6 DECEMBER 2024 – Belmond, a visionary leader in luxury travel with a unique and diverse portfolio, is excited to announce an exclusive partnership with Singapore’s prestigious Mandala Club for a four-week Italian culinary residency in 2025. From 14 January to 15 February, MANDALA CLUB x BELMOND: A Taste of Italy will showcase the talents of the acclaimed chefs from four of Belmond’s most iconic Italian properties, immersing guests in the refined art of Villeggiatura – the cherished Italian joy of embracing endless summers.
Each immersive dining experience will be meticulously crafted, embracing regional Italian culture and heritage and transporting guests through captivating culinary storytelling. From Hotel Cipriani in Venice in the north, through Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Caruso in Campania to Grand Hotel Timeo in Sicily in the south, this epicurean odyssey is set to tantalise the palate with authentic flavours from across Italy that celebrate the true beauty of slow travel.
This series of thoughtfully curated moments is designed to evoke the spirit of leisurely Italian summers, ensuring every guest departs with unforgettable memories that truly capture the irresistible soul of each unique destination.
The participating Chefs:
• Chef Vania Ghedini from one Michelin-Starred Oro at Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice (14–18 January 2025)
• Chef Roberto Toro from one Michelin-Starred Otto Geleng at Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina (21–25 January 2025)
• Chef Daniele Sera from Tosca at Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, Tuscany (4–8 February 2025)
• Chef Armando Aristarco from Ristorante Belvedere at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, Amalfi Coast (11–15 February 2025)
Reservations for MANDALA CLUB x BELMOND: A Taste of Italy open on 11 December 2024.
For more details, please visit https://mandala.club/belmond/
Mandala Club is a hub for meaningful conversations, creativity, and connection, set within a beautifully restored heritage building in Singapore. With a focus on the arts, elevated dining, and holistic well-being, the club offers members and guests an inspiring space to celebrate culture and forge new relationships. Each experience at Mandala Club is crafted with meticulous detail—from intimate dining moments to enriching cultural events, fostering a community driven by a shared passion for art, cuisine, and mindful living.
JANUARY 14-18 CHEF VANIA GHEDINI, ORO RESTAURANT, HOTEL CIPRIANI, VENICE
Chef Vania Ghedini brings the spirit of Venice, a city where culinary excellence meets history and beauty to Singapore. Vania joined the Michelin star Oro Restaurant at Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice as Head Chef earlier this year alongside acclaimed visionary chef Massimo Bottura as Culinary Creative Director. Chef Ghedini's innovative cuisine reflects both her Italian roots and her experiences in Moroccan gastronomy. Her vibrant menu showcases the outstanding ingredients of the Veneto region, while also paying homage to her Emilia Romagna heritage and incorporating subtle Moroccan influences, creating a truly unique dining experience.
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This Laguna menu offers a selection of refined dishes, beginning with amuse-bouche options of green asparagus with caviar and peanut sauce, a vegan salad, and a fried oyster with guanciale and squid ink. For dinner, these are followed by choices such as spaghetti with chilli crab, cumin, and lemon, or a vegetarian risotto with radicchio, coffee, and red wine. Main courses include turbot with mugnaia sauce, grilled beef, or a vegetarian aubergine dish. Desserts feature classic Italian options like tiramisu, mille-feuille, and Venetian carnival treats, accompanied by lemon biscuits and marinated fruit.
JANUARY 21-25 CHEF ROBERTO TORO, OTTO GELENG RESTAURANT, GRAND HOTEL TIMEO, TAORMINA
At the heart of Chef Roberto Toro's culinary philosophy lies a deep appreciation for the simplicity and authenticity of Sicilian cuisine. As Executive Chef of the Michelin-starred Otto Geleng at Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina - he prioritizes locally sourced ingredients, incorporating over 80% from the island of Sicily. Chef Toro's dishes evoke the colors, scents, and flavors of his childhood, weaving personal memories and global culinary influences into a sophisticated expression of Sicilian gastronomy.
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Chef Roberto Toro's lunch and dinner menus for Mandala Club showcase Sicilian cuisine with distinct offerings. Lunch features starters like caponata, stuffed artichoke, and seared langoustine, followed by rigatoni "alla Norma", sea bass, and veal cheek, concluding with ricotta, tiramisu, and a lemon dessert. The more extensive dinner menu adds sharing plates of codfish salad, octopus, and pasta, alongside individual starters mirroring the lunch options. Main courses also include basil and pecorino tortelli, while the dessert selection expands to include a sharing platter of traditional Sicilian pastries.
FEBRUARY 4-8 CHEF DANIELE SERA, TOSCA RESTAURANT, CASTELLO DI CASOLE, TUSCANY
Executive Chef Daniele Sera champions a farm-to-table approach at Tosca Restaurant, located in the heart of Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, Tuscany. Chef Sera emphasizes the use of hyper-seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, allowing the true flavors of the Tuscan terroir to shine. His ever-evolving cuisine is a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, with dishes crafted from a select few high-quality ingredients, including house-made pasta and bread, estate-grown wine, honey, and olive oil.
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Chef Daniele Sera's menu honors Tuscan tradition with creativity and respect for raw ingredients. His dishes, based on fresh, seasonal produce, ensure authenticity and quality. This approach offers a culinary journey celebrating regional flavours, evoking lasting memories. Each dish centres on three main ingredients, enhancing even the simplest ones. The menu includes shareable starters like Tuscan Panzanella and Sienese Peposo, and main courses such as Cappellacci with pappa al pomodoro, Tosca Fillet with black truffle, and vegetable dishes inspired by the Orti del Castello, the Castle vegetable gardens. Desserts like Nonna's Cake and Valdichiana Hazelnut Cream complete the experience.
FEBRUARY 11-15 CHEF ARMANDO ARISTARCO, RISTORANTE BELVEDERE, CARUSO, AMALFI COAST
Executive Chef Armando Aristarco invites guests on a culinary journey through the Amalfi Coast, celebrating the authentic traditions of la Dieta Mediterranea. At Ristorante Belvedere at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, Amalfi Coast - Chef Aristarco's cuisine embodies the concept of Villeggiatura as a celebration of life, bringing friends and family together to honor the rich culinary heritage and culture of the Mediterranean.
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This menu offers a heartfelt homage to the region, showcasing traditional, home-style recipes that emphasize seasonal ingredients and concrete slow cooking. Dishes reflect the bounty of both sea and hills, weaving together diverse landscapes from coastal inlets to the Lattari Mountains, the Sele Plain, and volcanic slopes. The menu acts as a culinary map, guiding diners on a journey of discovery between a rich past and a future built upon it, all orchestrated by the chef's modern culinary philosophy. The vegetarian option presents a four-course exploration of regional fruits and vegetables, transforming simple produce into a celebration of Campania's diverse terroir.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Faye Leck / Nazira Begum – Petrie PR Singapore faye@petriepr.com / nazira@petriepr.com
ABOUT BELMOND
Belmond was born from a passion for connecting discerning travellers with the world’s most remarkable properties, locations and journeys. From hotels and trains to river cruises and safaris, Belmond curates incomparable experiences and crafts unforgettable stories. With a legacy spanning over 45 years, since the acquisition of Hotel Cipriani in Venice in 1976, Belmond has grown into a global collection of 45 properties spread across 26 countries and territories. Exceptional destinations connected by legendary journeys are the very soul of Belmond, where the path that brings you to a place is as important as the destination itself. A pioneer of slow travel, Belmond has been operating the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express since 1982. The group later expanded to include pristine beach resorts, such as Maroma on the Riviera Maya, historic hideaways such as Villa San Michele in the Florentine foothills, urbane icons, such as Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, and gateways to UNESCO world heritage sites, such as Hotel das Cataratas in Brazil’s Iguassu National Park. As proud custodians of storied properties, Belmond is committed to building on the past to create a new legacy: the heritage of the future. Working with communities and local talents, together with the world's most respected chefs, designers and artists, Belmond continues its purpose of perpetuating the legendary art of travel. Since 2019, Belmond has been part of the world’s leading luxury group, LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton).
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ABOUT MANDALA CLUB
Mandala Club, established in Singapore, 2021, is the home of conversation, creation, celebration and connection to Singapore’s most dynamic private membership community. Nestled in the heart of a historic quarter, it offers ‘meaningful connections that matter’ to its highly engaged community through the club’s curated places and spaces, culinary and beverage offering, and its ever-evolving Cultural Calendar of programming spanning Michelin culinary residencies, the world’s most important musicians, fireside chats with industry icons, and community events around today’s most important and talked about issues.
mandala.club / @mandalaclub.sg
ABOUT MANDALA GROUP
Mandala Group comprises three principal business verticals: Membership Clubs, Real Estate Development and Management, and Event Programming which compliments its physical spaces, as well as its wider digital community. Its vision is to curate, inspire and connect Asia Pacific’s most dynamic private membership community Its brands include Mandala Club private membership club, Mandala Places, Mandala Club Bali and Mandala Club Niseko.
For more about Mandala Group, visit mandala.club, or join conversation on LinkedIn.
Mandala Club
31 Bukit Pasoh Rd.
Singapore 089845
+65 8822 9154
info@mandala.club
mandala.club
