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| Restaurant Seasons |
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| Riga,
Latvia receives |
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Extraordinary - Society
October - 2005 |
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5 Stars
& 6 Stripes
Cuisine & Service |
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The Ultimate
Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes™ |
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“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a
flower”, so the local folklore says. Our experience in Riga coincided with
“Velu Laiks”, the Latvian spirit time of early fall during which
appropriately, the flowers of summer’s harvest are presented in splendid
fashion on the tables of the Seasons Restaurant at the Hotel Grand Palace.
Executive Chef Andis Aldersons together with Restaurant Manager Dagne Licite
live by an old Latvian Proverb “A smiling face is half the meal”, to
provide that each guest is pleasantly satisfied beyond their
expectations.
It is not easy to tell someone that they should go to Riga
for vacation or a short business trip, as it is perceived as a sort of
“outpost” of the former Soviet Union. The truth of the matter is that
even in those dark times the Soviet upper echelon ‘burocrats’ and
aristocratic ‘oligarchs’ knew that Riga was their hopeful destination
to get away from the drudgery of their dull lives. Today Seasons Restaurant
provides the much-needed world-class gastronomic pleasure, which could not be
found anywhere within that realm. As we entered, we detected the feeling of an
emerging phoenix from the ashes of the past occupation and the connection to
the future with the acceptance into the European Union. Riga has now
transformed to become the destination for the cognoscenti from the rest of the
free world and Seasons is positioned in just the right place. |
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| Our reservation confirmed we
couldn’t wait to experience the awesome sensation of dining in the midst
of a setting steeped in profound historical significance. Our entrance was
punctuated by glimpses of textured silk wallpaper enveloping a classical
intimate setting of dignified but powerful grace. Restaurant Manager Dagne
Licite who gave further details about the history of the Seasons Restaurant led
us to our table. She noted that during a recent renovation a wall was
discovered in the basement that was part of the one that once encircled the
entire city of Riga during the Middle Ages. With live piano music wafting in
the background, an exclusive classical atmosphere began to emerge as we were
handed the menus and began the process of decision making while we scrutinized
the selections. |
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Andis Aldersons & Thorsten
Buehrmann (Piosczyk) |
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Our server Toms made us feel at ease with his
congeniality despite a somehow awkward service style as he approached the table
with an assortment of earthy whole grain breads and fresh whipped butter. At
once our menus were removed to allow for a bottle of Moët Chandon Brut
Imperial to arrive in two fluted glasses. As we lifted our slender glasses in
salute, I couldn’t help but detect the distinct aroma of fresh lime,
powerful yet sublime. The discrete finish allowed us to contemplate our
imagined first course because at this time our fate was in the hands of
Executive Chef Alderson and his team. Dinner tonight was to be impromptu, as
the Chef threw caution to the wind and improvised with only his imagination as
his limitation.
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First up was Marinated
Grilled Eel, Seaweed – Rambutan Salad with Rice Vinegar and Plum Wine
Dressing. This three-dimensional sensation offered the exotic taste of
“the wild hairy thing in the forest” or what rambutan is known as in
Indonesia. A distinctively agreeable flavor reminiscent of sweet Thompson
seedless grapes and chestnuts offered the perfect complement to the meatiness
of the grilled eel. A bottle of 2003 Salomon Undhof Riesling Steinterassen,
Kremstal Austria was decantered stimulating our appreciation of the elegant
stone fruit aromas balancing acidity as a typical Riesling should. |
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This was quickly followed by Peppered Buffalo
Carpaccio Marinated in Whisky with Grilled Shiitake, Asparagus, Red Onion and
Pistachio Salad with Fresh Berry Dressing. This locally grown buffalo was
deliciously accented with the faint scent of whisky, sliced wafer thin and
arranged in concentric circles almost as if it were meant to challenge the
visual affect as a sort of culinary M.C.Escher. Together with the 1998 Cabo
de Hornos Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile there couldn’t have been a more
perfectly paired combination. The pleasingly smooth tannins were supported by
the dark cherry, plum and black current core amidst a well-balanced medium
body. This restrained wine remained light, soft and clean while complimenting
the garnet red peppery but fragile carpaccio.
With our curiosity
sufficiently optimized, our intellect became challenged to venture a guess as
to what was to be presented as the next course. Somewhere out there, contrary
to conventional thinking entered Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Cream Soup with
Crispy Bacon, Lumaconi Pasta filled with Onion Marmalade and Black Caviar
as testament to the originality of Chef Aldersons himself. The radiant fall
colors of the pumpkin formed a foundation for a glimmering layer of roasted
pumpkin seed oil topped with crisp smoky bacon and black caviar. Since ancient
times, black caviar has been celebrated as the best, most delicious, delicate
and nutritious portion of the Sturgeon fish and this was no exception. Suddenly
a very nice bottle of 2004 Wolf Blass Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills,
Australia appeared and made its way to our eager lips. Its smooth complex
creamy texture and feel worked well with the exotic flavors of the soup while
delivering aromas of grapefruit and nectarines. |
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| And now for the main event, a
most delightful preparation described as Marinated Swordfish Tandoori style
with Raisin Caponata, Rice Noodle Polenta and spicy Kumquat Sauce was
placed in front of me along with a glass of 2003 Chablis Allain Geoffroy,
France. The Chablis offered a clean, elegant and well balanced wine,
full-bodied with generous mineral notes over aromas and flavors of citrus,
apples and vanilla. It was an attractive pairing for the tender, juicy
Swordfish steak cooked ostensibly in a special clay oven at high temperature to
preserve flavor and texture. |
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| I couldn’t help but notice the look on Arno, our
photographer’s face when he received his entrée of Fried Duck
Breast covered with Pistachio, served with Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Orange &
Carrot Ragout and Maltese Sauce. The intense full flavor of the duck breast
mixed well with the somewhat subtle tasting pistachios and combined with the
sweet-tart orange and carrot ragout, he agreed we had a winner. This called for
a cultured discreet wine to handle the Maltese sauce which is a hollandaise
sauce blended with orange juice and grated orange rind. Our server Toms
recommended that we resort back to the Cabo de Hornos Cabernet
Sauvignon, which appropriately highlighted the gentle garden vegetable
flavors while allowing the wildness of the duck breast to shine without
becoming overpoweringly gamey. |
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Throughout our entire meal we
were very impressed with the well-designed, classic Hutschenreuther dinnerware,
which seemed to elegantly highlight and support the chef’s creations
without overshadowing. Quickly our table was cleared and napkins replaced along
with additional silverware for the final course. A brief discussion as to what
we thought was to come ended only in curious looks between Arno and myself.
Shortly thereafter our answer came in the form of a mouth-watering dessert
sampler of Raspberry-Date Crème Brule, Guava-Aloe Sorbet and Panna
Cotta al Caffee delicately paired with 2003 Heger Eiswein,
Austria. |
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It was no secrete that these eclectic desserts
demanded a wine of character and finesse and the Heger Eiswein displayed a
color of dark straw, with enchanting green tints. This ripe, floral almost
raisin-like wine had appealing hints of spiciness and tropical fruits
coexisting marvelously with the contrasting fundamental nature of the trio of
confections.
Our dinner completed we were ready to retire to the
confines of the “hunter’s retreat” like atmosphere of the hotel
bar. It was Arno I seem to remember, who thought about how nice a small glass
of unique Riga Black Balsam might taste at this time. This traditional
liquor is based on a well-balanced and unique composition of plants, flowers,
buds, juices, roots, oils and berries. The recipe contains twenty-five
ingredients and has come to be called as the King of Latvian liquors, well so
much for the rest of that night. |
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| "The art of dining at the 'Seasons' is all art, the pleasure needs to
be shared." ~ TBP |
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by
Thorsten Buehrmann (Piosczyk) & Arno Goudschaal
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola
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| © 2005 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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