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Some wonderful gourmet hours:
by Miss Terry Diner
The superbly trained service personnel shows the
professionalism and training given by Kim and Pascal Schnyder.
There is a subtle difference between ‘gourmet’ and
‘gourmand’. One denotes a lover of fine food and wine, the other is a glutton.
Sometimes the Dining Out team has trouble remembering that difference,
especially when the dining experience has been an exemplary one.
 Dr.
Iain Corness interviews Kim Schnyder for Pattaya Mail on TV.
We had two such experiences in the past week. The first was a wine dinner at
Restaurant Poseidon in the Jomtien Complex (the second one can wait till next
week). Run by Kim and Pascal Schnyder, who between them have taken the
previously established Poseidon restaurant and raised it to new heights. With
Pascal’s influence in the kitchen and Kim’s influence front of house, Restaurant
Poseidon is definitely a culinary high in Jomtien.
If you have not dined at Restaurant Poseidon before, it is within the rather
‘boisterous’ Jomtien Complex, at the mouth of the soi closest to Thepprasit
Road. It can get very busy in the complex and parking can be at a premium, but
one of the diners that night said that there is always parking available beside
the bank directly opposite the Complex on Thappraya Road. A good one to
remember.
On entering Restaurant Poseidon, you are immediately aware that this is a
restaurant possessing that almost indefinable character called “class”. The
décor, the glassware, the napery, the seating, the surroundings all have that
welcoming feeling, be it in the outside under cover section, which seats 16, or
the air-conditioned interior area which seats 28. Poseidon is not an ‘ordinary’
restaurant, though it would not describe itself as a ‘fine dining’ venue, even
though I would! The superbly trained service personnel again shows the
professionalism and training given to their staff by Kim and Pascal Schnyder.
With a small personal event to celebrate, this coincided with the monthly
Poseidon wine dinner and we were very happy to join with Kim and her staff and
around 20 other diners. This was not a ‘grand’ affair, but more of a low key
dinner amongst similar souls who became immediate ‘friends’.
With Kim as our guide, the dinner began with a Chilean Ventisquero Classico
Sauvignon Blanc teamed with a Moussaka on a winter garden salad. This was a very
flavorsome start to the evening, even though the Chilean wine, although
pleasant, was not one I would call memorable. Remembering, of course, that wine
appreciation is a personal experience and I will be happy for you to disagree
with me. Kim also said that the choices of wines for these dinners were from the
lower ranges of the market, but would show that very quaffable wines do not need
to be the most expensive.
The dinner moved along to an asparagus cream soup with smoked duck breast. This
was superb, with the smoky duck just giving the soup that extra flavor. The
influence of Pascal Schnyder could be seen here. This was accompanied by an
Australian Butterfly Ridge Colombard Chardonnay. This wine was typically
Australian, strong nose and full-bodied and great drinking.
 “Your
wine, sir and madam…” Oh presents a choice of white or red.
The third course was a choice of a whole roasted beef rib eye, carved and served
at the table, with a Bearnaise sauce served with potato dumpling and bacon
wrapped haricot, or pan-fried yellow tail kingfish fillet in a pink butter sauce
with cream spinach and boiled potatoes. The first of the red wines was served
with our choice and was from the same Chilean winemaker Ventisquero Classico and
was a Cabernet Sauvignon.
The main course was excellent, but I liked even more the switch to the Butterfly
Ridge Shiraz Cabernet, which although young, was smooth with a nice long finish.
Again showing my personal choice of the more full bodied tipples.
The dessert course was a chocolate mousse, and we continued with the Butterfly
Ridge. By this stage in the proceedings that subtle change between gourmet and
gourmand started to become more obvious. The temptation to just sit there and
continue supping and sipping was very strong, but Madame insisted it was time
for coffee and then goodbyes.
Restaurant Poseidon, 413/3-5 M12, Thappraya Road, Jomtien Complex, telephone 038
303 300, fax 038 303 336, open 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. seven days. On-street
parking. Phone for the date of the next wine dinner!
Cream of asparagus and bacon soup
Winter is coming, and although it does not get very cold
in Thailand, some nights can be decidedly chilly. This is the ideal soup
season. This recipe is an easy one, with the few ingredients necessary
readily available. Very little actual cooking with most of the time being
simmering.
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Ingredients serves
4
Onion (small) 1
Asparagus spears 1 tin
Bacon 500 gm
Garlic crushed 1 clove
Cream 500 ml
Chicken stock 1,000 ml
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt
to taste |
Cooking Method
Chop up the onion very fine. Cut the asparagus spears into 3 cm
lengths. Chop the bacon finely as well. Place the crushed garlic, onion,
bacon and asparagus in the pan and over a medium heat, lightly sauté until
the onion is clear.
Add the chicken stock, add some ground black pepper, stir and simmer for 30
minutes on low heat.
After simmering, add the cream, stir and simmer for a further five minutes.
At this point add more pepper if required and salt to taste.
Serve immediately.
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