Dining with the Chaine des Rotisseurs

Dining with the Chaine des Rotisseurs

By Parvathi Nayar Narayan

JAKARTA (JP): Men in chains (albeit small ones with medals
against different colored cloths), women in diamonds and fine
evening wear, waiters who serve water only on request and wine as
a matter of course, and of course, course upon course of the most
mouthwateringly tasty food, all seen through a riotous
centerpiece of autumn leaves and grapes.

No, I wasn't Alice in Wonderland but a guest at a Chaine des
Rotisseurs dinner.

The origins of the Chaine des Rotisseurs was as an order of
very privileged gastronomes. Created by King Louis IX in France
in 1258, they were permitted to eat roast meat and geese on a
spit in public. They flourished till the times of the French
Revolution, but inevitably became one of the many things that the
Revolution put a stop to. This association of gourmets was
eventually resurrected only in 1950.

The Chaine's Jakarta branch, too, has a history of stops and
starts, having first been begun by T'unku Hasan in 1970 only to
become fragmented after his death. It was revived recently under
the presidency of Mr. Firdaus A. Siddik. In February 1996, it
officially became part of the worldwide Chaine fraternity. At the
ceremony conducted at the Regent Hotel, the Chaine's
international President from France, Robert Baty, also inducted
almost 50 local members.

Ted Sulisto is one of the Chaine's Charge de Mission or
Organizers in Jakarta; his position is indicated, incidentally,
by the color, here cobalt blue, of the cloth on which he wears
his Chaine chain.

He told The Jakarta Post that one of the Chaine's interests is
to encourage young chefs by means of a scheme called Commis des
Rotisseurs. Ten chefs are selected, given an identical basket of
ingredients and asked to compose and prepare a meal.

Winners from the different centers are sent to an
international competition, and winning this brings with it
immense prestige.

The main activity of the Chaine, however, is the elaborate
dinners which its members are required to attend. To become a
member of the Chaine, said Sulisto, one needs to be a part of the
food industry or else be someone deeply interested in the art of
fine dining. Members of the Chaine in Jakarta meet once in two
months at a dinner which boasts a superbly cooked dinner based on
a specially created menu.

The theme of the most recent, held at the Margaux, Shangri-La,
last week was "The Best From The Shangri-La". The chefs at the
Shangri-La hotels from Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong and Kuala
Lumpur were invited to send detailed descriptions and photographs
of their best recipes to Chef Breuil, Shangri-La, Jakarta. He
then coordinated the menu, and was responsible for reproducing
the various dishes to perfection.

A few weeks prior to the actual dinner, the menu was sampled
by Margaret Dickinson, Chaine's conseiller gastronomique (food
consultant) and Lucien Blanchard, the wine consultant. Speaking
to the Post, Dickenson noted that those dining at the Chaine
dinner at the Margaux were invited to appreciate not just the
flavorfulness of the dish, but also the service (one attentive
waiter to two guests) and the presentation - the balance of
textures and colors achieved.

This was evident in the first course itself, Charlotte of Blue
Crab with Kalamanta Olive Puree and Confit of Tomato flavored
with Basil. The artfully arranged olive puree and basil certainly
enhanced the fairly bland if mellow crab meat. However, the
different elements of the dish seemed to have been picked to
provide an interesting array of colors as well. The next course
was a very unusual soup, White Bean Cream Soup with Perigord
Truffles, which was an offering from Chef Breuil himself. Perhaps
feeling that the essence of truffles did not impart to the soup a
strong enough flavor, the soup also had tasty pieces of smoked
beef.

This was followed by Risotto of Yellow Bell Pepper Infused
Barley with Cray Fish, Italian Parsley Emulsion. For those of us
accustomed to rice risottos, a barley risotto was certainly a
surprise. Neither the strong flavors of the bell peppers, cut
practically to the size of the barley, nor the cheese, were
allowed to overpower the barley - a mark of the chef's subtlety.
An example of the attention paid to detail was the small quantity
of parsley emulsion, or finely pureed parsley - 'emulsion'
seemingly quite a buzzword in haute cuisine of late.

The entree, Guinea Fowl Breast Wrapped With Savoy Cabbage
Leaves, Potato Mousseline and Duckliver Parcel, Sauteed Yellow
Mushrooms was extremely rich. Still it was a well planned dish in
that it allowed the diner many options. Those who found it too
rich could avoid the liver or mushrooms and just have the mashed
potatoes, or cut into the richness with the salad.

The winner was undoubtedly the dessert, Warm Wine Tart,
Rosemary Ice Cream, Seasonal Berries and Spicy Coulis. The
presentation in a spun sugar basket with an assortment of
seasonal berries like gooseberries, currants, blueberries and
strawberries was a feast to both palate and eye. Finishing off
the meal was a centerpiece fashioned from chocolate comprised of
basket, tiny chocolates and liqueur bottles.

The assembled diners seemed to really enjoy the evening and
the concept behind the Chaine. Moira Morgan, wife of a Chaine
member said, "... the quality of the food and wine is first
class..." with the luxury of " someone else doing the choosing!"

Pierre Perusset, a member, pointed out that it is always a
chance to see the best that the different hotels in the city have
to offer; at the same time, "... you meet people who like good
food and the good life, bons vivants! "

The suggestion that gourmet dining like this is only an elite
proposition, is countered by Dickenson who says that eating is a
necessity that all people share, whatever their culture or
background. And the move from dining to fine dining is not
necessarily a question of expense, but more one of care and
interest... and of imagination and creativity.