#  >  > Thailand Festivals, Beaches, Scuba Diving and Temples, Tell us Your Tales >  >  > Thailands Festivals and Celebrations >  >  Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok Food Festival

## dirtydog

*Gastronomic gala* 
_Bangkok plays host to yet another jet-set culinary affair when Gourmet Asia 2007 opens later this month_
*VANNIYA SRIANGURA*


Food is one of the major ingredients that fuels Bangkok's bustling tourism industry. Over the past few years in particular, jet-set food affairs have been held back to back and have garnered both local acclaim and global attention. Culinary events in the capital are now multi-million-baht investments that can guarantee a profitable return. 

Given the phenomenal popularity of international stellar chefs and galloping globalisation, "Michelin star" is currently the hottest catch-phrase in a city which is more than ready to welcome culinary out-of-towners. 

The first of the top-class international culinary celebrations to take place in Bangkok was the World Gourmet Festival, organised by the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok. It was an instant success, and 2007 will be the eighth successive year in which it has been held. Already, a full programme of events has been mapped out for September 9-16.

Every World Gourmet Festival sees international chefs arriving to create a wondrous display of culinary inventiveness for discerning diners. It is a well-established event on the world food and beverage stage, and the hotel is adept at finding highly-rated chefs at the top of their profession to add to the festival's reputation. 

However, the gourmet event that confirmed Bangkok's image as a world-class dining destination was the Epicurean Masters of the World. It was first held in November 2005 at The Dome complex at the top of the State Tower on Silom Road, the site of three of Bangkok's most glamorous international restaurants - Sirocco, Mezzaluna and Distil. The second chapter was held at The Dome early this year with the venues including Breeze, the Chinese seafood restaurant at lebua, the boutique hotel, also at State Tower (see review on page 12). 

Both Epicurean Masters of the World festivals brought an unprecedented assembly of Michelin-star chefs to Bangkok to work together under one roof. At lunch and dinner throughout the festival, they presented a unique gastronomic experience, prepared in the state-of-the-art kitchens with products from the finest sources around the world and assisted by the efficient in-house team of chefs, managers and staff. 

Confirming the City of Angels as a heaven of epicurean appreciation, another ritzy food happening will take place later this month. Held also for the first time in Thailand, Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok will again see a brigade of international culinary maestros and producers of stellar wines from around the world coming here to present their finest to the gourmands and wine enthusiasts over a five-day period. 

The 70-million-baht Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok, running from May 22-26, is co-organised by Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Koelnmesse, Expolink Global Network and Peter Knipp Holdings, the organisers of the World Gourmet Summit which has been running in Singapore since 1997. 

Held in conjunction with Thaifex's "World of Food Asia" trade fair, the event will see each master chef hosting a cooking demonstration specially for the visitors of the trade fair at Impact Exhibition Centre. The spectators are expected to include chefs, novice cooks and culinary students as well as foodies. 

During the five-day affair, the master chefs will also serve lunch and dinner at four of Bangkok's five-star hotels - The Oriental, Grand Hyatt Erawan, the Dusit Thani and the Conrad. Each evening will be wrapped up with a special wine dinner at one of these five-star hotels where the master chefs will present their signature creations together with selected offerings from participating wineries. 

"Thailand has a strong Asian culture and identity which is an attraction in itself for visitors," said Kajit Habanananda, director-general of TCEB. "We are proud to help create a firm ground for Bangkok as a gastronomic centre for a blend of Eastern and Western cuisines." 

According to Michael Dreyer, vice-president of Koelnmesse Asia Pacific, "Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok is a perfect event for the expanding group of gourmands in Bangkok and the Asia Pacific. The success of earlier culinary events held in the country clearly indicates that there's enough affluence and also a willingness to pay for good food in this region." 

Peter Knipp, the founder of Singapore's World Gourmet Summit and an organiser of the Bangkok event added, "The European Michelin star is highly respected as is the Hat, its Australian equivalent. The stars may be significant but what's more important is the right chef at the right time. 
"Food can be the best ambassador of any country and I'd like chefs that are hungry and eager to come and learn what's happening in other parts of the world - a good chef who also communicates." 

Like the other organisers, Knipp is optimistic about the upcoming event. "Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok should not only be an affair where the masters showcase their finesse but also a place where knowledge can be exchanged. It's where local chefs will get a chance to be exposed to some of the best from overseas and for the international masters to get to know Thai cuisine and its ingredients and to spread their experience to others. It's a win-win situation." 

The five-day gastronomic adventure will be wrapped up on a high note with a black-tie gala dinner featuring a charity auction to support the royal projects. There will be a spectacular showcase menu of signature dishes from all four master chefs (see boxes) accompanied by an exclusive wine selection. 

It is no secret now that Bangkok is one of the world's most enjoyable cities to live in and has always been a dream destination for tourists and travellers. Glittering events like the World Gourmet Festival, the Epicurean Masters of the World, and now the Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok are adding yet more radiance to the city's international appeal. 

For more information about Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok, please contact Expolink on 02-640-8016 or visit GOURMETASIA-BANGKOK.COM. For meal reservations, please call the hotels directly. 

*Celebrity guest chefs* 

*Master chef Santi Santamaria* - Deeply inspired by his Catalan heritage and traditions, chef Santi Santamaria transforms a diverse range of ingredients from their purest forms into simple yet magnificent expressions of flavour without betraying their essence.

In 1995, he became the first chef in Catalonia, Spain, to receive three Michelin stars and a decade later received a renewal of the three Michelin stars with four red forks for Can Fabes, the highest distinction awarded by the guide in the whole of Spain in 2005. 
Chef Santamaria will be demonstrating his expert creations at The Oriental's Le Normandie from May 23-26 for lunch and dinner. The set lunch menu is priced at 2,500 baht while the dinner costs 6,500 baht. 
The special wine dinner on Wednesday, May 23, which presents Santamaria's Catalan cuisine as well as the best wines from Chateau Angelus is priced at 20,000 baht. Contact The Oriental at 02-659-9000 for more information.

*Master chef Rene Dittrich* 

- Chef Rene Dittrich, chef de cuisine at two-Michelin star Johri's Talvo in St Moritz, Switzerland, is another of the four master chefs in town for the Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok event. Winning several awards over the years, Dittrich has adopted a philosophy that focuses on the quality of the cuisine rather than emphasising the myriad types of ingredients used. 
From May 23-26, he will unveil a magnificent array of modern European cuisine for lunch and dinner at D'Sens French restaurant at the Dusit Thani. The finest wines of Chateau de Beaucastel from France's Rhone Valley will be served to complement his creations. 

A four-course set lunch costs 1,200 baht, or 1,700 baht with two glasses of wine. An eight-course set dinner is priced at 4,500 or 5,500 baht including four glasses of wine. The special wine dinner on Friday, May 25 is priced at 15,000 baht and features an exclusive seven-course dinner paired with the sophisticated wines of Chateau de Beaucastel. Contact the Dusit Thani at 02-200-9000 for more details. 

*Master chef Giacomo Gallina* 

- Giacomo Gallina is executive chef at the ultra-trendy Gold restaurant by Dolce & Gabbana in Italy. Since graduating with a Scuola Alberghiera G Pastore Varallo Sesia (VC) Diploma in 1970 he has left his mark around the world, having worked in top restaurants in South Africa, Paris and New York. Besides managing Gold, the chef is also the consultant chef and food designer for many culinary establishments in his native Italy. 

Gallina will be serving lunch and dinner at the Grand Hyatt Erawan's Spasso restaurant from May 23-26. The four-course lunch menu is priced at 950 baht or 1,900 baht with two wine samplers from top-class Italian winemaker Pio Cesare. The six-course dinner costs 1,800 baht, or 4,300 baht with six glasses of Pio Cesare wine. 

The special wine dinner on Friday, May 25, which presents Gallina's Milanese cuisine together with the best selections from Chateau Angelus is priced at 10,000 baht. Contact Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok at 02-254-1234 for more details. 

*Master chef Sam Leong* 

- Sam Leong is director of kitchens at the famous Tung Lok restaurant group of acclaimed, elegant establishments in Singapore, China, Malaysia and Japan. He has won numerous accolades over the many years of his culinary career. Skilled in modern Chinese cuisine and prized for his instinctive feel for innovation, chef Leong has had the honour of presenting his creations to former US President Bill Clinton and Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. During the Bangkok event, Leong will be presenting lunch and dinner at the Conrad's Liu Chinese restaurant. 
The price for the seven-course lunch is 1,500 baht, while the 13-course dinner costs 3,500 baht. The special wine dinner on Thursday, May 24 is priced at 10,000 baht with the finest Australian wine from Leeuwin Estate. Contact Conrad at 02-690-9999 for more details. 

Bangkok Post

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## Marmite the Dog

Don't tell me. Thailand will soon become the hub for cuisine in SEA.




> "Gourmet Asia 2007 Bangkok is a perfect event for the *expanding group of gourmands* in Bangkok.


I thought there were less foreigners in Bangkok now?

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## peterpan

What alot of bullshit ! for 30 years I ate in the worlds best restaurants (courtesy of the company) and as soon as I got home the best food was there.
 A Marmite sandwich and a nice cornish pasty, ahhh fvcking delish. :Smile: 


_Post edited by dirtydog to stop a vegimite versus marmite war_

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## Blake7

I'm going for Santamaria's lunch on Thursday - will post a review...

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## Butterfly

I will try chef Rene Dittrich and let you know

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## stroller

Any _exotic_ regional cuisine to be sampled?

Creme de Maeng-Dah with pickled Lin-Mah?

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## Blake7

So, as promised, here is my review of Sanatmaria's lunch at the Normandie, Mandarin Oriental.

The price was 2500 baht per head for a set 4 course meal, not including wine.

I was actually quite disappointed - Santamaria has 3 michellin stars and 4 forks so I was expecting much better. For starters there were grilled prawns on a skewer with a rather bland salsa. This was followed by asparagus with quite an interesting creamy sauce, but again nothing special. Main course was rack of Lamb - admittedly very well cooked and of excellent quality, but, again the sauce was not very inspiring. Desert was simple but excellent "pinapple ravioli" served with quite delicious ice cream.

All in all it was barely adequate and, in my opinion, the regular menu at the Normandie or even somewhere like Giusto is better.

The total bill for 3 people came to a touch over 13000. I thought this was quite steep for a lunch. We ordered a moderately priced Graves for 1600 which was excellent and my friend splurged, quite unnecesarrily I thought, on a 2000 glass of Armanac.

Now, I had the pleasure of sampling the creations of several 3 michellin starred chefs (I went to school with Heston Blumenthal in fact and frequently dine at the Fat Duck). I can only preume that in his own kitchen in Spain Santamaria puts on a better show.

Friday night I am trying Rene Dittrich at the Dusit Thani. I hope it will be better....

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## stroller

Thank you, this confirms my prejudices about these events.

While I have appreciated distinguished dining in the past, including, surprisingly, a Nouvelle Cuisine restaurant in Barnsley, UK, my preferences, matching harmoniously the contents of my wallet, tend towards the, let's say, rustical end of a night out these days.

I should add, that there really isn't a choice were I presently live to indulge otherwise.

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## Blake7

As promised here is a review of Rene Diretrich at D Sens, Dusit Thani.
This was 5,500 baht for a 8 course meal with 4 glasses of wine.
This was actually a fantastic meal and the wines served were phenomenal.
courses in order:
soup
lobster salad
Goose liver
rack of lamb
horseradich ravioli
champagne soupy desert thing
cakey stuff
petit fours

Much better than Santamaria.

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