An Evening with Chef Daniel Boulud @ db Bistro & Oyster Bar
db Bistro & Oyster Bar located in the Celebrity Chefs’ wing of Marina Bay Sands Singapore relaunched a couple of months back after its refurbishment to incorporate a seafood and oyster bar, as well as a new menu! During a recent dinner, not only did I get to sample some of the finest dishes from this French-American casual dining restaurant has to offer, it was also a tremendous privilege of having the opportunity to meet up with Chef Daniel Boulud himself, the celebrity French chef who has been immensely successful with his restaurants in the US, Canada and London, most notably the Michelin-starred ‘Daniel’ in New York.
Mikimoto Lounge @ Ginza, Tokyo
Speak of Japanese pearls and one would immediately think of Mikimoto, whose propelled the technology of pearl culture in Japan more than 120 years ago, that eventually propelled to become the multi-million dollar business empire we know today. Mikimoto pearls are still much sort after and highly regarded in the industry for their quality. We told ourselves that we must make it a point to visit the Mikimoto Ginza 2 building when we visit Tokyo. But it is not the pearls that we are after. Not the real ones at least, but instead the plated desserts at the Mikimoto Lounge located within!
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Food & Hotel Asia 2012 Day 2 – FHA Culinary Challenge: Plated Desserts
I felt that the entries for the “Plated Desserts” category from the FHA Culinary Challenge during Food & Hotel Asia 2012 are of reasonably high calibre this year. GIven that many of these were from students from culinary schools and institutions all over Asia, quite a number of them are of restaurant quality with hardly any visual glitch or flaw to pick on. Having said that, I didn’t get a chance to taste any of these, so comments would be highly biased as I’m judging the entries literally by their “cover”. Or would they be coverups intead? *evil grin* Some are very avante garde and moderne while others clearly displayed a good foundation in classical techniques. Here I share with you a fraction of entries which I personally feel are a cut above the others. I shall leave it to you to decide which is your favorite. I’ll tell you mine if you would tell me yours. 🙂
Food & Hotel Asia 2012 Day 3 – Asian Pastry Cup Day 2 & Finale
Day 2 at the Asian Pastry Cup saw another 5 teams competing, starting from 6.45am in the morning. Surely the teams would have reached the kitchens even before that to make sure that they are able to seize and squeeze every second on the clock to churn out plated desserts, chocolate cakes, and finally, sugar and chocolate showpieces all in quick successions of one item from the other. The pacing was intense as every patissier in those 5 kitchens worked under immense pressure to race against time. It is not just a competition against one another, but really to pit against oneself, to testify their own individual level of creativity, pastry technique, capabilities in planning, together with a myriad of kitchen skills, and mostly important, ability to shine as an outstanding patissier. Read on to see if twhich team has what it takes to win the much-coveted Asian Pastry Cup 2012.
Food & Hotel Asia 2012 Day 2 – Asian Pastry Cup Day 1
One of the main highlights of Food & Hotels Asia 2012 is the Asian Pastry Cup. The most prestigious event for pastry professionals, APC allows young patissiers from all over Asia to contest one another in terms of skills, technique and creativity for the top prize. The top three prize winners automatically qualify themselves for a place to compete in the uber prestigious “Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie 2013″ aka Pastry World Cup, traditionally held in Lyon, which en masse the best patissiers from all around the world. And by winning the Coupe du Monde, one basically get elevated to join the heights of the “pastry gods”. Easier said than done, as it is a competition with a lot of sweat and tears, as the teams battle against each other over long and gruelling hours to produce the best chocolate cake, best plated dessert, best sugar showpiece, best chocolate showpiece,…and finally the top prize!
In short, intensément!!!
travellingfoodies 