| James Kon |
FRENCH Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Christian Ramage hosted a four-course dinner specially prepared by Chef Arnaud Tabarec for French Gastronomy Week at the Radisson Hotel on Saturday.
Guests at the dinner included Alliance Française de Brunei President Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hazair bin Haji Abdullah; Universiti Brunei Darussalam Vice-Chancellor Datin Dr Hajah Anita Binurul Zahrina binti Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Aziz; Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Brunei Darussalam Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashel bin Rashed bin Hashel Al-Maskari; prominent figures from the local business community; and foreign diplomats.
Chef Tabarec, who was awarded one star in the Michelin Guide in 2014 and 2015 for his gourmet ‘Cuisine du Marche’, said the French cuisine dinner spread was cooked up using only fresh ingredients from the local markets.
Speaking about French haute cuisine and France’s gastronomic experience in his dinner address, the French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam said, “The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions.
“It is a festival meal bringing people together in occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking.
“The gastronomy meal emphasises togetherness, the pleasure of taste and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. In 2010, France’s multi-course gastronomic cuisine was inscribed onto the representative list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.”
The menu featured a lineup of French gourmet dishes such as the Cappuccino de chou-fleur et noisette (cauliflower and hazelnut cappuccino), Crevattes et legumes croquanis poches dans un boullion aux herbes (prawns and crisp vegetables poached in herbs broth), Gateau de poulet on croute de feuilletage fole gras et sauce poulette (chicken cake with puff pastry, foie gras and chicken jus) and Crème brule a la vanilla (vanilla crème brulee). The event also saw Chef Tabarec mingling with the guests and explaining about his culinary creations.
