As we’re already halfway through Q1, it’s perhaps a good moment to take stock, pull out the diary and do a bit of forward planning and general housekeeping. While the Monocle crew can spontaneously show up anywhere and host a little party, there are three essential dates to keep in mind for the coming months.

On 28 March our Zürich outpost will host its annual Hanami Market to celebrate the arrival of spring. If you’ve not paid a visit, it’s an all-day celebration of the best of Japan with excellent bites, specialist retailers, emerging brands, good tunes and, of course, exceptional drinks. If you’re looking for a little weekend escape, our team will be happy to offer up some hotel and restaurant recommendations but, better yet, you can get all our updated City Guides (Tokyo, Kyoto and many more) by signing up for a subscription. Subscribers will also be able to reserve a spot at our special Ginza-style lounge evenings at Dufourstrasse on 27 and 28 March.

Off the back of Salone del Mobile in Milan there will be a special edition of The Entrepreneurs broadcast live from the heart of Shanghai. Kicking off at a civilised hour on 29 April (I’m sure you’ll find a few of us up for a drink the night before), we are bringing some of China and the region’s sharpest business owners to the stage to introduce their projects, ambitions and insights. Hosted by some of your favourite voices from Monocle Radio, the conference will be a pacy mix of one-on-one interviews and punchy panels with plenty of time for audience participation and, as ever, prizes for the best questions. The day will wrap with a cocktail reception, elegant dinner, night on the town and, if you’re game, it will be a straight-to-plane (STP) affair with a few editors as we head to Bahrain for the 2026 edition of The Chiefs.

On 6 and 7 May our annual conference devoted to leadership and building better brands will be doing a twirl for our first-ever conference in the Gulf. If you’ve not been to Bahrain, it’s high time to make an appearance. I’ve been three times over the past year and have been seduced by the narrow lanes, shopfront typography, 1970s logos and the very good coffee shops in Manama Souq. We get under way with a cocktail on the 6th and pack in a full day on the 7th with speakers from around the world focusing on retail, security, hospitality, media and much more besides. For more information you can go here or drop Hannah Grundy a note at hg@monocle.com if you want to discuss corporate or group rates.

I’ll be on hand for all of these events and, if you just happen to be in St Moritz today and have caught this email before 10.00 CET, please swing by the Monocle Shop at Hotel Steffani for a special art-focused edition of Monocle on Sunday. Of course, if you’re not up here in the lovely Engadine Valley then please tune in and hopefully I’ll see you in Zürich, Shanghai or Bahrain over the coming months. 

Enjoying life in ‘The Faster Lane’? Click here to browse all of Tyler’s past columns.

“I have always loved the idea of places where food, culture and community intersect,” says Dubai-based chef Lynn Hazim of her first restaurant venture, Middle Child (writes Noor Amylia Hilda). The convivial spot in the city’s Alserkal Avenue compound combines a warm dining space with a retail nook that offers a selection of hard-to-find pantry staples and hundreds of cookbooks.

“It’s the kind of place that I have always wished existed in Dubai,” says Hazim, who drew on her Lebanese roots and wide travels to shape Middle Child’s simple yet satisfying menu. Think labneh yuzu kosho dip and cured sea bass, alongside nostalgia-inducing desserts such as banoffee pie and cheesecake.
 
Hazim, herself a middle child, sees the space as a nod to her upbringing. “Middle children tend to build their own little worlds,” she says. For her, that instinct has translated into a love for hosting in a place where diners feel that they truly belong.
Alserkal Avenue, WH 13A, Dubai

Hungry for more?
Get more restaurant recommendations in Monocle’s February issue, which is out now.

Melody Adams is best known for her Basque-inspired restaurants Lurra and Donostia. But at Maset, her latest venture on London’s Chiltern Street, she chose to channel the flavours of the French Mediterranean. Here, she talks to Monocle about her savoury Sunday breakfast, a glass of her prized piedmont nebbiolo and a trip to a lemon festival in the south of France.

What’s for breakfast? 
Socca [chickpea pancake] with fried eggs and harissa.
 
Sunday culture must? 
The Wallace Collection in Marylebone is always worth a visit. At the moment, there’s an exhibition about works of art associated with Marie Antoinette. 

A favourite product for the pantry?
Fennel seeds are great for adding flavour to any dish and for tea. Jarred chickpeas too, for salads and hummus. 
 
What are you drinking?
I love red wine in winter – my current favourite is Rizzi’s barbaresco from Piedmont. It has a lovely depth and minerality.
 
Which brands does your wardrobe currently consist of?
King & Tuckfield knitwear, wool jackets from Carrier Company and Sessùn pieces for work. 
 
Next on the travel itinerary?
My next trip is to Piedmont, then I’ll cross the border into France to see the Fête du Citron (lemon festival) in Menton, which celebrates the production of citrus fruits by the French Riviera. 

Edamame – young soybeans, which were first cultivated in China – are today a tasty treat in many Asian cuisines. Here, Monocle’s Japanese recipe writer adds chilli, soy and ginger to add an aromatic touch to the versatile staple.

Serves 2 to 4 
 
Ingredients
2 tbsps toasted sesame oil 
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
1 tsp chilli flakes 
1 tbsp light soy sauce 
1.5 tbsps black vinegar (or rice vinegar) 
1.5 tsps sugar 
10g fresh peeled ginger, finely chopped 
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
250g frozen edamame in pods 
1 tsp salt 
 
Method

1.
Add 1.5 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil to a heated pan, add the chopped garlic and chilli flakes, and fry until the garlic becomes crispy.

2.
Turn off the heat and add the rest of the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and chopped fresh ginger. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

3.
Snip both ends of the edamame pods. You can skip this step if you’re short on time but it helps the edamame absorb the marinade better.

4.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the salt and edamame and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well.

5.
Add the edamame to the marinade and toss well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

6.
Serve warm or chilled. 

Cortina might be revelling in its Olympic moment but Corvara, perched beneath the imposing Sassongher peak, is the quiet winner of Dolomite hospitality (writes Claudia Jacob). It’s all thanks to Francesco “Cesco” Kostner, the Alpine guide who recognised the latent potential of the quiet farming town in Val Badia well before Cortina hosted its first Olympic Games in 1956.

When Kostner founded Berghotel Ladinia in 1930, he received hotel licence number one – proof of the property’s stake as one of Corvana’s first inns. It was a catalyst: in 1946, Kostner’s son Erich built Italy’s first chairlift, beckoning international holidaymakers to the Dolomites. Today, locals Ernesto and Anni Costa manage the guesthouse. 

In the restaurant, Ladin cuisine reigns supreme: think Graukäse dumplings with mountain cheese foam, turtres (fried ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta) and fluffy apple fritters. But the true local feel is courtesy of family heirlooms that populate the wood-panelled stübe. There are vintage dinner plates and Venetian biscuit tins on the walls, as well as low-hanging Dolomiti ceramic lamps. For Berghotel Ladinia, the real win is that nearly a century later, Kostner’s property is still Corvana’s top spot.
berghotelladinia.it

For more alpine coverage, tune in to ‘Monocle in Milan’, where we are broadcasting live from the Winter Olympics.