WGS 2010 with David Thompson

Every year the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore plays host to a long list of chefs. This year was no different, apart from the influential Ferran Adria gracing our shores, a friend of mine was invited down as well. 1-Michelin Starred David Thompson of NAHM at the Halkin in London was in town and cooking at Mezza9 at the Grand Hyatt. It has been awhile since I last met up with David and that was when we cooked together at the Burj al Arab. Bernadette and I were super excited to be able to enjoy a great meal from him.

It really does hurt to give bad reviews to establishments that give less than mediocre service but for an establishment like this one, we were really taken aback. Dinner seemed to be questionable affair from the time I called up to make a reservation – it took about 30mins for the reservations staff to note that I wanted a table for 4 at Mezza9 for dinner.  Or shall I say, it took half an hour for me to repeat the same thing over again, for her to repeat it to me all wrong, for me to break it down into precise little keywords so that she could piece it all together. “So Sir, you want to make a reservation for 9 people?” ……”Dinner at Mezza9 at 4?”…… Kill me right now.

When we arrived, we were seated at a table that was “half set up”.  One table was fully set with cutlery, napkin, water glass etc.  And the other seats were missing their water glasses.  After we looked through David’s menu, we waited another 15mins and still no service.  So we had to actually ask for water.  TEN minutes later, we had to Ask again.  Then one guy brought us 2 glasses of tap water, and our other guest, my brother-in-law Andrew, just had an empty, overturned glass to fiddle with.  Then the second guy came over with a bottle of still water, noticed that we already had 2 glasses of water, and there was this big confusion, blah blah blah…… All in all, it took at least 30mins till each of us had a glass of water.

Even before we were seated, I had asked the fine service people to inform David that I was here as he was expecting me for dinner this week. I expected David then come by our table to chat, let us know what to expect, etc.  Instead, a service staff came by and said “Sir, I’m sorry but the Chef is very busy so he can’t see you”.  It wasn’t really well put, but having worked alongside David before I wasn’t surprised that he’d be held up in the kitchen as he really loves to be actually involved in the cooking like all other great chefs. But after the meal when we did actually see David, his first response was “Ben! You came? I thought you did not show?!?!?” Hmmmm … liar liar pants on fire, shame on the server for lying to  me earlier! 5 star service? Hardly ever. The service was rougher than a busy hawker center.

Well this and the fact that from the time we sat down it took roughly over an hour for us to get our beers and cocktails, that and the chefs in the show kitchen playing and talking loudly. But everything was forgotten when the food arrived, the braised mackerel in betel leaves was simply stunning, and the chef’s special salted beef (the same lying server said it was prepared for us specially by David, hmmm .. how did he do it when he did not even know we came ?) The curries were smooth, flavourful and in true Thai style, spicy! The grilled mussel starter was as lovely as I could remember. The selection of greens served with the mains were inspiring. Especially the Penny Worth.

Desserts were charming as usual, but I was missing the Coconut Wrapped Banana Fritters that is absolutely marvelous. However, there was Coconut cake, sweet, smooth and totally yummy! I can just picture myself going through a tray of it! Yes, a tray! Hahaaaa …. When we thought that at the end of the meal no service team could further screw things up, it took forever to get our coffee orders and then it felt like forever to get the actual coffee and tea. And when it did arrive it was the wrong order! Except for my super diluted Chamomile Tea. I know steeping a bag of tea takes skill, but that cup was made by a person with neither skill nor heart. So sad, so sad indeed. At least, what lacked in service was made up ten-fold in the food and quality of ingredients.

Which brings me again to repeating, that the level of service here in Singapore is really one to be concerned about. Is it because the customers are demanding? Or the hiring is really not looked into properly? Or that “big named” establishments like this one think they are already too good that it can be overlooked? Whatever it is, it is definitely not a reason but rather an excuse. Excuses and self-biased statements seem to be the “IN” thing today in the the local F&B scene. Well, the positive thing was that we  enjoyed David’s cooking (however wished we could have spent more time together chatting) and that I have learned from the experience to try to never have this happen in my restaurant.

I sincerely hope that we all learn a thing or two from this experience/post – never ever allow a guest to leave regretting. Happy Fooding!

More photos HERE !!!

WGS 2010 with Ferran Adria

One of the highlights for this year’s World Gourmet Summit was special guest Ferran Adria. Nope, he did not cook any dinners and nope, neither did he conduct any masterclasses. But… He came, he spoke from the heart, he presented videos and he answered a few questions. A person has no clue who he is would never have guessed that he is the most influential chef of today. That is because his humility and humor is what he is all about.

I must say that I was pretty skeptical before booking (well it was actually Bernadette who booked a seat for me for his presentations on both days), because I already knew that he would be playing videos. But obviously my inner child just wanted to be there to soak it all up. His reason for showing videos is simple, “I would not to have been able to show you more things or even do it well if it were all to be live, but through the videos you were able to experience and see more of el bulli”. This is what the man is all about, sharing, sharing and sharing.

The first presentation “A Day at El Bulli – Past & Present”. The audience were presented a video of what happens from sunrise till the door closes in the restaurant. The rush of mis en place, the meticulous setting of the dining room, to the staff sitting and having dinner to the rush of service in the kitchen till the last guests leave. A fantastic insight, exactly like the book, A Day at El Bulli, every detail noted down. Following the video, a quick question and answer segment. Some questions got Ferran thinking hard, including the most “intelligent” question anyone on earth could ever ask the great Ferran Adria. It went like this … “Errr….. Mr Adddria …. errrmmm ….. so how long does it take to travel from Barcelona to your restaurant by car ???” … courtesy of a Singaporean lady who I hope, for her sake, had one too many cocktails during the reception. Well airhead-aunties aside, everyone saw how accommodating he was through the little session. After the Q&A was another highlight – he was autographing his book! The queue was long and the book was heavy, but when it gets to your turn it really feels like Christmas morning! (although it would have been better if the organizers brought in all 3 volumes of his book.) Well another classic example of people doing things they don’t really know too much about….and being arrogant at the same time! (Yes, that last remark is for the guy who snubbed me because I paid with my Debit Card and not a flashy credit card. Dude!!! liquid assets, liquid assets!)

The presentation the following day, El Bulli – Present & Future, was even better. More of Ferran speaking about the restaurant, with techniques and sharing his insights on food and so many other things. With a few splashes of his humor. Listening to him speak about food and simple things makes us all wonder how much more there is to learn not only about food/dining but life as a whole. The biggest impact his words had on me was when he said he is just a cook, and that the best chef in the world does not exist. And that he still had so much more to learn. He says that when he is with his friends and when he listens to them all speak like they were all the tip of the sword, he would ask them to name him 2 dishes they served in Eastern Russia.

Just like my belief, we can NEVER stop learning. The World Gourmet Summit week coincides with Food and Hotel Asia. To my surprise, when I look around the room on both days, I did not see many Singapore-based “top chefs” or “chefs”. And I can bet my last dollar they all thought that going to the biennial Food and Hotel Asia to socialize and get an ego boost was way more beneficial than to come listen to Ferran Adria, a once in a lifetime opportunity. The sad truth about these Singapore-based “chefs” is firstly, thinking they are “chefs”, when they should be thinking like a cook. That is we are, cooks.  Which means everyday learning is essential, but I guess “chefs” all think they are the tip of the sword. With “leaders” like this what would the cooks of tomorrow turn out to be? A rather disturbing thought.

[And what I mean by "chefs" (quotemarked) is the sad, sad stereotype that to be a Chef, you have to be xxx and xxx, depending on what the media and society hail as a "chef" (foreign, michelin-starred, belonging to some association or group, one whose face is always plastered all over the papers or magazines, good-looking... it defers in different societies) .]

When Ferran Adria was introduced on the first day, the applause and energy one could feel in the room was really electrifying. I then turned to my friends and said, “Amazing, look at this, and all he does is cook” . Well not really as he has done so much for the dining industry. But you know what I mean. Then not too long after, he said “I am just a cook”. And unlike so many other celeb chefs, for every night the bulli is open for service, he IS IN THE KITCHEN. There is so much everyone and anyone can learn from him. I know I have and will continue to do so, not only from him but everyone and everything around me.

Note: I deeply apologize for the shaky/blurry photos. Taking images off a video screen takes much more skill than the usual. Yikes! Yes even if you are using a D90. hahaaaa….

Please click here for more photos from El Bulli, Past, Present and Future

We hope you enjoyed the post!! Happy Fooding !!!

Lunch : Julien Bompard at Ascott Raffles Place

What can be better than going to a good restaurant to enjoy a meal? Well it is when your Chef/Mentor personally cooks for you. My friend Manuel (Grand Sommelier at St Regis) had just arrived to work in Singapore, and I am showing him the top restaurants in town. Obviously the 1st one on the list is with my Chef/Mentor Mr Bompard. I expected it to be good (of course I knew it would be), but to our surprise he did a menu for us all personally cooked by him. It was a great treat to see him behind the stove. The flair and confidence as he approaches each plate is what us chefs all aspire to carry.

Everywhere I work, I use him as the benchmark to succeed. Having been in the team when he just started, he had set the standards high for all of us. A standard that is so high, yet obtainable through positivity and hard work. He has always been a realist, a realist to the business and to life. I vividly remember once, quite a while back when I was prepping the amuse bouche for service and he came up to me and said something like, “do real food Mr Ben, not fantasy food …” then he walked away into the mis en place … I did not get it, so after service I consulted him and he explained the importance of serving food that people can relate to on the plate, not in magazines …  This lesson always comes to mind whenever approaching a new dish, but me being me, I still stray towards fantasy on the plate. And till this day he still takes a friendly piss at my direction of food, but has always been supportive none the what. He is one of the chefs (although sadly a VERY rare breed now in Singapore) who doesn’t care much for awards, as he knows his award is when every customer leaves the restaurant happy, satisfied and making plans for their next visit, or when anyone in his team makes their mark in the industry. Well back to the lunch ….

For amuse bouche, we were presented with a cornet of cod brandade and lobster emulsion. Simple and sleek.

Then, it was a cured New Zealand Salmon cleverly paired with a Spanish Omelet with Avruga Caviar. The smoothness of the salmon and omelet went just heavenly with the smokiness of the caviar and the small bit of lemon, plus the bitterness from the marmalade just balanced the whole dish out.

Next we were treated to some Asparagus ala Plancha with romesco sauce. Chef told us that he wanted to re-create the feel of the famous festival in Spain where calçots, a type of spring onion, is well charred in the ground. But he went for that similarity with asparagus, and the exploding flavours from the romesco was amazing.

Following this, chef served us a soupy good mix of octopus with squid and chorizo, with a dusting of smoked paprika. Hearty yet light, and the octopus was unbelievably tender.

Then, with a touch of shyness and a dash of hope I

asked if he served his lobster bisque here. And voila! He did! With delight and almost childish admiration, I explained to Manuel how perfect his Lobster Bisque is. It is one of those great recipes where you learn from somebody but would never want to put the same one in your menu. It’s just that you really don’t want to do it any injustice. Yes it IS THAT DAMM BLOODY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD !!!

After recovering from the absolute ocean of a bisque, we were served a seared foie gras (ah yes, what would lunch be without foie gras …… hmmmm spoken like a food snub… hahaa … more like a pig maybe … ), that was paired with a slice of gorgeous silky pink smoked duck breast, herb salad and prune sauce. Just before this course was served, chef poured us a glass of red (yes I know I sound like a duck not knowing where it came from .. could you blame me? I was still recovering from my “bisque moment”), and he explained that from the character of the wine you could have an end taste of prune, similar to the taste of the prunes he used for the prune sauce … simply fantastic.

We hit the “motherload” with the main course – a crusted & roasted baramundi nicely cooked with tender tomatoes served with basil oil and balsamico. When you’re at that acquired level of cooking, something so simple and done so well is all you need to serve.

Caramalised Pineapple with chocolate sauce and a coconut sorbet ended the experience, with my usual double shot cappuccino and petit fours ….. of course.

Like I was telling my friend over lunch, sometimes when I see Chef Julien I suddenly become this little boy, not because of fear but because of the utmost respect I have for him (maybe that’s why he served us his famous Lobster Bisque upon my request … hahaaaaa mind you it really is a good Lobster Bisque !!!)

Lunch (as I said) was great, simple, no fuss and perfectly executed. This is where I make my point that the dining experience is a whole package – food and service. And having the chef give you both was a real treat. He was cooking for us, explaining the dish, why the ingredients were paired together, what his vision was with the dish, paired a wine for us… It was like a personal cooking class from the master himself. A meal that I will always cherish for the rest of my life.

HAPPY FOODING !!!

Follow the link HERE for more photos from the lunch.

March/April Chef Feature : William Girad

Firstly, my sincere apologies. This feature was supposed to be up last month but with my recent almost impossible schedule I kept putting it off. Reason for the header to bear 2 months ….Why ? This post is about a good friend of mine, so I wanted it to be well thought and written. Short and Sweet but not neglected (I recently realized I am rather long winded …. oops … I’m doing it again….)

This month we shine the spotlight on my friend William Girad, Chef de Cuisine of the Al Mahara at the Burj al Arab, Dubai. I wont begin on the kitchens that William has graced during his career, but more on his personality. His work is one of the kind where, young chefs would wonder to themselves, “Could I do that next time?” or “That’s the kind of chef I wanna be in the future ..” He runs his food with flair, keeping to his French roots, exploring new ingredients inspired from his travels but keeps his mark in his dishes. He runs his kitchen calmly, intelligently and most important of all, he runs it smoothly.

Rather than the conventional “ass kicking” as one would expect from the places he has been in, he explains and throws in a pinch of sarcastic humor to keep the spirits up (well sometimes it is more like a handful rather than a pinch … lol) … Having worked in the same hotel (both of us running total opposites of restaurants) many laughs and ideas were exchanged. (or maybe the fact we got along was because we did what we wanted to, not actually caring too much for authority ??? … hmmm … food for thought ?? lol) Or was it the fact that this Singaporean cooked French or that Frenchman loves spicy food?!? (He’s crazy about spicy Tom Yam … probably the only French I know who takes spicy food so well … well better than I can … lol)

William has a great working background, 1-Star Michelin Auberge du Cheval Blanc, 2-Star Michelin Le Drouant, 1-Star Michelin Maison Prunier under MOF awarded Mr Biscay, 1-Star Michelin Le Bristol at the Palace Hotel Bristol in Paris, 2-Star Michelin Les Muses, 2-Star Michelin L’Elysée, 3-Star Michelin Le Taillevent, then back to Les Muses as Executive Sous Chef.

After which he made his way to Asia, signature restaurant V9 at the Sofitel in Bangkok and then to the Burj al Arab. However all this actually counts for nothing if the chef himself does not have the ability to cook, control the team and relate to the people around, so it’s great that William makes it count. If any of you have had the pleasure of working in or having a meal from any kitchen that William has ever resided in you should know what I am speaking of. For those who have not, pen it down in your calendar, you wont regret it.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I have writing it. Till then, HAPPY FOODING EVERYONE !!!!

Please follow the link to see more of William’s dishes HERE

A Little Bite of Heaven

There was another foie gras item which was on for Easter, as I had a counter with 7 different offerings, all foie gras. Quite awhile back I suddenly had an idea to size down a sandwich. It really is quite simple, get a small breadloaf-like mold to bake the bread (of course with a suitable dough, I am rather fortunate to have an experienced bake team with me … lol). Then freeze it, slice it and let your imagination run wild. Try to go basic but make sure it runs wild with flavour once you pop them in. Simple enough, I went for a foie gras sandwich, consisting a slice of foie gras terrine and quince jelly. I mean come on … you can’t say no to a bite of foie gras terrine with quince.

You see, sometimes (well most of the time actually) the simplest of flavours are enough. Then add a “WOW” factor just to play around. Inject these surprises where or when a diner least expects it. And that would be the starting point to have them leaving the restaurant with an impact. Nobody needs to read a menu knowing how many hours your meat was cooked or at what temperature or even where it actually came from! Menus these days (written by “chefs”) all comprise these sort of “mambo jumbo” – they really should leave the menu writing to the cooks who know food (Although Bernadette always complains that we cooks have atrocious spelling. I remember one occasion at the Burj al Arab when no one in the kitchen, restaurant or chef’s office knew how to spell tagliatelle, and when telling my dear wife about it, she was like easy-peasy “Tagliatelle? T-A-G-L-I-A-T-E-L-L-E lah, duh!”).

Well… hope you guys enjoy the photos !!!

Happy Fooding!!

Easter, Eggs & Bunnies (well not so)

Ok… it’s been awhile since the last post…. have been really busy with work – apologies with choc sprinkles ! Well, just had a really great Easter Sunday ! Although tiring would be an understatement hahaaa … Not to mention it has been way too long since I last documented some “professional” cooking on Whitejacket.  Just a few things that were made for Easter…

When most people think Easter, they think eggs and bunnies… since it would be disturbing to cook a bunny during Easter (not as disturbing as Bernadette’s sick love of flipping through Andy Riley’s Bunny Suicides on Easter weekend and her tickled laughter the gorier it gets) LEARN MORE ABOUT IT

I decided to go for more EGG inspired dishes (leaving the Bunny to Bernie) … I know the “oooh it looks like a fried egg but it’s not” is quite overdone, but still… I went for a nice scallop mousse that was classically made with a chicken quenelle base. A quenelle base is actually pâte à choux with sieved chicken breast meat mixed in equal parts. Then I had a Paco Jet beaker of scallop and milk blitzed into a fine paste. Take that with 30% of quenelle base and 30% whipping cream, fold in with a rubber spatula and witness the fluffiest scallop mousse you will ever see! Shape it naturally on a well oiled tray and steam for about 9mins in total (depending on how big they are).  Made a gel consisting passion fruit, orange juice and reduced Riesling.

I also made Truffles with a paste of foie gras terrine and smoked duck, coated it with a mix of cocoa powder, beetroot, salt and maltodextrine. Deep fried julienne of celeriac for its “nest”.

Shaped the paste all by hand with an almond each for its center. Savoury with a slight bitterness. I must warn that it is very rich though. But when has that ever stopped me!!!

HAPPY EASTER ONE AND ALL!!! HAPPY FOODING!