Savour a taste of Europe

The spotlight shines on European cuisine, wines and spirits at the new gourmet festival Salon Gourmet 2015.

The event, which kicks off next month with a series of wine-pairing dinners, adds to the stable of gourmet events organised by Sphere Exhibits, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings, and food and beverage consultancy Poulose Associates.

Other dining extravaganzas that have gained a foodie following include Gusto Italiano, which highlights Italian cuisine; Gourmet Japan, which showcases Japan fare; and Asian Masters, which celebrates the best of the region.

Mr Francis Poulose, managing director of Poulose Associates, tells Life! that Salon Gourmet's debut is in response to restaurateurs who felt that European cuisine has not been showcased in the other three events.

And while there is a heavy focus on French restaurants for the inaugural Salon, he is confident that subsequent editions will feature a wider range of European cuisine.

He says: "The attention on French restaurants this year is purely based on the composition of restaurants in Singapore, many of which are French. We would love to have all other kinds of restaurants, from Portuguese to Norwegian, for the second edition."

One of the highlights is a wine-pairing dinner on March 27 featuring five European chefs at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. They include chef Julien Bompard of Scotts 27 and chef Victor Caballe Molina from Vida Vino.

For the dinner, chef Bompard is looking to showcase local produce in his dish. He will also be doing a dinner on March 31 at Scotts 27, which highlights the restaurant's signature table-side service.

Over at Bar-Roque Grill at Amara Hotel, chef Stephane Istel's menu features "heirloom recipes" passed down through generations in his family. This would include his mother's apple pie.

Besides resident chefs of European restaurants in Singapore, two Michelin-starred French chefs are also part of the gourmet series.

They are Ronan Kervarrec of two-Michelin-starred La Chevre d'Or at Eze Village, south of France, who will cook at The Fullerton Bay Hotel's Clifford restaurant; and Jean-Yves Leuranguer of one-Michelin-starred Fouquet's in Paris, who will be at Raffles Singapore's Raffles Grill.

Those who want to pick up cooking tips can sign up for cooking demonstrations at cooking studio ToTT in Dunearn Road.

Reservations are open for HSBC cardholders, who get 20 per cent off ticket prices. Members of the public can get their tickets from Sunday.

After the launch of the year-long Salon Gourmet next month, there will be monthly wine-pairing dinners to look forward to at restaurants such as Esquina in Jiak Chuan Road and Le Bistrot du Sommelier in Armenian Street.

Those looking for other types of cuisine can head to Spanish and Russian restaurants as well, which are also part of Salon Gourmet.

Hoping to introduce more diners to Russian cuisine, managing director Natalia Makarova of Russian restaurant Buyan in Duxton Hill notes that the menu on Rustic Russian Flavours will stick to signature traditional dishes, paired with infused vodka.

She says: "Singapore boasts a lot of gastronomic events and Salon Gourmet brings attention to European gastronomy. This allows us to showcase Russian cuisine alongside French establishments. I'd be happy if lesser- known cuisines are showcased in this competitive scene."

euniceq@sph.com.sg

Rustic Russian Flavours

What: Pair infused vodkas at Russian restaurant Buyan with caviar and blinis, eggs, onion and sour cream; borscht, a Russian beetroot soup with beef; and Beef Stroganov served with mashed potato and creamy mushroom sauce. Where: Buyan Russian Restaurant & Caviar Bar, 9 Duxton Hill

When: March 11, 7pm

Price: $148++, $118.40++ (HSBC cardholders)

Stellar At 1-Altitude Presents Spring Time In Provence With The Wines Of Domaine Giraud Chateauneuf-du-Pape

What: Chef Chrisopher Millar of Stellar at 1-Altitude teams up with chef Jean-Philippe Patruno of Una at One Rochester for this dinner, which uses local ingredients. Dishes include Poulpe en Daube, an octopus, tomato and garlic stew; and Coq en Daube, a guinea fowl stew with lemon gnocchi.

Where: Stellar at 1-Altitude, 1 Raffles Place, Level 62

When: March 12, 7pm

Price: $218++, $174.40++ (HSBC cardholders)

The Cuisine Of Masterchef Jean-Yves Leuranguer With Champagne Louis Roederer

What: Michelin-starred chef Jean-Yves Leuranguer features a five-course menu paired with Louis Roederer champagne from Reims, France. Menu highlights include an appetiser of sea urchin with Alaskan king crab, lemon, fennel and Kristal Caviar.

Where: Raffles Grill, Raffles Singapore, 1 Beach Road

When: March 18, 7pm

Price: $338++, $270.40++ (HSBC cardholders)

Heirloom Recipes From Alsace With The Wines Of Domaines Schlumberger

What: Inspired by the Baroque period in 17th-century Europe, chef Stephane Istel's five-course dinner features dishes such as seafood choucroute with Riesling veloute and homemade sauerkraut; and Alsatian Baeckeoffe, pork, beef and lamb stew in a white wine broth.

Where: Bar-Roque Grill, Amara Hotel, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road, 01-00

When: March 25, 7pm

Price: $188++, $150.40++ (HSBC cardholders)

Culinary Stars Of Europe Dinner With The Wines Of Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)

What: Enjoy the best of European cuisine from five chefs who will pair their dishes with wines from Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). The chefs are Julien Bompard of Scotts 27, Damien Le Bihan from Deliciae Hospitality Group, Victor Caballe Molina from Vida Vino as well as Martin Satow and Gottfried Schuetzenberger from Grand Hyatt Singapore.

Where: Grand Residence, Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road

When: March 27, 7pm

Price: $278++, $222.40++ (HSBC cardholders)

For reservations and more information, go to www.salon-gourmet.com.sg, call 6319-4038 (9am to 6pm, weekdays only) or e-mail salongourmet@sph.com.sg

Find out how you can win tickets here.

This article was first published on Feb 12, 2015.
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