preservation, the remote Galápagos Islands are home to an incredible variety of marine species. During your four-night chartered cruise aboard the Silver Galápagos, you’ll likely spot sea lion pups frolicking on Floreana Island and huge sea turtles sunning themselves on white-sand beaches. Kayak along the coast and encounter manta rays and colourful fish, and then follow an inland trail on Santa Cruz Island past saltwater lagoons in search of the land iguanas that inspired Dragon Hill’s name. Return to the ship to recharge with a soothing massage.

In Costa Rica, you can don a harness and helmet and whiz over rainforest canopies and valleys via zip line, getting a macaw’s-eye-view of the adjacent Pacific Ocean. Be sure to keep a lookout in the treetops for sloths, which sleep an average of 15 hours per day, an inspirational sight while on vacation.

We take guests to the falls, tour privately with expert guides for a few hours, have lunch and get back to Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires in time for dinner. – Javier Loureiro, Director of Guest Experience

Near Buenos Aires, pay a special visit to Estancia la Bamba de Areco, one of the oldest ranches in Argentina, to watch local gauchos show off their horsemanship, guiding their sturdy mounts through the paces and skillfully tossing boleadoras in the air. Then join the gauchos for a traditional Argentine barbecue on the ranch property, where the oldest building on site – a former carriage house – dates to the 1700s.

One of Loureiro’s favourite activities? The day trip from Buenos Aires to Iguazú Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its astounding 275 waterfall drops. “Without our jet, this trip would take at least a couple of days and require an overnight stay at the falls area,” he says. “We can do it all in the same day, as we fly guests to the falls, tour privately with expert guides for a few hours, have lunch and get back to
Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires in time for dinner. All you have to do is step aboard the jet and enjoy.”

Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires

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Teatro Colón opera house in Buenos Aires

Get a behind-the-scenes tour of the iconic Teatro Colón opera house in Buenos Aires.

Bogotá's Museo del Oro

Sit down to a special dinner surrounded by gold artefacts at Bogotá’s Museo del Oro.

Museo Botero in Bogotá

Eye works by Picasso and Dalí at Bogotá’s Museo Botero.

AN ARTFUL ESCAPE

“I always ask myself questions when looking at different activities or options for our trips,” Loureiro says. “Can we make this private? Can the experience be personalized?” For art and design lovers, that often equates to insider access. Take a backstage peek at Buenos Aires’ 1908 Teatro Colón opera house – among the greatest concert venues on earth, on par with the Vienna State Opera and Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. Expert-led tours will give you the goods on Bogotá’s Museo Botero, with its Picassos and Dalís, or of the innovative galleries of Miami’s Design District.

You can dine in the presence of magnificence, too. “We always love showcasing iconic cultural institutions for our special dinners,” Loureiro says. “In Bogotá, we’ve arranged a festive dinner in the Museo Del Oro. We’ll have exclusive access to the museum, and then sit down to a dinner surrounded by one of the largest collections of gold artefacts in the world.” Admire the still-covetable ancient earrings and gold jaguar figurines in the gilded collection.

One of the best parts of the Four Seasons Private Jet journey is coming home to Four Seasons hotels after your outings. For example, in Buenos Aires, you may spend the day shopping your way through the “Paris of South America,” but you can return to Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires for a signature spa treatment, combining the natural antioxidant properties of red wine and therapeutic massage choreographed to the beat of tango music. Partly housed in an early 20th century belle époque–style mansion, the Hotel also welcomes you to its inviting outdoor pool, garden terrace and E-Lounge –perfect spots to relax before launching the next leg of your trip.

Four Seasons Hotel Bogota

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Once you’ve discovered these Latin American destinations, consider other
Four Seasons Private Jet itineraries for 2019. Snorkel with blacktip lagoon sharks in Bora Bora and take a day trip to the Taj Mahal on the Timeless Encounters trip. Or enjoy a hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti, learn samurai sword moves in Kyoto and indulge in pampering spa treatments under the stars in the Maldives with International Intrigue. By taking advantage of the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience, you can explore the world as never before.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

See the world in a whole new way.

Cityscape

A Colourful Course

Posted on by Shannon Magann

Shep and Ian Murray were miserable. Their New York City office jobs were a far cry from the lives they had envisioned during a childhood spent accompanying their journalist parents to destinations in Africa, Italy and Anguilla. So it was only fitting that on a trip back to that same island paradise, they developed an escape plan. “We were talking to a friend of ours, telling him about an idea we had to sell neckties,” Shep says. “He said, ‘What’s stopping you?’ ” The brothers accepted the challenge, and
vineyard vines was born.

As we visit different destinations, we try to put them into our clothes.

Nearly 20 years later, Shep and Ian’s passion project has become a household name, synonymous with apparel that’s equal parts polished and whimsical. “We started making ties first because we couldn’t find ones that were colourful, fun and well-made,” Ian says. The inspiration? Their many travels – past and present.

Anguilla

Having discovered Anguilla as boys, the brothers pay homage to their beloved vacation spot – and site of the brand’s inception – with the tongue-in-cheek Rum Runner Tie, featuring a runaway rum barrel.

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Boating in deep water

“I caught my first sailfish in Costa Rica, and it ignited my love of fishing,” Ian says. “It inspired me to take Shep fishing in the Florida Keys for his bachelor party. Since then, boating and fishing have been a huge part of our lives and our brand.”

Photo courtesy iStock

Austin skyline

“Everyone and everything in Austin – from the live music to the barbecue – embodies the ‘Every day should feel this good’ motto,” Shep says. “It’s hard not to have a good time when you’re there.”

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Chair lift in Switzerland

A beloved sweatshirt from a childhood ski trip to Switzerland 30 years ago became the prototype for one of the brand’s bestselling items: The Shep Shirt.

Photo courtesy iStock

Santa Maria del Fiore church

On where their travels will take them next: “Our family visited Italy together when we were kids, but we never made it to Florence,” Shep says. “Our parents loved it there, so we’re looking forward to seeing what it’s all about.”

Photo courtesy iStock

“As we visit different destinations, we try to put them into our clothes,” Shep says. “It’s an emotional thing. Every season, we take our customers somewhere new and introduce them to the landscape and people.”

As the place where it all began, the small Caribbean island of Anguilla remains near to their hearts. “The pace is slower, the beach days are a little longer, and the vibe is a little more barefoot and casual,” Ian says. “There’s an authenticity about it that we love.” The brothers aim to infuse each of their products with that same feeling, in particular using playful patterns with images of martinis, golf clubs and Windsurfers.

“‘Every day should feel this good’ is our way of life,” Shep says. “It’s a reminder not to take life too seriously, and it means different things to different people.”


vineyard vines founders

Ian (left) and Shep Murray, the founders of vineyard vines

Photo courtesy vineyard vines

Created in partnership with vineyard vines

Your Journey Begins Here

Inspiration awaits. Time to start exploring.

Explore

7 Reasons You Must Go Truffle Hunting
in Tuscany

Posted on by Laura Begley Bloom

Food writer M.F.K. Fisher once wrote that truffles “may or may not be as good as they are rare and dear.”

I take issue with that statement. When I used to cover the fashion shows in Milan as part of my job, it was amazing to see the high style on the runways. But I admit it: What I found most exciting about being in Italy during the fall was being there for white truffle season. The pleasure of eating this rare delicacy so close to the source went far beyond my enjoyment of any truffle I’d ever tasted in the United States.

Yet I dreamed of more, of going to the Italian countryside to hunt for truffles and try one plucked right from the earth. During a trip on the Four Seasons Private Jet, I got to do just that.

Here are seven reasons why you need to add this experience to your bucket list. Or any itinerary.


Savini Tartufi headquarters

Photo courtesy Savini Tartufi

1. IT WILL SURPRISE YOU

About an hour’s drive outside of Florence, Savini Tartufi is hidden away in the tiny village of Forcoli. Driving up to the headquarters, set in a nondescript building in an equally nondescript industrial area, my heart sank. This was not what I had envisioned. But inside, it was another story. The walls of this fourth-generation family company were lined with all kinds of divine truffle products, and a vintage scooter was propped in one corner. Luca Campinotti was weighing and packaging beautiful specimens, still covered with fresh earth, to deliver to some of Italy’s top restaurants and beyond.


The site of the truffle hunting in Tuscany

Photo courtesy Laura Begley Bloom

2. IT’S THE HOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST TRUFFLES

There are dozens of varieties of truffles in the world, but Italy’s white truffle is one of the most elusive, most delicious and most expensive. It’s found only from September to December and in just the right conditions, growing on the roots of trees under layers of damp leaves and dirt. I was surprised that the Savini team didn’t blindfold us as they led us to a secret forest that must be worth millions, thanks to the treasures it conceals.


World record–winning truffle

Photo courtesy Savini Tartufi

3. IT’S ALSO THE HOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE TRUFFLE

In 2007, two of the family’s hunters – Luciano and Cristiano Savini – unearthed a 1.28-kilogram (2-pound, 13-ounce) truffle that sold at auction for a whopping USD 330,000. That price is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most money ever paid at auction for a white truffle. You can check out a replica of the truffle at the headquarters. Fun fact: The dog that found the original was 14 years old.


A truffle hunting dog

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

4. THE TRUFFLE-HUNTING DOGS ARE CUTE – AND TALENTED

In the past, hunters used to rely on pigs to sniff out these prized discoveries. Problem was, the pigs loved to eat them. These days, well-trained dogs who don’t care for the taste are used for foraging. We got to meet Giotto, a Lagotto Romagnolo who has become mildly famous thanks to his myriad media appearances. On this excursion, though, Luca had invited Giotto’s buddy Birba, a little beagle mix, to lead our small group. Birba was charming and friendly until we hit the woods; then her hunting instincts kicked in as she scratched at the undergrowth. Her reward for finding a truffle? A measly biscuit.


A truffle hunting dog searches for truffles

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

5. THE THRILL OF THE HUNT

The private chef on the Four Seasons jet took a picture of a truffle at headquarters in case we didn’t find any to share on social media, but fortunately we didn’t need it. Our dream team — Birba and Luca — delivered. Within an hour, they had discovered three perfect, delicious white truffles. We even got to sample a sliver of one, seconds after it came out of the ground. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone smile as broadly as our chef did as he cradled that truffle in his hands for a photo to share on Instagram. The experience was foodie nirvana.


A truffle hunting dog with his findings

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

6. YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE ITALIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN A WHOLE NEW WAY

Besides the hunt, there was something magical about wandering through the quiet forest, with Birba prancing through the brush and Luca softly offering her praise and encouragement in Italian. Light streamed through the leaves of the trees. Birds chirped overhead. It was like something out of Alice in Wonderland, except we had a treat coming at the end of the tunnel that would be much better than any tea party.


Dish with shaved white truffles

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

7. NOTHING WILL EVER COMPARE TO THE TASTE OF THESE TRUFFLES

After our journey through the forest, we went back to the Savini headquarters, where Luca and his team whipped up a multi-course meal, with truffles generously heaped over everything from tagliolini pasta to fried eggs, served with local Tuscan wines. I’ve never tasted anything as heavenly as the truffles that we had helped collect just moments before the meal. It was definitely worth the journey.

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

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YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Ready for your next great adventure?

Ponte Santa Trinita

The Insider’s Guide to Dubai:
6 People You Need to Meet

Posted on by Laura Begley Bloom

Dubai is a study in contrast – a place where winding souks exist alongside modern high-rise buildings, glamorous beach resorts and dramatic desert landscapes share real estate and a dazzling city centre abuts lively residential neighbourhoods. The largest city in the United Arab Emirates, often described as a bridge between East and West, is also a mosaic of global cultures.

The people who live and work in Dubai are as compelling as the metropolis itself. From a Brazilian belly dancer to a falconer from South Africa, Four Seasons can introduce you to some of the most intriguing individuals – people who will make an extraordinary visit truly unforgettable.

Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach

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See all you can experience at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach

The Bartender Dubai

THE MIXOLOGIST

Born in Milan, with Sicilian roots, Mariano Ricciari, the assistant bar manager and lead bartender of MINA Brasserie, still starts his day with a proper Italian espresso. Friends joke that he’s a workaholic. Even though he’s a manager, he still likes to jump behind the bar for fun.

Here, you see things that you don’t find anywhere else.

“I love to create a sense of hospitality,” he says. “The interaction with different guests is what I like the most about my job. I get to listen to new stories and adventures. Some people share things that they might not even tell their wife or husband.”

Ricciari moved to Dubai three years ago and describes the city as a bubble in the world. “Here, you see things that you don’t find anywhere else, and you find a better way to recreate something that you’ve seen somewhere else,” he says. He’s constantly pushing his team to experiment and get creative with the cocktail program. “At the end of the night I like to sit down and share my feedback with the team and congratulate them for a job well done,” he says. “And of course, I pour myself a drink.”

Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre

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See all you can experience at Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre

A belly dancer greets guests at Four Seasons Hotel Dubai

THE BELLY DANCER

Upon arrival at Four Seasons Dubai Jumeirah Beach, the unmistakable sounds of Arabic music wafts through the air and a pair of belly dancers appear, elegantly bending their bodies to the rhythm. It’s an ideal welcome.

[Belly dancing] brings you happiness when you watch it.

One of the dancers is Brazil-born Graciela Pischner, who always dreamed of performing in the Middle East and made her way to Dubai after stops in Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain and Tunis. “I like how people in Dubai appreciate and respect my work,” she says. “Also, it’s a safe place, and the perfect location for someone who wants to travel around the world.”

Belly dancing is a respected Arabic art form, with some differences according to location. In Dubai, the dancers perform in high heels and take big steps. “It brings you happiness when you watch it,” Pischner says.

The Restaurant Manager Dubai

THE RESTAURANT MANAGER

As the Manager of Suq Restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Lawrence Raj believes it’s his role to make guests feel like part of the family. “It’s as important to start the day right as it is to end,” he says, “so beginning with breakfast, I ensure every guest receives astounding service.”

At Suq every day is always full of new discoveries.

The cuisine at Suq, a mix of flavours from the Middle East, Asia and the West, reflects the diversity of the city. Raj, who was born in Kanyakumari in South India, moved to Dubai 15 years ago, drawn to the city’s blend of ancient traditions with modernity. “Dubai reminds travellers of its heritage through its food, fabrics, dialects and desert tents,” he says. “The city is so alive, and at Suq every day is always full of new discoveries, new friends and personal growth.”

A falcon trainer does a demonstration near Dubai.

THE FALCONER

The art of falconry goes back more than 2,000 years. Although most people in modern-day Dubai don’t rely on falcons to hunt prey and find water in the desert, the falcon remains an important symbol in Arabic culture. It’s the national bird of the United Arab Emirates.

South Africa–born Liander Botes is the operations manager at Wild Flight Dubai, which introduces travellers to falconry and educates them about birds of prey. “This is not a pet – this is a dangerous animal,” Botes tells visitors, noting that when going for the kill, the bird can reach speeds of up to 300 kph (200 mph). “It is a hunting tool and can cause the same damage as a rifle.”

The falcon can reach speeds of up to 300 kph (200 mph).

The falcon can travel long distances, but, as Botes shows guests, it can also return to its owner, thanks to a natural form of GPS. Wild Flight Dubai can arrange for a falcon to perch on a well-protected arm or display a bird’s exercise and free flight at sunset. “The interesting thing about my job is that every day is different,” says Botes, who developed a love of animals while growing up on a farm in South Africa. “Every day something new happens.”

The Camel Trainer Dubai

THE CAMEL TRAINER 

Mohammed Ali doesn’t speak a word of English, but with simple motions he shows guests how to mount his camels carefully and ride them over sand dunes.

He assures nervous first-timers through his translator that camels are actually quite calm as long as you don’t create a noise that disturbs them. An expert trainer who has worked alongside camels since childhood, Ali was born in Pakistan and now lives with the Bedouins in the desert. He takes great pleasure in helping visitors live out their Lawrence of Arabia fantasies while interacting with his well-behaved animals.

A food expert teaches Four Seasons' guests about local Dubai flavors.

THE FOOD EXPERT

Dubai’s dining scene isn’t defined just by its plentiful celebrity-chef restaurants. Arva Ahmed, a respected food blogger and the founder of Frying Pan Adventures, provides an authentic taste of local flavours on her culinary tours of Old Dubai.

Dubai is a great preserver of food culture from around the region.

Ahmed, born in India, moved to the United States for college, followed by a high-powered job as a management consultant in Manhattan. But her heart was always in Dubai. Eventually, she returned to pursue her true passion: food. With her quick wit and encyclopedic knowledge of regional cuisine, it’s no wonder Andrew Zimmern featured Ahmed on his show Bizarre Foods.

An afternoon with Ahmed in the Deira neighbourhood emphasizes Dubai’s multiculti cuisine. Tastings might include Lebanese pizza, freshly made Egyptian falafel, and a sweet Arabic dessert called knafeh that’s made with noodles and stringy cheese. She clearly relishes the variety: “Dubai is a great preserver of food culture from around the region, the Middle East and beyond to North Africa and the Indian subcontinent.”

Your Journey Begins Here

Ready for your next adventure?

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A Toronto Premiere: The First-Ever
Four Seasons Pop Down

Posted on by Scott Masters Pierce

The Toronto International Film Festival is known as the kickoff of the film industry’s awards season and has introduced countless movies that went on to earn global acclaim, including American Beauty, Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech. But this year, the buzz was about a different kind of premiere: the first-ever Four Seasons Pop Down, a new global series of immersive experiences that will bring the brand’s legendary service to unexpected places.

Give our people a blank canvas, and they will create something truly extraordinary. – J. Allen Smith, President and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Upon their arrival, visitors entered through an archway of draping orchids created by celebrity florist Jeff Leatham (Artistic Director, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris). Inside, they discovered an empty concrete retail space had become a downtown Toronto refuge blooming with lush floral installations and a floor-to-ceiling herb garden, assembled by the production team.

Witness the transformation here.

Four Seasons Pop Down
Photo courtesy of Sam Santos/Getty images

Gathering Crowd
Photo courtesy of Sam Santos/Getty Images

Café Boulud at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Photo courtesy of Sam Santos/Getty images

Guests were then spirited away with dramatic cocktails – Step into the Green, for example, literally set aflame a combination of gin, pine cone, manuka, honey and fresh herbs from the garden wall – by award-winning mixologists Mica Rousseau (Fifty Mils, Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City), Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H., Four Seasons Hotel Seoul) and Michal Maziarz (Rotunda, Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge).

Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.) mixes a White Sand Gimlet, made with London dry gin, coconut oil, coconut water, pineapple cordial, clarified lime, absinthe and orchids.

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By the end of the night, more than 200 bottles of Dom Pérignon had been popped.

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Michal Maziarz (Rotunda) fuels the flames of a Step into the Green, a cocktail topped with a pine cone and herbs from the garden wall.

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Mixologists Mica Rousseau (Fifty Mils), Michal Maziarz (Rotunda) and Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.)

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Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.) serves up a Mediterranean Cliff Hanging, a cocktail made with olive oil vodka, elderflower, freshly cut herbs and Champagne brut.

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Mingle in the Jungle – Pisco, beetroot juice, pomegranate molasses, pineapple juice, cardamom leaf, Szechuan buttons and glitter, from Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H.) and Michael Maziarz (Rotunda).

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Joining everyone to show off our skills together really spoke to what Four Seasons is all about – the people. It showcased the power of Four Seasons to transform any space and any moment – large or small – into something unique and unforgettable. – Pastry Chef Chris Ford

With top Four Seasons chefs visiting from around the world, culinary treats showcased a range of global influences. Michelin-starred Chef Vito Mollica’s (Il Palagio, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze and La Veranda, Four Seasons Hotel Milano) star dish was smoked aubergine cream with tomato coulis and scampi, while Sylvain Assié (Café Boulud,
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto) provided an impressive spread of house-crafted charcuterie and cheeses.

The end of the culinary journey was a sweet send-off in the Cherry Blossom Dessert Forest. Guests plucked their choice of desserts – including chocolate orbs filled with rose and lychee mousse, by Joaquin Grimaldi (Elena, Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires), and freshly spun floral beehive cotton candy, by Chris Ford (THE Blvd, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel) – from birdcages and other whimsical décor elements.

Pastry Chef Joaquin Grimaldi (Elena) making one of his favourite desserts: framboise crémeux with infused melon cylinders.

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Cheeses, courtesy of Cef de Cuisine Sylvain Assié (Café Boulud), lined tables at the first-ever Four Seasons Pop Down.

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Guests could not resist chocolate boxes filled with black forest and roti apricot.

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At the event, guests plucked desserts by Joaquin Grimaldi (Elena) from birdcages suspended beside a floor-to-ceiling cherry-blossom wall.

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Pastry Chef Chris Ford (Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel) prepares Apples in Thyme.

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The team from Café Boulud at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto

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Stay tuned for information about the next Four Seasons Pop Down.