Tom Otley reports on the global gourmet event to take place from February 6 to 10 – the Epicurean Masters of the World II.
The Epicurean Masters of the World II now has a new date. As reported in Business Traveller Asia-Pacific (September 2006), the festival taking place in Bangkok from February 6 to 10, 2007 is aiming to be a global gathering of the greatest chefs. Throw in the finest ingredients, some of the world’s greatest wines and some stunning locations in the restaurants of the Dome at the State Tower and you have the sort of event that both discerning diners and top flight executives will consider money well spent.
lebua at the State Tower has two new restaurants – Breeze and Café Moxu open, to join the alfresco Sirocco and its Sky Bar, Mezzaluna Italian restaurant and Distil drinks and oyster bar. Cooking at them are guest chefs including two female Michelin-starred chefs, and, also the three-star chef Alain Soliveres making a total of nine Michelin-starred chefs: eight three-star and one two-star.
The event was originally intended to take place in December, and rescheduling it to February has been a huge logistic exercise, says managing director and general manager of Challenge Hospitality, Deepak Ohri.
“To get people to postpone the date they had in their diaries and get them back, not to mention the chefs having to reschedule everything, the sponsorships, the travel details, and all the marketing of the event has been a challenge. Nevertheless, all the restaurants have remained open, so for those days we thought they had been booked, people could pick up last-minute reservations which was good for many, since there are very long waiting lists normally to dine in them.”
When the event does take place in February, the menu is Michelin star-studded, not least since at the gala dinner, every course has been prepared by a different chef. Guests will sit down to crème brûlée of foie gras with Tonga beans by Alain Soliveres, and accompany the dish with 1990 Louis Roederer Cristal. A tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belon oyster by Antoine Westermann follows, washed down with 1995 Krug Clos du Mesnil.
For wine aficionados, the highlight however, comes with the Risotto with white Alba truffles “Enoteca Pinchiorri” by Annie Feolde. Accompanying the dish is 1961 Chateau Palmer, regarded as one of the very best years for this legendary wine.
For tickets and further information, tel 66 2 624 9555 or log onto www.thedomebkk.com or www.epicureanmasters.com
