Stars for the STOMACH

BANGKOK gourmets were treated to a star-studded dinner on Tuesday night, when six Michelin-starred chefs from the Netherlands graced the kitchen at the Oriental Residence’s Savelberg restaurant.
The all-star chef line-up was led by renowned Dutch chef Henk Savelberg, who has the distinction of being awarded a Michelin star in four different restaurants across the Netherlands, and is now the owner of Savelberg in Bangkok, his first restaurant outside his home country.
The dinner kicked off with three fresh oysters with three styles of condiments – passion fruit and ginger, black bean and shitake, and citrus and Alaskan king crab – prepared by chef Wilco Berends, owner and head chef of the quaint and long-established French restaurant De Nederlanden in the Dutch town of Vreeland, which has one Michelin star. The savoury, delightfully creamy and fruity dish was paired with Pikes’ Traditionale 2015, a riseling from Clare Valley in South Australia that complemented the dish with its perfumed nose and smooth, long finish.
The same wine also accompanied Raymond Prinsen’s raw marinated scallop with avocado and cream. Prinsen, a master of fine French cuisine, took the reins of the restaurant De Stenen Tafel in 1994 and earned the establishment a Michelin star. Rich and creamy but also pleasantly savoury, the dish went well with the wine’s bright and vibrant tropical fruit nose, making it a very delectable combination.
Cees Helder was next to delight with tortellini of lobster with coconut and curry crumbs, paired with St Veran Le Clos 2014 from Burgundy, France. The buttery and complex chardonnay toned down the slightly creamy sauce, making it a balanced and bright dish. Helder is the former owner of the revered Parkheuvel restaurant in Rotterdam and the first chef in the Netherlands to acquire three Michelin stars.
The first main course was presented by chef Savelberg himself. His grilled North Sea turbot fillet was served with old cheese and lemon dressing that went perfectly with the citrus note in the wine. The roundness and refreshing ripe grape palate also delicately cleansed and refreshed the mouth.
Martin Kruidhof, owner of De Lindenhof, one of the finest restaurants in Holland with two Michelin stars, served up the second main course, beef citron wrapped in chard leaf and apple syrup. The succulent, melt-in-your-mouth and well-seasoned beef was perfumed with the green, earthy aroma of the chard that was well complemented by the dense, fruitiness of Chateau Meyney 2009 from Saint-Estephe, France. The Bordeaux blend was also soft to the palate with a hint of spice and liquorice that subtly enhanced the fruity apple syrup.
Jarno Eggen, owner and head chef of De Groene Lantaarn, in Zuidwolde, Netherlands, which earned its second Michelin star this year, capped off the dinner with a lime-green sorrel sorbet with yuzu granite that offered a refreshing herbaceous sourness with hints of sweetness.
 
The Michelin-starred chefs will be preparing a six-course dinner tomorrow at Soneva Kiri on Koh Kood.
The weekend package for two inclusive of return flights, accommodation, spa treatment and the celebrity chefs’ dinner starts from Bt105,000. Email [email protected].