.
Full Circle…
I’m not sure when Mary and I first clapped eyes on George Kassianos. It was about 1988 or 1990, I think, when we were concluding the visit in which we found the plot on which stood the ruin that would become our home for 21 years. We were staying at the Annabel in Paphos, and one day were sitting in the lobby when he walked, or rather flowed, briskly past; a well built chap with a very nicely tailored double breasted jacket open and flapping in his self-created breeze. Food and Beverage was his occupation, and it still is. After various excursions in and out of the Michaelides hotel group, he’s come full circle and a little more, as “Manager on Duty” of the Annabel and its sister the boutique Almyra next door.
George Kassianos (photo left) — “Manager on Duty” at the Annabel and Almyra
A few weeks ago, once more we sat in the Annabel’s lobby. The years rolled back as George flowed across to greet us. A little bigger built, perhaps, and some grey hairs, but the same friendly, open-hearted and professional man. Between these lobby encounters, in the twenty or so years, we shared many, many wine and food experiences. Dinners, functions, wine tastings, snacks, lunches, judging panels and long, earnest exchanges of views. Our ways and our views didn’t always coincide. For example, he espoused the cause of the international sommelier in the Cyprus hotel business, whilst I felt it was simple wine service that ought to be more widely taught. But without doubt his efforts over the years have done a great deal for wine education generally and wine service in particular in this country. By the same token, his hands-on approach to wine and its tasting have been vital to keeping at bay some pretty dreadful wine “academics” and wine snobs.
Today, George talks up Cyprus wines for reasons other than patriotism (which is a good one in itself).
“Look”, he says, “the quality is good. The styles suit the taste-buds, that is to say international in approach, or noticeably individual. The prices are competitive – and the sales benefit the winemakers and the economy.”
Amen, to that George.
Where East Meets The Med
I first interviewed Rob Shipman for Time Out ten years ago and wrote then: “I always liked oriental food”, says Robert (“Rob”) Shipman, a 37-year old Londoner. “As a kid, my favourite food was Chinese take-aways”.
Today he is executive chef at the recently refurbished and upgraded Paphos Beach Hotel, now with a remarkable post-modernist style make-over, renamed the Almyra.
Rob was lured away from Nobu, the London Park Lane restaurant that has wowed public and reviewers alike in the past few years with its blend of oriental, largely Japanese, and western ingredients and cooking styles. “The decision wasn’t too difficult”, he says. “A new challenge, a new country and a very up-beat environment”. He added that when he was trying to make up his mind, he asked his Japanese wife what they should do. “She said: ‘let’s pack our bags’.”
Rob Shipman (photo left) talking food, closing in on the first year of his second spell at Thanos Hotels.
Several years of creativity and hard work passed and then he got the lure of the Far East again. This time, his residences included a spell at the Hilton Ski Resort on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. “Fascinating”, he says of it.
“In the winter we were catering for the rich ski crowd and menus and prices reflected that. Then, in summer, we catered for summer holiday visitors at much lower rates. One day, a Japanese customer who customarily came for a big-spend in winter came up in summer as well. He simply couldn’t understand how his exclusive winter resort could become so down-market in summer and how I could cook for both markets.”
He enjoyed this Japanese excursion, but the Cyprus bug bit Rob again. He decided to move back and take up once more with Thanos Hotels. So, in May 2013 he was here as Executive Chef of the Almyra and the Annabel.
As you would expect from a kitchen with a chef with Japanese expertise in charge, the batter for the Almyra’s Calamari is of a light, Tempura-like consistency. The white wine accompaniment was superb, “Persephoni”, the crisp, dry, fruity white from Kolios.
As we nibbled some perfectly battered deep fried calamari and grilled octopus by the waterside at the Almyra, Rob told me of the happiness of being back and the satisfaction the new assignment has given him. I have feelings that this inventive and talented chef-de-cuisine, with the challenge of gaining new customers and retaining old ones in these difficult economic times, and lively media activities on the internet and elsewhere, may well have found a niche in which he will settle for some time.
.gif)
