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- An Award-Winning Dinner at GREEN HILLS SPA
MORI LIVING Diary
An Award-Winning Dinner at GREEN HILLS SPA
July 01, 2011
Kikuchi hosted a special dinner, showcasing a special menu designed specifically for the occasion and including some of his prize-winning dishes.
The former paired grilled sole with komatsuna greens and two kinds of shiitake mushrooms, beautifully melding Japanese ingredients with French cooking in delicious harmony.
I was able to experience first-hand the chef's talents and some of the dishes that helped him secure the 2010 Jean Schillinger Cup.
About six months ago I wrote on this blog about Hills Spa chef Akihiro Kikuchi winning the top prize at a national French cooking competition. Last week, I was able to experience first-hand the chef's talents and some of the dishes that helped him secure the 2010 Jean Schillinger Cup.
On June 23, Kikuchi hosted a special dinner at the Green Hills Spa Lounge, showcasing a special menu designed specifically for the occasion and including some of his prize-winning dishes.
After a short champagne cocktail period, during which a selection of amuse-bouche dishes were served buffet-style, we took our seats to enjoy the rest of the seven-course meal, which although filling, still tasted healthy and light.
The appetizer course consisted of a snow crab r?moulade with a lemon mayonnaise sauce, topped with thin slices of radish and a garnish of caviar. The crab was soft and fresh, and the flavors mingled together in a creamy yet tangy mix.
After this came the soup course, a frothy, cold gazpacho accompanied by melt-in-your-mouth langoustine and a homemade tomato extract that was bursting with flavor.
But the fish and meat courses were where the chef's talents really shone. The former paired grilled sole with komatsuna greens and two kinds of shiitake mushrooms, beautifully melding Japanese ingredients with French cooking in delicious harmony.
The main course was Bress chicken, the dish that clinched the national title for Kikuchi. It used meat from both the breast and the leg, and again complemented it with Japanese ingredients: yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit), daikon (radish) and gobo (a type of burdock).
The meal ended with two delectable desserts: pineapple mousse with orange saffron gel?e, and a warm chestnut cake with celery root mousse and rosehip sauce. I left feeling full and happy, and knowing exactly why Kikuchi was chosen as the winner of the Jean Schillinger Cup. His talents are undeniable.
Kelly