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.