10. how to eat like a digital native
THE MANUAL FOODIE CALL
HOW T O E AT LIKE A DIGITA L N ATIV E 10.
Dining with a local is a great way to get under the skin of a city and a new wave of apps puts the power in the palm of your hand, says Florence Derrick s m o k y, c h o c o l at e b r o w n and thick with black beans, the pork stew is flanked by crisp hunks of cassava and a chilli paste so fiery that you’d expect the samba beats of Carnival to strike up at any moment. Only this isn’t Rio. It’s a terraced house in Battersea, south London, and the feijoada stew was made by Jane Simon, a Londoner who cooks her native Brazilian cuisine for travellers who contact her via the dining website VizEat. For a set price that varies from around €4 to €100, travellers book both a home-cooked meal and an evening of animated conversation. The platform launched in 2014 after its French founder, Jean-Michel Petit, stayed with a Peruvian family in Machu Picchu and realised that the meal they shared was
the most immersive and memorable experience of his trip. “Visitors tend to live in a parallel world and don’t meet many locals,” he says. “With VizEat, we’re helping to connect people with each other around good food.” So, no matter where you are in the world, you're now only a few clicks away from a home-cooked meal and a friendly face – something not to be scoffed at for long-term travellers. What marks VizEat out is you can do it on your phone, picking your food as easily as ordering a cab on Uber. It’s one of a growing number of online platforms and apps enabling visitors to dine with locals. The websites EatWith and Feastly are
Clockwise from top smartphones now make it easy to connect with locals who will cook your dinner; choose EatWith for a communal-table experience; or AirDine for a meal version of Airbnb
BIG LOVE
W HERE T O FIND A RE A L LY, RE A L LY NICE GI A N T w e ’r e c e r ta i n ly not the only grown-ups excited by the prospect of Steven Spielberg taking on Roald Dahl’s classic The BFG, out later this month. It got us thinking about how big and how friendly some giants really are. Fee, fi, fo, fum....
GIANTNESS
11.
LAMAR ODOM
JAWS
SHREK
HEIGHT 2.08M BASKETBALL PLAYER
HEIGHT 2.19M BOND VILLAIN
HEIGHT 2.43M SWAMP OGRE
The ex-NBA star and d Kardashian spouse was called ‘the mostt popular player in the locker room’ by Lakers manager Mitch Kupchak, but his actions in a certain Nevada establishment suggest otherwise.
The Moonraker Bond villain, played by actor Richard Kiel, had superhuman strength and a dubious dental plan. He was a ruthless killing machine and worthy adversary – unless you had blonde pigtails...
As long as he’s left alone in his swamp – and there are no talking donkeys in sight – he’s fine, but get on the wrong side of him and he can be a bit of an ogre. A not-so-lean, green, belching machine.
NICENESS RATING
NICENESS RATING
NICENESS RATING
FRIENDLINESS 024
EJ175_024_News3 dining apps lg.indd 024
14/06/2016 09:11
WORDS SARAH NEISH PHOTOS REX
NICENESS RATING
NICENESS RATING
ial Summ e
He collects and distributes sweet dreams into kids’ bedrooms – a nice, if somewhat creepy, thing to do. He’d also share his last snozzcumber and have your back against The Bonecruncher.
ec
The half-giant Hogwarts gamekeeper is a loyal friend: “Never... insult... Albus Dumbledore... in front of me!” Serious bodyguard cred, lots of cool pets and a hipster beard. Winning.
* 299€
Offer x Sp
HEIGHT 7.31M FRIENDLY GIANT
ial Summ
BFG
HEIGHT 2.59M GROUNDSKEEPER
Offer x S p
r
ec
HAGRID
Swiss watches
Visit our Βoutique at Geneva
er
forums for local chefs to invite travellers into their homes for gourmet meals all over Europe, while an Airbnb-style app, AirDine, which launched in Sweden in February, provides the same service as VizEat. It’s due to roll out across the rest of the continent by the end of the year. The unique appeal lies in the opportunity to experience a new culture. “People aren’t looking for a replacement for restaurants – it’s a totally different experience,” Petit says. “We no longer want to just be tourists – we want to understand local life and to experience it for ourselves.” The dawn of these platforms has facilitated the kind of cross-cultural exchange that feels most natural over a home-cooked meal. And now that 65% of Brits own a smartphone, their migration to app form is the inevitable next step. What’s in it for the hosts? These platforms can be used as a tool for aspiring chefs to test out new recipes and build a reputation. “Feastly gave me the opportunity to avoid the constraints of a normal restaurant,” says chef Geoff Reed, who uses the app. “It gives guests the confidence to sign up for a dinner that isn’t solidified until moments before they arrive – so I have much more flexibility.” Yet, for most, the social element remains the driving force behind the trend. “I love people – their cultures, values, and differences,” concludes Simon. “Dining with someone else is already valuable. To do so while you’re travelling is just amazing.”
CHROMA Ι Ø 40 & 44mm 44mm
BOUTIQUE VENUS 36&%&-"64"//&h$)(&/&7&h46*44& 5FM
XXXNPOUSFTWFOVTDPN Buy a VENUS safely at: XXXFTIPQWFOVTXBUDIFTDPN *This is a limited-time offer valid from July 1st through August 31st, 2016 for online purchases on VENUS E-shop only.
EJ175_024_News3 dining apps lg.indd 025
14/06/2016 09:14
HOW T O E AT LIKE A DIGITA L N ATIV E 10.
Dining with a local is a great way to get under the skin of a city and a new wave of apps puts the power in the palm of your hand, says Florence Derrick s m o k y, c h o c o l at e b r o w n and thick with black beans, the pork stew is flanked by crisp hunks of cassava and a chilli paste so fiery that you’d expect the samba beats of Carnival to strike up at any moment. Only this isn’t Rio. It’s a terraced house in Battersea, south London, and the feijoada stew was made by Jane Simon, a Londoner who cooks her native Brazilian cuisine for travellers who contact her via the dining website VizEat. For a set price that varies from around €4 to €100, travellers book both a home-cooked meal and an evening of animated conversation. The platform launched in 2014 after its French founder, Jean-Michel Petit, stayed with a Peruvian family in Machu Picchu and realised that the meal they shared was
the most immersive and memorable experience of his trip. “Visitors tend to live in a parallel world and don’t meet many locals,” he says. “With VizEat, we’re helping to connect people with each other around good food.” So, no matter where you are in the world, you're now only a few clicks away from a home-cooked meal and a friendly face – something not to be scoffed at for long-term travellers. What marks VizEat out is you can do it on your phone, picking your food as easily as ordering a cab on Uber. It’s one of a growing number of online platforms and apps enabling visitors to dine with locals. The websites EatWith and Feastly are
Clockwise from top smartphones now make it easy to connect with locals who will cook your dinner; choose EatWith for a communal-table experience; or AirDine for a meal version of Airbnb
BIG LOVE
W HERE T O FIND A RE A L LY, RE A L LY NICE GI A N T w e ’r e c e r ta i n ly not the only grown-ups excited by the prospect of Steven Spielberg taking on Roald Dahl’s classic The BFG, out later this month. It got us thinking about how big and how friendly some giants really are. Fee, fi, fo, fum....
GIANTNESS
11.
LAMAR ODOM
JAWS
SHREK
HEIGHT 2.08M BASKETBALL PLAYER
HEIGHT 2.19M BOND VILLAIN
HEIGHT 2.43M SWAMP OGRE
The ex-NBA star and d Kardashian spouse was called ‘the mostt popular player in the locker room’ by Lakers manager Mitch Kupchak, but his actions in a certain Nevada establishment suggest otherwise.
The Moonraker Bond villain, played by actor Richard Kiel, had superhuman strength and a dubious dental plan. He was a ruthless killing machine and worthy adversary – unless you had blonde pigtails...
As long as he’s left alone in his swamp – and there are no talking donkeys in sight – he’s fine, but get on the wrong side of him and he can be a bit of an ogre. A not-so-lean, green, belching machine.
NICENESS RATING
NICENESS RATING
NICENESS RATING
FRIENDLINESS 024
EJ175_024_News3 dining apps lg.indd 024
14/06/2016 09:11
WORDS SARAH NEISH PHOTOS REX
NICENESS RATING
NICENESS RATING
ial Summ e
He collects and distributes sweet dreams into kids’ bedrooms – a nice, if somewhat creepy, thing to do. He’d also share his last snozzcumber and have your back against The Bonecruncher.
ec
The half-giant Hogwarts gamekeeper is a loyal friend: “Never... insult... Albus Dumbledore... in front of me!” Serious bodyguard cred, lots of cool pets and a hipster beard. Winning.
* 299€
Offer x Sp
HEIGHT 7.31M FRIENDLY GIANT
ial Summ
BFG
HEIGHT 2.59M GROUNDSKEEPER
Offer x S p
r
ec
HAGRID
Swiss watches
Visit our Βoutique at Geneva
er
forums for local chefs to invite travellers into their homes for gourmet meals all over Europe, while an Airbnb-style app, AirDine, which launched in Sweden in February, provides the same service as VizEat. It’s due to roll out across the rest of the continent by the end of the year. The unique appeal lies in the opportunity to experience a new culture. “People aren’t looking for a replacement for restaurants – it’s a totally different experience,” Petit says. “We no longer want to just be tourists – we want to understand local life and to experience it for ourselves.” The dawn of these platforms has facilitated the kind of cross-cultural exchange that feels most natural over a home-cooked meal. And now that 65% of Brits own a smartphone, their migration to app form is the inevitable next step. What’s in it for the hosts? These platforms can be used as a tool for aspiring chefs to test out new recipes and build a reputation. “Feastly gave me the opportunity to avoid the constraints of a normal restaurant,” says chef Geoff Reed, who uses the app. “It gives guests the confidence to sign up for a dinner that isn’t solidified until moments before they arrive – so I have much more flexibility.” Yet, for most, the social element remains the driving force behind the trend. “I love people – their cultures, values, and differences,” concludes Simon. “Dining with someone else is already valuable. To do so while you’re travelling is just amazing.”
CHROMA Ι Ø 40 & 44mm 44mm
BOUTIQUE VENUS 36&%&-"64"//&h$)(&/&7&h46*44& 5FM
XXXNPOUSFTWFOVTDPN Buy a VENUS safely at: XXXFTIPQWFOVTXBUDIFTDPN *This is a limited-time offer valid from July 1st through August 31st, 2016 for online purchases on VENUS E-shop only.
EJ175_024_News3 dining apps lg.indd 025
14/06/2016 09:14
