Michelin-star gourmet treats, fine wines at World Gourmet Summit 2007

What’s in a star — make that a Michelin star? Is it a guarantee of good food, a grand dining experience, or money well spent? If it’s a Michelin star we’re counting, then obviously all of that. And the more stars tacked on to a chef’s name, definitely double or triple the dining delight.

Until this weekend, Singapore is a nation-city blessed with an abundance of Michelin-star chefs as the World Gourmet Summit 2007 comes to a close. For three weeks, the Lion City has been savoring gourmet luncheons and dinners almost unthinkable anywhere else in the world. Jointly organized by the Singapore Tourism Board and Peter Knipp Holdings, the World Gourmet Summit (WGS) brings the culinary world to Singapore for gourmets in the region to enjoy, as well as inspire and inform chefs and foodies on the new trends in today’s kitchens.

Indeed, this year’s WGS is an embarrassment of riches with one three-star Michelin chef (Heinz Winkler of Residenz Heinz Winkler in Germany), two two-star Michelin chefs (Alain Llorca of Le Moulin de Mougins in the south of France, and Reto Lampart of Lampart’s Art of Dining in Hägendorf, Switzerland), four one-star Michelin chefs (Romain Fornell of Caelis in Barcelona, Spain; Sang-Hoon Degeimbre of L’Air du Temps in Belgium; Carles Gaig of Gaig Restaurant in Barcelona, Spain; Ezio Gritti of L’Osteria di via Solata in Bergamo, Italy), 10 master chefs, three culinary celebrities (Discovery Travel & Living’s Bobby Chinn, Kieth Floyd, and Kevin Brauch), and a wine master (Serena Sutcliffe, head of Sotheby’s International Wine Department). And those are just the established culinary celebrities. A number of international and Singapore-based chefs drew up elaborate meals to dazzle discerning palates in culinary workshops, wine master classes and vintner dinners, and both river and wildlife gourmet safaris during the summit.

WGS 2007 is the 11th year Singapore is holding the event. The World Gourmet Summit is one of the STB’s flagship events under its "A Luxe Affair" lineup of special events. Catering to the high-end market of tourists, WGS wraps up this season’s series of indulgent experiences to pamper a distinct clientele.

Says STB deputy chairman and chief executive Lim Neo Chian, "The World Gourmet Summit celebrated a decade of exceptional dining experiences last year, and this year, we are happy to embark on the second decade of this epicurean journey with like-minded partners and diners from the world over."

Peter Knipp, managing director of co-organizer Peter Knipp Holdings Pte. Ltd., adds, "The objectives of WGS have not changed and we are getting closer to achieving them through different forms… On one hand, WGS aims to be a celebration of taste, an avenue for gourmands all over the world to gather and enjoy the finer things in life. On the other hand, the event is a platform for culinary talents to exchange ideas and inspire each other."

Let the dinner begin.

The Cuisine of Alain Llorca

WGS 2007’s first evening featured two dinners: The Cuisine of Alain Llorca, and Uncorking Keith Floyd.

Llorca’s six-course dinner at The Oriental Singapore was a sampling of the modern and contemporary dishes featured at his restaurant Le Moulin de Mougins in the south of France. The dinner was presented in tandem with vintages from Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. To sum up, Llorca’s dinner was a hit-and-miss affair, a quirky marriage of East and West — French cuisine with generous nods to Asian dining.

The appetizer course was a terrine of paella with shellfish aioli. A variety of seafood were presented in their basic form — steamed, blanched or braised in a light sauce. The huge scallop was succulent and went well with its sauce of pumpkin–flavored aioli, while the morsel of lobster was fragrant. However, some of the seafood didn’t travel well; the oyster and mussel pieces were a bit dry. The paella terrine was not your usual paella; it was softer and had a homogenized flavor.

The salad course of celeriac jelly, walnut, and apple, in hazelnut vinaigrette with Parmesan cheese foam was a bit disappointing. The main salad was a dressed down Waldorf salad that lacked the chunks of chicken meat, while the jelly base was an acquired taste.

The fish course was poached sea bass with pearls of Japan and tartar of seaweed. The fish was flaky and tender, but the sauce it was served with was a bit fishy, partly because of the strong seaweed flavor. Paired with a 1998 Château Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande, the fishy flavor was highlighted even more.

The beef course was a royale of veal with truffle jus. This was the highlight of the dinner, with tender veal steak and foie gras wrapped prettily in a lettuce parcel. The accompanying sauce was a bit too dark to look palatable, but the comforting flavor of the veal and duck liver compensated for this. This was paired with a 1996 Château Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande, an elegant wine that has aged well.

Dessert were Belle Hélène’s pear, and red berries delight in red wine and with vanilla candy. A 1981 Château Phichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande was served with the berries. The pear had a restrained flavor that was further dampened by the rich cream it was served with. The berries were another matter altogether, full with the sweetness of berries and sweet with the vanilla ice cream that topped it. The vintage that went with the berries, while already 26 years old, still retained its youthful character and a lively presence you would expect from newer vintages.

A Taste of Luxury from the Old World & New World

If one chef could be misguided in his attempts at fusion cooking, will five chefs be better at it? The summit’s dinner on April 11featured chefs Emmanuel Stroobant of Saint Pierre, Eric Teo of Orchard Hotel Singapore, Chan Kwok of Hua Ting at Orchard Hotel Singapore, Christophe Megel of at.Sunrice, Hugues Poguet of Barry Callebaut, and Paul Chai of Orchard Hotel Singapore. The dinner was intriguingly titled "A Taste of Luxury from the Old World & New World"; the dishes had one common ingredient: foie gras. Vintages for the evening were provided by Top Wines.

The foie gras terrine, served with green tea apple jelly, mirin grapes, caramelized shallots, and sautéed brioche crumbs, was a delightful start to the evening. The foie gras with its full creamy flavor complemented the different condiments on the platter. The accompanying 2002 Anselmann, Riesling Spatlese was cool and crisp and matched the foie gras sweet character.

The soup course of duck consommé with steamed wild egg and king scallop with crispy foie gras wanton was a heady brew of stock on top an egg custard. Think duck bouillon on chawan mushi and you hit it on the mark. The consommé was as flavorful as it can get, while the custard was a contrasting sweet flavor to counteract the rich flavor. The foie gras wanton was a pleasant bonus. Whether you have it plain, or with the soup didn’t really matter. The wine paired with the soup, a 2006 Salitage, Unwooded Chardonnay, had a bright, perky flavor that sparkled.

For the seafood course, we were served braised lobster in superior sauce with Chinese wine foie gras, More like a hot salad than a entrée, the lobster was gone in a few bites. It was paired with a 2005 Anakena, Single Vineyard Viognier.

The meat course was a duck pastilla of duck breast and liver with roasted almonds spicy caramel, dolce forte sauce, and seasonal salad. We were chewing this time. The pastilla was really phyllo pastry stuffed till bursting with shredded duck. This must be what a gourmet duck burger would be like. At the end of it, we were truly filling to the brim.

For dessert, we had fresh chocolate and pralines with 2003 Stilzerhof Nikolaus, Eiswein. The chocolate was prepared in so many ways: with cardamom, with sour cherries, and fudgy with milk chocolate. As you went down the different layers of chocolate on the cobbler glass, you were greeted by chocolate-y flavor, although tempered with a variety of spices. The ice wine was a cool and spirited finish to an evening that had us all grinning from ear to ear.

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If you will be in Singapore tomorrow or this weekend, you may still catch some of the events that will close World Gourmet Summit 2007. Log on to www.worldgourmetsummit.com for details.