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| American Dream Cuisine™ |
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| Restaurant Margaux |
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Michael
Hoffmann,
Berlin, German |
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Society
March -
2006 |
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6 Stars
& 6 Stripes
Cuisine & Service |
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The Ultimate
Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes™ |
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"Cloak and Dagger" sprang to mind as we strolled past
the infamous Checkpoint Charlie on this eerily quiet, crisp and chilly night in
Berlin. With plenty of time to spare before our reservation at Restaurant
Margaux, we decided to take in some of the legendary historical vestiges of
Berlin's iniquitous history. As we approached the Brandenburg Gate, the leading
symbol of Berlin we realized that we were just a few steps away from entering
the domain of world-renown Chef Michael Hoffmann in his creative enclave in the
very heart of this fabulous city.
We were greeted warmly by Kathrin
Hoffmann who together with her husband/chef Michael are the gracious
proprietors of Restaurant Margaux. The name itself made it obvious to us that
the cuisine de fare should be French and so it was although we found the
interpretation of Chef Michael to be soundly 'avant-garde'. |
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| A quick meeting with the
chef before being seated in the harmonious 60-seat dining salon gave us great
insight into the creative cuisine philosophy of this master. "I use only down
to the elements earthy ingredients," Chef Michael pronounced during our
tête à tête, ". . . fresh fish must smell like the ocean;
not like fish." We were now truly prepared for our gastronomic voyage through
the gamut of classical French provincial wizardry highlighting the gifted
handiwork of Michael Hoffmann who lives by his belief that "Gastronomy is not
work, it is passion!" |
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| Thorsten
Buehrmann and Michael & Kathrin Hoffmann |
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| Amber colored onyx abounds and takes on a life of its
own in this 'minimalist' style but decidedly comfortable setting. The indirect
lighting produced a warm, coddling feeling of calm and worked wonders in
preparing us for the art of eating. Simone noticed that the experience was akin
to going to the theatre for a fine ballet performance. Rosenthal bone china
bore the fruits of Chef Michael's cuisine and all around us sat a room full of
business types and elegantly dressed patrons enjoying the pronounced ambiance
and unique fare. |
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"Gastronomy is not work, it is passion!" ~
Michael Hoffmann |
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| A bottle of 2001Grüner Veltliner Eiswein
Weingut Koch was brought to our table and two glasses were gently poured
for Simone and I and I thought it went well with our first course of Foie
Gras prepared Several different ways. The inert sweetness of the grapes
brought out the delicately smooth texture and flavor of the foie gras and was
highlighted by the exotic nuances of the detectable tropical fruit essence in
the wine. House made baguettes and fresh whipped butter seasoned with
resplendent Himalayan rose colored salt accompanied the course and it is
noteworthy to mention that the foie gras was creatively prepared in apple and
fresh fruit gelee, coated in spruce ashes with small dollops of hazelnut oil,
mint and dates, and with tropical 'tree tomato' chutney. |
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| An especially delightful rendition of shellfish was
produced with the serving of Lobster 'Brettonier', which was prepared by
a process using indirect heat at low temperatures as not to harm the delicate
meat and to maintain the succulent fresh nature of the lobster. It was
presented completely out of the shell and paired with candied orange, lemon and
ginger along with a Kashmir curry sauce drizzled on the plate. A bottle of
Horst Sauer Eschendorfer Lump Riesling Kabinett 2004 was presented and
offered the necessary aromatic nose and nicely rounded texture and structure to
support the lobster. An intermezzo was promoted to enhance the dining
experience and consisted of Tea sorbet made from Green and Black tea with a
hint of peppermint. |
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It was during this time that
I left the table without realizing that my napkin had fallen to the floor.
Simone informed me that during my departure the wayward serviette had been
dutifully replaced and folded for further use, thereby demonstrating the high
level of training required to consistently maintain Margaux's quality
reputation for service. |
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| Not satisfied with just concentrating on appetizer and
entrée items, Chef Michael conforms to his unique philosophy in the
dessert department also. We were presented with Glazed Thai Mango Coconut
milk Parfait with Vanilla, served with Malibu, candied orange and passionfruit
vinaigrette. Wine pairing was a 2003 Banylus Rimage "Mas Cornet"
made with 100% black Grenache that produced an excellent structure with notes
of black cherry and dark currants. This superb wine is an explosion of fruit
that pairs well with exotic cuisine like tropical fruit desserts. |
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| Simone and I would like to personally recommend
Restaurant Margaux highly to anyone looking for quality, creativity and
consistency coupled with great taste and fine ambiance. It was a night to
remember! |
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“Hoffmann's cuisine is a notch above the extraordinary -
there's something about the taste that elevates the palate to another
dimension.” ~ Thorsten Buehrmann |
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by
Thorsten & Simone Buehrmann
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2006 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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