Citibank dreamt of a fantastic idea, and made it happen. I'm so glad they did too! It's simple - for $100++ per pax, Citibank card holders get to enjoy a specially created 6-course menu by an international and local chef duo. Called $100 Gourmet, it has been in action since April this year and will last 12 months. Tickets can be pre-ordered on the website, and I suggest you do so asap after checking out who might pique your tastebuds!
I had the chance to try out September superstars, Chef Trevor Bird from Fable restaurant of Vancouver, and Chef Anthony Yeoh from French restaurant Cocotte at Wanderlust hotel, Little India for a 6-course dinner a couple of days ago, and was blown away by the dishes. It's a pity Chef Trevor has gone home (where he is sorely missed), so you won't get to try his dishes, but those by Chef Anthony's equally good! Apparently they are a match made in heaven because of their similar philosophies in using sustainable and natural/organic ingredients - good for us, and good for them too to find a like-minded chef to collaborate with across continents.
Here's what we enjoyed. For starters, we had the duet en premiere by Trevor & Anthony that consisted of brandade, sour cream and onion chips with pickled onions by Trevor (right of board), and a duck rilette and ham & parsley terrine with warm bread (left). While I was rather ambivalent towards the ham and parsley terrine, the duck rilette was a classic taste and combination with the bread that you can't go wrong with. However it was the onion chips that stole the show, with it's sweet pickled onions cutting through the creamy brandade and sour cream on a crunchy chip.
After the impressive start, we were surprised when a pot of what looked like 'canned tuna' appeared in front of us. We were instructed by Chef Trevor to stab at the albacore tuna viciously to mix everything up, revealing potatoes below which had a slight lemon zest (due to the lemon confit) and terragon. It was super homely, and delicious to boot despite its very humble appearance! I could literally just have this for lunch (maybe more bread) and be content.
Then there's the Spaghetti and Meatball. Again, a dish that sounds innocuous enough. What turned up was a bowl with a dome coated with white sauce. Chef Trevor explained that the idea for this dish actually came up when he was in Top Chef Canada, where they had to spin a wheel and reinvent a classic dish. His was the Spag & Bol, and what he did with it was ingenious. Would be a waste to just limit it to the show, hence he brought the recipe with him! Cutting open the dome revealed minced duck meat, and the white sauce was parmesan.
Upon first bite the meatball was plenty salty, but once we mixed it with the sauce and the spaghetti underneath, along with some of the flavoursome duck sauce (all layered!) it all balanced out nicely. I hope this is being served in his restaurant in Vancouver!
And then, the main course of the night - the Duo of Lamb, which consist of the lamb shoulder and leg, served with some French beans, polenta and brussel sprouts. Here we have Chef Trevor carving out the meat carefully and explaining to us about the dish. Nothing sexier than a man who can carve his meats (and cook well too).
Here's the dish in its totality. The truffle mushroom sauce was a delight to pair with the lamb, which was tender and juicy. Unfortunately we were too full to finish the entire dish, but had the leftovers packed to go because they are just too good to go to waste!
We ended the meal with a simple Hot and Cold Chocolate by Chef Anthony. The flourless chocolate cakes were dark, rich and rather light, even if it wasn't as 'wet' as I'd liked (prefer brownies!). It was a nice sweet ending to the meal though.
Here I am with Chef Trevor in his last night in SIN city. It's a pity he had to fly home so soon after arriving! I hope to try out his restaurant if I ever do find myself in Vancouver. Meanwhile I should also go back to Cocotte to have a meal by Chef Anthony.
Like I mentioned, it is a really brilliant idea to hold these gourmet collaborations, thanks to Citibank! For $100 it's an incredible deal so don't miss out, and remember to check out October and November's collabs at http://100gourmet.sg/calendar/
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