Culinary society puts food on the front burner
By Maria Endah Hulupi
JAKARTA (JP): It may seem a tall order in a country where many people still do not have enough to eat, but the Indonesian chapter of Chaine des Rotisseurs wants more local faces among its ranks.
"We are trying to boost local appreciation of fine food and to encourage more Indonesians to join the Chaine membership," said chairman of Chaine des Rotisseurs in Indonesia, Firdaus A. Siddik.
The society, which opened its Indonesian chapter 30 years ago, halted its regularly scheduled dinners at hotels from 1997 to 1999, Firdaus said, in a show of solidarity with the economic difficulties of local people.
About 30 percent of its 70 members are Indonesians. Membership includes professionals from the food service industry, like chefs and hotel general managers, plus others from outside, including banker Firdaus, who were recommended to the Chaine center in France by local members.
There is also a more practical side to the society's endeavors, with the members' dues put to good use for charitable causes. With most Indonesian restaurants still falling short of international standards, Firdaus said the chapter wanted to help local chefs participate in international competitions which foster the art of cooking and quality of food and presentation.
They join a society steeped in tradition; it was established in the 13th century to promote culinary arts and nurture camaraderie among its members, who are now found at 150 branches worldwide. At each of the gatherings, the host chef is required to devise the various elements of the dinner -- from the theme, menu, accompanying wines, table settings, decorations, even garnishes -- for the evening.
All of the above elements were on display at the society's most recent event, its annual gala dinner at the Columbus restaurant of Gran Melia Jakarta. The theme was the adventure of the great sailor Columbus in his search for a new world, except the discoveries on the night in question were beautifully presented, delicious food.
Upon arrival, members and guests were escorted to a waiting room, where they exchanged greetings while savoring hors d'oeuvre -- oysters Rockefeller with cream and spinach, oysters Seviche marinated with paprika and plain oysters drizzled with kaffir lime juice.
The culinary journey itself began at Columbus restaurant, which was decorated with armor, diving equipment and a miniature vessel. The guests discovered the menu, imprinted on individual bottles of Domaine de Valmoissine's Pinot Noir of Maison Louis Latour 1998, in front of a bouquet of red roses at the center of the dining table.
The first step on the journey was carpaccio of red tuna with pan-seared foie gras and balsamic vinaigrette. The exquisite taste of generous portions of fois grass was nicely combined with delicate slices of slightly tart red tuna.
Next came creamy Andalousian gazpacho with watercress royale, which was enhanced with the freshness of finely shredded courgettes and carrot.
Another outstanding port of call lay ahead. The duck leg confit and globe artichokes en cage, accompanied with a red colored beetroot bread, was outstanding, consisting of deliciously seasoned duck meat topped by a delicate pastry dome.
While the guests were still carried away with the delicious taste from the previous serving, the hotel staff appeared and distributed another treat. It was a map of the world using melted chocolate, with a vessel-shaped blood orange sherbet with a sail made of a sheet of sweet pastry gracefully exploring the blue- colored sugar sea. As they feasted on the dishes laid before them, the members discussed various topics, but always returned to topics related to the palate.
The fine food journey continued as the ship arrived at a palatable but slightly bony grilled red mullet with lemon and thyme, emulsion of tomato, olive, potato, courgette and garlic, which was accompanied by black squid bread. It provided diners with a pleasant blend of tastes from all ingredients plus the aroma from the herbs all in one bite.
After the goat cheese Sainte-Maure with walnut bread, there was dessert, a chocolate creme brulee, with berries, which was decorated to resemble a treasure trove on a desert island. It was a fitting close to the journey, as members looked ahead to the next culinary exploration at Zigolini's at the Mandarin Oriental in the near future.