Amuse-bouche: Lobster and crab soup with peas and cilantro, served in a shot glass (I don't normally like cilantro -- better-known as "coriander" to Aussies -- but the cilantro in this amuse-bouche was really subtle. The texture of the soup was just the way I like it, and the flavour was sooooo good.)
Appetizer: Smoked salmon gourmandise, Provencal vegetables with basil (I nominate this as my favorite dish for the evening, and those who know me would be surprised by this statement because smoked salmon is not my favorite thing in the world. However, I have to say the smoked salmon gourmandise was absolutely delicious! And I would have gone for seconds too, if I had been offered. What I also loved about this dish was the unusual flavour combination -- I was especially surprised by the sweet tuile in the midst of the savoury elements in the dish. Quite an education for my palette indeed.)
Main Course: Roasted veal filet, grilled leek cream, canneloni with herb ricotta, served with Fairy Ring mushroom sauce (A lovely main course. The canneloni was the focus of much attention -- many of us tried hard to analyse and deconstruct all the complex flavours in it. I went into the kitchen later to ask the chef what was in it. He told me the combination of ingredients, which I won't divulge here, and I thought it was interesting...)
Dessert: Chocolate Flower (It was essentially a beautifully-plated Douceur Chocolat, something we had learnt to make in Intermediate Pastry, but the plating here was really nice. It made me realize how elegant a simple plating could look, if well-designed and well-executed. It's something I can aim for in the future.)
I spent much of the evening taking photos of the food and my classmates (as I normally do), and observing the servers. Now that I have done my service and kitchen shifts in Bistro Bleu, I have a better appreciation for the amount of work (and skills) that went into preparing and serving a meal like this. My sincere thanks to all who were involved in preparing and serving the meal last night.
Not only was it an enjoyable evening spent with classmates and friends, it was also an education for the palette. I would like to thank the School for organizing this event, because it was a meaningful and fitting way to round off our education here.
