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| American Dream Cuisine™ |
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Grand
Restaurant
In Arosa, Switzerland
Receives |
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Extraordinaire - Society |
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5 Stars
& 6 Stripes for
Extraordinaire - Society Cuisine &
Service |
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The Ultimate Award:
Seven
Stars and Stripes ™ |
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| At the end of our private meeting with Mr. Bircher, we
were introduced to the Food and Beverage Director Mr. Jorge Andre Ferril who
hails from Lima, Peru in South America. He was eager to bring us to the kitchen
for an on-the-job meeting with Executive Chef de Cuisine Ulf Wein. The
Tschuggen Grand has always been known for good cuisine but with the advent of
Chef Wein the level of artistic quality and originality has multiplied tenfold.
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Our get-together was congenial even though 'live-fire'
conditions prevailed and many busy team members were hard at work in their
single-minded pursuit of 'total guest satisfaction'. This is perhaps the most
important mission of any great successful food service operation, I mean after
all it is the happy guest that contributes to your paycheck. That understood I
was warmly greeted by Chef Wein even though a somewhat large group of Russian
Chefs were in the process of taking a kitchen tour in the hopes of gleaning
some specialized information from the Master of his domain.
Chef Wein's
demeanor is low-keyed and respectful to his support staff as was demonstrated
throughout his interactions with his fellow team members. After all, he is an
extremely experienced professional who worked his way through the ranks in some
of the best restaurants in Europe gaining honor and praise and Executive Chef
status at Swissotel, Victoria Park Plaza Hotel both in London and then finally
Tschuggen Grand. Here he is responsible for 4 restaurants and a brigade of 25
chefs and 10 stewards with his goal to 'supply the guests with an outstanding
dining experience in all outlets'. |
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Things were
starting to heat up in the kitchen now with orders flying out of the printer
like confetti at 'Carnival'. Still Chef Wein had the state of mind to be able
to carry on an engaging conversation with us while keeping his hand on the
pulse through his peripheral vision.
We offered to leave him to his
duties at hand but his gentlemanly instincts overruled us and he invited us to
share a glass of one of his favorite aperitifs, Franciacorta "Ca' del
Bosco" Brut 1994. His choice of this exciting 'new wave' Italian
sparkler proves that his incredible depth of knowledge dosen't stop with
cooking. |
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Hugh Johnson
of the 'World Atlas of Wines' said "The finest wines both sparkling and still
are from the Zanella family estate of Ca' del Bosco".
It starts in the
gentle hills of Brescia south of Lake Iseo in the noble province of Lombardy
where the growing conditions are carefully nurtured and respected to yeald the
precious sparkler known as Fraciacorta.
The color was a light and delicate
yellow with hues of green pea. A floral scent of lime and apple blossom gave
way to dried fruit, highlighted by vanilla and oak. On the palate it is
balanced and refined presenting notes of ripe furit. |
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| The award winning
Franciacorta worked wonders in setting the stage for the serious business of
the impending cuisine review that Chef Wein and his staff were organizing for
us now. Let us start with one of the specialties of the kitchen, |
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Appetizer I:
Thin Sliced Smoked Salmon
with Dill and Fresh Greens Primavera.
This simple preparation can be
taken for granted without knowing the tremendous care in effect to insure that
it starts with freshly caught wild salmon, filleted and gently smoked for hours
over specially primed beechwood.
Chef Wein personally supervises the
whole operation to insure that the finished product is delicate, moist, tender
and flavorfull. It was! |
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| Next
came somewhat of a surprise in the form of Appetizer II: House made
Sauerkraut Soup with Caraway. This selection proved to be a hearty
redition of an old staple that you might find amoung your grandma's recipes.
This soup is fortified with a slightly smokey ham bone, peppercorns and
thickened with potatoes for an appealing mid-winter, top of the mountain
recharger. |
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Appetizer III:
- Aspagus Salad with
Minced Egg and Chives
- This is a culinary delicacy featuring white
asparagus, which is an absolute favorite in the early spring in Europe. White
asparagus are more tender, milder and nuttier in flavor than their green
brothers are. This combination includes the two types of asparagus both whole
and sliced together with minced hard cooked eggs and tangy fresh
chives.
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Main Course I:
- Savory Herb Crusted Pan
Seared Sea Bass with Dill Nage -
The purpose of encrusting allows
the fillet of Sea Bass to retain its vital, flavorful juices while being
cooked. Using his own mixture of fine herbs, Chef Wein applied just the right
amount of cooking time to present the fillet in perfect form atop a feathery
light aromatic broth. On the side rested a 'timbale' of roasted potatoes, a
must when eating anywhere in Switzerland.
- 2000 Malanser Pinot Gris,
Ruth & Georg Fromm, Malans -
I really loved this wine for its
honesty and refinement. "Our wines reflect the quality and character of the
Earth, the Culture and the People" is the way these winemakers see themselves
through their commitment. The Pinot Gris's full bodied structure revealed hues
of light yellow with aromas of yellow rose and honey.
Main Course II:
- Risotto with Prawns
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Risotto is an Italian cooking technique used for Arborio rice
that involves stirring hot liquid little by little into the rice, which creates
a very creamy sauce naturally. Chef Wein uses his own laboriously made stocks
to strengthen the rice while embellishing the 'al dente' texture with juicy
prawns.
- Grain Blanc, Maria Therese
Chappaz, La Liaudisaz, Fully Valais -
An elegant dry wine from the
French part of Switzerland, offering hues of green lemon, with aromas of
pineapple laced throughout. The rather subtle flavors of rhubarb and grapefruit
are evident leading to a soft finish.
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Main Course III:
- Grilled Veal Chop
Sauce Demi, with Courgette Ramekin stuffed with sautéed garden
vegetables -
A carefully prepared delightfull rendition of a menu
standard. Each chef prides himself on his timing and technique and Chef Wein's
delivery was flawless. The concentrated demi-glace showed perfection as its
making from scratch takes about 25 hours and it provided rich, velvety meaty
flavor to augment the delicate veal.
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- 2000 Castello di Cantone,
Rosso del Mago Merlot del Ticino, Angelo Delea, Mendrisio -
Aged for
22 months in new French oak resulting in a purplish red color delivering a
spicy perfume with a taste reminiscent of mature berries.
It was time to congratulate Chef
Wein on his magnificent cuisine preparation although I think he considers it
just another day in the office. His skill and personal dedication is evedent
with every item that comes out of his well run kitchen. We saw the door to the
kitchen open slightly and someone grabbed a quick peak outside. Suddenly Chef
Wein appeared followed by his Head Pastry Chef Stephan Heldrich carrying our
dessert which resembled a firework displayed frozen in time |
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Please
take a closer look |
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Dessert:
- Strawberries and
Rhubarb with House- Made Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream decorated with Spun Sugar
Swirls
- 2002 Gantenbein
Pinot Blanc, Daniel Gantenbein, Flaesch-Graubuenden -
This wine is
the product of the careful pressing of above average "Weissburgunder" grape
clusters and the lowering of the alcohol content to create a sensational
result. The aroma is similar to a reisling suggesting mature berries, tropical
fruits and lime blossoms. On the palate it is soft and silky while melting like
butter with a long finish.
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| Our exceptional dining experience at The Grand
Restaurant under the nurturing care of Executive Chef Ulf Wein left us in a
somewhat unfettered state of mind. We decided to have a quick nightcap at the
subdued and romantic Grand Bar. We walked in to the soft sounds of live music
being preformed by a lovely Italian group. Patrons were gathered in little
groups around comfortable banquets and low tables sipping cordials while
enjoying small talk in a myriad of languages. We continued toward the becon
created by the welcoming smile of the head bartender and ordered two glasses of
'Cuore di Noce' Angelo Delea, a liquor made from the hulls of
green walnuts, spices and aromas, macerated for a long time in brandy, making
it a pleasant digestive liquor. |
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by
Phillys & John Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme
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