Epicurean Masters of the World II

by Joanne Lutynec, Posted Feb 10th 2007 @ 5:31PM

Down payment on a house, or dinner for one? Oh the dilemmas we face. The Epicurean Masters of the World II was held in Thailand this past week, culminating in a grand finale so extravagant that not one, not two, but six three-star Michelin Chefs contributed their talents to the 10-course meal. The cost per person was 1,000,000 Thai Baht which, according to today's exchange rate, is close to $30,000 USD.

So what do you get for that kind of money? First of all, anonymity. It is a closely guarded secret who actually attended the gala, so don't ask me who went. You also get what they call "A culinary extravaganza never before seen in Thailand and rarely experienced anywhere in the world." Looking at the menu though, it's clear the adventure doesn't just begin and end with food. It is as much a celebration of fine wines and champagne as anything.

My favorite quote about the evening comes from this article. In response to the price tag attached to the event, one of the participating French chefs, Antoine Westermann, stated: "It's crazy," Westermann said. ''The fact that one meal could be this expensive," he shrugged. "After this, nothing can shock me."

I've included a copy of the menu after the jump so you can see what each chef prepared, as well as which wine accompanied each course.

Gala Dinner at Mezzaluna

Crème brûlée of foie gras with Tonga beans
Alain Soliveres
1990 Louis Roederer Cristal
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Tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belon oyster
Antoine Westermann
1995 Krug Clos du Mesnil
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Mousseline of "pattes rouges" crayfish with morel infusion
Alain Soliveres
2000 Corton Charlemagne, Domaine Jean Francois Coche-Dury
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'Tarte Fine' with scallops and black truffle
Antoine Westermann
1996 Le Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanée Conti
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Britanny lobster 'Osso Bucco'
Jean-Michel Lorain
1985 Romanée Conti, Domaine de la Romanée Conti
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Risotto with white Alba truffles "Enoteca Pinchiorri"
Annie Feolde
1961 Chateau Palmer
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Saddle of lamb 'Léonel'
Marc Meneau
1959 Chateau Mouton Rothschild
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Sorbet "Dom Perignon"
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Supreme of pigeon en croute with Perigord truffles
Heinz Winkler
1961 Chateau Haut Brion
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1955 Chateau Latour
Selection of fine cheeses
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Imperial gingerbread pyramid with caramel and salted butter ice-cream
Jean-Michel Lorain
1967 Chateau d'Yquem
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Coffee or tea with Mignardises

Source

Filed Under: Lush Life

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-10-2007 @7:51PM Megan said... I'm not impressed with the menu. Not
enough desserts on it for my taste ; )
And for a mere $7.50, people could've gone
to this 500 course meal last year:
http://www.lasvegasvegas.com/2006/03/alkaseltzer_holds_worlds_recor.php
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2-11-2007 @11:45PM Daniel said... (read the pdf menu): There's a 10% service charge!
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2-11-2007 @3:17AM BestMotoring said... It figures someone would comment on QUANTITY rather than QUALITY of the food. (probably another fat american slob).

To the people that can afford it, it is not about the price, but about the experience of being able to dine on the most exquisite meals prepared by SIX THREE-STAR MICHELIN CHEFS! in addition to EXTREMELY RARE AND SOUGHT AFTER VINTAGES OF WINE AND CHAMPAGNE!

If you have to complain about the price, this information is not for you.
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2-11-2007 @2:58PM calamari said... It looks like an almost unremittingly heavy/rich menu, and many of the flavor combos seem to have been chosen to combine expensive ingredients, rather than because they're a great idea... sort of surf-n-turf for the super-wealthy.

I'd love to hear the behind-the-scenes, down-and-dirty talk from the chefs about whether designing this sort of meal is satisfying, or whether they make fun of the expectations of the diners.
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