Schön! alive 4 | the menu

Immersed in the fjord.
Fjordenhus, the first building by Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann with
Studio Olafur Eliasson, rises straight from the water in Vejle, Denmark.
Its interiors shaping the world of LYST within.
photography. Anders Sune Berg © 2018 Olafur Eliasson
client. Kirk Kapital

Rising from the water like a modern-day fortress, Fjordenhus defies the common concept of an office building – so much so that it’s officially registered as a work of art. Situated in the town of Vejle, in an area known as ‘The Heart of Jutland’, the structure was designed by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and his partner, German architect Sebastian Behmann. It was commissioned by the late Morten Kirk Johansen and his brothers Anders and Casper as the headquarters for their company Kirk Capital, but it’s not just a place where people sit in front of computer screens. It’s also home to LYST – the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Vejle and one of only two in the region.

The Kirk Johansens are related to the family behind LEGO®, and this goes a long way to explaining Fjordenhus’s innovative design, especially its creative use of a ubiquitous building material. The pattern of bricklaying was planned using an algorithm so that no square metre is the same. The bricks are blue and green to represent the sky and water, respectively, and silver to reflect the light. In fact, every aspect of the building reflects its environment and, especially, the natural elements. There are even sculptures below the surface of the water.

See the full feature now only in Schön! alive.

Daniel McBurnie.
Executive Head Chef at LYST
restaurantlyst.com
Shoulder to shoulder.
At the Circle Bar, chefs and sommeliers serve from the centre,
turning strangers into companions for the evening.

Grilled Mussels on toast with fermented chili.

words. Huma Humayun
images. Courtesy of LYST

Yasmina Hayek.
Executive Chef of Em Sherif,
at Em Sherif Monte-Carlo
photography. Léo Kharfan

There is a particular kind of home that smells like food all the time, where the fridge is always full, where someone is always in the kitchen, where the act of cooking is less a chore than a form of love made visible. Yasmina Hayek grew up in such a place, and it never left her. “It gives you a sense of home,” she says of that smell, of that warmth. “It makes you feel as if the space is lived in.” She pauses. “It’s like a hug.”

That image – the kitchen as an embrace – sits at the heart of everything Hayek does. As the chef steering Em Sherif, the Lebanese restaurant group her mother Mireille Hayek founded 15 years ago in Beirut, Hayek has inherited not just a business but a philosophy: that food is the most honest form of togetherness there is, and that a table, set well and shared freely, can hold almost anything.

See the full feature now only in Schön! alive.

left
Man’ousheh Musakhan.
Em Sherif Café, Paris
middle
Warak Enab.
Em Sherif au Musée, Beirut
right
Salatit Adas bi Hamod + Samkeh Nayyeh.
Em Sherif au Musée, Beirut
photography. Patricia Yammine

Chef Yasmina Hayek with her team.
at Em Sherif Monte-Carlo, Monaco
photography. Léo Kharfan
right
Fresh hummus, prepared by hand.
Em Sherif au Musée, Beirut
photography. Patricia Yammine

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words. Lola Carron

Nestled in Ibiza’s Old Town is Café Pereyra, a theatrical treasure with a tasteful menu. Located in Pereyra theatre, its menu was crafted by chef Juan Alcaide, the co-founder of Madrid’s Umiko restaurant. As a result, Café Pereyra has an interesting blend of Spanish familiarity with East Asian-inspired experimentation and its presentation is just as much of a spectacle as the renovated theatre it sits within. Schön! tried the dinner menu which was filled with umami flavours and sumptuous textures.

Alongside the delicious food, the cocktail menu is a particular standout, blending sweet and sour with fruity notes. There was not one drink on offer that we didn’t enjoy. For dessert, we were served a sweet egg to crack open and share. A concept that leans into the community ethos of Café Pereyra. There is something for everyone whether at the bar, an evening of dining or a satiating lunch.

In pursuit of rewriting the typical Ibiza dining experience of high prices and exclusivity, Café Pereyra aims to be the go-to for locals and visitors alike, so they offer reasonable pricing for a very considered menu. Tapping into the building’s creative roots, the venue also offers live music performances, flamenco and DJ sets, channeling the vivacious spirit of the island with all the warmth of Mediterranean cuisine. 

photography. Victoria Gee
words. Shama Nasinde