The Amari Orchid’s Mantra restaurant wrapped up their week-long Gourmet Festival with a gala dinner at the Mantra. Featuring the final menu from the four chefs, it did show all their individual talents.
The three visiting chefs were Werner Snoek from South Africa, Giorgio Stephanosio (Italy/France), and Hirokazu Tomizawa (Japan) who joined the Amari’s resident chef Jens Heier (Germany) to produce a series of spectacular dinners and cooking classes during the week.
The Gala Dinner also featured French wines, with the majority from the Bordeaux region, with others from Burgundy and Alsace.
(L to R) Yongyuth Phianprasit, Mantra Restaurant and Bar’s executive sous chef; Chef Hirokazu Tomizawa from Yoshimura, Japan; Chef Giorgio Stephanosio, Restaurant Galerie, Monpazier; Philippe Bramaz, wine maker from Best Cellar Co., Ltd.; Patcharee Musikul, sales manager of Best Cellar Co., Ltd.; Jens Heier, executive chef of Mantra Restaurant and Bar; Chef Werner Snoek from Saxon Boutique Hotel, Johannesburg; and Supparatch Piyawatcharapun, Mantra Restaurant and Bar’s social director.
Before we began, I ‘tested’ the Mantra to see just how well prepared this restaurant really was – I had forgotten my pen and glasses, but our lovely smiling waitress quickly brought me replacements, so I could continue the review. Thank you, Mantra!
The first course (of eight) was a coffee cured duck with a lavender, praline and truffled duck liver pate from chef Werner. A sensational start to the dinner, taken with a Chateau Ferran Blanc Bordeaux 2005, a clean, crisp wine with a long finish.
The second course was from Giorgio, featuring scallop on a beetroot carpaccio, washed down with a Louis Roederer Brut Champagne. A luxury item, but very much appreciated by everyone.
Tomisawa-San produced an Awabi with kimo sauce dish with Abalone, something of an acquired taste.
The fifth course was from Chef Jens and was a crispy sea bass in morel gravy and spinach with a Verget Meursault Tillets Burgundy 2007. A most enjoyable combination.
The sixth course was a lamb and beef duo with the South African beans chakalaka, taken with two reds, a Chateau Cantemerle Bordeaux 2006 and a Chateau La Fleur du Bouard Bordeaux 2007, with the latter being more to my taste.
Almost at the end, but an amusing course, with the eternally happy Chef Giorgio coming round with the cheese trolley, which featured a very appetizing range.
And so we said farewell to the three visiting chefs with another ‘tour de force’ from the Amari Orchid, a resort which has changed just so much in the past 12 months, to become one of the top hotels in Pattaya.
