MARVELLOUS morsels of food and wine and cocktails were the order of the day when I went on Pan Pacific’s F1 Gourmet Safari! Actually, I gave the idea for Gourmet Safaris to the Pan Pacific some years ago, when their MarCom Manager, over a glass of champagne asked me what ideas I had to liven up things. I suggested a Gourmet Safari to her as I was the first to do a Gourmet Safari in a club, namely, the Pines Club. That was when I was the Special Food & Wine Consultant to the Pines Club.

SAS (Saketini & Scallops)

19:22 > The extraordinary evening started off in the Wine Vault just off the lobby.

Friendly Executive Chef Sheldon Tan welcomed me and explained,

“I used the Japanese Sweet Potato for a nuttier aroma…I baked it for 30 minutes at 180C!” This vegetable has Vitamins A, Bs and C, manganese & even iron. Sweet Potatoes with smooth and creamy Mushroom Truffle Cream had that intoxicating aroma of the King of Fungi – Truffles! The Soup made with Australian Packham Pears plus lightly seared Scallops was splendid with Saketini Cocktail served in a big Martini glass. It is made with Sake and also has 2 plump lychees in it!

Jolly Japanese!

19:55 > Then it was off the their signature fine dining Japanese Restaurant set in a Japanese Zen style garden. “Irasshaimase!” was the welcome greeting, and then Cheerful Chef Hiroshi Kagata appeared to present:

heart racing Herbal Tea Jelly with Water Shield & Pear, fresh Sea Urchin on macha Tofu & Shiso Leaf, ueber-crispy Sakura Shrimp Chips, mashed Potato & Tea Leaf, cute Macha Lily Root ball with its sticky mouth feel and Green Tea Fish Noodle with Soba Sauce served chilled! The tempting tipple was Sparkling Sake served in  Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin tulip glass! I adored the Sea Urchin on the spiky half shell and the slightly sweet sparkling sake reminded of my Grandma’s home made ‘tapai’ (rice wine). When you relish sea urchin, you can taste the ocean in every tender morsel…

Dine at the TOP!

2052: > The Gourmet Safari moved like an F1 racing car in the bubble lift to the highest level of the Pan Pacific and Hai Tien Lo Chinese restaurant. I like the bubble lifts which always remind me of my parachuting days.

Chef Lai Tong Ping served Pepper Salt Shanghai Small Yell0w Fish on a Thai Style Green Mango Salad. The fish was rolled up and deep fried so it resembled a turban with a feather in it! So crunchy you can eat every part. The Thai style salad added a touch of zestiness to the fish. The unique white wine was made by my friend…Reserve Perrin Cotes du Rhone 2004 which is crafted with 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Bourboulene, 10% Marsanne, 10% Rousanne and 10% Voignier. This dry, Old World white wine with bouquets of peach and white stone fruits was very nice with the fish. Alas, the other guests being more used to mundane New World Chardonnays and Semillion blends could not appreciate the subtleties of this exceptional golden-hued wine.

Z for ZAMBUCA!

Executive Chef Sheldon and The Travelling Gourmet. Simply turn your head to the left to see the picture Ha! Ha!

21:31 > Chef Lucas McMillan was indisposed but his carnivorous offerings were yummy. Executive Sheldon came to explain the dish made with 100% Full Blood Wagyu Beef from Melbourne bred for more than 20 years! Graded 9+ Wagyu Beef was in a Declinaison of 20mm thick Grilled Rib Fillet, Beef Wellington with a 2mm pastry crust and nice Mushroom Tapenade inside, plus yummy cylinder of Oxtail Rouldade with crispy bacon wrap. I especially liked the caramelised Baby Beetroot still crunchyin the core…Also the parsnips boiled in cream and laced with Fennel Butter. The beef was nice and mediumrare for the beef Wellington. My only suggestion is that there should be more red wine reduction gravy. The wine was from the Barossa in South Australia. A typical Australian Shiraz, very fruit forward with ripe plums and red berries and pepper which complemented the beef.

How is Wagyu graded?
Wagyu beef is graded by a 12-point marbling-score scale. The highest grade, 12, indicates that the beef is 90% fat and 10% meat. My personal preference is 8.

Winnie at The Atrium

22:17 > German trained Pastry Chef Winnie Goh’s dessert to live for was Mango Parfait on a crisp sandy textured Coconut Sable biscuit with Soursop bubbly Emulsion, fresh tangy soursop slice, Lemongrass Jelly and Lemon Balm Herb. I could see little black seeds of Tahitian Vanilla in the refreshing chilled Parfait, which incidentally means “perfect” in French! Hidden in the pleasing Parfait was fresh mango! As my personal motto goes:

Das Leben es ist unbestimmt, iss erst den Nachtisch!

One of the good things about a Gourmet Safari is that you get to exercise between savouring your courses by moving to different venues…

ENJOY!

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F1 Gourmet Safari is on from 5 until 23 September 2011 daily at 7pm till late, except Sundays. Prices from $280++ per person.

For $590++ per person, you’ll enjoy a  two-way transfer in a chauffered Maserati sports car and a very special Suprise (clue: it is connected to the F1 Races).

Culinary Reservations & Enquiries, please contact The Pan Pacific at 68268240 or email:

celebrate.sin@panpacific.com

Pan Pacific Singapore,

7 Raffles Boulevard,

Marina Square

Singapore 039595

Tel: 63368111