Four extraordinary chefs, one talented wine maker, and a stunning selection of photographs of much loved French icon Brigitte Bardot, all came together last month as the finale to Sofitel Asia’s Star Chefs & Art Tour 2013.
The corridors of the Sofitel Macau at Pont 16 were abuzz with excitement with the visit last month of two guest chefs from France; Michelin Star Chef Sébastien Broda from the Grand Hotel in Cannes and Winery Chef Laurent Deconnick from Famille Perrin, Château de Beaucastel.
Both were in Macau together with Matthieu Perrin, fifth generation owner-wine maker, to join forces with Sofitel’s own resident Master Chef Yannick Ehrsam and Asia Pacific Regional Executive Chef Eric Costille, to create a memorable culinary experience for those lucky enough to attend one of the select wine pairing dining events held at the exclusive 24-seat à la carte restaurant, Privé.
The culmination of a tour that ran from Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and the Philippines, to Bombay, Beijing, Chongqing and Guangzhou, this was the first time for Macau to be involved. The aim was to celebrate exquisite French food, wine, culture and art, and to share the experience with guests, friends – and indeed the local staff – in the respective hotels.
Usually, most menus are written with the food in mind first, and then the appropriate wines are selected. However for this gastronomic experience it was quite the opposite – the wines led the way and the dishes were meticulously designed and adapted around them.
For example, Chef Laurent’s Britannia Blue Lobster tail, Argan oil, and Thai vegetables was prepared to complement the large, aromatic, and fleshy textured Château de Beaucastel Blanc 2010. The minerals in the sandstone and alpine rock soil in which the grapes of this wine are grown, gives it a distinct terroir and “these characteristics are linked with the lobster through the sauce, which uses the bones and lobster shell as its base to give minerality to the dish”, he explains.
One of Chef Sébastien’s creations was Roast French Scallop, with chestnut puree, mandarin fruit oil and yam cooked with ginger bread and pop corn. The wine that led the charge with this course was Perrin Reserve Blanc, Cotes du Rhone AOC 2011, a remarkably fresh and deep wine with typical Rhône characteristics – intense with ripe apricot and peach nose, round and full, very balanced, with a mineral finish. Delicious with Mediterranean food and shellfish, but why chestnuts? Chef Sébastien explains that as chef working in the south of France, he follows the seasons and their ingredients, and chestnuts are plentiful in Autumn back in Cannes at this time.
Slow Cooked Pigeon, with pressed red cabbage, foie gras and apple fruit, truffle juice meringue was another of Chef Sébastien’s signature dishes, and this was paired with Famille Perrin Vinsobres “Les Cornuds”, 2009. A blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah, this wine reveals abundant aromas of crushed rocks, spring flowers and dark plum and blackberry flavors, as well as some anise and a strong, tangy iron edge. The meatiness of the pigeon, together with the acidity of cabbage and apple perfectly complemented the wine.
And whilst the flurry of business in the kitchen was going on, down in the lobby, serene in all her beauty, was an photographic exhibition of French film star Ms Brigitte Bardot (see story on page 48)
So what’s next for Sofitel Macau? “We have a 140-seat Chinese restaurant opening on the 18th floor, with six private rooms and a lovely view” says Chef Yannick enthusiastically, “and lots of exciting things planned for the Christmas season!”
