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Superb gathering of international chefs turn up for Gourmet Festival at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Food for thought

“Beauty has no mercy”

New Thai spa logo to signify legit businesses

Superb gathering of international chefs turn up for Gourmet Festival at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Michael and Marion Vogt

It was a culinary highlight when the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai took the unique opportunity to bring together world-renowned master chefs after their gourmet week in Bangkok and talk them into a show performance for the Chiang Mai community.

Todd English prepares lobster on white polenta and fig sauce.

It was a joy to look over the shoulders of these chefs when they seized the stoves of the Chiang Mai Four Season’s Cooking School. Chefs one normally only sees on TV or reads about in overseas magazines, such as Todd English who was inducted into the James Beard Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.

The same goes for Michael Ginor, co-founder Hudson Valley Foie Gras, New York. Michael Ginor, a true personality in regards to organizing culinary events worldwide and who was the driving force who brought all the chefs to the north. He is known for bringing together celebrated American and local chefs to create an intercultural culinary exchange program which introduces global concepts and ideas to world markets. Talking to him regarding the soft and mellow taste of ‘his foie gras’, he said the history of foie gras goes back over 5000 years and it was the Egyptians who first started producing foie gras.

Margaret Ghielmetti, Michael Ginor and GM of Four Season’s Chiang Mai Patrick Ghielmetti after tasting Michael’s whole roasted foie gras with smoked duck breast and cauliflower mousseline.

Another ‘star’ was chef Kenneth Oringer, executive chef and co-owner from ‘Clio’ who has worked in some of Americas’ finest kitchens developing his extensive knowledge and innovative approach to cooking. Chef Oringer’s Clio has just been named “Best Restaurant in Boston” by Food & Wine magazine and one of Gourmet’s “Top 50 Best Restaurants in America.”

GM of the Four Seasons Resort, Patrick Ghielmetti also took the opportunity to introduce his new executive chef Claudio Rossi who was transferred from Four Seasons Shanghai to Chiang Mai. Italian Claudio presented ‘his’ specials of the night, being crispy arancini with truffle cream cheese filling and Alaska King Crabs with Lanna Herbs.

GM Patrick also reminded everyone of the Winemaker’s Dinner from Robert Mondavi’s Winery who will team up for a culinary extravaganza on Saturday, October 9, 2004. Cocktails, followed by a splendid four course menu with Robert Mondavi’s representative Jeff Cook explaining the different Californian wines. Tickets are 1,700 baht ++ with limited seating.

Food for thought

Sizzling seminar on imported meat well done

Staff Reporters

Horeca Supply Co and Siam Food Services Bangkok ran a seminar at the Sheraton Chiang Mai Hotel, for all those involved in the food and beverage (F&B) departments of hotels and restaurants.

(From left) Thierry Loncle, executive chef Sheraton Chiang Mai; Patinya Srisuk (Joon), Horeca sales and marketing manager; Rudy van den Berg, Horeca Supply Co., Ltd.; Philip Younie, general manager Siam Food Service Bangkok, and Manuel Reymondin, executive assistant manager of the Sheraton Chiang Mai, at the seminar.

Rudy van den Berg, Horeca’s MD, briefly outlined the importance of a ‘mixed purchase’. “The right ingredients for an accurate purchase are the item’s quality and price, the relationship between supplier and client, the knowledge to choose the right product for the right purpose, as well as service and after-service. Additional factors for the right mix are of course ‘safety’, referring to the necessary hygiene, the handling of the items, and the reliability of the supplier,” explained Rudy.

After the seminar, the 100 participants were treated to a lunch to sample the range of delicatessen items. Philip Younie, GM of Siam Food Services, said that an event such as this one would have been very difficult to organize in Bangkok. “People in Bangkok are just too busy to attend such a seminar. Here in Chiang Mai, people are obviously busy too, but they show more interest, and seem to be keen in obtaining information about the items they deal with each day.”

“Beauty has no mercy”

Ten young artists showing at La Luna Gallery

“Beauty has no Mercy” is the title for the next exhibition at La Luna Gallery. Chiang Mai’s new center for contemporary art has invited ten young Thai artists from Chiang Mai, Bangkok and other areas to present their work from October 2 to November 14.

Poster based on original print by Parichart Suphaphun

The exhibiting artists are Amnat Kongwaree, Morrakot Naksin, Parichart Suphaphun, Korakot Punlopruksa, Worawat Chortabtim, Nopanoot Lekcharoen, Kritsana Chaikitwattana, Jason Tamthai, Kwanpracha Sornprasit and Benjawan Sangnguanchai.

“One of our purposes is to promote young Thai artists,” says director Sommai Lumdual. “We have done that since the beginning with a number of young local artists, but we have also found that many talented artists do not have a place to present their works after graduation, especially if their art is contemporary and abstract.”

Sommai says, that this group of artists is a mixture of some practically unknowns and others who are already on the way up such as Kritsana Chaikitwattana, Jason Tamthai and Morrakot Naksin.

The ten artists will present oil paintings, paintings with mixed media, lithographs, woodcuts and photographs.

New Thai spa logo to signify legit businesses

Thailand plans to launch a new logo for the country’s spa centers that is intended to guarantee their quality. The new logo is expected to be announced by the end of September. Director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, Dr. Rewat Wisarutwet, said spa business owners who fail to display the logo will be arrested for illegally operating a spa service.

Spas which register with the Ministry of Public Health will be inspected by government officials. If their services meet the ministry’s requirement, their use of the logo will be approved. Spas centers offering a five-star quality will be publicized and supported as a ‘world class spa’, and will be promoted abroad. Branches may even be set up in other countries.

The approved spa logo was designed by a female student from Rangsit University who won the design contest recently. She was awarded 30,000 baht in cash for her efforts. The logo shows a hand, two orchids and the letter ‘Q’ in the color of Thai flag. The hand represents spa treatment done by hands, like a massage, and the letter ‘Q’ stands for “Quality”. (TNA)

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