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| Djibouti, Africa |
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Extraordinary -
Merit
November - 2007 |
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5
Stars & 4 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes® |
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| “There is no place like Lac Assal to give you a
calming and relaxing sensation, as if you were taking a virtual leave of the
planet,” read the travel brochure. It was referring to this restaurant's
namesake, Lac Assal the world's third largest salty lake a short 45-minute
drive from the restaurant. But like the world-famous lake, this restaurant is
also a place of peace and tranquility coupled with a measure of gastronomic
allure that will be sure to whet the appetite. |
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| It is an attractive
setting featuring hand crafted artwork as decoration that works to create a
cool habitat all the while peaking interest in what is next to come.
Interesting wall objects contribute to the sense of the local cultural
identity, which is easy to see also on the proud faces of the team members. A
look around and you catch glimpses of fresh cut flowers, which have been
carefully chosen to brighten up each table with their virtue of purity.
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| Thorsten Buehrmann & Ingo Graf |
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| Restaurant Manager Ingo Graf greeted us as we
approached the podium, welcoming us with his warm, genuine smile. An offer of
cool perfumed cloth towels is presented and we relish their irresistible
feeling on the skin and seductive scent of the rosewater. Our table has been
arranged in the upper dining room and we enter amidst the sounds of softly
playing background music. It is now up to Executive Chef Iain Joyce to pull out
all the stops and present a sampling from what influences he has garnered in 15
years of experience in the Middle East, New Zealand and England. |
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It amazes us to see
such cultural richness and luxury in the restaurant since we are told that each
item, food and otherwise, must be flown in from the outside. As you can
probably imagine this must take an awful lot of pre-planning and organization
to pull it all together and have the resulting fine dining atmosphere. Our
table is festooned with a beautiful red-yellow rose, as well as Schönwald
porcelain dinnerware, with its timeless style and décor driven
functionality. Next to the classical china, the table settings include Hepp
silverware, for its symmetrical feel and opulence. |
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| Our dining experience begins when bar manager
Mr.
Deepankar Barua sends over one of his favorite cocktails, the time-honored
respectable Gin Martini Cocktail, age-old and enduring, but a masterpiece of
simplicity. It was perfectly chilled, crisp with a hint of juniper berries and
a citrus accent of curled lemon rind. In my eyes, this cocktail lives for the
tropics! Hostess Kadyia now introduces us to our server, Ms. Deka who
immediately begins to pamper us with her determined scurrying about the table.
It's amazing what a sincere smile can do for the adventure in the art of
eating. |
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| Chef Iain sends out an
Apple Leek Soup to brighten up our review and we relish in the
incredible depth of flavor and freshness savoring the little bits of sweet-tart
apple pieces. We are immediately aware at the great lengths that one must go
through to produce the fine level of quality and creativity required to keep
this restaurant at the forefront of culinary credibility. The satisfying soup
selection is followed by Beef Salad with Tomato, Balsamic and Caramelized
Onion of perfect temperature and texture. The quality of the meat and
deftness of its preparation disguises the hard work of procurement, production
and assembly of this special arrangement. It was fittingly paired with KWV
2006 Chenin Blanc, South Africa, offering plenty of ripe fruit flavors and
residual sugar, with very intense aromas of tropical fruits and spice.
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| Next up, Chef Iain presented Tuna and Scallop
Carpaccio with Lemon Grass Vinaigrette, with melt in your mouth slivers of
whiter than white mollusk and thinly portioned wafers of garnet red medallions
of tuna. The accent of Thai inspired lemon grass lent its pungent herbal flavor
to the otherwise understated essence of the seafood. To compliment this
delicate course, a bottle of Schloss Reinhartshausen Riesling 2005, Rheingau
Germany, an unmistakable dry style Riesling with delicate spice, hints of
yellow fruits and plenty of citrus notes. An intermezzo of Lemon Sorbet was
served to cleanse the palate without any hint of ice crystals, velvety smooth.
This came paired with Kempinski Sekt Extra Dry, a satisfying bubbly from
the very same world-class vineyards in Germany owned by the Kempinski
Group. |
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So far we agreed that
everything was running better than expected although after meeting with Chef
Iain we became familiar with his terrific dedication to perfection and pursuit
of originality. He now presented us with Bread Wrapped Australian Lamb,
Potato and Pumpkin Ravioli, Honey Garlic Jus, an inspired interpretation of
a formidable fare. Small layers of delicate tasty raviolis and foamy garlic jus
lay the foundation for this venerable creation. A rose pink color for the lamb
indicated the perfect cooking and serving temperature for the best template of
its flavor. The addition of the breading as wrapping worked well to hold in the
moisture and flavor profile so that each bite was a kaleidoscope of changing
savory patterns. |
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| This entrée had to be paired with an
exceptional wine that wouldn't overpower but would deliver the necessary
support to accentuate and highlight it. Chateau Ksara Réserve du
Couvent, Lebanon comes from a country with a rich winemaking heritage, but
not so wide and acclaim. It is aged in oak casks giving it a certain elegance
with a lingering delicacy. It is a superbly balanced dark ruby red wine made
from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carignan varietals making it
perfect for the lamb preparation. |
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| After putting the
finishing touches on our main course it seemed appropriate to rest and nurture
the remarkable wine for a while before moving on. Our server Deka gave that
needed space as she quietly cleared the remnants of our meal. A double espresso
was in the order of the day, while Chef Iain presented us with a masterpiece of
culinary fabrication. Double Chocolate Brownie with Coconut Ice looked
to us like a Michelangelo inspired tower bursting with edible ornamentation of
rich and creamy deep dark chocolate. This in turn was comforted by a bottle of
Moët & Chandon Burt Imperial, a velvety smooth bubbling mousse
of straw yellow champagne. |
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| Thorsten Buehrmann & Iain Joyce |
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| A fitting end to a lovely culinary journey! Our
respect and admiration go out to Executive Chef Iain Joyce, of New Zeeland. He
is a highly motivated professional, who received his Hotel Chef’s Diploma
in Great Britain from ‘Bournemouth and Poole’. The creative young
chef, who worked as Executive Sous Chef at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai,
U.E.A. for several years, took over the leading man position at the Djibouti
Palace Kempinski recently and his team is already receiving international
recognition under his leadership. We are delighted with his creative style and
believe in a promising future. |
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| 2007 Lac
Assal - Seven Stars and Stripes - Award-Hand-Out |
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by Thorsten & Edmund Buehrmann
Editor: John
Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
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| © 2007 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes,
Inc. |
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